The teams enter the round six clash coming off completely different results but share similar injury woes.
The Lions suffered a forgettable 93-point loss to 2007 premier Geelong at Skilled Stadium on Sunday, while Essendon rode an Anzac Day wave of emotional to steal a last-kick victory over Collingwood at the MCG.
After the Lions lost Jamie Charman (ankle) and Matthew Leuenberger (knee) in the past fortnight, the Bombers joined the ruckman’s curse with big man David Hille suffering a season-ending ACL injury on Saturday.
The Lions received a further setback on Monday with prolific ball-winner Bradd Dalziell also ruled out for three months with a knee problem.
The club: Essendon Bombers
2009 to date: Essendon have surprised many punters in the first five rounds of the season and sit nicely inside the top eight with three wins.
The standout feature of the Bombers’ victories so far has been their never-say-die attitude. After a first-up loss to Port Adelaide and comfortable win over Fremantle, Essendon were expected to be cannon-fodder for the red-hot Carlton in round three. But no-one told them.
The Bombers scrapped their way to a four-point victory and quickly put a disappointing loss to North Melbourne behind them with another stirring victory over Collingwood on Anzac Day. Trailing by 14 points at the 25-minute mark of the last term, Essendon found three late goals to claim their second huge scalp of the season.
The coach: Matthew Knights. Jumping from the shadow of Essendon institution Kevin Sheedy at the start of 2008 was never going to be an easy task, but Knights has done it with aplomb to date. Building his team from almost scratch, the former tough-as-nails Richmond midfielder has devised an up-tempo game plan for his young team that no longer centres around former focal points Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas.
While riddled with inconsistency last season, Essendon have already shown they are capable of mixing it with the competition’s best in 2009 with victories against fancied rivals Carlton and Collingwood.
The gun: With stalwarts Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas less of an influence over the past two seasons, and Mark McVeigh struggling with injuries, Brent Stanton has elevated his game and taken on a more senior role. Turning 23 this week, the midfielder was third in Essendon’s best and fairest last year and has had a prolific start to 2009. Stanton has a good disposal and is one man the Lions will have to watch to have success on Saturday night.
The sleeper: Patrick Ryder. Although still in the early stages of his career, supporters have been waiting to see the hugely talented Ryder explode, which is just what he did against Collingwood on Anzac Day. With ruckman David Hille suffering a season-ending knee injury, Ryder used his athleticism around the ground, but just as importantly showed a work ethic rarely seen with 13 tackles. He may receive help in the ruck this week from Tom Bellchambers, but key position player Ryder will be soaring on a wave of confidence and will be a handful wherever he is used.
The bolter: No-one outside Bomber ranks had heard of David Zaharakis four weeks ago. Now he’s the name on everyone’s lips. After an eye-catching debut against Fremantle in round two, the 19-year-old earned an NAB Rising Star nomination. Then he lived out a boyhood dream on Saturday by slotting the match-winning goal in the final seconds against Collingwood in front of nearly 85,000 fans at the MCG. Zaharakis is a lightweight at just 72kg but has already shown he has a knack for finding the ball and using it well.
Strengths: Essendon have built their early season success off their run and enthusiasm. Since Knights took over the coaching reigns last year they have been prepared to attack at all costs, ensuring they are never dead and buried in a contest. The three to six year players like Jobe Watson, Stanton and Jason Winderlich have all found form, while the Bombers have also located a number of avenues to goal outside of the tried and tested twin towers in Lloyd and Lucas. The pace of Alwyn Davey and Andrew Lovett can cut any team apart.
Weaknesses: As is often the case with young teams, consistency is the major issue for Essendon. They edged Carlton in a thriller in round three, but were then flatter than an Adelaide Oval pitch the following week against the Kangaroos. Again they rose for the mighty Collingwood challenge last weekend but must back up if they’re to be taken as serious finals contenders. While the Bombers are great with momentum running their way, they sometimes lacks accountability and can cough up goals in a real hurry. If you get your share of the ball, there’s a chance to do some damage.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club
