First chance for new Dees
As announced by Simon Goodwin on Thursday morning, the club will be fielding two debutants this weekend.
Young small forwards Toby Bedford and Kysaiah Pickett will be heading to Perth with the opportunity to play their first game of senior footy.
BEDFORD AND PICKET SET FOR ROUND 1 DEBUT
They will be joined by high-profile recruits Ed Langdon and Adam Tomlinson who have been named for Melbourne’s clash with the Eagles.
A fifth Demon is a chance to pull on the colours for the first time, as former Bomber and Cat Mitch Brown has been named on the extended bench, with the final team to be named on Friday night.
The ones that missed
Nathan Jones (Achilles) and Christian Salem (illness) are among the Demons who weren’t able to prove their fitness in time for the Round 1 match, needing an extra week of training under their belts.
Luckless midfielder Aaron vandenBerg is another who will be missing in the early part of the season after breaking his foot in the club’s second Marsh Series match against the Hawks.
ROUND 1 INJURY UPDATE | VANDENBERG SIDELINED AGAIN
What it means
Each club will play just 17 games this season, which means banking early wins is more crucial than ever.
While the draw is fair with every team playing each other once, the Demons have a tough start to the year facing West Coast and GWS in the opening two rounds.
Look out for
It’s a big game for Max Gawn who is set to lead the group for the first time as captain.
The 28-year-old, who was appointed skipper last month, will have an intriguing battle with Nic Naitanui, but it’s his pre-game address that will draw most interest.
It remains unknown if the ruckman will choose to inspire or humour his teammates ahead of the first bounce.
Oppo watch
It’s needless to say West Coast is a quality outfit.
The 2018 premiers are expected to be one of the league’s best sides once again this season and are in good shape heading into Round 1.
With the addition of Tim Kelly from Geelong, the Eagles will have a dangerous midfield, providing a big challenge for the Demons away from home.
Match info
Unfortunately, Melbourne won’t be in the stands for the foreseeable future as the league implements safety restrictions around COVID-19.
For full information about Sunday’s contest, take a look at the GAME DAY GUIDE.
Full team
