Match
Round Two: Melbourne v Essendon
Details
Saturday, April 6, 7.40 pm (local time), MCG
Teams
Melbourne
B: Gillies, Frawley, TerlichHB: Watts, McDonald, Garland
C: Grimes, Viney, M Jones
HF: Blease, Sellar, Howe
F: Sylvia, Clark, Byrnes
Foll: Jamar, N Jones, McKenzie
I/C: Toumpas, Trengove, Nicholson, Davey
Emg: Rodan, Pederson, Spencer
In: Davey, Terlich, Trengove, McDonald
Out: Dunn (hamstring), Rodan, Tapscott, Pederson
Essendon
B: Baguley, Carlisle, Fletcher
HB: Goddard, Hooker, Stanton
C: Happell, Watson, Davey
HF: Crameri, Hurley, Zaharakis
F: Kommer, Ryder, Melksham
Foll: Bellchambers, Dempsey, Hocking
I/C: Merrett, Myers, Hibberd, Howlett
Emg: Hams, Hille, Kavanagh
In: -
Out: -
Broadcast guide
http://www.afl.com.au/tv-radio/broadcast-guide
Form
Melbourne: L
Essendon: W
Ladder position
Melbourne: 18th
Essendon: 3rd
Milestones
Melbourne: -
Coaching records
Mark Neeld: 23 matches, 4 wins, O draws, 19 losses
James Hird: 46 matches, 23 wins, 1 draw, 22 losses
Injury lists
Melbourne: Rohan Bail (concussion) – available, Mitch Clark (ankle) – test, Chris Dawes (hamstring) – 3-4 weeks, Jack Fitzpatrick (concussion) – test, Joel Macdonald (hamstring) – 2-3 weeks, Nathan Stark (knee) – 2 weeks
Essendon: None
Players to watch
Melbourne: Jack Grimes
Grimes led from the front for the Demons last week. His 25 disposals were a team high, as were his four tackles. More than this, though, Grimes looked to bring other players into the game when the Demons were struggling.
Essendon: Jobe Watson
Last year’s Brownlow Medallist showed exactly why he is one of the competition’s best with 34 disposals. Watson sparked the Bombers after they trailed early in the match, and took control of the clearances.
Match-ups to watch
James Frawley vs Michael Hurley
These are two young players who are quickly becoming important key position players for their respective teams. If Frawley gets on top of Hurley, Essendon will be forced to find another direction forward, and if Hurley has the better of Frawley then the Bombers will put it on his chest every time.
Jeremy Howe vs Jake Carlisle
Howe excited as he always does up forward for Melbourne and marked superbly last week. Carlisle had nine marks for Essendon and created great run from the back half. Look for Howe to make Carlisle accountable as he pushes up the ground, and vice versa as the Bombers are on the rebound.
Most disposals
Melbourne: Jack Grimes (25)
Essendon: Jobe Watson (34)
Most marks
Melbourne: James Frawley (7)
Essendon: Jake Carlisle (9)
Most tackles
Melbourne: Shannon Byrnes, Lynden Dunn, Jack Grimes, Jordie McKenzie, Dan Nicholson (4)
Essendon: Heath Hocking (10)
Most goals
Melbourne: Mitch Clark, Jeremy Howe (2)
Essendon: Ben Howlett (4)
What Melbourne says …
“Essendon will have a look at the way we play, and we’ll have a look at the way they’ve played, and we’ll get out there and we’ll see how we go. But we’re asking for a far more competitive presentation of our group.” - Melbourne coach Mark Neeld
What Essendon says …
“We are expecting a really tough battle, especially around the ball. Last year (Melbourne) hunted us really well and gave us a really good contest, and we’re expecting the same right from the start.” Essendon assistant coach Matthew Egan on The Hanger (essendonfc.com.au and Fox Sports)
Key Melbourne question
How will Melbourne respond to last weekend’s performance?
After such a disappointing showing in round one, Melbourne will again be under the microscope to see how they respond. Nathan Jones and other senior players have said that the team’s intensity and competitiveness must lift, so look for this to improve as they aim to gain back some respect. Should Melbourne perform like last week there will be plenty more questions to answer.
Key Essendon question
Are the Bombers contenders or pretenders?
Essendon had an emphatic win in round one, defeating Adelaide in Adelaide by 35 points. The way they played had many commentators saying they were one of the teams of the round. If they are unable to back up this performance, though, questions will again rise as to whether the Bombers are capable of playing their best football week in week out.
Summary
Much has been said this week about Melbourne’s poor performance last weekend, but all will be forgotten if they can get up against the Bombers for the fourth game in a row. Essendon excelled in Adelaide and will look to continue their winning ways. Expect to see a far more competitive Melbourne this weekend, which is exactly what they will need to be to beat one of the competition’s in form teams.
