THIS WEEK...

SELECTORS MAY SPRING FINALS SURPRISE THAT FAMILIAR FINALS FEEL HIRD: FINALS ARE A NEW BALL GAME SAVE 10% AT THE ONLINE BOMBER SHOP ESSENDON FANS ARE JUMPING FOR JOY ESSENDON SQUAD IS FIT AND FIRING BOMBER RADIO

Mystery surrounds the make-up of the Essendon side that will tackle Fremantle in this Friday night's Elimination Final. Despite losing just two of its past 10 games, Bombers' coach Kevin Sheedy has hinted that changes will be made to the side that went down to Collingwood, suggesting that he might even take a first-gamer into the match. "It wouldn't worry me. Some terrific players have played their first game in finals - Dermott Brereton, Len Thompson, and all of those sorts of players," Sheedy said.

Courtney Johns would appear to be the only first-gamer with a chance of playing. He was named an emergency for Essendon last weekend and even warmed up with the team to get a feel for the big-game atmosphere.

"We had our meeting Sunday night and we have pretty much decided our squad of 25. We just need to fine-tune it. To be fair to a few players we will announce the squad to the players, before it goes to the press," Sheedy said. "Well we don't have a lot of pace. So it is awkward to throw pace into the side when you have Ramanauskas, Reynolds and Winderlich all sidelined."

> Read the full story

PREDICT THE 2003 AFL FINALS! The finals are upon us - and that means once again working out how the final 8 system works, and plotting who might play who throughout the September action. This year we've made it easier for you - click here use our finals predictor to work out all the scenarios!

THAT FAMILIAR FINALS FEEL

In his latest column, "The Insider", Matthew Lloyd looks at the finals challenge facing the team in Perth this week.

"The whole club is excited about the challenge that has been laid before us this weekend. Fremantle at Subiaco in an Elimination Final is a tough assignment but I'm confident we can do the job. Personally I can't wait to play finals football again. I only played 20 minutes of last year's finals' series after being knocked out early against West Coast. I then missed our match against Port Adelaide so it feels like it has been two years since I have played in September.

We really have focussed on the positives since last weekend's game and Kevin Sheedy set that tone immediately after the match. He congratulated us on making the eight after many thought we were gone midway through the year. And he said we should not be concerned about the travel factor this weekend – he told us Jana Pittman had travelled halfway around the globe to become a world champion so why should a three-hour plane trip worry us. "

> Read the full column here

HIRD: FINALS ARE A NEW BALL GAME

James Hird is a seasoned finals campaigner. Since arriving at the club in 1992 he has featured in eight finals series. He knows what finals football is all about and has two premiership medals and a Norm Smith Medal to affirm this. However, the past two finals campaigns haven't gone according to plan for the skipper. He has missed games with injuries and also carried injuries into finals matches. There is one major difference for Hird heading into September this year - he is in great physical shape and is injury free.

> Read the full story here

SAVE 10% AT THE ONLINE BOMBER SHOP

Does the cold weather make you wish you had a Bomber scarf and beanie? Does your old Essendon guernsey need upgrading? Or do you simply get your Christmas shopping out of the way early? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then this is your lucky week. Buy any Essendon merchandise on-line this week and you will get 10% off. Get in quickly, this offer closes at 5pm on Sunday, September 7th. Note: excludes items in the memorabilia category

> Click here to go to the online Bomber Shop

ESSENDON FANS ARE JUMPING FOR JOY

The 2003 home and away season has come to an end and there are some very happy Essendon supporters jumping for joy. Tim Sedawie is one of these people. He has taken the honours in the 2003 James Hird Give Us the Tip! competition, winning by a mere one point. Tim has won for himself and a friend an interstate trip to see an Essendon match of his choice against Sydney, Adelaide or Port Adelaide in 2004. He will stay at the team hotel, visit the rooms pre-match and post-match, and receive two reserved seats to the match. As a bonus Tim will also receive $200 spending money!

ESSENDON SQUAD IS FIT AND FIRING

Essendon will have close to a full compliment of players to choose from for the first Elimination Final against Fremantle. Steve Alessio was unavailable for the match against Collingwood, but fitness coach John Quinn is confident the Bomber veteran will be available for selection this week. "He was very close in the game against Collingwood, but as it panned out he probably couldn't have got up for that game. We did a recovery session and an additional training session for him over the weekend and he was pretty good, so the expectation is he will be available for the game," Quinn said.

> Click here to read the full story

BOMBER RADIO

Bomber Radio is in its 10th season on the airwaves and has gone from strength-to-strength with a listening audience in excess of 10,000 people each Sunday night. Essendon supporters get all the latest news and views from the club and have their say in our popular talkback segment. Make sure you tune in this Sunday night at 8pm on Sport 927 to listen to the Bomber Radio hour and hear from the players and coaches about the first Elimination Final against Fremantle.

Pictured are our valued Bomber Radio sponsors. From the left we have Steve Layt (co-host), Mario Salvo (Delta Europcar), Matthew Lloyd, Lou Rendina (Rendina Real Estate), Ray Mascaro (Vision Automotive Technology) and Michael Schiavello (Michael Schiavello Office Furniture). Make sure you support the people who support Essendon Football Club.

> Click here to visit our Corporate Sponsors page

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The BomberLand Team
Essendon Football Club
http://www.essendonfc.com.au

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