HEAD TO HEAD: Essendon 23 wins, West Coast 19 wins, no draws
LAST TIME: Essendon 14.16 (100) defeated by West Coast 20.12 (132), round 16, 2010 at Etihad Stadium
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A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
FORM: Essendon: LWDLW West Coast: WLLBW
SUMMARY
When these two sides met in round 16 last season, wins for either team were few and far between.
West Coast had just the three for the year and ended up with the club's first wooden spoon, while the Bombers had five wins and a coach whose head was on the chopping block.
This year, it's a totally different story to date. Both sides sit inside the top eight and have already recorded three wins apiece.
It's fair to say the Bombers had a very light hit out last Sunday against Gold Coast, and will be strengthened by the return of veteran defender Dustin Fletcher.
West Coast will have a couple of extra days rest up its sleeve after an impressive win over the Demons on Thursday night and will travel to Melbourne for the first time this season to face Essendon.
The Eagles' tall forward line and frontal press has caused problems for several teams, while mercurial forward Mark LeCras will be better off after his short run last week.
Interestingly, West Coast won just the four games last year with two of those wins coming against the Bombers.
QUESTION MARKS
Will LeCras' return to Etihad Stadium spark another 12-goal haul against the Bombers? The Frenchman did a number on Essendon defender Heath Hocking in round 16 last year. It may be only his second game back after a groin injury, but LeCras will still be a danger up forward.
How will the Eagles travel? Traditionally young sides don't travel well interstate and West Coast is proof of this. Over the past two years they have only won three out of 20 interstate games.
How will Essendon stop the impact of West Coast ruckman Dean Cox? Cox has been a dominant force in the ruck this year, averaging 21 touches and 31 hit outs per game. The Bombers will need to stop his influence if they are to have any chance of earning first touch out of the centre.
PREDICTION
Essendon by 10 points.
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
After being talked about all pre-season, Michael Hibberd finally made his debut for the Bombers. He scored a modest 68 Dream Team points in his first game and as a dual position player (defender/midfielder) he is a very handy player to have. At the bargain price of $92,500 he could be the perfect downgrade in the next two weeks before his price increases.
Follow the game live in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au and join the conversation on Twitter using #aflldonseagles
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
