In the Essendon defence, Michael Hartley is on Mason Cox and Michael Hurley is on Ben Reid. Mark Baguley has the job on Alex Fasolo and Andrew McGrath is on Jamie Elliott.

At the other end of the ground Joe Daniher has Tyson Goldsack for company, Lynden Dunn is on Cale Hooker and Tom Langdon is on James Stewart. 

Collingwood controlled the early tempo of the game taking the first 16 marks in the match culminating in the opening goal of the game.

The Magpies Levi Greenwood is running with Zach Merrett.

By the time Collingwood kicked its second goal the Pies led the disposals 62-35, inside 50s 6-3 and marks 23-3.

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti kicked the Dons first after David Zaharakis spotted up the Dons forward following a Pies turnover. Merrett kicked the Dons second after excellent forward pressure and immediately remonstrated with Greenwood.

David Myers started on the bench but made an immediate impression when he came on to the ground picking up six early disposals. 

After conceding the first two goals, the Dons kicked the next four and with five minutes remaining in the first term the Bombers had evened up the disposal count (86-82).

By quarter time the Bombers led by 15 points after kicking five in a row. Tom Bellchambers kicked two first quarter goals including the 30,000th in Essendon history.

 

The Bombers big bodied midfielders are going head to head with Scott Pendlebury.  Jobe Watson and Brendon Goddard have spent time on the Pies skipper.  Midway through the second term Pendlebury had six possessions for the match, but by half time he was up to 13.

Essendon kicked the opening two goals of the second term to extend the lead to 27 points before the Pies responded.  But the Dons hit straight back when Orazio Fantasia burst through the middle of the ground to set up James Stewart for his second of the day.

Fantasia kicked his second goal of the game with just ten seconds remaining in the half.  His goal gave the Dons a 27 point lead at the major break.  Michael Hurley (16 disposals) and Dyson Heppell (16 disposals), James Kelly (14 disposals, six tackles) and David Myers (14 disposals) have been busy.