ALMOST a third of Melbourne’s round one team will play its first game for the red and blue when it hosts the Gold Coast Suns at the MCG on Saturday.
Melbourne has named seven recruits, including three AFL debutants for its opening match of the home and away season.
2010 Collingwood premiership player Heritier Lumumba, 2013 Carlton leading goalkicker Jeff Garlett, former Giant defender Sam Frost and ex-Power midfielder Ben Newton have been named.
Key forward Jesse Hogan, No.3 draft pick Angus Brayshaw and mature rookie-listed player Aaron vandenBerg will play their first AFL match.
Manager of football operations Josh Mahoney said it was “pleasing to have three debutants come into the side for round one”.
“Jesse had an uninterrupted pre-season and played the last three NAB Challenge games and we all look forward to him playing his first game on Saturday,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“Angus, although he hasn’t been exposed to AFL during the pre-season, has played three very good games with Casey Scorpions. He has forced his way into the team through good performances.
“Aaron is a great story of a mature-age player. He comes from Ainslie and arrived at the club still recovering from a shoulder reconstruction. What he’s been able to do in two months of training and through the NAB Challenge period has been [impressive]. He’s already shown he has the qualities to become a very good AFL player and we look forward to seeing him develop.”
Although it will be Lumumba’s first match for Melbourne, it will be his 200TH AFL match. Mahoney said it was a fantastic effort by the dashing wingman/half-back.
“It’s a great achievement to play 200 games and Heritier has been able to perform for a long period of time,” he said.
“We’ve been really pleased with what Heritier has done since arriving at the club. The impact he’s had off-field – to be voted into the leadership group and the passion that he shows in helping our younger players – has been impressive.
“We would consider him to be our best player over the NAB Challenge period and we look forward to him continuing that into the season proper. We’re very pleased that he’s playing for the Melbourne footy club.”
High-flyer Jeremy Howe has been named, after missing the NAB Challenge with a hamstring injury, but midfielder Bernie Vince will continue his return from a hamstring injury via Casey in a VFL practice match.
“Jeremy has had a really good block of training. The work and intensity that he’s been able to do, particularly over the past three to four weeks, have given the coaches and medical team confidence to bring him into the team,” Mahoney said.
“Bernie was considered for this week, but the thought at match committee was that the benefit of getting a full game at Casey Scorpions on Saturday will put him in a better position to be available for round two against GWS.”
Former co-captain Jack Grimes has been named an emergency.
“Jack’s form through the NAB challenge was below the level that we and Jack himself expect from him,” Mahoney said.
“We want Jack to go back to the VFL without any pressure and find some form. As a consequence of the players we have brought into the club in the off-season and the improvement of others, competition for spots has increased, which can only be a positive for the club.”
It will also be Nathan Jones’ first match as sole captain, after he was a co-captain with Grimes last year.
Mahoney said the club had identified “a number of areas” it needed to improve at the end of last season, hence the new-look team.
“We’re pleased that a number of those players that we identified during the trade period have been able to come in, have good pre-seasons and show some really good form in the NAB Challenge,” he said.
“They have all earned their spots for round one.
“The players we’ve brought in from other clubs are a mixture of ages and experience, but each of them will fulfill a specific role that we needed to fill in the off-season.”
Key forward Chris Dawes will miss due to a one-match suspension carried over from the final round of the home and away season last year.
Round one team v Gold Coast Suns, Saturday (1.40pm), MCG
B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta
HB: Christian Salem, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe
C: Heritier Lumumba, Daniel Cross, Ben Newton
HF: Dean Kent, Jesse Hogan, Jimmy Toumpas
F: Jeff Garlett, Sam Frost, Jack Watts
FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Dom Tyson
I/C: Jack Viney, Angus Brayshaw, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Aaron vandenBerg
EMG: Max Gawn, Jack Grimes, Matt Jones
NEW: Angus Brayshaw, Sam Frost, Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Heritier Lumumba, Ben Newton, Aaron vandenBerg
Milestone: Heritier Lumumba (200 AFL games)
