Melbourne vs West Coast Tips AFL Round 9 2026

Melbourne are tipped to continue their strong recent record against West Coast when the two sides meet at Marvel Stadium in AFL Round 9.

This looks like a dangerous matchup for West Coast.

The Eagles have shown small signs of improvement in patches this season, but the broader defensive profile remains extremely concerning. They are conceding massive scores consistently and continue to struggle badly against teams that dominate territory and stoppage.

That is exactly the type of game Melbourne want to play.

The Demons enter this clash after a competitive loss to Sydney where they still managed to score 114 points and win clearances against one of the competition’s best sides.

Even without Brody Mihocek, Melbourne still possess enough scoring power through Bayley Fritsch, Jacob van Rooyen, Kysaiah Pickett and Max Gawn to create scoreboard pressure throughout the afternoon.

The midfield battle also heavily favours the Demons.

Melbourne continue to generate strong contested numbers and repeat inside 50 opportunities, while West Coast remain vulnerable once opposition teams gain momentum through the middle.

The Eagles are conceding close to 125 points per game across their last five matches and have struggled to stop momentum swings once games open up.

That trend could continue here.

The Demons should dominate contested possession, territory and inside 50s against a West Coast side still struggling defensively.

The Eagles have struggled to score consistently against stronger opposition and may find repeat entries difficult to generate against Melbourne’s midfield pressure.

Fritsch has an excellent recent scoring record against West Coast and should benefit from Melbourne’s expected inside 50 dominance.

Melbourne have had some inconsistent patches over recent weeks and will need to avoid lapses in concentration after last week’s emotional loss to Sydney.