HEAD TO HEAD: Melbourne 79 wins, Collingwood 141 wins, five draws
LAST TIME: Melbourne 11.10 (76) d Collingwood 9.22 (76), round 12, 2010, at the MCG
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A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
FORM: Melbourne: WLLLW Collingwood: BLWWW
SUMMARY
Melbourne put aside a week of criticism following its insipid round 10 defeat by Carlton, which was headlined by accusations the Demons played "bruise-free" footy, to topple Essendon coming off its first bye.
It was the Demons' best performance for the season and saw coach Dean Bailey project rare and raw emotion after the game following yet another week where the spotlight was on his side for all the wrong reasons.
Jordie McKenzie was terrific and earned himself the round 11 nomination for the NAB AFL Rising Star, while Tom Scully slotted in so seamlessly, it was easy to forget it was his first game for the year. Jared Rivers was also in the Demons' best and the midfield performed admirably across the board after losing Colin Sylvia to a corked quad in the first term.
While the Demons snapped a three-game losing streak, the Magpies won their third in a row with a comfortable 57-point win over last year's Grand Final opponents St Kilda. The Pies broke the Saints in a dominating second half where they kicked 10 goals to two, with Ross Lyon's men managing just one goal in each quarter after the main break.
Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes combined for five goals while Dane Swan kicked four of his own. Scott Pendlebury commanded the midfield with 32 possessions while the Pies benefited from Leon Davis' rebound from defence.
QUESTION MARKS
The Demons endured a tough week and were inspired by the courage of ill president Jim Stynes in the lead up to the game. Can they learn to manufacture that sort of motivation and will among themselves?
The Pies have sent Swan away for rehab overseas and have taken their time bringing Darren Jolly back. Will their approach to injuries - with a long-term view in mind - pay off at the business end of the season?
Who comes in for the Pies with Swan, Dayne Beams (foot) and Dale Thomas (suspension) out? Does Mick Malthouse recall Simon Buckley, Jarryd Blair or Brad Dick? Or turn his attention to the youth he has mentioned this season, such as Alex Fasolo or Lachlan Keeffe, against the young Demons?
The Demons managed a draw with the Magpies last year but before that had lost five games in a row against last year's premiers. Can they break through against the Pies for the first time since round 11, 2007?
PREDICTION
Collingwood by 32 points.
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
Coaches who took advantage of Colin Sylvia's drop in price but average of 103 heading into last week will be furious after he played only a quarter against the Bombers and returned just 21 points. His low-scoring game may be a blessing in disguise for some, with his price coming down even more this week (to $368,200) and his injury not a long-term prospect. Tom Scully started his season on the weekend at $328,500, and if he continues to put scores like last week’s 100 on the board, he'll soar in two weeks' time.
Is it time to trade Swan? He'll miss this week and then the Pies have the bye. He's still averaging well over 100 points a game but can you afford to have a blue-chip midfielder taking up bench space for at least the next two weeks? However, trade with caution - he's taken a price hit and is down to $397,700, so be prepared to take a hit if you bought him early.
Follow the game live in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au and join the conversation on Twitter using #afldeespies.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
