INS: Chantel Emonson

OUTS: Daisy Pearce

Melbourne will welcome back Chantel Emonson for its Qualifying Final against Fremantle, with the defender coming in for captain Daisy Pearce.

The Dees’ skipper injured her right MCL in the opening minutes of last weekend’s clash with Brisbane and is now working through a return to play plan, in the hope of being fit if her side is to progress.

Pearce to meet with specialist following knee injury

Emonson makes her way back into the line-up for what will be her eighth game of the season.

The 27-year-old has featured for the Casey Demons over the past three weeks, embracing the opportunity to regain her confidence and form at the VFLW level, and comes in with a point to prove.

Niamh McEvoy and Megan Fitzsimon will be Melbourne’s two emergencies for the opening week of the AFL Women’s Finals Series.

All on the line

Finals footy is here – and Melbourne looks ready.

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AFLW | Chasing Greatness

For the second time in its history, Melbourne has qualified for the AFLW finals, and the girls are chasing greatness

The Demons have won four-in-a-row, with their last two matches coming down to the wire – they defeated Fremantle by five points in Round 8 and Brisbane by two points last weekend.

Melbourne will need to dig just as deep if it is to keep its streak going, and its season alive.

A home final

The Dees will make history on Saturday afternoon, hosting the first-ever V/AFL/W final at Casey Fields.

It will also be the first time they have played the Dockers at the ground since Round 1,2019, where Fremantle were four-point victors.

The Demons have since proved to be pretty reliable on their home deck. They have won the past seven matches by an average margin of 25 points and haven’t lost since the final game of the 2019 season.

Oppo analysis

As mentioned, it was only a fortnight ago that these two sides last met, in what proved to be a thrilling finish at Fremantle Oval.

Both teams are coming off close encounters – Fremantle went down to North Melbourne by a point in Round 9 – with the Dees finishing just above the Dockers on the ladder (fourth versus fifth).

Tickets are still available through Ticketmaster for the Finals clash, with fans reminded that all attendees must secure a ticket before arriving.

The game will be shown live on Channel 7 (depending on location) and Fox Footy, as well as being streamed via the womens.afl, the AFLW app and Kayo.

Check out the Demons’ full team below.