Melbourne coach Steven King has joined the fight.<\/p>\n
King has only been in the top job for six AFL games but he\u2019s quickly united with his contemporaries against the VFL fixture.<\/p>\n
The Demons\u2019 reserves \u2013 Casey \u2013 have played just two games so far this season, taking in one of its scheduled byes and a league-wide bye for the VFL State of Origin.<\/p>\n
The stop-start nature of the fixture forced Melbourne to organise a scratch match against Essendon on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, we had to organise a scratch match against Essendon on Sunday at the Hangar because there was a State of Origin game in which we had one VFL-listed player playing,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, I\u2019ve got 12-15 players who want to play every week to press their claims to improve to play AFL footy and they\u2019re not able to in the current competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something maybe the AFL can maybe look at where the stand-alone clubs have the bye if they lose players but our AFL-listed players can\u2019t play in that State of Origin game.\u201d<\/p>\n
King went on to say the fixture prompted some difficult conversations with players on the edge of selection.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just want to play footy so our players put their hand up to play AFL footy,\u201d King continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think most clubs would\u2019ve reached out, it\u2019s not my role to ring up directly, I will go through the right channels.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s when players come up to you and ask, \u2018Does this mean I am not in contention for the first six weeks because there\u2019s no games?\u2019 That\u2019s tough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melbourne takes on the Brisbane Lions this Sunday at the MCG in the annual Jim Stynes Foundation match.<\/p>\n
The clash is important for the energised Demons after their shock loss to the Bombers in Gather Round.<\/p>\n
King said he wouldn\u2019t look too closely at smothering the Lions\u2019 deep midfield, fearing it could distract the Demons from their strengths.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t just be a club that reacts every week and changes our game the way we play the opposition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to understand what fuels our game and our belief, you\u2019ve got to tweak some things to extinguish the opposition\u2019s strengths, that\u2019s what we try and will do.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut as a young coach I want us to play our game and get after our way.\u201d<\/p>\n