THE SHAPE of Melbourne's side for the Anzac Day Eve blockbuster against Richmond has become clearer after Tom Bugg and Cameron Pedersen turned out in the Casey Demons' VFL loss to Richmond on Sunday.
Bugg joins Jordan Lewis (fractured hand) as a confirmed out from the Demons side that lost to Hawthorn by 57 points in round four, while Pedersen had been flagged as an inclusion to the misfiring forward line.
However, he won't face the Tigers at the MCG on Tuesday night and his absence leaves young key forward Sam Weideman in the frame for his first game of 2018 after a solid fortnight in the VFL.
Weideman joined Jayden Hunt, Billy Stretch and Harley Balic on the sidelines for the VFL clash.
Hunt, who was something of a surprise omission for Melbourne's round three clash against Brisbane, looks set to replace Lewis across half-back after playing strongly in the past two weeks at VFL level.
Dom Tyson is also likely to boost the midfield after missing the Hawks clash with a stomach bug.
Bugg's weekend went from bad to worse when he sustained a leg injury in a marking contest at the 20-minute mark of the second quarter, while Pedersen kicked five goals in the 35-point loss to the Tigers at Punt Road.
Stretch, who has played 25 games over the past two seasons, is yet to have a taste of senior footy this season.
The 21-year-old was among Casey's best in their win over Werribee last week.
Should Balic be named for Melbourne, it will be his first game for the Demons, having played four matches for Fremantle at the start of 2017.
Meanwhile, premiership Tiger Nathan Broad remains a chance to return to the side for the first time in 2018, having completed a three-game ban for distributing a photo of a topless woman without her consent.
Fellow Tigers Jack Higgins and Sam Lloyd were also absent from Sunday's game.
Both Melbourne and Richmond will play two games in six days and it's likely both clubs will be keeping some players fresh for their round six game, even if they're not selected for Tuesday night's blockbuster at the MCG.
