Melbourne are set to travel to Perth without star midfielder Clayton Oliver for the clash against the Eagles on Saturday.
Oliver has yet to miss a match this season and has bounced back to strong form, averaging over four touches more and an extra score involvement per game compared to his out-of-form 2024.
The 27-year-old's return to form has yet to see any major team improvement yet, although Melbourne have claimed two wins in a row after a disastrous 0-5 start to the season.
However, in a potential danger game against a hungry winless West Coast unit, Oliver will not play in Round 8 due to illness, according to Nine's Tom Morris.
Morris said Oliver "wasn't feeling well" so the Demons have ruled Oliver out of the match.
"There is an acknowledgement from Melbourne and Oliver himself that Oliver needs a break. He's not been feeling at his best so they are looking after him this weekend," Morris posted to X, formerly Twitter.
It could lead to more midfield time for emerging stars in the Melbourne line-up, including youngsters Caleb Windsor and Harvey Langford, or call for a positional move for a staple best 22 member, such as halfback Trent Rivers or livewire forward Kysaiah Pickett.
Rivers and Pickett have had their own dominant patches in the midfield across the last 12 months, with Rivers attending 30 per cent of centre bounces last year when Christian Petracca was sidelined, while Pickett has increased his CBAs by 23 per cent in 2025, attending over half this season.
Pickett's dominance has been widely reported, with a 24-disposal, five-goal haul in the Demons' first win of the season against Fremantle a demonstration of his capacity in the middle.
The full team will be announced at 6:20pm on Thursday.
