You wouldn’t necessarily yet say that Essendon is back in town. But after breaking the ice in style last week with a good win over a preliminary finalist of 2018, the Dons can now at least see the outskirts of the city at 1-2.

Their opponent this week, however, is for now at least, arguably the glamour side of the competition.

It’s been nearly a decade since Brisbane last won the opening three games of the season, but the Lions of 2019 have done it in style, coming from behind in all three victories, playing a fast and very watchable brand of football under Chris Fagan.

And that makes Saturday afternoon’s MCG clash one of the best games of round four, one which promises plenty of entertainment and perhaps some high scores.

What do the Dons need to do to achieve it? Here are the five key questions surrounding the game.

1. Last week was a big improvement. What were the keys and are they as important against a different opponent?

First and foremost, Essendon’s most senior men stood up and showed terrific leadership. Dyson Heppell has had higher possession numbers, but seldom as much physical impact as he exerted on the contest. David Zaharakis played one of his best games for a long time, Dylan Shiel just kept getting the footy, and Orazio Fantasia’s best game for the season made the whole forward set-up look more dangerous.

None of those assets are any less valuable any week. Ditto the defensive work both with and off the ball, Essendon winning the contested possession against a team which last year dominated that statistic.

But the extra work of the mids to protect the defence was also notable and reflected in the scores per inside 50. While Melbourne scored more than either GWS and St Kilda in the first two games, the Demons hit the scoreboard from only 35 per cent of their forward entries compared to the Saints’ 52 per cent and the Giants’ 58 per cent.

Given that Brisbane ranks second currently in scores per forward entry, a repeat of that hard defensive running will be crucial.

2. We beat Melbourne on the outside last week, but the Lions are quicker than the Dees. Can we do it again?

Absolutely. But it’s going to require even more hard running than was done last Friday night at the MCG.

Brisbane has got a great running game going, and a comparison with Melbourne at the moment gives an idea. The Demons are ranked 16^th on the differentials for uncontested possession and second-last for uncontested marks. The Lions sit fourth and second in those same two categories. Essendon is 11^th and seventh.

Against Melbourne, midfielders David Zaharakis, Dylan Shiel, Zach Merrett and Dyson Heppell all achieved a good balance of hard- and loose-ball gets, while Orazio Fantasia’s capacity to push up and win plenty of loose ball was also important. That is a level, though, which will have to continue to rise to beat Brisbane. To do so, the Dons need to close down the Lions’ space, and also generate more run off half-back, which the likes of Andrew McGrath, Adam Saad and Conor McKenna can all help deliver.

3. Cale Hooker and Mitch Brown are back in the line-up. Where do they play?

The good thing about the return to the 22 of both these talls is the flexibility it gives Worsfold and co. at either end of the ground.

Brisbane is the AFL’s leading scorer at the moment, averaging 105 points per game. The goals have been shared around. But key target Eric Hipwood is looking particularly dangerous and has tall support in Daniel McStay and Oscar McInerney. That may require the expertise of Hooker down back, at least to start, with Brown performing his usual hard-working forward role.

Essendon will have to keep just as close a watch on the Lions’ medium- and small-sized forwards, though, with Charlie Cameron and Lincoln McCarthy both in great touch and Cam Rayner also kicking goals. Mason Redman, in his return to the senior side, and Jordan Ridley, both have important roles to play in that regard.

Mitch Brown returns to Essendon's senior line-up after a five-goal haul in the VFL. (Photo: AFL Media)

4. How do we deal with Brisbane midfield gun Lachie Neale?

A tricky situation. Neale is arguably the most in-form player in the AFL right now. He’s had 43 disposals in each of his last two games, and was also close to the Lions’ best in their first-up win over West Coast. He’s averaging 38 touches per game and causing all sorts of havoc.

So does John Worsfold let him go and play his own game or apply a hard tag?

The Bombers don’t have an obvious shutdown type in this line-up, and doing so also runs the risk of being too reactive and sacrificing some offensive qualities in the process. Perhaps it’s a case for one of the Dons’ mids to stick close to Neale with the proviso that when the ball is in Essendon’s court, let go of the leash and run. In which case, maybe Darcy Parish could do the job - his confidence on the rise after a strong performance against the Demons. This would be a great challenge for him, and if successful, would go a long way towards delivering the result.

Lachie Neale is all the rage after a scintillating start to the season. (Photo: AFL Media)

5. Where else can the Bombers press home an advantage?

Experience and physical strength. Essendon has picked a strong and seasoned 22 for this game. Compared to the Lions, the Bombers will head into Saturday with, collectively, 328 games more experience, an average of around 15 more games per player, or another two-thirds of a season.

Essendon has just two players in its 22 for this game who have played just 40 games or less, while the Lions have six. Brisbane has seven players who have played more than 100 games, but the Bombers have a dozen.

Some big, strong bodies have also come back for this game - two key-position players in Cale Hooker and Mitch Brown, and a big-framed midfielder in David Myers.  If the Dons prove too strong at the stoppages, Brisbane might not win enough of the ball to demonstrate just how slick it can be with it.

You can read more of Rohan Connolly’s work at his FOOTYOLOGY website.