Match
Round three: Melbourne v West Coast Eagles
Details
Saturday, April 13, 2.10 pm (local time), MCG
Teams
Melbourne
B: Jetta, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Trengove, McDonald, Garland
C: Evans, Grimes, Viney
HF: M Jones, Clark, Howe
F: Davey, Sellar, Byrnes
Foll: Jamar, N Jones, Sylvia
I/C: Bail, Tapscott, Toumpas, Pedersen
Emg: Watts, Spencer, Rodan
In: Bail, Evans, Jetta, Tapscott, Pedersen
Out: Watts, Rodan, Blease, Gillies, Nicholson
West Coast
B: Schofield, Glass, A Selwood
HB: Hurn, Brown, Waters
C: Gaff, Priddis, Masten
HF: Embley, Kennedy, Hams
F: Darling, Hill, LeCras
Foll: Cox, S Selwood, Shuey
I/C: Kerr, Butler, Cripps, Sinclair
Emg: Wilson, Dalziell, Brennan
In: Kerr, LeCras
Out: Sheppard (Shoulder), Dalziell
Broadcast guide
http://www.afl.com.au/tv-radio/broadcast-guide
Form
Melbourne: L L
West Coast: L L
Ladder position
Melbourne: 18th
West Coast: 15th
Milestones
Melbourne:
West Coast: Jack Darling (50 games)
Coaching records
Mark Neeld: 24 matches, 4 wins, 0 draws, 20 losses
John Worsfold: 261 matches, 140 wins, 2 draws, 119 losses
Injury lists
Melbourne: Rohan Bail (concussion) available,?Mitch Clark (ankle) test,?Chris Dawes (hamstring) 3-4 weeks,?Jack Fitzpatrick (concussion) test,?Joel Macdonald (hamstring) 2-3 weeks,?Nathan Stark (knee) 2 weeks
West Coast: Nicoski (hamstring) 6-7 weeks,?Wellingham (ankle) 3-4 weeks,?Rosa (quad) 2-3 weeks,?Naitanui (groin) 2-3 weeks,?Sheppard (shoulder) 2-3 weeks,?Mackenzie (hamstring) 1 week,?LeCras (arm) test,?Lycett (ankle) test?McGinnity (back) test,?Kerr (knee) available
Players to watch
Melbourne: Nathan Jones
As a strong in and under midfielder, Jones has shown that he can win the hard ball and create space for others. This should be evident this weekend with a tight ruck battle expected.
West Coast: Beau Waters
With his ability to find targets by foot, Waters often receives the ball in space and uses it better then most. Look for him to be a key link in the middle of the ground.
Match-ups to watch
Mark Jamar v Dean Cox
The battle between these two will be key in this game, as each goes in without a standout second ruckman. Cox has averaged 15.5 disposals over the past two rounds, highlighting his ability to get the ball around the ground; Jamar is just trailing with an average of 11 disposals. Whoever has more influence when each is pushing forward will win this contest.
Tom McDonald v Josh Kennedy
Kennedy kicked five goals for the Eagles in their loss to the Hawks last weekend. McDonald battled bravely for the Demons when the ball was in the defensive half for most of the game. If McDonald is able to play as he did last week then Kennedy should have less impact and the Eagles will be down a key target. Kennedy is versatile though and will provide a good option up the ground if he is controlled to close to goal.
Most disposals
Melbourne: Nathan Jones (46)
West Coast: Matt Priddis (54)
Most marks
Melbourne: Jeremy Howe (18)
West Coast: Beau Waters, Josh Kennedy (14)
Most tackles
Melbourne: Jack Grimes, Dan Nicholson (7)
West Coast: Matt Priddis, Scott Selwood (13)
Most goals
Melbourne: Mitch Clark (3)
West Coast: Josh Kennedy (7)
What Melbourne says …
“Five guys included in the team this week performed extremely well for Casey Scorpions last weekend and they’re coming into the team in very good form.”- Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney
What West Coast says …
“I’ve got a feeling about some of the things that are holding us back, and they’re not things that take three or four weeks of working on to fix. It’s a little bit of mindset and a couple of pointers to the players.” -West Coast coach John Worsfold (westcoasteagles.com.au)
Key Melbourne question
Who else will make a stand for the Demons?
Players such as James Frawley, Nathan Jones and Jack Grimes continue to set the standard for Melbourne and have had to do so for too long now. The question is who will join them and fight back against the wave of criticism. It may just take one more performer for the entire team to get on board.
Key West Coast question
When will West Coasts defence switch on?
The Eagles have had little problem scoring this year - it has been in their back half where they have lost matches. With 39 goals kicked against them in the past two rounds, the Eagles’ defence needs to get back to its 2012 form for the whole team to succeed.
Summary
Neither team has had the start to the year that they would have envisaged. For the winner, criticism will subside and mean that the heat is turned up even more on the loser. Melbourne has the potential up forward to worry the Eagles’ struggling defence, if the ball is delivered well enough. The Eagles’ run through the middle will mean Melbourne must apply a lot more pressure than in previous weeks if they are to be any chance.
