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Star forwards Jesse Hogan and Paddy McCartin mirrored their team's fortunes as Melbourne inflicted more AFL pain on St Kilda. The Saints were competitive early, but had kicked a ruinous 3.8 to halftime and Melbourne kicked clear in the second half for a 39-point win. The 16.10 (106) to 9.13 (67) result on Sunday at Etihad Stadium leaves the Demons knocking on the door of the top eight with a 4-3 record, while the Saints are mired in the bottom four with one win and a draw. Hogan was among Melbourne's best players, kicking three goals, and earned high praise from coach Simon Goodwin for how he overcame an ankle injury during the week. "He's in great physical shape and he's in a really good mental space to compete strongly, week after week," Goodwin said. The only blight on his game was an incident in the third quarter where he appeared to stage for a free kick and match reviewer Michael Christian will scrutinise him for it. The karma bus also drove over Hogan, who was paid the dubious free and then missed the easy shot at goal. Goodwin said he did not see the incident, but wished Hogan had kicked the goal.  "If there's commentary around it, I guess we'll have a look at it through the week," Goodwin said. "We want to be seen as a nice, strong footy team so we'll have a look at that." McCartin had a nightmare afternoon, with his diabetes flaring early in the game. Once that was under control, he had a head clash with Neville Jetta and had to leave the field. McCartin has a history of concussion, but Saints coach Alan Richardson said he passed his half-time cognition tests. Richardson said McCartin was forced from the field because of whiplash from the Jetta collision. "He's pretty sore in the neck," Richardson said. McCartin only had eight disposals and kicked two behinds. After a disastrous loss to Hawthorn, the Demons have rebounded with solid wins over Essendon and the Saints. "We're certainly playing a lot more consistent footy across four quarters," Goodwin said. "We're playing the right way for longer periods in games." At the start of last season, the Demons and Saints were paired as teams at a similar point in their development. Sunday's game showed the Demons are a fair way ahead. "It's pretty clear we're in a hole - a win-loss hole, a 'making the most of our opportunities' hole," Richardson said. "Our overall footy is in a hole. "I'm really looking forward to seeing who stands up." Demons ruckman Max Gawn continued his stellar form and midfielder Clayton Oliver was also prolific, while Seb Ross and Jack Steven were best for the Saints.
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