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Patrick Ryder will make his AFL debut in the Bombers season opener against Sydney on Saturday night. Scott Camporeale will be the other big name in his first official outing for Essendon, while Chris Heffernan will pull on the red and black for the first time since 2002.
James Hird has been named in team tonight pending an assessment on a MRI that he had on his calf this afternoon.
The Essendon side for Round 1 is:
Backs: Slattery, Fletcher, Bradley
Half Backs: Lovett-Murray, Solomon, McVeigh
Centres: McPhee, Watson, Camporeale
Half Forwards: M Johnson, Lucas, Welsh
Forwards: Monfries, Lloyd, Hird
Rucks: Hille, Stanton, Peverill
Bench: Ryder, J Johnson, Lovett, Heffernan
Emergencies: Winderlich, Bolton, Nash
Do you know someone who should be an Essendon member, someone who bleeds red and black but hasn’t got around to getting themselves a club membership? Well here is your chance to do both them, and yourself, a favour. Put us in touch with a prospective member and one of you could win big.
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