Essendon selectors tonight recalled three premiership players for the Bombers' clash with Fremantle at Colonial Stadium this Saturday afternoon. Mark Mercuri and Joe Misiti have both recovered from arthroscopic surgery on injured knees and will return along with Damien Hardwick who has shaken a calf injury. Blake Caracella was also declared fit to play but has been selected in Essendon's VFL side that will play Bendigo this Sunday at Windy Hill. Damien Peverill has returned to the rookie list and is out of the senior side along with Jordan Bannister and Judd Lalich who were both omitted.

""It was a tough call with Blake,"" Essendon football manager Matthew Drain said. ""Basically it boiled down to the fact that we didn't want to bring a lot of players into the side that hadn't played a lot of football and we think he will benefit from a full game with the VFL.""

The Bombers VFL side for this Sunday is:

Backs: Switala Robran Hall
Half backs: Bullen Bolton Forster-Knight
Centres: Davies Peverill Bannister
Half forwards: D. Johnson Richards McAlister
Forwards: Davis Kenny Mahoney
Foll: Lalich Caracella Denham
Bench: Sheppard Wilson Podsiadly Goddard Dukes Goldsworthy Cranage Hawkins