The Team - vs Western Bulldogs - Sun 3.20pm

Football Discussion Dustin Fletcher Hangar
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Squad selection: Rd 7

Three inclusions are named to an extended squad for Sunday.

By essendonfc.com.au - Just now

Zach Reid and Nick Bryan are in the mix for their second AFL games, with the young talls named in an extended squad for Sunday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.

They join Tom Cutler as inclusions to an eight-man bench, with no outs confirmed at this stage.

Reid and Bryan made their AFL debuts in rounds five and seven respectively last season, and have produced consistent months in the VFL to put their names up for senior selection again.

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The No.10 pick in the 2020 NAB AFL Draft, Reid has had an injury-interrupted start at Essendon, but returned from long-term injuries a month ago.

He has steadily built his form across four VFL games, earning the praises of AFL development coach Cam Roberts for his performance against Collingwood on Anzac Day.

“‘Reidy’ was excellent. He’s played two really solid games now amid a month of footy. Defensively he sets up really well for us. He played on Mason Cox and young (Ollie) Henry from Collingwood, and just influenced the aerial contests really well, either killing the footy with spoils or intercept marking,” Roberts said.

“He’s a really balanced player and when he gets the ball in hand, he makes good decisions. He was arguably our top two or three players on the ground.”

Bryan has dominated the ruck contests to average 38 hitouts across his past three VFL games, but in remains to be seen whether senior coach Ben Rutten will opt for two rucks against a Bulldogs side missing first-choice ruckman Tim English.

The Bombers will name their 22 to face the Dogs at 5pm on Friday.

ESSENDON’S RD 7 SQUAD:

Backs: Dyson Heppell (C), Jayden Laverde, Jordan Ridley
Half-backs: Zach Merrett, Jake Kelly, Mason Redman
Centreline: Sam Durham, Andrew McGrath, Nik Cox
Half-forwards: Archie Perkins, Alec Waterman, Matt Guelfi
Forwards: Ben Hobbs, Peter Wright, Jake Stringer
Followers: Sam Draper, Darcy Parish, Nic Martin
Interchange (from): Dylan Shiel, Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Jye Caldwell, Kaine Baldwin, Zach Reid, Nick Hind, Tom Cutler, Nick Bryan

In: Reid, Bryan, Cutler

Out: Nil

Last week’s medical sub: Hind (replaced Laverde)

Milestone: McGrath - 100 AFL games

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If Gordon Bombay can take a rubbish district 5 Hockey team and guide them to a championship, surely Rutten can coach these players to a win against the Dogs*

*yes I may have recently watched the Mighty Ducks

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BRING

xjhACNYYIG85

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Looks like no changes I reckon.

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They have videos up for Reid and Bryan in the EFC release

I won’t be surprised if we see those two come in for Zerk & Baldwin.

Draper did a mountain of work vs Grundy and prob needs a proper sidekick this week and 2MP to stay permanent fwd (which we need)

Maybe a good time to play the two rucks vs old man Martin and undersized Cordy. And we absolutely need anything we can to stay on top in midfield vs Dogs.

Worry about our fwd pressure which was an issue last week, but they may just persist with as is with a mix from Guelfi, Perkins, Hobbs

Hind an option as well.

Smith didn’t even make an extended squad.

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Or Reid comes in for Laverde??

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Or that. But Murphy didn’t seem too worried about Lav, nothing structural. He’ll be ok IMO

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One of these things is not like the other

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Poor bloke looks overdue for a rest. Even before Anzac Day he has been struggling.

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Please play Bryan

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Reckon that’s a real chance if Lav’s still sore

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50% of selected team 23 or under.

Age breakdown:

18-20: Cox, Perkins, Hobbs, Durham, Baldwin, Reid, Bryan
21-23: Ridley, McGrath, Martin, Draper, Zerk-Thatcher, Caldwell
24-26: Laverde, Redman, Merrett, Waterman, Guelfi, Wright, Parish
27-29: Heppell, Kelly, Stringer, Shiel, Hind, Cutler
30+: None

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This is the anti-Geelong strategy.

Theirs would be

30+ Everyone, probably.

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Yeah but what does Geelong know?

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Never said their strategy is good.

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Sheedy did say recently in that interview he did his advice to Rutten was play the kids

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Be good to see Reid play at Marvel.

Poor bastard copped that rotten weathered shocking game vs Brisbane as his one and only to date.

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You may need to see Mighty Ducks Game Changers.

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We need more Flying V

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As opposed to playing our raft of 30 plus players?

We only have kids. Rutten has no senior experience on the sidelines or blocking spaces in the 22. I suppose you could drop Shiel and bring in Hird