Melbourne Names Fitzgerald, Cooke for Melbourne Vs Essendon

melbourne vs essendon now has two debutants in the mix, with Joel Fitzgerald and Lukas Cooke set for their first AFL games when Melbourne meets Essendon at the MCG on Saturday at 1.15pm AEST. Melbourne also made four other changes for round 14, while Essendon brings back two players of its own.

Joel Fitzgerald and Lukas Cooke

Fitzgerald, a mid-season recruit, will debut for Melbourne after being named in the side for round 14. Cooke will join him for his first senior game, giving the Demons two fresh faces in the same selection call.

Bailey Laurie and Jake Melksham come into Melbourne’s team as Latrelle Pickett, Brody Mihocek, Caleb Windsor and Tom McDonald go out. The changes leave Melbourne with a different look for a meeting that arrives after a win over Collingwood snapped a two-match losing streak.

Essendon at the MCG

Essendon will answer with Jordan Ridley and Dyson Sharp returning, while Max Kondogiannis and Saad El-Hawli were dropped. The Bombers head into the match at 1-12 and are still chasing a second win against Melbourne after shocking the Demons earlier in the season.

That earlier loss is the clearest edge in this matchup. Melbourne sits at 8-5 and has the better record, but Essendon already has one result this year that showed it can unsettle the Demons, even if its most recent outing ended in a loss to Carlton after it ran out of legs in the second half.

Round 14 at 1.15pm

Saturday’s game gives Melbourne a chance to reset the season series and gives Fitzgerald and Cooke a first chance to settle into senior football under immediate pressure. For Essendon, the return of Ridley and Sharp is the main response after a week that ended with more changes and a 1-12 record hanging over the club.