ROUND 21 match preview: Melbourne v West Coast Eagles
Match details
Sunday 14 August, Etihad Stadium, 1.10 pm (local time)
Teams
Melbourne
B: Luke Tapscott, James Frawley, Clint Bartram
HB: Colin Garland, Jared Rivers, Joel Macdonald
C: Jack Trengove, Lynden Dunn, Aaron Davey
HF: Brad Green, Jeremy Howe, Tom Scully
F: Colin Sylvia, Mark Jamar, Jack Watts
FOLL: Stef Martin, Brent Moloney, Nathan Jones
I/C: Cale Morton, Jordie McKenzie, Ricky Petterd, Sam Blease
EMG: Max Gawn, Tom McDonald, Daniel Nicholson
IN: Mark Jamar, Colin Sylvia, Cale Morton, Sam Blease
OUT: James Strauss (leg), Jordan Gysberts (scaphoid), Matthew Bate, Max Gawn
West Coast Eagles
B: Shannon Hurn, Eric Mackenzie, Will Schofield
HB: Ashley Smith, Mitch Brown, Scott Selwood
C: Bradley Ebert, Matthew Priddis, Andrew Embley
HF: Mark Nicoski, Josh Kennedy, Andrew Gaff
F: Mark LeCras, Quinten Lynch, Nic Naitanui
FOLL: Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr, Adam Selwood
I/C: Luke Shuey, Patrick McGinnity, Ashton Hams, Jack Darling
EMG: Chris Masten, Bradd Dalziell, Brad Sheppard
IN: Josh Kennedy, Ashton Hams, Eric Mackenzie
OUT: Darren Glass (Soreness), Matthew Rosa (Knee), Chris Masten
Media coverage
TV times: FOX (Melbourne 1pm)
Radio times: ABC774 1200-1615, 1116SEN 1200-1600, ABC891 1230-1545, 6PR 1100-1430, ABC720 1100-1415, ABC936 1200-1615, ABC105.7 1130-1545
Form
Melbourne: D, L, W, W, Bye, L, W, L, L, L, W, L, W, W, L, Bye, W, L, L, L
West Coast: W, W, L, L, Bye, W, L, W, W, L, W, W, W, W, Bye, W, L, W, W, W
Ladder position
Melbourne: 11th
West Coast: 5th
Head-to-head
Played: 41
Melbourne: 15 wins
West Coast: 26 wins
Drawn: 0
At this ground
Played: 1
Melbourne: 1 win
West Coast: 0 wins
Drawn: 0
Last time they met
Round 6, 2011: West Coast 15.16 (106) d Melbourne 6.16 (52) at Patersons Stadium
Memorable match
Round 22, 2000: Melbourne 26.14 (170) d West Coast 15.10 (100) at Subiaco Oval (now Patersons Stadium)
A 70-point win to the Demons was highlighted by five goals to Adem Yze, four to Cameron Bruce and three to Jeff Farmer. In a triumph for the young Melbourne side, Bruce and Russell Robertson proved so effective on the retiring Guy McKenna that he took himself off the ground. Despite being 10 points down early in the game, 10 unanswered goals saw the Demons take control and the Eagles bow out of the finals race for the first time since 1989. Melbourne, however, had finished third on the ladder in the best finish for the Club since 1964, and was set for September action.
Recent streak
West Coast has a current win streak over Melbourne of two games, by an average of 42 points.
Injury list
Melbourne
Rohan Bail (knee) - test , Michael Evans (back) - season, Jack Grimes (foot) - season , Michael Newton (foot) - 1-2 weeks, Jake Spencer (knee) - season, James Strauss (leg) - season, Luke Tapscott (neck) - test
West Coast
Sam Butler (quadriceps) - 2-3 weeks, Dean Cox (hip) - test, Josh Kennedy (eye) - available, Eric Mackenzie (hamstring tightness) - test, Nic Naitanui (general soreness) - test, Ryan Neates (elbow) - test, Matt Rosa (knee) - 4 weeks, Beau Waters (calf) - 2-3 weeks
Summary
Melbourne has had a tough run in recent weeks. It has played Hawthorn (third on the ladder), Geelong (second), Carlton (fourth) during the past three matches and now faces West Coast Eagles (fifth) at Etihad Stadium. Although the Demons haven’t won since round 17, when they defeated Port Adelaide in Darwin, they remain a chance to play in this year’s finals. Overcoming West Coast at Docklands - a venue Melbourne hasn’t won at since round 19, 2007 when Mark Riley was coach - is something it must overcome. Interim coach Todd Viney has insisted Melbourne must play with an ‘anywhere, anytime, any conditions’ attitude. And he says this round is no exception. With winnable matches against Richmond, Gold Coast Suns and Port Adelaide in the final three rounds, if Melbourne can overcome the much-improved West Coast, it will reinvigorate its season. The past few weeks have been tough for the Demons, but this is a great opportunity to make a stand, and in the process extend its September run and end a poor record at Etihad Stadium.
Players to watch
Melbourne: Jack Trengove
If he wasn’t already one of the favourites among Melbourne supporters, Trengove rocketed up the charts with a bullet during the week, when he signed a contract extension until the end of the 2015 season. Last round, he had a team-high 24 disposals and was one of Melbourne’s best in a tough day for the Demons.
West Coast Eagles: Mark Nicoski
Nicoski has remained injury-free this season and reinvented his game with some impressive performances up forward, having forged his career as a defender. This was highlighted last round against Richmond with a career-best six goals.
Match-up to watch
Mark Jamar/Stef Martin v Dean Cox/Nic Naitanui
Two All-Australian ruckmen (Jamar and Cox) and a couple of exciting rucks with rare qualities for big men (Martin and Naitanui) will battle it out. Throw in the possibility of Max Gawn, who is the in 25-man squad, and Quinten Lynch and it makes for a fascinating contest.
Most disposals in 2011
Melbourne: Nathan Jones (410)
West Coast: Matthew Priddis (485)
Most marks in 2011
Melbourne: Jack Watts (105)
West Coast: Quinten Lynch (117)
Most tackles in 2011
Melbourne: Brent Moloney (97)
West Coast: Scott Selwood (146)
Most goals in 2011
Melbourne: Liam Jurrah (34)
West Coast: Josh Kennedy (44)
Foot in both camps
Steven Armstrong, Darren Bennett, Dean Irving, Andy Lovell, Craig Turley, Phil Read, Paul Johnson.
What Todd Viney says …
“From my point of view, I'm in this job for five or so weeks. It is anywhere, anytime, any conditions. If you can't play well at Etihad then you can't play well anywhere. That is the mindset of our playing group going forward this week."
What @DemonsHQ is saying …
LeahHutchinson Leah Hutchinson
@jtren9 great to hear you have signed til 2015, sign of a bright future for @DemonsHQ = )
bentyers Ben Tyers
Good signings by @DemonsHQ, some great news after a couple of tough weeks #unleashGawn
MandsGlossop Mands Glossop
@DemonsHQ congrats to all at the club, you should be very proud of those efforts. Every heart beats true for the red and the blue. Well done
BradKlibansky Brad Klibansky
Well done @DemonsHQ
and @jtren9 on the re- signing. Great news for the club.
Key Melbourne question
Can Melbourne snap an 11-game losing streak at Etihad Stadium and keep its finals chances alive?
