Five minutes into the first quarter when Joel Reynolds appeared on the Essendon bench no more clarity had been brought to the situation.
On Saturday, Reynolds was one of the stars of the Bendigo Bombers who helped secure its first win of the season. Carving it up on Windy Hill, Reynolds finished the game with 15 disposals, eight marks and three goals.
Less than 24 hours later, Reynolds was back in action. This time it was in the seniors and the stage, The Dome against the Eagles.
""I had no indication whatsoever that I was going to play,"" Reynolds explained.
""I went into the meetings as you do if you are an emergency and I had got two tickets from Lloydy to sit in the Medallion club with Jason Winderlich.
""When we were sitting there, Hirdy tapped me on the back and told me I was required down in the rooms and someone was in doubt,"" he said.
The player in doubt was Henry Slattery. After warming up with the team Slattery was suffering some tightness in his hamstring and lower back that the fitness staff could not get rid of.
Instead of playing Slattery and risk losing him in the first ten minutes of the game, the decision was made to make the substitution.
""Henry had come back in and they were still weighing it up whether he would play, and I then heard in the background that he wasn’t right,"" Reynolds recalled.
""I was a little bit surprised. Considering I had played a full game in the two’s I just wanted to go out and try and harass and put some pressure on West Coast. The adrenalin was pumping by that stage,""
Already named as an emergency, Reynolds had prepared for the game in the scenario that he may get called up.
""You always take into account that you are an emergency and playing the day before the seniors.
""I had done the right recovery and I didn’t go out the night before, I just had a roast with mum and watched Collingwood pump Geelong,"" Reynolds said.
