Essendon players today wore yellow armbands in the Clash for Cancer game against Melbourne as a show of support for teammate Adam Ramanauskas. The players did so despite the AFL denying a formal request put to them earlier this week.

Essendon chief executive Peter Jackson said the decision was ultimately left in the hands of the players but that the Club supported them in their decision.

""This is obviously something that means a lot to our players,"" Jackson said. ""This isn’t about the players trying to defy the AFL. It is about the players wanting to make a statement about what is an emotional issue for them.""

""A close friend and teammate is going through a pretty tough time and I can totally understand the reasons behind them wanting to wear the armbands. I think most people would given the significance of the game.""

""I sincerely hope common sense prevails on this issue. I’m sure the AFL will understand the player’s reasons behind wanting to wear them. Clearly it isn’t something that the game doesn’t want every week but this is an exceptional circumstance.""