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Opinion
Melbourne will take on Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, in what is a real opportunity for Melbourne to cement a spot in the top two.
The Demons currently sit in top spot on 15 wins, taking on the 17th-placed Adelaide side, who sit on six wins.
Considering this, Melbourne simply must get the job done if they want to finish at the very least in the top two, with winnable opportunities for Geelong, Bulldogs and Port Adelaide, who all go into Round 22 two points behind Melbourne on 60 points.
Bear in mind that Melbourne will travel to Geelong next week in a game that could potentially decide the minor premiership.
Melbourne were ultra impressive in their win in the west, coming away with a nine point win to clinch current top spot heading into Round 22, with the Crows putting up an almighty fight against Port Adelaide, as Port currently sit in the top four, leading by 19 points at halftime, before a fourth-quarter fade out, to go down by only four points.
The players that could make a difference, based off last week’s performances for their respective sides:
Ben Brown, with eight kicks, seven marks and three goals.
Alex Neal-Bullen, with 20 disposals, 12 kicks, four handballs and two goals.
Christian Petracca with 28 disposals, 10 kicks, 18 handballs and a goal.
Clayton Oliver, with 28 disposals, 11 kicks and 17 handballs.
Christian Salem, with 23 disposals, 13 kicks, 10 handballs and six marks.
As for Adelaide:
Rory Laird, with 31 disposals, nine handballs, 22 handballs and three marks.
Tom Lynch, with 22 disposals, 10 kicks, 12 handballs and two goals.
Harry Schoenberg, with 31 disposals, 19 kicks, 12 handballs and four marks.
Melbourne have won three of the last five clashes with Adelaide, but Adelaide will remember that in Round 10, they upset the Demons by a solitary point at Adelaide Oval, with Taylor Walker kicking the winning goal, denying Melbourne a 10-0 start to season 2021.
They will have to pull off an upset of greater nature, being at the MCG and considering the Crows are now second-last, with the Demons in red hot form, coming off a 98-point thrashing of Gold Coast and a win in the west last week to clinch top spot.
If Melbourne can defeat Adelaide here, they have a massive chance of a minor premiership.
Prediction: Melbourne by 36 points.
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