Presenting all you need to know about the Demons ahead of the Big Freeze clash on Monday afternoon at the MCG ...
Recent Form
The Demons are among the form sides of the competition, having won their past six matches. They sit third on the ladder, with an 8-3 record and an impressive percentage of 140.2. Their recent form has been a far cry from their performances early in the season when they lost three of their first five games, including a 67-point loss to Hawthorn in round four and a 46-point defeat at the hands of Richmond in round five.
Injury news
AFL.com.au’s Ben Guthrie filed this report early in the week:
Jake Lever will miss the rest of the season after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
It is the second time the star defender has suffered the injury during this career, although the first ACL tear came prior to him being drafted as a 17-year-old.
The defender has been booked in for surgery later this week. Jake Melksham is confident of getting up for the Queen's Birthday clash, but he will have to get passed fit to play after tweaking his ankle against the Western Bulldogs.
Team news
Dees skipper Nathan Jones spoke about Lever’s potential replacements at a press conference at the MCG on Thursday. The following report was published on AFL.com.au:
Melbourne’s abundance of experience in defence could allow the Demons to blood a young player to fill the role of injured defender Jake Lever in Monday's clash with Collingwood at the MCG, co-captain Nathan Jones says.
A number of players are in contention to fill Lever's role across half-back, with Sam Frost, Josh Wagner, Joel Smith and Jayden Hunt all pushing their cases to play against the Magpies on Queen's Birthday.
Having veterans Jordan Lewis and Bernie Vince alongside Michael Hibberd and Neville Jetta in the backline means there is support for an inexperienced player to come in and play immediately, Jones says.
"There's probably four or five players who could fill his spot. Finding the right mix is the challenge for the coaching group in particular, over the next how many weeks," Jones said.
Sam Frost enjoys a training tussle with Max Gawn (AFL Photos)
Player to watch
Key position player Tom McDonald is the man of the moment at the Demons after signing a new four-year contract with the club on Tuesday. McDonald started his career as a defender but has become a crucial member of Melbourne’s forward line over the past 12 months. McDonald has kicked 19 goals in six games so far this season, including a haul of five against Gold Coast in round eight and tallies of four against Carlton in round nine and the Western Bulldogs last weekend.
Tom McDonald has had a sensational season so far (AFL Photos)
Last time: Round 23, 2017 at Subiaco Oval
Match report excerpt: A DISASTROUS afternoon at the MCG has left Melbourne's finals hopes hanging by a thread and luckless forward Jesse Hogan's year potentially over, the Magpies ending the season with surprising 16-point win.
A left hamstring injury is the latest setback for Hogan, who returned just last week from a broken collarbone following his mid-season battle with testicular cancer.
The 14.15 (99) to 12.11 (83) loss is an even bigger problem for the Demons, who must now rely on the results of Sunday's games to determine if they play in their first finals series since 2006.
They remain in the eight as of Saturday night; a game ahead of eighth-placed Essendon, which hosts Fremantle on Sunday.
COLLINGWOOD 6.5 9.6 12.10 14.15 (99)
MELBOURNE 1.3 4.8 9.10 12.11 (83)
GOALS
Collingwood: Elliott 3, Phillips 2, Cox 2, Hoskin-Elliott 2, Daicos, Grundy, Sidebottom, Broomhead, Adams
Melbourne: Melksham 3, Garlett 2, Neal-Bullen 2, Petracca 2, Watts, Hannan, Pedersen
BEST
Collingwood: Elliott, Adams, Hoskin-Elliott, Sidebottom, Treloar, Dunn, Maynard
Melbourne: Oliver, Petracca, Lewis, Melksham, Jones, Watts
INJURIES
Collingwood: Sidebottom (hamstring)
Melbourne: Hogan (hamstring)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Rosebury, Deboy, Pannell
Official crowd: 51,223 at the MCG
The Pies celebrate a goal during their upset win over the Dees in round 23 last season (AFL Photos)
