Third time lucky!
Tickets are on sale Monday at noon – very good chance this one sells out, given the woeful capacity of Punt Road.
Pre-sale tickets will be available for all finals matches, to help fans avoid any possible queues on gameday. All lead-up finals will be at 2018 prices, with adults $15, concession/pensioners $10 and kids under 15 free and will be on sale at midday each Monday at vfl.com.au/finals.
Farking AFL, scheduling the seniors final just 5 days later.
We need a stack of players returning from no action this week to counteract that (Snelling, Fantasia, Heppell, Hooker, Stringer).
Additional, Younan will be an in, and we can definitely improve on the other VFL guys selected (e.g. Lazzaro over Aylett).
Assuming no shennanigans, the following are available for selection (bold means they played VFL this week):
Baguley
Begley
Dylan Clarke
Dea
Gleeson
Ham
Hartley
Houlahan
Jok
LAV
Long
McNeice
Myers
Mynott
Ridley
Snelling
Zerk-Thatcher
Qualified but injured:
Gown
Mosquito
Do you think we will only carry over 1 guy for travelling emergency, and let a couple of other play VFL this week (and be travelling emergencies)? especially as there may be no game next week if we win.
Can we give guys 1/2 games this week?
Id love Snelling back in this team, Snelling or Clarke and Myers and Midfield will be ok.
No ticket sale portal has appeared on the vfl website. If anyone does buy some tickets, let me know how.
Yeah, they changed part of the notice to say from 11am too!
I think they’ve been late in previous years too. Last year was with Eventbrite. Searching there I found nothing.
Still no link.
It says 1100am in display but in text it says midday on the following Monday.
And the page text now says from 12:30.
How do you keep an idiot in suspense?
Refresh this page and you’ll receive the updated time of when we shall display the answer.
12.30 - refresh, nada…
I’m rostered on for work 8am-6pm 
Glad it’s on the telly.
Idiot.
Yep
Ha, I’ve clicked everywhere expecting a non-formatted link.
Well, they’re updating the page at least:
PRESALE TICKETS FOR WEEK 1 FINALS WILL BE AVAILABLE SHORTLY.
WORKING THROUGH SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES.
Now reads working through some technical issues
Link now there.
For future reference:
While it’s the fifth consecutive year the group has made it to finals, it will be Heppell’s first time going in as skipper, and he couldn’t be more excited.
“I’ve played in nine finals with the club, but obviously this will be my first time leading it so I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
“Everyone’s up and about around the club, and there’s a lot who haven’t played VFL finals before so they’re really looking forward to the experience.”
Heppell featured in last year’s preliminary-final exit, when the VFL Dons fell just eight points short of securing a Grand Final berth.
He was named among the best on ground, even slotting a second-quarter goal to give Essendon a narrow lead, and credits that match for how the group went about this season.
“Playing in last year’s prelim has had a big impact on this season. Throughout the year, you’re always striving towards finals, so we want to build that same energy and feeling down at Punt Road this weekend.
“We had a massive crowd down at North Port Oval (last September) with a lot of Essendon fans, so to think it could be like that again on Saturday is very exciting.”
Essendon has already faced Richmond twice this season, having lost by a combined total of 15 points.
Heppell is hoping for a third time lucky on Saturday.
“We’ve been able to see what (Richmond) has, and (Richmond) has been able to see what we have, so I guess there’s no secrets going into this game,” he said.
“Finals is a different game of footy, but we’ll just come with our best outfit and our game-plan, and see if we can execute it on the day.”
Saturday’s qualifying final will be held at the Swinburne Centre (Punt Road Oval) from 2:10pm.
While the match will also be televised on Channel 7, Heppell hopes to see as many fans there as possible.
“The support from the fans this year has been great. Last year’s final series felt like it was all Essendon supporters in the crowd and I’d like to see that again.
“We can really hear the crowd out there, and it’s a great feeling to have that support.”
More information and tickets can be found at vfl.com.au/finals .
Just one player held back for the AFL?
B: 49. M. Dea, 36. M. Hartley, 41. B. McNiece
HB: 76. B. Laguda, 30. B. Zerk-Thatcher, 50. J. Tynan
C: 24. J. Houlahan, 39. T. Mynott, 34. J. Long
HF: 70. L. Mckenna, 73. D. Guccione, 55. D. Younan
F: 75. K. Aylett, 16. J. Begley, 12. M. Baguley
R: 74. R. Bowman, 40. W. Snelling, 23. D. Myers
Int: 68. N. Dixon, 59. A. Heppell, 77. H. Hocking, 56. D. Landt, 62. N. Lazzaro, 57. D. Marshall, 65. E. Sibbald, 72. T. Smith
23P: 54. M. Day
–
In: M. Hartley, D. Younan, J. Begley, L. Mckenna, W. Snelling, D. Marshall, N. Lazzaro
Out: J. Ridley, B. Fennell, J. Brown
