Frawley: The Demons can't win the flag without this change

Melbourne lost another tight game last night and Tom Hawkins was one of the main reasons for their downfall, kicking seven goals.

They sit sixth on the ladder and could be as high as second if their two last-second losses to Geelong this year went the other way.

Former St Kilda captain Danny Frawley doesn’t think the Dees can win the flag without moving Tom McDonald back into defence, where he spent the first part of his career.

“I think Tom McDonald is the one who should be playing on Tom Hawkins last night,” he told the AFL Nation pregame show.

“I know he’s a better player up the ground, but right now, if Melbourne want to win the flag, they’ve got to get Tom McDonald up the other end of the ground. It’s as simple as that.

“Have a look at every premiership team. There’s always a key defender doing a job.

“I know he’s going well, but in big games, you need a big, strong defender to do the job and he would’ve been able to keep (Hawkins) to four or five, which would’ve won them the game. I know he kicked a couple himself.”

Frawley believes the Dees have the depth to fill the hole up forward, but clearly can’t rely on Oscar McDonald down back to take the number one forward.

“You’ve got Cam Pederson, you’ve got Christian Petracca, I think you can have a mixture of guys up forward, but you can’t get a mixture of Tom McDonald down back. They don’t fall off trees,” he said.

Melbourne will face Adelaide next weekend and their key forward duo of Taylor Walker and Josh Jenkins.

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