""They are listed as available and if it was a home and away game they would certainly line up,"" Essendon football operations manager Dominic Cato said. ""It is simply a matter of us being able to give them the extra week so we probably will. You would hate them to break down with the season so close.
""The bonus with Jason and Dean Solomon is that they have been able to get plenty of fitness work in so from that point of view they are ready to go. Jason has been able to do all the straight line running and Dean’s hand has not prevented him from doing anything.""
""Dean Rioli has missed some training early in the pre-season but he is moving really well now and we have been really encouraged with what he has done on the track in the past couple of weeks. But with his history of injury problems we think it is best to give him some extra time.""
Other players that will miss this weekend are Matthew Lloyd who is recovering from a bruised calf while David Hille has a bruised ankle. Ty Zantuck is two weeks away with a back injury while Mark Johnson is another three weeks away after undergoing shoulder surgery.
The wash up is that Essendon captain James Hird is a likely starter and he will be joined by some exciting youngsters, including Jason Laycock who starred for the Bombers against Sydney last weekend.
