Greater Western Sydney v Essendon at Giants Stadium, 2.10pm AEST
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
In: T.Bruhn, D.Lloyd, Z.Sproule
Out: S.Reid (hamstring), B.Daniels (hamstring), J.Hogan (calf), M.Buntine (concussion)
Last week’s sub: M.Buntine (replaced B.Daniels)
ESSENDON
In: A.Francis, A.Phillips
Out: D.Zaharakis (omitted), N.Bryan (omitted), M.Guelfi (omitted)
Last week’s sub: D.Zaharakis (unused)
Essendon has recalled ruckman Andrew Phillips and defender Aaron Francis for its clash with Greater Western Sydney at GIANTS Stadium on Saturday.
The fit-again pair, who missed last week’s loss to Carlton, replace omitted duo Nick Bryan and Matt Guelfi.
MATCH PREVIEW: GIANTS v BOMBERS
Senior coach Ben Rutten said despite Bryan impressing against the Blues on debut, the Bombers opted for a seasoned ruckman against a physical Giants ruck division.
“We were really pleased with what he (Bryan) did. We thought we got what we expected from him, and we thought he did really well around centre bounces in particular,” Rutten said.
"This week we’ve got Andrew Phillips available, and we’re leaning towards a bit more of a seasoned, experienced ruckman.
“We’re expecting Mumford to play for the Giants, so we think Phillips will be the best match-up there.”
Saturday’s match will mark Zach Merrett’s 150th in the red and black, with the star midfielder hoping to notch his 63rd win to mark the occasion.
Originally scheduled to fly to Sydney on Friday, the Bombers will travel by charter flight on Saturday morning for the 2:10pm game, with the AFL changing travel arrangements to minimise risk for the club and broader competition.
The match will be broadcast live via Foxtel and Kayo, while Queensland and New South Wales residents can also watch it on Channel 7.
ESSENDON’S ROUND EIGHT LINE-UP:
Backs: Jayden Laverde, James Stewart, Aaron Francis
Half-backs: Dyson Heppell (C), Jordan Ridley, Mason Redman
Centre: Kyle Langford, Zach Merrett, Darcy Parish
Half-forwards: Archie Perkins, Cale Hooker, Brayden Ham
Forwards: Jake Stringer, Harrison Jones, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
Followers: Andrew Phillips, Andrew McGrath, Devon Smith
Interchange: Nick Hind, Nik Cox, Will Snelling, Peter Wright
Emergencies: David Zaharakis, Nick Bryan, Ned Cahill, Matt Guelfi
In: Phillips, Francis
Out: Guelfi (omitted), Bryan (omitted)
Last week’s sub: Zaharakis (not used)
Milestone: Merrett - 150 AFL games
