After a shock loss to Carlton in round 22, the Demons will be welcomed to Simonds Stadium with a lot less at stake than expected.

In a sign of just how far Melbourne has come under Paul Roos, the Demons were poised to fight for their right to play finals football on Saturday against the Cats, but will now effectively play their own version of a dead rubber.

Conversely, Geelong has everything to play for with the carrot of a home qualifying final at the MCG dangling should other results go their way.

We know then that the Cats will field their best available side, but how will Melbourne end the Paul Roos era?

Missing last week following a skin infection in his leg, small forward Jeff Garlett would be considered a sure thing this week if fit. The former Blue has turned his career around in the red and blue and will look to finish his tally of 27 goals in 2016 with at least a few more

At VFL level, the Casey Scorpions have been a powerhouse this season thanks to a wealth of AFL-listed players in their midst and a number of players have thrown their hand up for selection as a result.

Former co-captains Jack Grimes (38 disposals, 10 tackles, 1 goal) and Jack Trengove (31 disposals, four marks, four tackles) found their fair share of the football to be in the mix, whilst Matt Jones collected a game-high 39 disposals in a surprise loss to Geelong’s VFL team last week.

As for those who may have their AFL season ended a week early, two of the three inclusions against Carlton failed to turn heads. First-year forward Sam Weideman struggled in his second game at senior level to register seven disposals, three marks and no scoreboard impact, whilst inside midfielder Alex Neal-Bullen was just as quiet with only eight disposals and four tackles.

Their form raises the question as to whether Roos will continue down the path of youth or opt for more senior experience. The latter would see him bring in the likes of Trengove, Grimes or even swingman Cam Pederson who kicked 1.3 in the VFL.

With one potential change, here is how the Demons are expected to line up against the Cats in round 23:

IN: J.Garlett
OUT: A.Neal-Bullen