Practice Match 3 2003
ESSENDON v. WESTERN BULLDOGS

ESSENDON 3.3 11.5 16.9 20.13.133 WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.2 3.2 4.5 9.8.62 Result: Essendon won by 71 points. Venue: QE Oval     Crowd: 8000

ON THIS PAGE: Goals - Report - Injuries - Next Week

	ESSENDON: Matthew Lloyd 7, Mark McVeigh 3, Mark Johnson 2, Jason Johnson 2, Danny Jacobs, Jason Laycock, Mark Mercuri, Dean Rioli, James Hird, Paul Barnard
	WESTERN BULLDOGS: Nathan Brown 3, Daniel Giansiracusa 2, Luke Darcy, Daniel Bandy, Scott West

It looked to be Essendon’s most competitive side of the pre-season on paper and that is exactly how it panned out. Essendon thumped the Western Bulldogs by 71 points to win the Tynan-Eyre AFL Challenge at Bendigo’s Queen Elizabeth Oval in front of 8000 people today. It was an awesome display from Essendon and one that would have warmed the hearts of all Bomber fans with the season proper just three weeks away. And it was the stars that did the job for the Bombers. Captain James Hird was magnificent winning a lot of the ball all over the ground. Matthew Lloyd did what he does best – led hard, marked well and kicked straight. At the other end of the ground Dustin Fletcher simply dominated – leading a miserly defence that allowed just nine goals for the game. And in the middle Joe Misiti knocked up getting the football. It was an excellent tune up for each. There were many other positives for the Bombers. Dean Rioli spent a lot of time in the midfield- found a bit of the football and got better as the game wore on. Mark Mercuri also had a solid hit out as did Paul Barnard – neither had played a match this pre-season prior to today. The form of Dean Solomon would also have brought a smile to the faces of Essendon fans. He was back to his rugged best – hurting opposition bodies and winning the hard ball. Essendon’s younger players also did a good job. Jason Laycock played up forward in the final three quarters and was very competitive. Darren Walsh played much of the second half and looked at home while Jordan Bannister and Joel Reynolds were also useful contributors. All in all it was a very positive day for Essendon Football Club. The Bendigo Bombers scored an excellent win to start the day and the seniors capped it off with a brilliant display. The momentum is building at the right time.

Sean Wellman (pinched nerve); Adam McPhee (rolled ankle).

Our final practice match is against Geelong at Lavington Sports Oval, Friday March 14th, at 7.00pm. Essendon members can enter for free on presentation of their membership card. Admission prices for non-members are as follows: Adults - $10 Concession - $5 Children <15 years - $2