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Recent injuries to midfielders Jordie McKenzie, Cale Morton and Tom Scully has put a dent in Melbourne’s 2011 AFL campaign hopes, as Melbourne is set to face the Sydney Swans this Sunday.
Melbourne’s injuries will not help the young Demons list, after previous seasons plagued by injury has made their task of improving as a team under coach Dean Bailey difficult.
The Demons will also be without All-Australian defender James Frawley come Sunday, after tearing his pectorial muscle, but is expected to return in the next few weeks.
Whilst the Swans will be without power forward Daniel Bradshaw with a knee injury and Nick Malceski, Swans veteran Craig Bolton has been forced to retire due to an achilles injury.
But much of the focus lies on the young Demons, who under coach Dean Bailey’s final contracted year have growing expectations, as the Swans will attempt to make amends for last years 73 point hiding at the hands of Melbourne.
"We should be confident in approaching round one," Bailey said.
“"No club wants an injury list at all but they're part of the game so it's more about the 22 players who are going to play on Sunday rather than those who aren't," he said.
The improvement will come with more games into our players, so they create a great deal of synergy,” Bailey said. Up forward leading goal kicker Brad Green will provide the Demons with much fire, after booting 55 goals last year in a career-best season.
Whilst, dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes will provide potency up forward for the Swans after a 44 goal haul last year.
New Sydney coach John Longmire agrees that the lack of key players from both sides will affect both teams, but stressed that the result will be decided by the team synergy, scoring power and defensive capabilities.
“We’re yet to finalise the selection, there’s a few things going through our heads,” Longmire said.
“Their form’s been solid and we’re expecting a talented team who can really score heavily when they need to,” Longmire said about Sunday’s opponents.
“You can’t - no matter who you play - come mentally unprepared to play football and Melbourne really showed that last year and really showed us up,” Longmire said.
“When you get a few key injuries, you get tested, you get stretched, and you find some holes in your side, but this year it’s been a really competitive pre-season with guys fighting for positions,” said Swans Utility Ryan O’Keefe ahead of Sunday.
“I can see from the next, younger tier of players that it has been a growth pre-season for them, so it’s exciting to see how they benefit and how they perform this year,” O’Keefe said.
However, whilst injuries will have their price to some of both the teams key players, the debut of young demons prospect Luke Tapscott will get Demons fans excited.
"It was pretty frustrating. When I did my hip in the pre-season last year it was a big setback for me," Tapscott said.
Head to head the Demons have 92 wins and the Swans 106 wins, with one draw between the two sides.
The two sides will meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.
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