MELBOURNE and the Sydney Swans will play on Mother's Day eve in the Pink Lady match at the MCG to raise awareness and funding for Breast Cancer Network Australia.

The game, launched at a breakfast at the MCG on Tuesday morning attended by AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and Melbourne coach Paul Roos, will be played in round six and feature special pre-match entertainment followed by a moment of silence to acknowledge all those touched by breast cancer.   

There will also be a mass planting of Pink Lady silhouettes outside the MCG, with visitors encouraged to write a personal message on a silhouette to show their support for someone diagnosed with breast cancer or pay tribute to a loved one lost.  

Speaking at the launch, Roos said he was rapt his club could be involved in the game to raise awareness of breast cancer with 42 women a day being diagnosed with the disease in Australia.

"It's an opportunity for everyone to celebrate Mother's Day and celebrate what their mothers have done for them," Roos said. 

"It's a great opportunity to support a fantastic cause."

Roos also said the new look Demons were well prepared for the season ahead.

He said informing Jesse Hogan that the young forward was to make his debut in round one against Gold Coast at the MCG was one of the joys of his job, but Roos moved to temper expectations around the 20-year-old forward, who skipper Nathan Jones recently compared to Jonathan Brown.

"I was reminded last week – and I don't want to mozz Jesse Hogan - that in Jonathan Brown's first season he kicked five goals, not in one game but the whole season, " Roos said.

"Let's just let him become Jesse Hogan. Jonathan Brown is Jonathan Brown. He has just retired and is sitting on the couch … hopefully Jesse can be the best player he possibly can be."  

Brown didn't get a kick or handball in his first game in round five, 2000 and took seven games to notch his first goal.