It was of course the same venue, the same occasion and the same opponent in September last year that saw the Dons slip to a gut-wrenching one-point defeat. Since that bitter day, the Bomber faithful have been licking their lips in anticipation of gaining a chance to make amends.
Carlton booked its place in the Preliminary Finals by defeating Brisbane at the MCG today in their semi-final. The Blues triumphed by 82 points in a one-sided affair.
The good news for Carlton was the form of hot-and-cold forwards Aaron Hamill and Brendan Fevola. Hamill kicked seven goals, Fevola four. The very bad news for them however was a hamstring injury to star full-back Steve Silvagni that will rule him out of next Saturday’s match. Silvagni was the obvious opponent for Matthew Lloyd. Lloydy might now be matched against Glenn Manton or Simon Beaumont, but the absence of Silvagni will make it even harder for the Blues to cover Essendon’s multi-pronged forward-line.
