Melbourne are riding high on a 14-game AFL winning streak and will finally come up against a top-eight side this season.
All seven of the Demons' victories this season have come against teams sitting outside the top eight heading into round eight.
But Melbourne will be given arguably their sternest test of 2022 when they host St Kilda at the MCG on Sunday.
The Saints racked up five-straight wins before falling to Port Adelaide in atrocious conditions in Cairns last weekend.
But Brett Ratten's team has shown enough this season to give the reigning premiers a fierce challenge.
"We really respect the opponents - we don't look at the fixture, in who we're playing, whether they're top eight, bottom eight, where they are on the ladder, where they were last year," newly re-signed Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.
"We just focus on what we can control and that's trying to be the best possible team.
"We have a great challenge this week in St Kilda."
Goodwin will return to the coaching box this week after sitting out last Saturday's win against Hawthorn due to having COVID-19.
Versatile ruck-forward Luke Jackson will also be back after being struck down by coronavirus, slotting back into a power-packed rotation of talls.
Goodwin believes forwards Sam Weideman, Tom McDonald, Ben Brown and now Jackson can complement each other.
"It's a constant question every week and we're still looking at what's best for our forward line again this year.
"But what we've seen with all the guys you're talking about, they've all performed really strongly for us. It is going to be a week-to-week thing for us.
"We see all those combinations working well."
St Kilda will be boosted by the return of important ruckman Rowan Marshall and influential midfielder Zak Jones.
It will be Jones' first appearance of the season after taking personal leave and then gaining fitness coming back through the VFL.
