MELBOURNE has named midfielder Angus Brayshaw and key tall Cameron Pedersen for Sunday’s clash against Collingwood at the MCG.
Brayshaw and Pedersen both shone for Casey in its 144-point win over Frankston at Casey Fields last Saturday night.
The red and blue confirmed its final 22 on Friday, with Brayshaw, Pedersen, Jayden Hunt, who was named for his first AFL match on Thursday afternoon, and rookie Josh Wagner, who made his AFL debut last round, listed on the interchange.
But Melbourne has lost livewire forward Jeff Garlett, after he was initially included on the extended bench. The goalkicker did not recover in time from an ankle injury and will miss his second succession match.
Second-year player Billy Stretch – who played his first game for the season in Melbourne’s five-point loss against North Melbourne at Blundstone Arena last Sunday – has been omitted and named an emergency.
Utility Alex Neal-Bullen and defender Jack Grimes – who was added to the 25-man squad after Garlett pulled out – are the other two emergencies.
As known earlier in the week, Melbourne has lost 2015 best and fairest winner Bernie Vince for one week, after he was suspended for striking North Melbourne’s Jamie Macmillan during last Sunday’s five-point loss at Blundstone Arena. Hard-nut Aaron vandenBerg is also out with an ankle injury.
Hunt, who was drafted at No.57 in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft, and has since missed a significant amount of matches, mainly due to a back injury, said it was all worth it to get to this point.
“It means heaps. It’s been pretty hard the past two years, missing heaps of games. It’s a credit to all of the fitness staff and the physios for getting me on the track, so I’m finally here,” he told Melbourne TV.
“It’s been a long time in rehab, and it’s good to finally get through a pre-season and get some games strung together, so I’m very excited.”
Coach Paul Roos said his side was expecting a tough encounter against Collingwood and preparing for its best.
“From a coaching point-of-view, we all know that we’re all one disastrous game away from getting criticised and one good game away from getting praised,” he said.
“You’re preparing the team and you’re getting your team ready to play. Their (Collingwood) best has been very, very good over the past couple of years, so we’ll prepare for their absolute best.”
It will be the first of two clashes against Collingwood this year, with Melbourne looking to make it two in a row against the Magpies, after defeating the Pies in round 18 last year.
The match starts at 3.20pm.
Round four: Melbourne team
B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg
HB: Lynden Dunn, Heritier Lumumba, Christian Salem
C: James Harmes, Dom Tyson, Clayton Oliver
HF: Jack Watts, Sam Frost, Matt Jones
F: Dean Kent, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy
Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney
I/C: Angus Brayshaw, Cameron Pedersen, Jayden Hunt, Josh Wagner
Emg: Billy Stretch, Alex Neal-Bullen, Jack Grimes
In: Pedersen, Brayshaw, Hunt
Out: Bernie Vince (suspension), Aaron vandenBerg (ankle), Stretch
New: Hunt
