MELBOURNE has finalised its side for Sunday’s clash against the Brisbane Lions at the MCG, with key forward Cameron Pedersen forced to withdraw due to illness.
Pedersen, who was named in the starting side on Thursday night, has been replaced in the starting 18 by Dean Kent, who was originally included and named on the extended interchange after missing last round with a back injury. It was the first match Kent has missed this season. For Pedersen, he will miss his second game this year, after he was an emergency in round three.
Tall defender Oscar McDonald and utility Alex Neal-Bullen have been included in the final 22 and named on the bench, along with Jayden Hunt and James Harmes, who have both signed new contracts with the club.
O.McDonald will play his second game in 2016, after he featured in Melbourne’s opening round win over Greater Western Sydney at the MCG. For Neal-Bullen, he has been on the cusp of selection all season, having been named an emergency for the past six rounds.
With Pedersen now sidelined, key backman Lynden Dunn has come into the 25 and been named an emergency, along with midfielder Ben Newton and former co-captain Jack Grimes.
As known earlier in the week, Melbourne will be without defender Neville Jetta this week after he accepted a one-match sanction for striking Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli during the second quarter of last Sunday’s 32-point loss to the Dogs at the MCG. It will be the first match Jetta has missed this season.
Youngster Christian Salem was omitted on Thursday night and will miss his second match in 2016, after he was sidelined with concussion in round seven.
Coach Paul Roos said on Friday that Neal-Bullen’s outstanding form in the VFL could no longer be ignored.
“You can’t keep looking them in the eye and say ‘bad luck, son’; you’ve got to find a position for them,” he said.
“Nev is out with suspension and Kent has come back in as well, so there are a couple of changes.
“It’s positive for our footy club because it puts everyone on notice and the VFL guys know that if they play well, they will eventually get a game.”
Roos said Salem’s absence was also a strong reflection of the players performing at Casey.
“There’s more pressure now, there’s no doubt – that’s probably the message. We haven’t had a lot of changes this year but some of the guys have only really had one poor performance. We need to reward our VFL team; they’ve been playing really, really well. It’s also an indication of where we’re at as a club now; we’ve got a lot more depth and there’s a lot more pressure on players,” he said.
“We felt Christian has been playing OK this year and has played some reasonable footy, but once again, we probably saw [what happened] when you miss [games] with concussion and come back in. I think it’s just more when you miss a week or a week and a half of training.
“So it’s a chance to go back and a chance to work on some things because he [Salem] is an important player for us, but there’s Alex Neal-Bullen, who’s putting pressure on [for selection] and Dean Kent coming back in, so it’s as much about the guys we’ve got coming back in as it is about some of the form lines of the guys who get dropped.”
Like Neal-Bullen, Grimes will be an emergency for the sixth time this season, as he continues to remain right on the edge of selection.
Newton has worked his way into the mix after coming back from an ankle injury, which interrupted his pre-season. He has played the past five matches in the VFL and has accumulated 30 disposals or more in the past two rounds.
Dunn has played four matches this year after he suffered a groin injury in the NAB Challenge. He has played the past two matches for Casey and been one of its best players.
The women’s match between Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions will be played as a curtain-raiser, starting at 10.05am.
The men’s clash will start at 1.10pm.
Melbourne team: round nine
B: Billy Stretch, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg
HB: Josh Wagner, Colin Garland, Bernie Vince
C: Clayton Oliver, Dom Tyson, Viv Michie
HF: Dean Kent Jack Watts, Jeff Garlett
F: Christian Petracca, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy
Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney
I/C: Oscar McDonald, Jayden Hunt, Alex Neal-Bullen, James Harmes
Emg: Lynden Dunn, Ben Newton, Jack Grimes
In: Kent, Neal-Bullen, O.McDonald
Out: Neville Jetta (suspension), Cameron Pedersen (illness), Christian Salem
