Melbourne and Brisbane meet in a fascinating Sunday matinee at the MCG. Live updates below!
The Demons (3-2, 92.7%) are coming off a disappointing Gather Round loss to Essendon, while the Lions (3-2, 115.0%) are looking to make it four-straight wins, and eight of nine at the home of footy.
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The Lions swung a late change an hour before the opening ball-up, with Darcy Fort (illness) withdrawn and Zane Zakostelsky earning a reprieve.
Match details: Melbourne vs. Brisbane from 3:15pm AEST at the MCG.
Watch it live: On Fox Sports (channel 503), and streaming on Kayo, from 3:15pm AEDT.
Follow Melbourne vs. Brisbane in our live blog below!
‘FAIR BIT OF CONCERN’: LIONS COP ANOTHER BLOW AMID NEALE SCARE
In a blow to Brisbane, integral midfielder Jarrod Berry was ruled out of the contest in the second term with a left calf strain.
Berry, who, after medical attention, was swiftly pulled from the game, had ice on his calf as he watched on from the sidelines.
“A fair bit of concern there; it is a calf strain that he is out of the game with,” AFL Tonight’s David Zita told the Sunday Ticket coverage.
“The Lions will work through the extent of that in the coming hours and days. He’ll join Dayne Zorko on the sidelines with a calf injury that’s got him out for the next two-to-three weeks.”
The disappointing news comes after All-Australian midfielder Hugh McCluggage’s start to the season was cruelled by a calf ailment, and after Zorko last week sustained a calf injury.
And sending a scare through the Brisbane camp on the eve of half-time, there was some initial concern around a potential ankle issue for 300-gamer Lachie Neale after he had his lower leg accidentally stood on by teammate Sam Draper.
But while he was described by Gerard Healy at the time as “proppy”, Brisbane confirmed that Neale would take his place in the side to start the second half.
“There was a fair bit of concern about him; he looked quite ginger as he came from the ground,” Zita said.
“He had a bit of a smile on his face as he came from the ground … he will be OK to play, but he certainly looked far from 100 per cent at the end of the first half.”
Next up for the Lions is a blockbuster Sunday afternoon clash against Adelaide.