Essendon youngster Jobe Watson has hand skills similar to those of former Sydney and Carlton champion Greg Williams. That was the lofty assertion of Bomber coach Kevin Sheedy in the build up to this Saturday night’s crunch game against the Swans. ""He is very smart and has great hands – he’s not dissimilar to Williams,"" Sheedy said.

Watson started last weekend’s match against Collingwood with a bang, kicking two goals and having a hand in another three. It was an impressive performance from Watson, particularly given the amount of time he has spent on the sidelines with soft tissue injuries this season.

""He did well last week. He is different to his father, bigger and he has great hands. He is very smart as well – the Swans would not want to take him lightly because we saw what he can do last weekend,"" Sheedy said.

""We are going to play these kids because that is the direction this club has decided to go. It has been a conscious decision and it is the right one for the long-term future of this club. I hope we get 60,000 at Stadium Australia tomorrow night and they find out what big time football is all about.""

Sheedy predicted a tight match against a Sydney Swans side that he says is not unlike the Essendon team.

""Really since 1996 (when a Tony Lockett behind after the siren put Sydney into the Grand Final) there has not been a lot between these two teams. I think we will have a good, tight contest tomorrow night – there might even be less than a kick in it,"" he said.

""We need to be very wary of their handball – it has been dynamic early in games. And we need to make sure we are switched on from the first bounce. I’m not sure Melbourne were last weekend and they paid the penalty. We must learn from what happened last weekend.

""There is a home ground advantage but by the same token Sydney don’t play there week in, week out either so we won’t be using that as an excuse.""