MATT Burgan looks at the stories, stats and surprises in his weekly column.

Summary
For the second successive round, Melbourne came up against two of the past three premiers. The loss to the Hawks in round four was a shocker and there was a big build-up to Melbourne’s Anzac Day Eve match against the reigning premiers: Richmond. Although the result wasn’t flattering – the Demons lost by 46 points – it was a better effort, save for a five-minute period in the latter part of the final term, when Richmond kicked four goals and ran away with the match. It was a disappointing finish, as Melbourne got within 13 points after James Harmes kicked the first major of the final quarter. Now, the red and blue has five days before attempting to turn it around against the Bombers.   

How’s stat?
Melbourne has gone from averaging 105 points per game in its opening three rounds to 52 points in its past two matches.

The number
3 – goals were registered in five quarters by Melbourne. From the start of the second term against Hawthorn, until the end of the second quarter against Richmond, Melbourne kicked just three majors.

Experience differential
Games: Richmond (2293) v Melbourne (1772)
Goals: Richmond (1506) v Melbourne (1079)
Average age: Richmond (25 years, 323 days) v Melbourne (24 years, 196 days)

Did you know …
The crowd of 77,071 was Melbourne’s 10th best attendance for a home and away match since it became a foundation VFL/AFL club in 1897. Last year’s Anzac Day Eve match between Melbourne and Richmond, which drew a crowd of 85,657, was the red and blue’s fourth best home and away attendance.

3 votes: Jake Melksham
Kicked a career-best four goals and made the most of his opportunities. Melksham kicked one major in each quarter and got his goalkicking back on track, after booting seven behinds in the first four rounds. An underrated goalkicker, given he booted at least one goal in his final 12 rounds last year.

2 votes: Max Gawn
Had 56 hit outs – 37 more than his Tiger opponent, Toby Nankervis. Gawn also finished with 16 touches, six marks and eight tackles. He continued his fine start to the year. 

1 vote: Jake Lever
His best game so far for Melbourne, Lever had 18 touches, six rebounds and five tackles. His intercepting – a feature of his game – was again on show, as he finished with a team-high 10.

Apologies to …
Clayton Oliver (31 disposals), Nathan Jones (30 touches) and Bernie Vince (24 possessions and six clearances), who all could’ve been among the votes.

Good to see …
Sam Weideman show some promising signs in his first game for the season. The youngster remains a long-term prospect for the club and although injuries slowed his start to the season, he has built up strongly in recent weeks via the VFL. Still emerging, Weideman took some good marks and provided a chop-out in the ruck.

Oppo’s best: Kane Lambert
Big-name Tigers such as Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin, Alex Rance and Jack Riewoldt all played their part, but it was unsung Richmond midfielder Kane Lambert, who stood out. After finishing third in the club’s best and fairest last year, Lambert showed why he was a critical part of the yellow and black with a team-high 29 disposals and two goals.

Pic of the day


Richmond and Melbourne players unite and run through a shared banner (Photo: Michael Dodge, AFL Media)

Facebook post of the day

Tweet of the day

Instagram post of the day

How good’s the ‘G. #RaiseHell

A post shared by Melbourne Football Club (@melbournefc) on

Video of the day

In the mix
Dean Kent will miss with a hamstring injury and be sidelined for at least three weeks. However, key tall Tom McDonald, who has missed the opening five rounds with a foot injury, is pushing for a return. But will it be in the VFL or AFL? It will be fascinating to see. Jordan Lewis could also be a chance to play, after missing round five with a broken hand. But co-captain Jack Viney (foot) remains on the sidelines. Cam Pedersen was outstanding with five goals for Casey last weekend and will surely come into consideration. Bayley Fritsch and Mitch Hannan are also likely to be right in the mix. Don’t discount uncapped Demons Charlie Spargo and Harry Petty, while fellow big men Sam Frost and Tim Smith, and midfielder Corey Maynard, will be chances.

Next round
Melbourne heads to Etihad Stadium for its first match of the season – a ground that used to pose massive headaches, but produced three wins from four outings under coach Simon Goodwin last year. The Demons take on Essendon, which looms as a big match, given both teams are coming off losses – the Dons went down in disappointing fashion to the Magpies on Anzac Day. How both teams respond from defeats and quick turnarounds will be interesting. Melbourne had a good win over Essendon at Docklands last year – will it be able to repeat it again?

In the press box …
The pre-match ceremony, which included the Australian Army Band, the Creswick Light Horses and Felix and Yvonne Sher lighting the cauldron, in honour of their son Greg, who was tragically killed in Afghanistan, the Last Post and the national anthem were a moving part of the occasion. The view from the media box was particularly impressive, given the ground was in darkness, except for the glow from mobiles and torches. The sound was silent, and as has been the case in recent years, the moment was touching and genuine. It was a privilege to be there.

In the rooms ...
For the second successive week, the rooms were pretty flat post-match, following back-to-back losses. But good to see 2010 All-Australian ruckman Mark Jamar and another former Demon Tom Couch in the rooms after the match, supporting the team.

Song to sum up match
Better Be Home Soon – Crowded House (Note: Performed by Australian Army Band pre-match)

Simon Says …
“We hung in there. I think that’s what the game sometimes needs you to do. Our second quarter wasn’t our best footy, but sometimes you’re not going to play your best footy. I can't fault the boys – I thought Richmond were very good for the whole game.” – Simon Goodwin