IN: Taylor, Laurie, Jefferson, Heath
OUT: Salem (foot), Melksham (ankle), McDonald (omitted), Lindsay (managed)

MELBOURNE has made some tweaks to its forward mix alongside naming a debutant and club first-gamer for Jim’s Game at the MCG.

Forwards Matthew Jefferson and Bailey Laurie have been added to the side taking on Brisbane for the match played in honour of the late, great Jim Stynes.

>>FULL TEAM LISTED BELOW

The duo has been injected into the side alongside last year's No. 11 overall selection in the National Draft, Xavier Taylor, and fifth game ruck Max Heath.

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Heath arrived at the club last off-season in exchange for a future fourth round selection and has been named Casey’s best in the club’s first four matches of the season.

The injured duo of Jake Melksham (ankle) and Christian Salem (foot) exit the side alongside Xavier Lindsay (managed) and the omitted Tom McDonald.

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Player Injury Estimated Return
14. Changkuoth Jiath

14. Changkuoth Jiath

Calf 1 - 2 weeks

“CJ has progressed well through his calf injury and will return to team skills this week, with the goal for him to be available to play next week,” Griffith said.

41. Patrick Cross

41. Patrick Cross

Thumb 2 - 3 weeks

“Paddy has returned to skill work following his thumb surgery,” Griffith said. “He will progress through main group skills and contact training as pain and function allows with his availability to be accessed next week.”

17. Jake Bowey

17. Jake Bowey

Foot 2 - 3 weeks

“Jake has been progressing really well over the past few weeks and will integrate into team skills this week,” Griffith said. “We’ll assess his return over the next two weeks.”

23. Shane McAdam

23. Shane McAdam

Achilles 2 - 3 weeks

“Shane continues to work hard recovering from that Achilles rupture,” Griffith said. “He’s just looking to build his training integration and high intensity running before we see him return to play in the coming weeks.”

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18. Jake Melksham

18. Jake Melksham

Ankle 3 - 4 weeks

“His injury doesn’t require surgery which is positive, and we’ll aim to progress him as his pain and function allows through a conservative management process,” Griffith said.

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3. Christian Salem

3. Christian Salem

Foot 4 - 6 weeks

“Unfortunately, scans have revealed that he sustained a small fracture in his foot,” Griffith said. “He doesn’t require surgery and will progress conservatively. Once pain and function improve, we’ll begin to progress him through his return to play program.”

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24. Trent Rivers

24. Trent Rivers

Knee TBC

“Trent has been dealing with ongoing knee soreness,” Griffith said. “We’ve continued to work with him to ensure that he can get back to the brand of football that we all love to see from him. “Unfortunately, after the match simulation on the weekend, he’s pulled up with soreness, which means we’ll now focus on reconditioning his strength and power over the next two weeks.”

29. Tom Campbell

29. Tom Campbell

Neck TBC

“Tom was involved in an innocuous collision at training and has suffered a neck injury,” Richardson said. “He’s torn a ligament and will remain in a neck brace for the next month. He’ll see a neurosurgeon this week to determine the path forward for him.”

7. Jack Viney

7. Jack Viney

Achilles TBC

“Jack has progressed to light running duties as we continue to build his calf and Achillies strength.”

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14. Changkuoth Jiath

14. Changkuoth Jiath

“CJ has progressed well through his calf injury and will return to team skills this week, with the goal for him to be available to play next week,” Griffith said.

Injury: Calf
Est. Return: 1 - 2 weeks
41. Patrick Cross

41. Patrick Cross

“Paddy has returned to skill work following his thumb surgery,” Griffith said. “He will progress through main group skills and contact training as pain and function allows with his availability to be accessed next week.”

Injury: Thumb
Est. Return: 2 - 3 weeks
17. Jake Bowey

17. Jake Bowey

“Jake has been progressing really well over the past few weeks and will integrate into team skills this week,” Griffith said. “We’ll assess his return over the next two weeks.”

Injury: Foot
Est. Return: 2 - 3 weeks
23. Shane McAdam

23. Shane McAdam

“Shane continues to work hard recovering from that Achilles rupture,” Griffith said. “He’s just looking to build his training integration and high intensity running before we see him return to play in the coming weeks.”

Read Article
Injury: Achilles
Est. Return: 2 - 3 weeks
18. Jake Melksham

18. Jake Melksham

“His injury doesn’t require surgery which is positive, and we’ll aim to progress him as his pain and function allows through a conservative management process,” Griffith said.

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Injury: Ankle
Est. Return: 3 - 4 weeks
3. Christian Salem

3. Christian Salem

“Unfortunately, scans have revealed that he sustained a small fracture in his foot,” Griffith said. “He doesn’t require surgery and will progress conservatively. Once pain and function improve, we’ll begin to progress him through his return to play program.”

Read Article
Injury: Foot
Est. Return: 4 - 6 weeks
24. Trent Rivers

24. Trent Rivers

“Trent has been dealing with ongoing knee soreness,” Griffith said. “We’ve continued to work with him to ensure that he can get back to the brand of football that we all love to see from him. “Unfortunately, after the match simulation on the weekend, he’s pulled up with soreness, which means we’ll now focus on reconditioning his strength and power over the next two weeks.”

Injury: Knee
Est. Return: TBC
29. Tom Campbell

29. Tom Campbell

“Tom was involved in an innocuous collision at training and has suffered a neck injury,” Richardson said. “He’s torn a ligament and will remain in a neck brace for the next month. He’ll see a neurosurgeon this week to determine the path forward for him.”

Injury: Neck
Est. Return: TBC
7. Jack Viney

7. Jack Viney

“Jack has progressed to light running duties as we continue to build his calf and Achillies strength.”

Read Article
Injury: Achilles
Est. Return: TBC

Last Updated:

“Xavier has been managing some soreness, and we will give him a week to freshen up and recover,” GM of AFL Football Performance Alan Richardson said.

“It’s more about looking after him and making sure we are setting him up well for the longer term.”

Jefferson comes into the side on the back of a dominant pre-season campaign where he stood out in match simulation efforts, before a bone stress injury ruled him out of action on the eve of the season.

01:59

Bailey Laurie has been included in the side for the second time this year after missing last week’s clash with Essendon.

Jim’s Game will see Irish music in Yarra Park from 12:45pm, free tickets for those carrying Irish or British passports and the return of Jim’s Jig.

Full information can be found in this week’s Game Day Guide.

Melbourne v Brisbane Lions

Round 6

MCG, Melbourne • VIC