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BIG THREE BOMBERS OUT OF BUSINESS
Essendon will be without its three big guns against Port Adelaide this Friday night. Captain James Hird and the bookends - Matthew Lloyd and Dustin Fletcher - have all been ruled out because of injury. Paul Barnard (suspended) and James Davies (omitted) are the two players missing from the team that defeated Hawthorn. Marc Bullen has been rewarded for his consistent form in the reserves while Dean Rioli is an important inclusion having recovered from a hamstring strain.
Essendon will be without its three big guns against Port Adelaide this Friday night. Captain James Hird and the bookends - Matthew Lloyd and Dustin Fletcher - have all been ruled out because of injury. Paul Barnard (suspended) and James Davies (omitted) are the two players missing from the team that defeated Hawthorn. Marc Bullen has been rewarded for his consistent form in the reserves while Dean Rioli is an important inclusion having recovered from a hamstring strain.
There was also an interesting inclusion among the emergencies - Jobe Watson. The youngster was outstanding in the first half of last weekend's VFL game and it would appear only a matter of time until he forces his way into the senior side.
B: Welsh Jacobs Bolton HB: M. Johnson Wellman Solomon C: McVeigh Misiti McPhee HF: Mercuri Lucas Cupido F: McGrath Richards Rioli Rucks: Hille J. Johnson Peverill Bench: Alessio Reynolds Winderlich Bullen Emerg: Davies Watson Forster-Knight
In recent years the Essendon small brigade have been showing off their aerial talents - Joel Reynolds, Adam Ramanauskas, Mark Johnson and former Bomber Gary Moorcroft are a few of the players who have spent time in the air leaping for marks. The Essendon supporters who stayed until the end of the Round 7 match against Richmond were rewarded when Mark Johnson took a screamer in the goal square in the dying seconds of the game.
