If you rewind the clock 12 months ago, Essendon was on the eve of facing Brisbane. It was a much different Bomber outfit heading into Round 1 at the Gabba compared to the team that will run out on Sunday against Port Adelaide. There are 10 new faces in the Bomber line-up.

Steve Alessio and Paul Barnard have both retired. Jordan Bannister was delisted and Danny Jacobs traded at the end of last season. Current list players -Sean Wellman, Mark Mercuri, Mark Johnson, Mark McVeigh and Damian Cupido  – are all missing the Port Adelaide match due to injury.

Round 1 v Brisbane, 2003
B: M.Johnson, McPhee, Wellman
HB: Solomon, Jacobs, Ramanauskas
C: Rioli, Hird, Peverill
HF: Mercuri, Lucas, Cupido
F: Barnard, Lloyd, McVeigh
R: Hille, J.Johnson, Misiti
Inter: Alessio, Reynolds, Welsh, Bannister

For the first game of the 2004 season, in comes new blood for the Essendon team. Experience Carlton duo Justin Murphy and Matthew Allan will play their first game for their new club. Draftees Kepler Bradley and Brent Stanton will make their AFL debut.

Mark Bolton missed Round 1 2003 due to suspension and Ted Richards was an emergency for last year’s Round 1 game – they are both in the starting line-up for Sunday. Jason Winderlich, Marc Bullen and Jobe Watson all get an opportunity to play in the first match of the season this year.

Round 1 v Port Adelaide, 2004
B: Welsh, McPhee, Bolton
HB: Rioli, Bradley, Ramanauskas
C: Peverill, Misiti, Hird
HF: Richards, Lucas, Murphy
F: Allan, Lloyd, Winderlich
R: Hille, J.Johnson, Bullen
Inter: Watson, Solomon, Lovett-Murray, Stanton