The Bendigo Bombers will field a powerful side in Round 7 of the VFL with Essendon-listed players Kyle Reimers and Ricky Dyson named on a wing for their first game back from injury.
A 27-man squad has been named for Sunday’s clash with the Casey Scorpions at Bendigo's Queen Elizabeth Oval at 2pm.
Bendigo is sitting in fourth place (Casey is third) on the VFL ladder after winning five consecutive wins from six matches. The top four teams on the ladder have all won five games and lost one.
Bendigo Bombers squad:
FB: FLAHERTY T.SHINNERS CLOKE
HB J. WILLIAMS T.SLATTERY HARDINGHAM
C: REIMERS CRAMERI DYSON
HF: DANIHER QUINN CARLISLE
FF: M. WILLIAMS NEAGLE SKIPWORTH
RK: BELLCHAMBERS HOULI COLYER
INT: STILL, SCANLON, SILVERLOCK, GRAY, PAGE,
JAMES, DELAHUNTY, LADSON, BOCK
Bendigo Bank Bombers captain James Flaherty is confident the suspension of coach Shannon Grant won't detract from the club's on-field performance against the Casey Scorpions at the Queen Elizabeth Oval in round seven of the VFL this Sunday.
The Bombers' coaching duties for the next two games will be shared between Bendigo assistant Hayden Skipworth and Essendon assistants Gary O'Donnell, Alan Richardson and Ashley Prescott following Grant's suspension after being arrested for drunkenness and locked up at the Bendigo police station cells for four hours to sober up early Sunday morning.
Grant last night addressed the Bombers playing group face-to-face for the first time since the weekend's embarassing events.
""It has been dealt with now and we as a playing group spoke about it on Monday night,'' Flahety told the Bendigo Advertisor yesterday.
""It has been in the papers and on the news, the boys are aware of what's happened, but by now we've got to move on and start thinking about Sunday's game where hopefully, we will get another win.""
The Bombers and Scorpions clash is the VFL's match of the round, with the two sides both in fine form.
Both the Bombers and Scorpions are in the top-four, each with 5-1 records.
""It's a big game with there being four sides on 5-1 at the moment,'' Flaherty said.
""If we can get a win this week it will put us in good stead.""
With their strong start to the season, the Bombers - who failed to win a game last year - are on track to play finals for the first time since 2007.
Over the past four years the most wins it has taken a side to make the finals is 10, while in 2007 the Bombers finished eighth with just eight victories.
The Bombers already have five wins, with another 12 games to play.
The VFL season resumes this weekend after a general bye last week for the state game in which the VFL defeated the WAFL by 54 points, 20.11 (131) to 11.11 (77).
The VFL side included the Bombers' Marcus Marigliani, who was among seven players who amassed over 25 possessions in the win.
Sunday's game at the QEO between the Bombers and Scorpions starts at 2pm.
Article appears thanks to the Bendigo Advertiser.
Members note: High Mark members will get the chance to hear exclusively from Henry Slattery before the game this Friday night (Rd 10) in the Laureate Room.
The player will appear at approximately 6.30pm for a Q&A so High Mark members are advised to arrive early.
