COACH Dean Bailey says he is unsure who will play on former Demon and new Hawk Cameron Bruce, when the two teams meet at the MCG this Sunday.
Bailey said Bruce’s versatility makes it difficult know where the 2008 Melbourne best-and-fairest winner will line-up.
“I’ll have to ring Clarko (Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson) and find out where Brucey’s playing. No doubt Cameron will be playing anywhere from half-back to on-ball,” he said at AAMI Park on Thursday.
“Cameron has been a very good servant to Melbourne and he’s in a Hawthorn jumper this week. They’re a team which is heading for a top four position, the Hawks, so it’s a great challenge for us.
“He’s no longer with us, and he’s in a different jumper this weekend, so our attitude and approach will be exactly the same as it was last week. Cameron will be keen to do well, but so are we.”
It will be the second time in three matches Bruce has played against Melbourne, having played against the Demons in Launceston during the last NAB Challenge match in March.
But it will be the first time the former Melbourne vice-captain has played against the Demons in a premiership match.
Meanwhile, Bailey said the use of the new substitute rule will continue to be assessed each week.
Last round, Ricky Petterd made an impact in the final term against the Swans.
But Bailey said the tactical benefits as opposed to using it to replace an injured player “will be the great challenge”.
“I still have a firm opinion that if you use it, purely as a tactic, then you do open yourself up to end up only having two on the bench,” he said.
“There is also where the game is at.
“The guys with some sort of flexibility will still be the ones who get in that sub situation.”
Bailey said rotating a handful of players as substitutes over several weeks could also come into the picture.
“We’ve certainly looked at doing that, so we’ve certainly discussed the opportunity of keeping certain players continually playing through that role,” he said.
“That might be something that clubs will end up doing … but that’s certainly a point we’ve discussed.”
Bailey said Bruce’s versatility makes it difficult know where the 2008 Melbourne best-and-fairest winner will line-up.
“I’ll have to ring Clarko (Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson) and find out where Brucey’s playing. No doubt Cameron will be playing anywhere from half-back to on-ball,” he said at AAMI Park on Thursday.
“Cameron has been a very good servant to Melbourne and he’s in a Hawthorn jumper this week. They’re a team which is heading for a top four position, the Hawks, so it’s a great challenge for us.
“He’s no longer with us, and he’s in a different jumper this weekend, so our attitude and approach will be exactly the same as it was last week. Cameron will be keen to do well, but so are we.”
It will be the second time in three matches Bruce has played against Melbourne, having played against the Demons in Launceston during the last NAB Challenge match in March.
But it will be the first time the former Melbourne vice-captain has played against the Demons in a premiership match.
Meanwhile, Bailey said the use of the new substitute rule will continue to be assessed each week.
Last round, Ricky Petterd made an impact in the final term against the Swans.
But Bailey said the tactical benefits as opposed to using it to replace an injured player “will be the great challenge”.
“I still have a firm opinion that if you use it, purely as a tactic, then you do open yourself up to end up only having two on the bench,” he said.
“There is also where the game is at.
“The guys with some sort of flexibility will still be the ones who get in that sub situation.”
Bailey said rotating a handful of players as substitutes over several weeks could also come into the picture.
“We’ve certainly looked at doing that, so we’ve certainly discussed the opportunity of keeping certain players continually playing through that role,” he said.
“That might be something that clubs will end up doing … but that’s certainly a point we’ve discussed.”
