Sunday’s AFL 2018 Round 22 match is between West Coast Eagles and Melbourne Demons. The opening kick is set to commence at 15:20 local time with the game to be played at Optus Stadium. The home team West Coast Eagles are the favourites for the match.
View our preview and teams for the game between West Coast Eagles and Melbourne Demons.
When: 15:20 | Sunday 19/08/2018
Where: Optus Stadium
Preview:
Odds:
Tip: West Coast Eagles at $1.65
Value Bet: First Goal Scorer: Liam Ryan at $10.00
More Info:
Teams:
West Coast Eagles: 
B Shannon Hurn, Tom Barrass, Brad Sheppard
HB Thomas Cole, Jeremy McGovern, Lewis Jetta
C Chris Masten, Elliot Yeo, Jamie Cripps
HF Mark Hutchings, Jack Darling, Mark LeCras
F Willie Rioli, Nathan Vardy, Brendon Ah Chee
FOL Scott Lycett, Jack Redden, Luke Shuey
I/C Liam Ryan, Dom Sheed, Liam Duggan, Daniel Venables, Francis Watson, Jackson Nelson, Matthew Allen, Jake Waterman (Four to be omitted)
IN Francis Watson, Jackson Nelson, Matthew Allen, Jake Waterman
NEW Francis Watson, Matthew Allen
Melbourne Demons: 
B Neville Jetta, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis
HB Christian Salem, Sam Frost, James Harmes
C Alex Neal-Bullen, Clayton Oliver, Angus Brayshaw
HF Charlie Spargo, Sam Weideman, Aaron vandenBerg
F Michael Hibberd, Tom McDonald, Dom Tyson
FOL Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Christian Petracca
I/C Dean Kent, Jake Melksham, Mitch Hannan, Cameron Pedersen, Jay Kennedy Harris, Bayley Fritsch, Jeff Garlett, Josh Wagner (Four to be omitted)
IN Sam Weideman, Michael Hibberd, Dean Kent, Jake Melksham, Mitch Hannan, Josh Wagner
OUT Jesse Hogan (Injured), Jayden Hunt (Injured)
AFL News:
Star West Coast forward Josh Kennedy is no certainty to return before the AFL finals after being ruled out for at least one more week with a shin injury.
Kennedy hasn’t played since suffering a hairline fracture in his shin at training three weeks ago, and he has been ruled out of Sunday’s clash with Melbourne in Perth.
The Eagles take on the Lions in Brisbane next week, and will have a bye the week after in the lead-up to finals.
It means if Kennedy is unable to return next week, he will have missed six weeks of action before lining up in week one of the finals.
“There’s a risk he misses too much football and this is creeping into four or five weeks,” Eagles coach Adam Simpson told 6PR.
“We do need him in the side and we do need the continuity.”
Kennedy says he will do everything he can to get up for next week’s match against Brisbane.
Ruckman Nathan Vardy (knee) and goalsneak Liam Ryan (corked leg) are other players under njury clouds.
But Melbourne were hit even harder on the injury front.
Star forward Jesse Hogan has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a partial stress fracture in the navicular bone in his right foot.
Defender Jayden Hunt is out for up to a month with an ankle injury, while Bernie Vince (shoulder) will miss six weeks.
Co-captain Jack Viney (toe) has been ruled out for the next three weeks.
Former Essendon duo Michael Hibberd (quad) and Jake Melksham (hamstring) are expected to return against the Eagles.
The Demons (12-8) need to win one of their remaining two games to secure a finals berth.
But that will be no easy feat given they go up against the in-form Eagles before taking on GWS at the MCG.
West Coast (15-5) will lock up a top-two berth with victory over Melbourne.
If they fall short against the Demons they can lock up second spot with a win over Brisbane in the final round.
West Coast are still buzzing from their after-the-siren win over Port Adelaide when Jeremy McGovern kicked the winning goal.
Straight after the match the players took a celebratory team photo and sent it to suspended midfielder Andrew Gaff, who will miss the rest of the season.
Gaff is still at home in Melbourne with his family but Simpson hopes the 26-year-old will return to Perth this week.
Simpson says the club is yet to work out what role they will give Gaff for the remainder of the season.
