MELBOURNE will welcome Jake Melksham back to its side in Round 20, with the star forward declared fit to face Richmond on Saturday night.
Melksham will play his first senior game since injuring his foot against Gold Coast 12 weeks ago, with Kyle Dunkley, Jay Kennedy Harris and Braydon Preuss also returning to the side.
Unfortunately, Neville Jetta has been withdrawn from this week’s team due to knee soreness, while Tim Smith is also unavailable after hurting his foot.
Alex Neal-Bullen and Josh Wagner round out the changes, with the pair both being omitted.
No timeframe has been set on Jetta and Smith at this stage, with the injuries believed to be on the minor side.
The changes provide an opportunity for Kennedy Harris to return for his second game of the season after a strong run of form in the VFL, while Dunkley will also get the chance to play a third senior match after being drafted mid-season.
Neal-Bullen, Wagner, Marty Hore and Kade Chandler have been named on the Demons’ emergency list for the clash at the MCG, but won’t all get the opportunity to play this weekend as the Casey Demons take to Punt Road Oval in a precursor game on Saturday afternoon.
Check out the final 22 for this week’s game below.