It’s going to heat right up under the roof at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night when Essendon face Adelaide in round 14 action, essendonfc.com.au brings you the vital match ups that are set to have a bearing on the final result.

Mark Baguley vs. Eddie Betts

Fresh from his goal-of-the-year nomination, the indigenous genius Eddie Betts has finally found his place in the Adelaide forward line, and it comes at a dangerous time for Essendon. In full-flight, the small forward is one of the most dangerous in the competition as everything he touches seamlessly turns into gold. A potential matchup for Betts could be the hard at it defender Mark Baguley who has impressed on a number of small forwards this season. It would be a fantastic spectacle to see these two slick and crafty players go at it, as both are have the potential to break the game open for their side.

Tom Bellchambers vs. Sam Jacobs

These two big boys will hold nothing back as they come across each other Saturday night. Both relentless competitors for their respective sides, it will prove a fascinating contest. Jacobs has had a terrific season this year after a mediocre 2013, and has yet again become one of the more damaging ruckman in the AFL. While Bellchambers seems to still be finding his way back from an ankle injury that saw him miss the best part of the first half of the season. Big ‘Belly’ had some opportunities in front of goal last weekend against the Dees and butchered them all, so look for him to push hard forward, make a mends and test out Jacobs as a defender.

Brent Stanton vs. Scott Thompson

Two hard-working midfielders, who probably don’t receive the accolades they should. Thompson, albeit in the twilight of his career, still is averaging almost 27 disposals a game this season, including a solid 30 disposals in last week's win over North Melbourne. Stanton is a proven performer who has had a slighter quieter first half of the season, yet still averages a respectable 24 disposals a match. The 28-year-old has been more prominent in front of the big sticks to date, kicking 11 goals, just three fewer than the whole of last season. Expect the two number five’s to go toe-to-toe as they try to run each other off their legs with their enormous aerobic capacity.

Dustin Fletcher vs. James Podsiadly

Assuming Fletch gets up for the game, it’s a battle of the old veterans. Fletcher, 39, missed out last week with soreness while the ‘JPod’, who turns 33 later this year, has been in solid form booting two goals last weekend. Although Podsiadly was a latecomer to the AFL, the two of them have played plenty of footy throughout their lives and know a thing or two about the game, so it looks set to be a rather intriguing match up.