Judd McVee makes solid debut but may face challenge to retain his spot

As Judd McVee stepped up for his first game of AFL football he did not look out of place in Melbourne’s dominant opening win over the Western Bulldogs.

While McVee had been knocking on the door after an impressive first year in the VFL his time came with injuries to some of the Demons’ key players

The club was without Steven May (calf), Jack Viney (knee), Bayley Fritsch (foot) and Christian Salem (thyroid) and McVee impressed with 14 disposals, including a lovely kick from the wing to help set up Kade Chandler’s first goal.

However, all four of the stars who missed round one are expected to return this weekend and McVee may be unlucky to miss out in the selection squeeze, although his debut performance did not go unnoticed by coach Simon Goodwin.

“It gives us a few (selection) headaches that’s for sure, because we’ve got a lot of guys pushing, you would have seen Judd McVee’s performance in his first game and he’s a quality player who’s getting better and better,” he said post-game.

“We want guys playing their role right on the edge and continuing to improve throughout the year. We have a lot of depth and with the way our VFL play, we’re very confident the guys we bring in will play accordingly.”

Melbourne small forward Kysaiah Pickett was suspended for two matches after being reported for a bump on Bailey Smith, which may leave a spot open in the 22.