After the off-season signing of Paul Chapman and the appointment of Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson as senior coach, it should come as no surprise to Bomber fans that the next game on the 'five in five' list is the Bombers’ Round 15 blockbuster against Geelong.
Thompson and Chapman are two names that have been synonymous with Geelong’s era of success, with Thompson coaching two premierships before his move to Essendon and Chapman starring in all three.
While Thompson has been in the coaching box the previous three years in matches against Geelong, the Round 15 clash will be his first as senior coach.
With 11 years at the helm of the Geelong juggernaut, Bomber fans will be hoping Thompson can use his experience to craft a game-winning strategy to conquer the Cats.
It’s been a match up that hasn’t proven to be too fruitful for the Bombers in recent years, with Essendon recording only the one win against the Cats since 2005, that being a thrilling four-point win in 2011.
A player who was a significant feature in Thompson’s success at Geelong, and will likely also play a telling role in this encounter, is Essendon star recruit Paul Chapman.
The 32-year-old was acquired during the 2013 trade period in exchange for the club’s fifth-round selection in the national draft and looks set to play an important part in the structure of the Bombers’ forward line for the 2014 season.
With 251 games worth of experience at Geelong, Chapman is just the man to guide the young Bombers list as they seek to rectify the run of recent results against the Cats.
The game provides a great opportunity for the young Bomber list to further enhance their credentials against arguably the best team of the modern era.
It promises to be an absolute belter, and one of the many games to look forward to in the 2014 season.