By JARROD POTTER
THE heat set in for Melbourne’s intra-club match at Casey Fields on Thursday, but signs for the club were equally as bright as players – new, old or on the rise – relished their opportunity to shine.
With the mercury soaring to over 30 degrees, the Demons decided for three 20-minute periods to shake off the rust from the break and prepare for their first NAB Challenge match.
Nathan Jones – no stranger to the south east with his upbringing on the Mornington Peninsula and playing for the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup – led the way as per usual, but for a change had a few willing lieutenants to fight alongside the skipper.
Heritier Lumumba made an impact in his first official outing, while Christian Salem was clearly among the best on field – combining his speed with precision passing to captivate the strong crowd that flocked to the Cranbourne-based venue.
Jesse Hogan – completely healed after a horror knee injury last year ruled him out of 2014 – led well, marked even better and slotted three goals to give Melbourne fans something to smile about.
The locals kept an eye on one of their own Devon Meadows product James Harmes – who broke the lines and tackled well in the searing heat as he looks to earn his AFL debut and elevation from the rookie list this season.
Cranbourne’s Mitch White didn’t line up in the match – a foot injury delaying his inaugural AFL pre-season.
Casey Scorpions’ contingent had a good warm-up from the intra-club as well with 10 VFL-listed players – including Garfield’s Eddie Morris – taking the field as part of the high-intensity skirmish.
Melbourne will face Fremantle in their first NAB Challenge match on Thursday 5 March.
