MELBOURNE will play a practice match against Hawthorn at Casey Fields on Saturday, March 8.
The Demons will play the match following their two NAB Challenge matches.
Melbourne will take on Richmond at Etihad Stadium on Friday, February 14 and then venture to Alice Springs, where it will host Geelong at TIO Traeger Park on Friday, February 28.
Manager of football operations Josh Mahoney said a third pre-season game was the ideal build up to the premiership season.
“When we first had an indication from the AFL that there may be an opportunity to play an additional practice match, we immediately started discussions with Hawthorn and thought it’d be ideal to play a game out at Casey Fields. So we’re very happy to have had that approved,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“We thought, along with other AFL clubs, that it was important to have one additional practice match against another team, following our two NAB Challenge games.
“We think it’s a great opportunity to bring AFL football out to the Casey region and it should be a great day of football, with the Casey Scorpions and Box Hill Hawks set to play a game on the same day.”
All AFL clubs will play one practice match from March 2-8, at the conclusion of the NAB Challenge.
The NAB Challenge will involve all 18 AFL clubs, playing 18 matches in each major Australian state and territory in 18 days to open the 2014 season.
The practice match fixture:
Sunday, March 2
Gold Coast Suns v Collingwood at Metricon Stadium, time tbc
Thursday, March 6
West Coast v Fremantle at Patersons Stadium, time tbc
Friday, March 7
Geelong Cats v North Melbourne at Simonds Stadium, time tbc
GWS Giants v Adelaide Crows at Blacktown, time tbc
Carlton v Western Bulldogs at Visy Park, time tbc
Richmond v Essendon at Punt Road Oval or Craigieburn, time tbc
Saturday, March 8
Port Adelaide v St Kilda at Alberton Oval, time tbc
Melbourne v Hawthorn at Casey Fields, time tbc
Brisbane Lions v Sydney Swans at Burpengary, time tbc
