TonyK
CibbuanoMatch Preview: Kangaroos v Melbourne
August 20th 2006 00:34
KANGAROOS v MELBOURNE
WHERE & WHEN: MCG, 2:10pm (AEST), Sunday, August 20
TV & RADIO: Channel 10 (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane), Triple M (Melbourne, Adelaide)
HEAD TO HEAD: Kangaroos 59, Melbourne 82, 1 Draw.
LAST TIME: Melbourne 13.12 (90) bt Kangaroos 12.14 (86), MCG, Round 5, 2006
TAB Sportsbet: Kangaroos $2.75, Melbourne $1.40
Betfair: Kangaroos $2.68, Melbourne $1.50
To say Melbourne are struggling at the moment is an understatement, after winning 12 of the past 13, they have dropped consecutive games to bottom placed Carlton and reigning premiers Sydney.
Admittedly the Demons have had some injury concerns to key players in recent weeks, and the Dees have clearly missed the run and enthusiasm of Aaron Davey who is exected to return today from a hamstring injury.
Davey is one of five inclusions for Melbourne, along with Travis Johnstone, Matthew Whelan, Daniel Bell and Russell Robertson.
Whether they all play remains to be seen, but the inclusion of Johnstone gives the Dees some more run through the midfield, while Robertson provides another option up forward for a side that has been too reliant on skipper David Neitz in recent weeks.
Despite dropping their past two games, Melbourne are still very much in contention for a coveted top-four spot.
With Sydney, Collingwood and St Kilda all losing this weekend, a win today for Melbourne will see them jump to third and right in the hunt for this year's flag.
This year's premiership race is arguably the most even in years, and Melbourne when they play as a team is one of the best in the competition.
The key for the Dees is to get all their players on the paddock fit and firing, and so it wouldn't be suprising if Davey is not included this week after being rushed back too soon from the same injury last season.
Davey is Melbourne's X-factor and his sublime skills, pace and ability to create something from nothing lifts the Dees from a good side to a legitimate premiership hopeful.
Their opponents the Kangaroos have been in impressive form over the past couple of months, having won five of their past eight, and proved to be more than a handful for West Coast at Subiaco last week.
The Roos will be without inspirational skipper Adam Simpson who has gone in for season ending surgery, as the club looks towards 2007.
In some good news for the Kangas, veteran hardman Glenn Archer looks set to make his long awaited return from a shoulder injury, and will undoubtedly be keen to make an impact after announcing during the week he will be pulling on the boots for another season.
The last time these two sides met it was a tight and scrappy affair, and you wouldn't expect this encounter to be any different.
However, with such big name inclusions and a top four berth on the line, you would expect the cream of Melbourne to rise to the top against an inexperienced Kangaroos outfit to record a much needed win. Melbourne by 19 points.
KANGAROOS
B: Archer, Watt, Brown
HB: Sinclair, Petrie, Firrito
C: Harding, B.Rawlings, Swallow
HF: Hale, Thompson, Harvey
F: Sansbury, Rocca, Co Jones
FOLL: McIntosh, Wells, Harris
I/C: McConnell, Green, Lower, Schwarze
IN: Archer, Lower
OUT: Simpson (groin), Pratt (shoulder)
EM: J.Rawlings, Riggio, Makepeace
MELBOURNE
B: Whelan, Carroll, Holland
HB: Bruce, Rivers, Bartram
C: Green, McLean, Ward
HF: Johnstone, Miller, Bate
F: Jamar, Neitz, Davey
FOLL: White, Jones, McDonald
I/C: Robertson, Godfrey, Bell, Yze
IN: Davey, Johnstone, Whelan, Bell, Robertson
OUT: Ferguson (knee), Dunn, Johnson, Motlop, Brown
EM: Johnson, Motlop, Brown
Field umpires: McLaren, Nicholls, Head
WHERE & WHEN: MCG, 2:10pm (AEST), Sunday, August 20
TV & RADIO: Channel 10 (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane), Triple M (Melbourne, Adelaide)
HEAD TO HEAD: Kangaroos 59, Melbourne 82, 1 Draw.
LAST TIME: Melbourne 13.12 (90) bt Kangaroos 12.14 (86), MCG, Round 5, 2006
TAB Sportsbet: Kangaroos $2.75, Melbourne $1.40
Betfair: Kangaroos $2.68, Melbourne $1.50
To say Melbourne are struggling at the moment is an understatement, after winning 12 of the past 13, they have dropped consecutive games to bottom placed Carlton and reigning premiers Sydney.
Admittedly the Demons have had some injury concerns to key players in recent weeks, and the Dees have clearly missed the run and enthusiasm of Aaron Davey who is exected to return today from a hamstring injury.
Davey is one of five inclusions for Melbourne, along with Travis Johnstone, Matthew Whelan, Daniel Bell and Russell Robertson.
Whether they all play remains to be seen, but the inclusion of Johnstone gives the Dees some more run through the midfield, while Robertson provides another option up forward for a side that has been too reliant on skipper David Neitz in recent weeks.
Despite dropping their past two games, Melbourne are still very much in contention for a coveted top-four spot.
With Sydney, Collingwood and St Kilda all losing this weekend, a win today for Melbourne will see them jump to third and right in the hunt for this year's flag.
This year's premiership race is arguably the most even in years, and Melbourne when they play as a team is one of the best in the competition.
The key for the Dees is to get all their players on the paddock fit and firing, and so it wouldn't be suprising if Davey is not included this week after being rushed back too soon from the same injury last season.
Davey is Melbourne's X-factor and his sublime skills, pace and ability to create something from nothing lifts the Dees from a good side to a legitimate premiership hopeful.
Their opponents the Kangaroos have been in impressive form over the past couple of months, having won five of their past eight, and proved to be more than a handful for West Coast at Subiaco last week.
The Roos will be without inspirational skipper Adam Simpson who has gone in for season ending surgery, as the club looks towards 2007.
In some good news for the Kangas, veteran hardman Glenn Archer looks set to make his long awaited return from a shoulder injury, and will undoubtedly be keen to make an impact after announcing during the week he will be pulling on the boots for another season.
The last time these two sides met it was a tight and scrappy affair, and you wouldn't expect this encounter to be any different.
However, with such big name inclusions and a top four berth on the line, you would expect the cream of Melbourne to rise to the top against an inexperienced Kangaroos outfit to record a much needed win. Melbourne by 19 points.
KANGAROOS
B: Archer, Watt, Brown
HB: Sinclair, Petrie, Firrito
C: Harding, B.Rawlings, Swallow
HF: Hale, Thompson, Harvey
F: Sansbury, Rocca, Co Jones
FOLL: McIntosh, Wells, Harris
I/C: McConnell, Green, Lower, Schwarze
IN: Archer, Lower
OUT: Simpson (groin), Pratt (shoulder)
EM: J.Rawlings, Riggio, Makepeace
MELBOURNE
B: Whelan, Carroll, Holland
HB: Bruce, Rivers, Bartram
C: Green, McLean, Ward
HF: Johnstone, Miller, Bate
F: Jamar, Neitz, Davey
FOLL: White, Jones, McDonald
I/C: Robertson, Godfrey, Bell, Yze
IN: Davey, Johnstone, Whelan, Bell, Robertson
OUT: Ferguson (knee), Dunn, Johnson, Motlop, Brown
EM: Johnson, Motlop, Brown
Field umpires: McLaren, Nicholls, Head
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