Round 15
Sunday, July 1, 1.10pm
Melbourne v St Kilda, MCG

First quarter: Melbourne 4.2 (26) to St Kilda 4.3 (27)

Melbourne started the match with all the play. 

The ball was inside the red and blue’s forward 50 with regularity, and by the nine-minute mark, Melbourne had 3.1 to zip on the board.

Bayley Fritsch opened proceedings, before Angus Brayshaw followed up with two in a row.

Just as Melbourne looked set to dominate the first term, St Kilda hit back hard with the next seven scoring shots (4.3) to lead by eight points in time-on.

But when Alex Neal-Bullen snapped a beauty, after marking in the pocket at the Great Southern Stand End, Melbourne trailed by just one point at the first change.

Second quarter: St Kilda 11.6 (72) to Melbourne 9.3 (57)

Melbourne regained the lead in the opening minute, when Fritsch bobbed up with his second goal.

But when St Kilda answered with the next three goals, the Saints gained a 15-point advantage. 

Melbourne responded midway through the term – courtesy of Tom McDonald, Christian Petracca and James Harmes – to reclaim a four-point lead before time-on. 

But again, the Saints responded, booting four of the last five goals to enter half-time with a 15-point buffer.

Brayshaw and Saint Shane Savage both had 17 disposals each by the main break. 

Third quarter: St Kilda 14.10 (94) to Melbourne 11.6 (72)

As was the case with the first two quarters, Melbourne landed the first for the term – this time via Harmes, who booted his second. 

But it was St Kilda who capitalised again, with three of the remaining four goals by three quarter-time.

Jade Gresham booted two in quick succession to put the Saints in front by 23 points.

His two for the term gave him four by the final change. 

Jesse Hogan kicked his first – and Melbourne’s only other major for the quartyer – as the Saints led by 22 points entering the final stanza. 

Final quarter: St Kilda 18.11 (119) d Melbourne 18.9 (117)

St Kilda bucked the trend with the first goal of the term and when Jack Billings kicked truly within the opening minute, the Saints were up by 27 points.

The Demons kept in touch when they replied with two in two minutes – Harmes, who kicked his third, and Jake Melksham, who opened his account.

However, when Tim Membrey booted his fourth at the six-minute mark, St Kilda was back in front by 22 points.

Still, Melbourne was right in contention when Fritsch registered his third and Hogan landed his second at the 18-minute mark, closing the margin to just 10 points. But when St Kilda kicked back-to-back goals in time-on, through Josh Battle and Jack Steven, the Saints were up by 20 points and looked home.

But when Fritsch booted his fourth, Hogan got his third and Jordan Lewis kicked truly deep in time-on, Melbourne trailed by just two points with 30 seconds left on the clock. Yet, the goal needed to win the game didn’t eventuate for Melbourne, as it lost its third game in a row.

Brayshaw finished with a team-high 27 disposals, while Jack Viney and Nathan Jones had 26 touches each. Jack Sinclair a game-best 30 touches for the Saints.

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