Round 7, 2002
Melbourne vs St. Kilda
Sunday 12 May
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 20,892
1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final
| |
| Melbourne | 3.7 | 6.8 | 14.10 | 15.15.105 |
| St. Kilda | 2.1 | 6.4 | 10.8 | 15.12.102 |
Melbourne win by 3 points
Goalkickers: Andrew Leoncelli 3, David Schwarz 3, Peter Vardy 3, Travis Johnstone 2, Nathan Brown 1, David Neitz 1, Russell Robertson 1, Scott Thompson 1
Brownlow Votes:
3 - Travis Johnstone
2 - Andrew Leoncelli
Milestones:
Nil
The Demons first MCG game against a Victorian club for the season gave the administration a chance to make back some of the money lost by being forced to play at Princes Park twice during the year, but a small crowd turned out on Mother's Day to see the Demons fall over the line despite only kicking one goal in the last quarter.
The Saints had been criticised for their flooding tactics in previous weeks but the side who showed up at the MCG were interested in playing attacking football and the home side obliged.
26 points in front at the last break against a side who had kicked three goals for an entire game the week before it looked like the Demons were home but St Kilda piled on four straight goals to be within one straight kick deep in the last term. Just three points in front in the dying moments a Peter Vardy handball put David Schwarz through to kick the sealer. The Saints kicked a goal after the siren to bring the margin back under a goal but they went home losers.
Johnstone, Vardy and Woewodin were the Demons best. Neale Daniher said "At the end of the day, very happy to get the points. There have been many a day where we haven't played well and we've come away with a 30 or 40-point loss."
Clint Bizzell hurt his hamstring in the warmup and both Jeff White (ankle) and Paul Wheatley (hamstring) were troubled by injury.
Video
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Media
"Dodgy Demons just hold off sloppy Saints" - The Age 13/05/2002