Where and when: Optus Stadium, Sunday March 22, 3.40pm AWST

Last time they met: Traeger Park, round 18, 2019: Melbourne 11.12 (78) lost to West Coast 14.7 (91)

What it means for West Coast: The Eagles haven't had their best players available through the pre-season and they've looked rusty, to be kind. With Jack Darling (cheekbone), Jeremy McGovern (heel) and Josh Kennedy (elbow) overcoming hurdles, the Eagles will want to remind themselves how powerful this list is. 

What it means for Melbourne: A gruelling summer under new performance manager Darren Burgess has sought to give the players confidence they can match it physically with anyone. They'll find out if they can against a deep Eagles midfield that runs both ways. 

The stat: West Coast rated 10th for centre bounce clearance differential in 2019 (-0.3). The Demons, meanwhile, ranked third (+1.4). It'll be a crucial part of Sunday's match-up, with ruckmen Nic Naitanui and Max Gawn vital to the chances of their respective teams.  

The match-up: Elliot Yeo v Jack Viney

Both are contested bulls and both have a strong defensive side to their game. They will play similar roles on Sunday, winning the hard ball in the midfield and negating when they need to. Whoever does it better will go some way to determining the result.

In the spotlight: Tim Kelly

Who else but the star recruit? Kelly showed glimpses through the Marsh Community Series, getting what he needed to out of the pre-season games. He's worked hard on building chemistry with his new midfield teammates and now is the time to deliver. 

Big call: Christian Petracca's pre-season form was no tease and the Demon is ready to realise his superstar potential, starting Sunday.