Essendon Bombers (10-5-1) will look to maintain their spot in the top four when they face Melbourne Demons (9-7) at the MCG in an AFL blockbuster on Saturday night.
Melbourne returned to the winners circle to stay within touching distance of the top eight. It was a rather hard-fought performance in a convincing win over the West Coast Eagles. It also provided a useful and much-needed percentage increase when compared to those around him.
Elsewhere, the Bombers silenced the doubters by clinching their first victory against a top-eight side, and it just happened to be against their traditional rivals Collingwood Magpies. In doing that, they maintained their spot in the top four.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch Melbourne Demons vs Essendon Bombers in the AFL, plus plenty more.
Melbourne vs Essendon date and start time
| Date | Sunday, July 13, 2024 |
| Start time | 7:30pm AEST/ 7:00pm ACST/ 5:30am AWST |
| Venue | Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) |
| Location | Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria |
How to watch Melbourne vs Essendon on TV & stream live online
There are several options to watch the Melbourne Demons vs Essendon Bombers AFL game in Australia, including Network Seven, Foxtel, Foxtel from Telstra, and Kayo Sports.
The best way to livestream the aforementioned AFL game is through Kayo with a seven-day free trial. It also does not have a lock-in contract or equipment fees, which means you can cancel anytime if you are no longer using it.
All you need to decide is whether you want to pick Kayo One at $25 per month (1 stream and up to HD), or Kayo Basic at $35 per month (2 streams and up to 4K).
What channel is Melbourne vs West Coast game on?
The game will be broadcast live on 7mate on free-to-air TV, but will be available to watch Fox Footy on pay TV. Triple M, ABC and AFL Nation will provide the radio coverage.
Streaming the game with a VPN
- Overview of VPN services that allow access to geo-restricted streams
- How to set up and use a VPN service to stream the match
You can watch the game from wherever you are in the world by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service such as NordVPN/ ExpressVPN. A VPN will allow you to create a secure connection online when you are abroad on holiday or for work and you want to stream the game live.
If you are not sure which VPN to use or how to use a VPN, we have taken a look at the best options available out there for watching live sports - check out the best VPN services review here.
Here’s an easy step-by-step guide on how to use a VPN to watch a game when you are overseas:
- Install VPN of your choice - see our reviews here for the best options.
- Select the location you wish to connect to. This is easy - if you are visiting the UK and you wish to continue watching one of your U.S. streaming services, you would select the US.
- Grab the popcorn and get ready to watch!
Melbourne vs Essendon team news
Melbourne Demons
Simon Goodwin's side were dealt a massive blow from the victory against West Coast, with club captain Max Gawn being ruled out for this weekend's clash with an ankle injury that could keep him out for 2-3 weeks.
The likely candidate to replace him would be former Lion Tom Fullarton, who was recruited to the club over the off-season. On a more positive note, forward Harrison Petty was a test last week, so he could be given a recall this week after dealing with an ankle complaint.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Rucks | Soldo, Sweet, Ratugolea, Visentini |
| Defenders | Burton, McKenzie, Clurey, Aliir, Zerk-Thatcher, McCallum, Marshall, Houston, Farrell, Burgoyne, Williams, L. Jones |
| Midfielders | Rozee, Sinn, Butters, Boak, Bergman, Wines, Charleson, Drew, Lorenz, Jackson, Mead |
| Forwards | Marshall, Finlayson, Lord, Scully, Walsh, Powell-Pepper, Riolli, Horne-Francis, Georgiades, Dixon, Anastasopoulos, Evans, Scully, Byrne-Jones, McEntee, Narkle |
Essendon Bombers
The Bombers are flying towards a top-four finish after finishing off Collingwood last Friday night. Veterans Dyson Heppell and Todd Goldstein were managed out of the clash against the Pies and will push for a return.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Rucks | Draper, Goldstein, Bryan, Visentini |
| Defenders | Ridley, Laverde, Hayes, Baldwin, Reid, McKay, McGrath, Hind, Heppell, Durham, Redman, Kelly, Lual, Davey Jnr, Roberts |
| Midfielders | Parish, Tsatas, Caldwell, Merrett, Hobbs, Shiel, Cox, Setterfield, Wright, Duursma, Martin |
| Forwards | Langford, Weideman, Perkins, Jones, Baldwin, Caddy, Reid, McKay, Hunter, Gresham, Stringer, Davey, Wanganeen, Menzie |
Melbourne vs Essendon Form
Melbourne: LLWLW
| Round | Match |
|---|---|
| R17 | Melbourne 112-58 West Coast |
| R16 | Brisbane 86-81 Melbourne |
| R15 | North Melbourne 70-67 Melbourne |
| R13 | Collingwood 89-51 Melbourne |
| R12 | Melbourne 49-141 Fremantle |
Essendon: LLWLW
| Round | Match |
|---|---|
| R17 | Collingwood 80-92 Essendon |
| R16 | Geelong 105-60 Essendon |
| R15 | Essendon 122-92 West Coast |
| R13 | Essendon 70-96 Carlton |
| R12 | Gold Coast 91-80 Essendon |
Melbourne vs Essendon Head-to-Head Results
| Year | Match |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Demons 77-104 Bombers |
| 2022 | Demons 99-70 Bombers |
| 2021 | Bombers 57-68 Demons |
| 2020 | Bombers 49-68 Demons |
| 2019 | Demons 112-130 Bombers |