Essendon senior coach Ben Rutten spoke to the media at the NEC Hangar on Friday ahead of the Bombers' Anzac Day clash with Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday.
Below are the five key takeaways from his media conference.
1. A privilege to play on Anzac Day
Essendon will face off against Collingwood in the 26th instalment of the Anzac Day blockbuster, as the Dons look to secure their first win against the Pies on the day since 2017.
To embrace the significance of the day, Essendon’s first and second-year players visited the Shrine of Remembrance to learn more about the Anzac spirit.
In a match which usually always delivers a contest regardless of each teams’ ladder position, Rutten said his side was excited to be part of a special day in the Australian sporting calendar.
“The boys are looking forward to it,” Rutten said.
“It’s one of those ones that I’m sure Essendon and Collingwood players pencil into the diary.
“I went to the Shrine with a few of the players yesterday. It’s that balance of sticking to our process of planning for a game but also understanding we’ve got the privilege to play in it.”
2. Youngsters set for big-game experience
A host of Essendon’s players are set to play in their very first Anzac Day clash, while some may experience their first crowd of over 30,000 people.
Up to nine Bombers could be in line for their debut Anzac Day game, a fact which excited Rutten, who wants his inexperienced players to embrace the occasion.
“It’s unique to them and hopefully we get up to a crowd of around 80,000 which is as big as crowd as we’ve played in front of for a long time,” Rutten said.
“I want them to enjoy it. It’s a unique experience and I don’t want them to shy away from it.
“It’s important to understand it, respect it, enjoy it and soak it up. They get to play in a game that a lot of other players (from opposition clubs) are envious of.
“We want them to be able to perform and play in these occasions. For some of our guys, to be doing it in their fourth or fifth game is exciting.”
3. Phillips looming for Anzac Day selection
The Bombers are set to turn to a designated ruckman for Sunday’s game, with Andrew Phillips looking likely to return to the side to battle the highly regarded Brodie Grundy.
In an interesting correlation, Phillips made his Essendon debut against Collingwood in the round five win last year, impressing with a commanding performance in the ruck.
With his first game for the Bombers this year also coming against the same team and opponent, Rutten has called upon the 29-year-old to deliver the same result.
“'Flip' (Andrew Phillips) did a great job in last year’s game on Brodie (Grundy), so we’re probably more than likely to bring Flip back in,” Rutten said.
“Flip’s been in great form in the VFL, and he’s been training well for us as well.”
4. Truck wary of ‘undermanned’ Collingwood
Many externally have commented on how Collingwood will cope with the outs to two of their star players in Jeremy Howe and Jordan De Goey.
Both players have been ruled out of Sunday’s match following hamstring and head injuries respectively.
While some may see this as an advantage to the Bombers, Rutten believes the Magpies are still a quality opponent who will provide a fierce four-quarter contest.
“They’ve got a few changes going on from last week,” Rutten said.
“It’s certainly a different-looking Collingwood outfit, but it’s not a team we’re going to underestimate by any stretch.”
5. Hurley getting heathier, but no timeframe for return yet
A regular sight on the sidelines at Bombers training for the past several weeks has been defender Michael Hurley.
The club vice-captain has progressively built his exercise loads after recovering from a hip infection.
Rutten said while Hurley was improving, there was still no timeframe on a return to full training.
“He’s continually getting better, that’s what we’re after,” Rutten said.
“(We’re) seeing progress and he’s moving much more freely, getting to do more exercise, and building up his strength.
“We still don’t have a return date for him or when he’s going to be training. It’s about him getting healthy and physically able to just keep improving.”
