THE TEAMS

[Je Roos Salem 661]

ESSENDON v MELBOURNE

Essendon

B: Mark McVeigh, Tayte Pears, Dustin Fletcher

HB: Courtenay Dempsey, Adam McPhee, Heath Hocking

C: Andrew Lovett, Ricky Dyson, Brent Prismall

HF: Hayden Skipworth, Cale Hooker, Jason Winderlich

F: Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas, Alwyn Davey

Foll: Patrick Ryder, Jobe Watson, Brent Stanton

I/C: Sam Lonergan, Andrew Welsh, Kyle Reimers, Angus Monfries

Emg: Jay Neagle, Tyson Slattery, David Zaharakis

In: Fletcher, Welsh, Winderlich

Out: Bachar Houli (virus), Jay Neagle, David Zaharakis

Melbourne

B: Matthew Whelan, Stefan Martin, Clint Bartram

HB: Aaron Davey, Jared Rivers, James Frawley

C: Neville Jetta, Brock McLean, Jamie Bennell

HF: Russell Robertson, Brad Miller, Matthew Bate

F: Brad Green, Colin Sylvia, Liam Jurrah

Foll: Paul Johnson, Jack Grimes, Cameron Bruce

I/C: Brent Moloney, Cale Morton, Jack Watts, K.Cheney

Emg: Lynden Dunn, Addam Maric, Ricky Petterd

In: Bartram, Bennell, Jetta, Jurrah, Martin, Miller

Out: Daniel Bell, Mark Jamar (quad), Nathan Jones (Virus), Addam Maric, James McDonald (Knee), Matthew Warnock (virus)

New: Liam Jurrah (Yuendumu Magpies, NT)

[Carn dees 108]

FIRST REACTION

WTF

[drdrake 3,178]

This is going to be an old fashion shoot out, the game will be fast and full of errors but it will be entertaining.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Bartram in and not Valenti is an epic fail.

[Jerry Lundergard 420]

Wow, wholesale changes.

I am pretty happy with that team though. We have some extra leg speed with Bartram and Bennell, and i am looking forward to seeing Martin get a crack at the FB position.

[LeBron James 41]

Incredibly disappointed that Maric has been omitted. Would much rather him in then Jetta or Bartram.

Other then that, it's looking pretty good. VERY young team we have in... 5 aboriginal players!

[Carn dees 108]

Incredibly disappointed that Maric has been omitted. Would much rather him in then Jetta or Bartram.

Other then that, it's looking pretty good. VERY young team we have in... 5 aboriginal players!

agreed.

And i would of thought thus could valentis chance.

[DaveyJones'sLocker 647]

amazing

so many changes

i like it

marric was stiff i reckon, but good to see bennel back

[FlowerPower 3]

Incredibly disappointed that Maric has been omitted. Would much rather him in then Jetta or Bartram.

Other then that, it's looking pretty good. VERY young team we have in... 5 aboriginal players!

I'm with you Maric for bartram, maric looks as though he is going to be very Special

[Strawbsodwyer 0]

think maric should have stayed in for batram but we still need a tagger in the side. hopefully warnock and jamar will be back soon

[H_T 3,049]

Bartram in and not Valenti is an epic fail.

Is Valenti your love child CB?

Gee, the ruck will be interesting without Jamar. Patty Ryder..hmmm.

I'm salivating at our forward line of Green, Sylvia & Jurrah.

What about our interchange bench?! How good is the bench - Moloney, Watts, Morton & Cheney

edit: All in all 6 changes.

Grimes starting in the centre!

[Satan 2,872]

could rename tomorrow the "dreamtime" match.

Should be fast as previously stated

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,209]

I'm with you Maric for bartram, maric looks as though he is going to be very Special

Last time I checked Maric was an opportunist forward not a tagger/small backmen. Would have liked to have seen Maric but Jetta has been kicking goals and deserves his chance. With that many outs and Bell getting ommitted and not even an emergency. I would say thats nearly the last we have seen of him. Unless some list management is required.....

[Nasher 33,616]

Wow.

[Je Roos Salem 661]

9 Aboriginal players on the field tomorrow night. I think Maric was due for a rest, and I think it's good that Bartram is getting a game for once. The Jetta inclusion is another good one. Hope Jones and Warnock are ok with the virus. A knee injury for McDonald is also a suprise. But it's also good to see that McLean is playing, despite the talk on the other thread. Martin will need to play in the ruck although Essendon only have Ryder so PJ won't need too much help.

[Ryan Dee 140]

Maric might have needed a rest,

Virus?? Swine <_<

Jetta and bennell on the wings

[Grand New Flag 3,227]

Very interesting..............

A shoot out for sure.

Can't see us winning away form MCG against a very sharp Essendon outfit. But it should be a good match, which will allow our young fowards to show us their stuff.

Ruck and midfield look v. weak. Hopefully we can get our hand on the ball enough to make a contest.

Can't wait!

[classy dees 42]

Bartram in and not Valenti is an epic fail.

bartram to do a job. i dunno why you love valenti so much. essendon are quick, and valenti is slow. wont work.

Gee, the ruck will be interesting without Jamar. Patty Ryder..hmmm.

if PJ cant stand up this week and give us a contest then it says a lot about his future at the club.

I think Maric was due for a rest... Hope Jones and Warnock are ok with the virus.

warnock despite constant flow of the blow down there has been very good this year. has really improved. he will be a loss tomorrow. would have been perfect for the "bulked" up lloyd. lloyd may have too many smarts for martin ...

[Ho Chi Dee 0]

Bartram in and not Valenti is an epic fail.

I'm happy with that one - we need leg speed to go against the Bombers.

Most exciting line up of the year thus far. 5 indigenous boys must be a record for the MFC?

And, although it may not gel tomorrow night, that forward line is the most promising and balanced we've named for a while.

Really looking forward to this one.

[olgreydingo 51]

Well! After the total farce against Eddiewood, it is no wonder the changes (I'm still sulking, and it is still a bitter pill to swallow). However you may notice a trend happening, each player omitted basically has a ready made replacement. However their abilities may not match exactly. I would say that bar a few, just about every player is playing for their future, and if any player wants to be part of that, stand up now! I agree that there may be a change or two that doesn't sit with the faithful, like Maric/Bartrim or Jetta, but time will tell. This would have to be one of the least experienced teams the MFC has ever put on the park! All I can say give it your 100% not like Eddiewood! Go D's!

[Pello 1]

I smell something fishy - so many changes from "injuries". Is this what they call "Win/Loss Management'?

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

I'm happy with that one - we need leg speed to go against the Bombers.

One of Essendon's major weaknesses is in and around the clearances with Watson as just about their only genuine in and under player. This was an opportunity to expose their weakness especially with McDonald and Jones out.

Melbourne have played their best football without Dunn and Bartram as taggers.

[Roost It 1,434]

In: , Bennell, Jetta, Jurrah

New: Liam Jurrah (Yuendumu Magpies, NT)

MAGNIFICENT.

It'll be entertaining if nothing else.

[Sir Why You Little 37,051]

That team looks great 5 Aboriginals!! Great stuff. Fast & Hungry Young players.

Dean Bailey must coach them well tomorrow night. It is a test for him too in my book

Forward line has so much promise................

[dee-luded 2,959]

Fast 'N' Furious

Is this a mearuring stick or what!?

Essendon is one of the teams that I see us being directly competing with over the next few years, & so will be a way of seeing how far our list is behind theirs.

This IMO, will help us to see where we go with our drafting this year.

The game seems to be moving towards even more hard running, & possession oriented style. Key Forwards now must be hard runners as well, (lucky we have Miller) he'll be very handy as we develope, (& so juice, get your tank built up man).

This will be a game to study. I hope we compete well.

*I don't think Butcher will be mobile enough IF, the game continues the mobile way it's heading.