With the return of James Hird, Dean Rioli and Dustin Fletcher – to the seniors this week, Bendigo has regained some quality AFL players. Adam Ramanauskas, Marc Bullen, Kepler Bradley, Mark Mercuri and Jason Winderlich all come into the Bendigo team for this Sunday’s clash against Frankston.

Bendigo is hopeful the injection of these senior players will give them the ammunition to break its four game losing streak. Werribee destroyed the undermanned Bendigo side last week by 69-points. The loss pushed Bendigo out of the top eight into 11^th position.

With four games remaining Bendigo Bombers’ coach Peter Banfield is hopeful his side will still feature in the finals’ series. A win against Frankston on Sunday will definitely keep them in contention. ""With the return of senior players this week, it will definitely help our cause. We are still only one game out of the top eight, so we are still a chance to sneak into the finals,"" Banfield said.

The last time the two teams met was in Round 9 earlier this season. Bendigo took the honours that night by eight-points. It was the first time Bendigo had beaten the stand-alone Frankston side in its’ two-year history.

Frankston v Bendigo Bombers
Sunday, August 1^st at Frankston

B: Webster, Bowen, Bradley
HB: Moorcroft, Hunt, Winderlich
C: Dyson, Doering, Walsh
HF: Bullen, Ramanauskas, Carter
F: Alvey, Laycock, Nash
R: Campbell, Watson, Mercuri
Int from: Lovett, Summers, Hawkins, Atkinson, Rosa, Corcoran, Cosgriff, Wilson