melbourne vs collingwood had its final teams set for the King’s Birthday clash at the MCG, with Luker Kentfield named for his first game for Melbourne and Mitch Podhajski set for a Collingwood debut at 3.15pm AEST. The changes arrived on Thursday and shaped both lineups for one of the fixture’s biggest stages.
Kentfield and Podhajski
Kentfield’s selection gives Melbourne a first-gamer in a match already carrying extra weight after the passing of former Demons coach and MND campaigner Neale Daniher. Podhajski was named as a mid-season draftee to make his debut for Collingwood, adding another fresh face to a side that also brought Harry Perryman and Jack Buller back into the team.
For Collingwood, the selection calls were not limited to those inclusions. Steele Sidebottom was managed, while Ned Long and Wil Parker were dropped. The Magpies had won their past five clashes with Melbourne and 12 of the last 14 before this meeting, but they arrived with one win in their past five matches and outside the wildcard places.
Melbourne’s team changes
Melbourne answered with its own reshuffle. Jake Lever and Tom McDonald returned, while Bailey Laurie and Matt Jefferson were omitted. Andy Moniz-Wakefield was injured and unavailable, leaving the Demons to lean on a changed group around their debutant.
The Demons still sat in the top six but had slipped back after recent losses, including four consecutive defeats in Alice Springs. That form made the team sheet more than a pre-game formality; it set the frame for how Melbourne would try to steady itself against a Collingwood side that had handled the matchup repeatedly in recent years.
MCG stakes
The game landed at the MCG on King’s Birthday, one of the marquee fixtures on the schedule and one given added significance by Daniher’s passing. With both clubs locking in debuts, returns and omissions before the opening bounce, the match carried a roster edge as well as a results edge.
What fans got was a clear read on how each side planned to attack the day: Collingwood with Podhajski’s debut and returned experience, Melbourne with Kentfield and two senior inclusions. The teams were set, the changes were in place, and the 3.15pm AEST start left no more room for adjustments.
