Essendon has plenty to play for in Saturday’s high-stakes round 18 clash with Port Melbourne.
21-year-old Tom Simpson was recently signed from the club’s development group and was set to pull on the red and black for the first time, but has been a late withdrawal and is replaced by Joe Harrison as the 23rd player.
AFL Bombers Ben McNiece, Jake Long and Travis Colyer have been named to play in the VFL as the Bombers look to keep themselves in the mix for a finals berth by breaking a four-match losing streak.
The Bombers are yet to face the seventh-placed reigning premiers, with whom they are tied on seven wins despite being a position below the Borough.
Essendon takes on Port Melbourne at Stannards Stadium from
TEAM:
B – Zerk-Thatcher, Hartley, Sheahan
HB – McNiece (Replaced by Berry), Ridley, A. Heppell
C – J. Merrett, Mutch, Colyer
HF – Green, Laverde, Boyse
F – Long, Leuenberger, Lavender
R – Draper, Clarke, Mynott
I/C – Hocking, Younan, Harrison, Lazzaro, Sibbald, Hind, Dixon, Houlahan
23P – Simpson (Replaced by Harrison)
