Essendon and Kangaroo footballers will do battle in the final of the St John Cricket Cup at the MCG this Thursday afternoon.

The Bombers thrashed the Western Bulldogs last week to reach the final while the Kangaroos did a similar job on the AFL umpires.

The match commences at 3.00pm and will be 35-overs per side. A gold coin donation for the St John Ambulance volunteers is requested for those attanding the match.

Team captain Joe Misiti is confident that despite a late rule change, the Bombers have enough firepower to claim the St John Cup.

"Only AFL players are now eligible for selection - that means we will be without our 52-year-old leg spinner Kevin Sheedy, our 44-year-old opening batsman Robert Shaw and 38-year-old wicketkeeper Dean Bailey," Misiti said.

"It's robbed us of a lot of experience and I don't know how we will go trying to curb the quick singles without the agile Sheedy and Shaw patrolling the covers. I don't know why this rule change came about but it is very disappointing."

Misiti said selection would be finalised tomorrow night. "We have a few options and some players will be disappointed. That's just the way it is .... it's a tough game cricket," Misiti said.

People attending the match should enter via the main members pavillion entrance behind the Gallery of Sport.

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