Dees restructure as injuries strike
MELBOURNE has been urged to play a Richmond-style one-tall-forward line with Christian Petracca as a key attacking target as a horror injury list grows.
Jesse Hogan has been diagnosed with a partial navicular strain and while the six-week injury will not require surgery he has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
He is sixth on the Coleman Medal tally with 47 goals, and will join Jake Lever on the sidelines with co-captain Jack Viney only likely to return from a foot injury for the finals at best.
Former Melbourne star David Schwarz yesterday said the injury toll was Simon Goodwin’s greatest coaching challenge in his short time at the club, urging him to experiment with his exciting young list.
The Demons could bring in a young tall such as Sam Weideman (two goals in the VFL) against West Coast or choose to play 42-goal tall Tom McDonald and a bevy of small forwards.
Schwarz said yesterday this could be Goodwin’s finest hour amid fan anger at another wasted chance to seal a finals spot with their loss to Sydney on Sunday.
“This is a good opportunity for Simon Goodwin to show what he can do,” Schwarz said. “He can mix it up a bit, maybe play a smaller Richmond-style forward line.
“Just have Tom McDonald up there and go small. They have the talent there.
“In big games and finals you get a really good understanding of the character of the list. I would be really disappointed if Petracca and Clayton Oliver and Max Gawn don’t take the bit between the teeth and drag their side along.
“I still think we can beat West Coast, we proved that last time when Tom McDonald kicked the winning goal.
“I don’t think it’s the tipping point for their [premiership chances] but when you lose four of your best seven players they can be very difficult to cover.”
Hogan has looked sore for several weeks but suffered a fresh foot injury in the second quarter of the contest against Sydney and played out the game.
The Demons believe he will be back well ahead of the first week of pre-season, adamant he does not need surgery.
Jayden Hunt (ankle) will be out for up to a month with a fresh injury, but Michael Hibberd (quad) and Jake Melksham (hamstring) will return against the Eagles.