MELBOURNE football boss Josh Mahoney felt "shock and frustration" to find out the Demons' round three match was postponed because of Conor McKenna's positive COVID-19 test.

The game was due to be played against Essendon at the MCG on Sunday until news of McKenna's result reached AFL headquarters. 

It will be rescheduled at a yet-to-be-determined date, with Melbourne able to instead organise an intraclub contest between 40 players at the same venue on Sunday.

>> WATCH ALL THE GOALS FROM THE INTRACLUB IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

The Demons will next play against Geelong at the MCG on Sunday, while the Bombers – who may be without several stars because of the McKenna development – are due to meet Carlton on Saturday night.

04:50

Bombers shock: What next for quarantine Dons?

Mitch Cleary and Nat Edwards discuss the situation at Essendon following Conor McKenna's positive Covid-19 test

No other Essendon players or staff tested positive to the coronavirus so far but they will be tested again on Monday.

Mahoney said not being able to play an actual match this weekend was "a disruption" but that they had to move on quickly to the Cats game.

LATEST NEWS All your COVID-19 updates here

"This season is going to be a different-looking season, and there are going to be challenges all the time," Mahoney told reporters.

"We've had a challenge every week so far through this.

"The team that shows the most resilience and is able to bounce back from those challenges is going to be the team that comes out on top this year."

13:10

AFL explains decision to postpone Sunday's Dons-Dees clash

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan fronts the media after Conor McKenna tests positive to COVID-19, courtesy of Fox Footy

Jake Melksham kicked a game-high four goals for Melbourne's first-choice team, with Bayley Fritsch booting two, while ex-Bomber Mitch Brown improved his case for a recall with three majors for the other side.

Charlie Spargo, who still has a week to serve on his two-game ban for breaching the AFL's COVID-19 protocols, also slotted two goals, including one brilliant snap from the boundary. 

ROUNDS 2-5 Check out the full fixture

Speedster Jayden Hunt was lively, kicking one major and playing a key role in setting up three others.

Former captain Nathan Jones was set to miss the Essendon clash after being dropped but new skipper Max Gawn said he took his demotion well.

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Gawn rang Jones after the news came out and the veteran midfielder's response was: "It's all right; I'll be back next week."

"To be fair on Nathan, he's putting himself in our 22 still – and he probably is still in our 22, at times," Gawn said.

THE LADDER Where is your team sitting?

"I know Nathan will play a lot of good footy this year; just the call was made to get (Aaron) vandenBerg in this week against the Bombers, and that might not be the call for Geelong.

"Nathan was good out there today, so was Aaron and so was Harley (Bennell) – these sort of guys who are playing that half-forward role – so I'm confident Nathan will come back and play all the games he has to."

Gawn said he was looking forward to the likelihood of a mid-week fixture at some stage to make up the Bombers match.

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