It will be a case of sweet and sour for Essendon selectors when they sit down to select the side for next Thursday night's Good Friday eve blockbuster at the MCG against Carlton. Dean Rioli has been ruled out already because of a hamstring injury but All Australian half back Damien Hardwick is a certain starter. With Rioli having spent all of this season on a half back flank, the return of Hardwick is a timely one for the Bombers.

""Damien really could have played on Friday night but it is just not worth taking the risk with calf injuries. You can think you have them right and put yourself back five weeks by aggravating them again,"" Essendon football manager Matthew Drain said.

Drain said a final assessment of Rioli's injury was still to be made. ""We will have a look at hom today but he will certainly miss this week and perhaps one more,"" Drain said. Rioli strained his calf muscle midway through third quarter of last Friday night's match.