Round 9 Team | A trio of changes for Hawks clash

Melbourne has made three changes to its team

INS – Oliver, van Rooyen, Jefferson

OUTS – Petty (concussion), Viney (concussion), Melksham (managed)

MELBOURNE has made three changes to its Saturday line-up as it prepares to face an in-form Hawthorn.

Clayton Oliver will re-enter the team after a week on the sidelines prioritising his wellbeing.

Jacob van Rooyen and Matthew Jefferson have both been called up to the AFL side after strong performances in the VFL, in addition to their positive work on the training track.

Jack Viney has been ruled out of the Round 9 match with General Manager of AFL Football Performance Alan Richardson providing an update on the midfielder.

“Jack reported some symptoms after training today, which resulted in him being assessed by our medical team,” Richardson said.

“Through this process, he was diagnosed with delayed concussion from our match against West Coast on the weekend.

“Jack has now entered the AFL concussion protocols. Due to the recency of the reporting of symptoms, as per AFL guidelines, we are now working with the AFL to determine his progression through these protocols.”

Jake Melksham will also miss the game with the club opting to manage the veteran Demon.

“Jake has been battling a bit of soreness following our trip to Perth, so we have taken a conservative approach and ruled him out of this week’s game,” Richardson said.

“It’s a long season, and we know there will be times we need to manage Jake’s training and game load.

“He will have the weekend off and aim to reintegrate into main training next week.”

Harrison Petty also misses through concussion protocols, sustained in the west.

Bailey Laurie, Blake Howes and Aidan Johnson make up the emergency list for Round 9.

The Dees are set to face Hawthorn on Saturday in a Kids’ Takeover at the ‘G, thanks to a family friendly game time of 1:20pm.

From bumper cars to face painting, from inflatables to mini golf, there’s plenty of fun for fans of all ages.

To learn more about the Kids’ Takeover and what’s available on game day, visit our Kids Hub.

With the game a Hawthorn member replacement match, fans are encouraged to grab their tickets to secure a spot for the arvo clash. Grab your tickets here.

Check out the full team below.

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