Koltyn Tholstrup

Melbourne in line to make multiple changes for Kangaroos clash

A young Demon is in the selection mix for Saturday night, while a veteran’s return has been confirmed.

Published by
Mitch Keating

Melbourne are in line to make multiple changes to their lineup for Saturday's meeting with North Melbourne.

The Demons will need to replace star midfielder Christian Petracca for Round 15 following his season-ending injuries sustained in the King's Birthday loss to Collingwood last week.

Petracca's absence could see first-year livewire Koltyn Tholstrup add some energy to Goodwin's side this weekend following his best performance in the red and blue at VFL level in Round 11.

The teenager collected 29 disposals, nine clearances, five tackles and had three scoring shots in Casey's win over Collingwood's reserves to enter the selection mix.

His timely performance will be right in the sights of the club's match committee, who will be looking to add power and explosiveness to their front half after losing Petracca.

Speaking to media on Wednesday morning, Goodwin confirmed Tholstrup is in the conversation for a recall, but flagged the entire team will need to lift to fill the void opened by Petracca's absence.

"He has progressed really strongly in the VFL. He's certainly gone back and developed his game from a midfield perspective and also forward of centre," Goodwin said of the Subiaco product.

"He's someone we'll look at really closely. He's a high draft pick with high talent, he gives enormous effort, he's tough, so he's someone that we'll certainly look at.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 10: Koltyn Tholstrup of the Demons speaks with Simon Goodwin, Senior Coach of the Demons during a Melbourne Demons AFL training session at Gosch's Paddock on April 10, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

"We'll bring a player in and expand some players' roles to try and fill that void. It's not about just one player, it's about a team, it's about a method and it's about the collective, and that's what we need to do – be really tight, united and forge our season ahead."

The Demons are also set to undergo another change to their defensive structure this week, with veteran stopper Adam Tomlinson set to be brought back into Goodwin's side after being dropped for the loss to Collingwood.

After favouring a smaller backline for that match, Melbourne will revert to a more key-position-focused ensemble that will see Tomlinson, Steven May and Tom McDonald combine on Goodwin's last line.

That could mean youngster Blake Howes falls out of favour again, while star backman Jake Lever remains at least another week away with his knee injury.

"Adam Tomlinson's been in some really fantastic form both when he's been in the team, but also when he went back to VFL level," Goodwin added.

"So, he's someone that will come back in to really balance out that backline for us, that's certainly one change that we'll make and we'll assess everything after that."

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 11: Tom McDonald and Adam Tomlinson of the Demons walk off the field after a win during the 2021 AFL Round 04 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Geelong Cats at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 11, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Melbourne could also look to reward the form of fringe forward pair Shane McAdam and Oliver Sestan, who combined for six goals in Casey's most recent win.

Sestan, who is yet to play at AFL level, has been a strong performer at the state league level this year, while McAdam has endured injury and form issues to fall in and out of Goodwin's side in his first season with the Demons.

Any further inclusions could cost the likes of Jack Billings or Harrison Petty a spot at selection, with the pair struggling for form in recent weeks.

2024-06-22T09:30:00Z
Published by
Mitch Keating