Round 12 - The Big Freeze 5
Collingwood v Melbourne
Monday, 10 June, 3.20pm AEST
MCG
12.00pm: MCC gates open
12.30pm: AFL + Public reserve opens
This year's match is an away game and Collingwood will now host Queen's Birthday in odd-numbered years.
Here's what all fans coming to the game need to know
Members
Only Members with home + away game access can use their Membership to enter the game.
However with a large crowd expected, Home + Away Members are encouraged to upgrade to a reserved seat via Ticketek.
All other Members must purchase a General Admission ticket.
General admission
Tickets to the game can be purchased via Ticketek.
Fight MND's Big Freeze 5 is the headline of this year's Queen's Birthday match, with plenty going on pre-game:
RSVP to the Zurich Walk to the 'G - 11.30am at Federation Square
Join Neale Daniher and the red + blue army for the Zurich Walk to the 'G in support of Fight MND.
The event begins at 11.30am at Federation Square, with the walk leaving at 1.15pm.
Let us know if you're coming and RSVP HERE
There will be plenty on at Federation Square including:
Big Freeze 5 beanie sales
Zurich flag and collector cup giveaways
Face painting
Neale Daniher, Melbourne players and special guests in attendance
The Big Freeze 5 Beanies
Beanies are selling fast and fans are encouraged to buy online for $20 before they sell out!
You'll also be able to buy them at Federation Square and around the ground (between Gates 2 and 4) before the game, however supplies will be limited.
The Big Freeze slide - 2.00pm at the MCG
From 2.00pm, 15 former sports stars will brave the cold and slide into the ice in support of Fight MND.
This year they are:
Dane Swan
Lauren Jackson
Bob Murphy
Anna Meares
Chris Judd
Jobe Watson
Liam Picken
Brendan Fevola
Bianca Chatfield
Jimmy Bartel
Nick Riewoldt
Public transport
Train
The ground is located in proximity to Jolimont and Richmond train stations.
Plan your trip to the game and view potential disruptions on PTV's Journey Planner.
Tram
The MCG is serviced by trams along Wellington Parade (Route 48 and 75) and the Olympic Park Light Rail (Route 70).
Car parking
All public parking will be closed at Yarra Park, with limited spaces available for mobility permit and pass holders from 8.30am at Gate 3.
Road closures
Brunton Avenue: 12.30pm - 6.50pm
Jolimont St and Jolimont Terrace: 12.30pm - 6.50pm
Wellington Parade: 5.50pm - 6.20pm
General Admission bays
Great Southern Stand
M1-M2
Q1-Q10
Q11-Q15 Rows K-DD
Ponsford Stand
Q31 Rows Q-MM
Q32 Rows N-MM
Q33 Rows Q-MM
Q34 Rows U-MM
Q35 Rows U-MM
Q36 Rows AA-MM
Olympic Stand
M56-M57
Q49-Q54 Rows S-MM
Q55 Rows K-MM
Please note the general admission areas are subject to change.
Look out for the screens displaying the map of available general admission areas on a match day, located inside each entry gate.
Cheer squad allocations
Collingwood: M33 Rows A-O
Melbourne: M3 Rows A-U
The Demon Shop on Brunton Avenue underneath the concourse will be open extra early from 11.30am on Queen's Birthday.
The shop will be open until 30 minutes after the game.
TV times
All broadcast info in local times.
Melbourne: Seven + Fox Footy â 2.00pm
Sydney: 7mate + Fox Footy â 2.00pm
Brisbane: 7mate + Fox Footy â 2.00pm
Adelaide: Seven + Fox Footy â 1.30pm
Perth: Seven + Fox Footy â 12.00pm
Tasmania: Seven + Fox Footy â 2.00pm
Canberra: 7mate + Fox Footy â 2.00pm
Darwin: Seven + Fox Footy â 1.30pm
For all other regions and radio info, refer to the AFL Broadcast Guide.
Mobile app
Live scores, stats and match highlights are available at the tap of a finger in the club's mobile app.
Download it for iOS or Android.
Social media
Match hashtag: #AFLPiesDees
Follow the club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live match coverage and a behind-the-scenes insight into match day.
VFL/VFLW double header
The Casey Demons will host Collingwood in a huge double header on Sunday.
VFL Round 10
Casey v Collingwood
Sunday June 9, 2.10pm
Casey Fields
VFLW Round 5
Casey v Collingwood
Sunday June 9, 11.30am
Casey Fields
Admission prices
Melbourne/Casey Demons Members: FREE when you present your card on entry
Adult General Admission: $10
Concession/Pensioner General Admission: $5
Children Under 15: Free
Coverage
Television
Channel Seven will broadcast the VFL match live in Victoria from 2.00pm.
Radio
Casey Radio 3SER 97.7FM will provide play-by-play coverage of both matches from 11.00am.
Social media
Follow the Casey Demons on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for behind-the-scenes + live coverage of the match.
TEN YEARS AFTER by Whispering Jack
There are many who would argue that Melbourneâs current woes go back a full decade to their Queens Birthday engagement of 2009 when the Demons selected a young VCE student Jack Watts to make his debut on the MCG in front of what was expected to be the clubâs biggest crowd for a game described as the clubâs âgrand final in Juneâ.
That was the way of the world for the Dean Bailey coached Demons. The critics were skeptical of Melbourneâs decision to put a wet behind the ears schoolboy (albeit that he was a number 1 draft pick) under such immense pressure in his first AFL game against a team that had a big edge in talent and experience. When Watts was tested out physically by a school of Magpies who corralled him in a corner, the critics screamed in condemnatory terms accusing the club of sacrificing its valuable young colt on the altar for some sort of public relations stunt. The cloud of that introduction hung darkly over the player, his coaches and club officialdom for years to come and it hovered there until Jack Watts and Melbourne parted company at the end of 2017.
The Demons were traveling along nicely playing an uncompromising brand of football at the half way mark of the following season but, when they came to their first Queens Birthday clash without Watts who by now, was happily ensconced outside of Victoria with Port Adelaide Power, they hit a massive snag. Max Gawn was beaten in the ruck by Brodie Grundy, Mason Cox returned to form and kicked five goals and the Piesâ midfield set up the prototype game to overcome Melbourneâs power charged on ball division. Collingwoodâs last half yielded them 11 goals from 15 shots at goal. Sound familiar?
Twelve months down the track and the injury riddled, wayward Demons are placed 16th on the ladder and with hope of making the finals all but lost. Max Gawn remains a ruck force but his opponent Grundy has taken over the mantle of the AFL's premier ruckman.
Melbourne has a few things going for it as it approaches the weekendâs Big Freeze game against the third-placed Pies. Their injury woes are moderating and a number of players are in the mix to return to the team and particularly to shore up the defence which has been leaking easy goals with regularity. There will be a lot more pressure applied to the opposition attack this week so that we might actually see a regular football score rather than the 14.6, 13.7, 9.6, 15.5 or 20.6 such as weâve seen to date. The fact that Collingwood will have a few outs from injury might also help balance the ledger and the Magpies are also under the pump to avoid a second successive upset loss at the MCG which would send them back into the pack.
Last year, the Dees were the hunted but this time they are the hunters. They wonât make the mistake of throwing a young rookie into the fray as they did ten years ago but they probably wonât be able to make up the gulf in talent of the personnel available to each of the clubs either.
Collingwood by 27 points.
THE GAME
Melbourne v Collingwood at the MCG Monday 10 June, 2019 at 3.20pm
HEAD TO HEAD
Overall Melbourne 83 wins, Collingwood 148 wins, 5 drawn
At the MCG Melbourne 63 wins, Collingwood 81 wins, 3 drawn
Last Five Meetings Melbourne 3 wins, Collingwood 2 wins
The Coaches Goodwin 1 win, Buckley 2 wins
MEDIA
TV - Channel 7, Fox Footy Channel live at 3.00pm
Radio - Triple M 3AW SEN ABC
LAST TIME THEY MET
Collingwood 20.13.133 defeated Melbourne 14.7.91 at the MCG in Round 12, 2018
The Demons came into the game as favourites but it was clear that the Magpies meant business. Brodie Grundy beat Max Gawn and this went a long way to nullifying the Melbourne midfieldâs grunt. They managed to get the ball to the outside where they overran the Demons and Mason Cox finished them off with his height advantage up forward.
THE TEAMS
COLLINGWOOD VFL
B Brayden Maynard Jordan Roughead Levi Greenwood
HB Jack Crisp Darcy Moore Jeremy Howe
C Tom Phillips Scott Pendlebury Chris Mayne
HF Josh Thomas Brody Mihocek Will Hoskin-Elliott
F Jaidyn Stephenson Jordan De Goey Callum L. Brown
FOLL Brodie Grundy Steele Sidebottom Adam Treloar
I/C James Aish Mason Cox Brayden Sier Travis Varcoe
EMG Ben Crocker Josh Daicos Isaac Quaynor Ben Reid
IN Mason Cox Brayden Sier
OUT Dayne Beams (hip) Ben Reid (omitted)
MELBOURNE
B Michael Hibberd Steven May Jake Lever
HB James Harmes Sam Frost Christian Salem
C Bayley Fritsch Jack Viney Oskar Baker
HF Nathan Jones Tom McDonald Jayden Hunt
F Jeff Garlett Sam Weideman Christian Petracca
FOLL Max Gawn Angus Brayshaw Clayton Oliver
I/C Mitch Hannan Marty Hore Tim Smith Charlie Spargo
EMG Alex Neal-Bullen Braydon Preuss Billy Stretch Josh Wagner
IN Marty Hore Jake Lever Steven May Christian Salem
OUT Jay Kennedy Harris (omitted) Oscar McDonald (omitted) Billy Stretch (omitted) Josh Wagner (omitted)
Injury list: Round 12
Marty Hore (calf) â test
Jake Lever (ankle) â test
Harry Petty (knee) â test
Corey Maynard (concussion) â 1 week
Jake Melksham (foot) â 4-6 weeks
Joel Smith (groin) â 4-6 weeks
Aaron vandenBerg (foot) â 6-8 weeks
Neville Jetta (knee) â 6-8 weeks
Tom Sparrow (knee) â 8-10 weeks
Guy Walker (shoulder) â indefinite
Aaron Nietschke (knee) â season