news-engine

MELBOURNE may be forced to make a change to its side ahead of Round 24, as forward Jacob van Rooyen awaits the outcome of tonight's Tribunal. AFL coach Steven King addressed media this morning ahead of his side's match against the Western Bulldogs and discussed the potential changes if faced with a van Rooyen suspension. ON VAN ROOYEN “We all hope that Aliir is okay, first and foremost," King said. "I do think it was a football act, I think Jacob had eyes for the footy and was trying to contest the marking situation, but I'll leave that in the hands of the tribunal and our team that represent Jacob tonight. “We had a brief chat yesterday as a coaching group about the possibility of not having Jacob. “We'll wait for tonight, but like any week, we look at our VFL game and who played well, who could come in, what roles they could play for us, how we evolve or cover for that if that's the case.” ON THE BULLDOGS “We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us, they touched us up last time we played them, so we've got to make sure we get back on track and get one over them,” King said. “We don't need too much of a reminder of how dangerous [Ed Richards and Marcus Bontempelli] are. “What Ed’s developed into as an inside mid, it’s incredible what he's doing. His athleticism and speed and his potency with the ball.” ON SPARROW “It was a really cool moment [when Tom re-signed],” King said. “I’m really thrilled to have Tom and even Kade [Chandler] earlier in the year, it's a great sign that our club and our environment is a good one. “To have those guys recommit, it’s a massive boost for us. They’re two outstanding young men. “The way they play is exactly how I love all my players to play, the way they work, they're unconditional, they’re selfless, they're ruthless and they're connected with their teammates.” ON FINALS BYE “I think you can win it from everywhere,” King said. “You see what Carlton's done the last 10 weeks, that proves how even the competition is. Some people will say ‘you need a week off’ but I've lived in a world before where we’ve finished top four, you get a week off, you win the first one, you have another week off, and then you're not quite sure how to manage your players. “It gets a bit difficult, you might lose some momentum, sometimes just staying in the groove is a good thing as well.”