Essendon has been forced to make one change to its side for its blockbuster clash with West Coast at Optus Stadium on Thursday.
Star forward Jake Stringer has been unable to return to full fitness in time to take on the Eagles after suffering a minor leg injury in last week’s victory over Hawthorn.
Fellow forward Mitch Brown has replaced Stringer, joining the senior line-up for the first time since the side’s narrow ANZAC Day loss to Collingwood in round six.
FINAL TEAM B – Patrick Ambrose, Michael Hurley, Andrew McGrath HB – Conor McKenna, Cale Hooker, Adam Saad C – Mason Redman, Zach Merrett, Kyle Langford HF – David Zaharakis, Jayden Laverde, Matt Guelfi F – Darcy Parish, Shaun McKernan, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti R – Tom Bellchambers, Dylan Shiel, Dyson Heppell Interchange – Mitch Brown, Dylan Clarke, Orazio Fantasia, Josh Begley Emergencies – Mark Baguley, Aaron Francis, Ben McNiece, Zac Clarke
While Stringer is a big loss hopefully brown can bring the form he had before he was injured. Brown was really important for us earlier in the year and is a great in.
We’ve won two in a row and you don’t normally change a winning team. We had to make one change, and it’s a good one – not as good as having both Stringer and Brown in the team, but still good.
I hope Laverde chooses this week to step up. Also Begley. We will need the absolute best from every player if we’re to win this. As always, it will be our intensity that wins it or loses it. We haven’t produced a full four-quarter effort so far this season; let’s hope that this is the week that we do.