WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Sunday 14 August, 1.10pm
HEAD TO HEAD: Melbourne 15 wins, West Coast 25 wins, no draws
LAST TIME: West Coast 15.16 (106) d Melbourne 6.16 (52), round 6, 2011 at Patersons Stadium
TV, RADIO AND BETTING:
Click here for broadcast guide and odds
A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
FORM: West Coast: WLWWW Melbourne: BWLLL
 
SUMMARY

Before the season began, most pundits were predicting Melbourne would push for a spot in the top eight and the Eagles would spend another season near the bottom. The reality could hardly be more different.

Having sacked their coach in the aftermath of their 30-goal loss to Geelong, the Demons suffered more pain last weekend when they were thrashed by Carlton and lost promising youngster James Strauss to a horrific broken leg.

Caretaker coach Todd Viney has ruled himself out of the full-time gig, but he'll be desperate for his men to give their fans something to cheer about.

The Eagles, in contrast, are fifth on the ladder and set to be a major player in September. They demolished Richmond at Patersons Stadium last weekend, with Daniel Kerr and Nic Naitanui leading the way.

And West Coast should take an even stronger line-up into Sunday's game with key forward Josh Kennedy set to return after missing two games with an eye injury.
 
QUESTION MARKS

Can the Demons finally win a game at Etihad Stadium? Melbourne's losing streak at the venue stands at 11 games. In fact, the club hasn't won a game at the Docklands since it beat the Western Bulldogs there in round 19, 2007. The Demons' former coach Dean Bailey never coached a win at Etihad Stadium.

Will the Eagles finish in the top four? Given they are only two points behind fourth-placed Carlton, have an easy draw and a game in hand, it looks a sure bet that John Worsfold's men will leapfrog the Blues and earn a coveted double-chance.
 
PREDICTION

West Coast by 45 points
 
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH

Young midfielder Jordan Gysberts has been a shining light for the Demons in what has been a disappointing season. Gysberts has averaged a touch more than 76 points per game and his price has climbed $77,700 to $281,200.

Thousands of Dream Team coaches made Dean Cox their captain last weekend, but he suffered a hip injury early in the game and finished with only 57 points, his worst score for the season. If the Eagles decide to pick him this week, look for Cox - valued at $428,500 - to have a big one.
 
Follow the game live in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au and join the conversation on Twitter using #afldemonseagles
 
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL