MELBOURNE has made four changes for Saturday’s clash against the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium.
Coming into the side is leader Colin Garland, ball-winner Viv Michie, speedster Billy Stretch and round one NAB AFL Rising Star nominee Clayton Oliver.
But Melbourne has lost two players due to concussion: playmaker Christian Salem, as announced on Wednesday, and dashing half-back Heritier Lumumba.
Talls Lynden Dunn and Sam Frost have been omitted.
Defender Oscar McDonald, utility Alex Neal-Bullen and former co-captain Jack Grimes have been named emergencies.
Coach Paul Roos said selection was now a difficult task with several players pushing hard for a call-up.
“There is a little bit less margin for error now that our seconds are playing well and we think we’ve got a bit more depth on the list. We’ve got to reward guys playing well in the seconds – we thought our seconds have been really good,” he told Melbourne TV.
“Col’s been back there for three weeks and has improved steadily each week. Viv’s our most consistent VFL player, but last week he went to another level, so it’s good that he gets another opportunity.
“Clayton we’ve already seen him at senior level this year and we rested him and he went back [to Casey] and he played fantastic footy, and Billy has had a consistent year. They’re four really good ins for us.”
Roos said Salem and Lumumba wouldn’t be risked, and that Dunn and Frost were unlucky to be out of the side.
“Salem is out [with concussion] and ‘H’ (Lumumba) has got a little bit of concussion too, so that’s two guys out. Dunn and Frosty are based on form,” he said.
“They’re probably a little bit stiff, but that’s where we think we’re at, at the moment. We’re trying to keep really in form players in the side.”
Michie, who has been outstanding for Casey this year, will play his first match of the season. He has been promoted from the rookie list after ruckman Mitch King was placed on the long-term injury list, due to a season-ending knee injury.
Garland will play his third match of the season, after playing the opening two rounds. He has been an emergency for the past two matches.
Stretch will play his second game for 2016, with his other appearance being against North Melbourne in round three. He notched up 34 disposals for Casey last weekend.
Oliver played the first four rounds of the season, but was rested in round five and shone in the VFL last Sunday against Essendon at Windy Hill.
Melbourne will play its first match at Metricon Stadium since round 13, 2013 when Neil Craig’s side went down to Gold Coast by 13 points.
It will be just the seventh game for Melbourne at Carrara, with its most recent win coming way back in round five, 1990, when the red and blue defeated the then Brisbane Bears. For the record, Melbourne’s Carrara matches have been against the Brisbane Bears in 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1992; Adelaide in 2006, St Kilda in 2009 and Gold Coast in 2013.
Melbourne’s most recent clash against Gold Coast was round one last year at the MCG, when it defeated the Suns by 26 points.
Melbourne team: round seven
B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg
HB: Josh Wagner, Colin Garland, Jayden Hunt
C: Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson, James Harmes
HF: Jack Watts, Cameron Pedersen, Jeff Garlett
F: Dean Kent, Jesse Hogan, Christian Petracca
Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney
I/C: Clayton Oliver, Billy Stretch, Viv Michie, Ben Kennedy
Emg: Oscar McDonald, Alex Neal-Bullen, Jack Grimes
In: Garland, Michie, Stretch, Oliver
Out: Heritier Lumumba (concussion), Christian Salem (concussion), Lynden Dunn, Sam Frost
