DAMIEN PEVERILL v NATHAN BUCKLEY
This pair would seem certain to again lock horns in the mid-field and anything better than break even would be acceptable to the Essendon coaching panel. Peverill went to Buckley in the Anzac Day clash and was clearly having the better of him until he was forced from the ground with a broken arm. But Buckley is undoubtedly a class player and Peverill will need to be at his best to keep him quiet for four quarters. But the Essendon coaching staff won’t want it to be one-way traffic. They will ask Peverill to run off Buckley at the right times and try and create as well as negate. If Peverill can do this at the right times, the Collingwood skipper will need to be accountable.
MATTHEW LLOYD v SHANE WAKELIN
Lloyd has had a season to forget from a personal point of view with injuries making life tough for him after a promising start. His best match since returning from injury was his first when he kicked five goals against the Western Bulldogs and showed no ill affects from his finger injury. Wakelin has been a good pick up for the Magpies and he will probably get the job on Lloyd. The champion Bomber will probably rotate between centre half forward and full forward and his running ability might make life tough for Wakelin. But the Magpie full back is a fierce competitor and Lloyd will know he has played a game of football.
JAMES HIRD v JAMES CLEMENT
James Hird has been sensational since his return from a head injury and the bombers will again need him to have an impact and shake the shadow of Clement. The Collingwood tagger matches up well with Hird – there is only two centimetres and one kilogram between them. He also has excellent endurance and reads the play well. But when it comes to these attributes, very can match the Essendon captain. Hird will probably start forward and roam into the mid-field. He is a proud man and the position this club finds itself in at the moment won’t sit well with him.
