ESSENDON will be without speed machine Nick Hind for Sunday's elimination final against the Western Bulldogs after the Bomber visited a Tier 2 exposure site.
Hind was at a supermarket at the Altona Gate Shopping Centre on Saturday, August 21, which was later identified as a Tier 2 exposure site by the Department of Health and Human Services.
He has since returned a negative COVID test but is not allowed to travel to Tasmania as part of the state's guidelines that says any member of the travelling party must not have visited a Tier 1 or Tier 2 exposure site in the 14-day period prior to arrival.
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Hind will be replaced in the Bombers' side by Marty Gleeson, while Jye Caldwell also returns for his first match since round two when he suffered a serious hamstring injury.
Dylan Clarke has been omitted, while NAB AFL Rising Star nominee Nik Cox remains an emergency after he was the sub last week.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs look set to run with the same ruck strategy as last week with Luke Beveridge naming an unchanged line-up.
Lewis Young was the Dogs' primary big man in last week's loss to Port Adelaide with regular ruckman Tim English spending the majority of the match up forward.
Superstar Marcus Bontempelli was even thrown in the ruck at times, but the Dogs will back in the same 22 as last week with versatile big man Josh Schache among the emergencies after he was the sub last week.
Friday, August 27
Port Adelaide v Geelong at Adelaide Oval, 7.20pm ACST
PORT ADELAIDE
In: O.Fantasia
Out: M.Georgiades (hamstring), S.Mayes (omitted)
Last week's sub: S.Mayes (replaced M.Georgiades)
GEELONG
In: M.Duncan
Out: M.Holmes (omitted), S.Higgins (medi-sub)
Last week's sub: S.Higgins (unused)
Saturday, August 28
Sydney v Greater Western Sydney at University of Tasmania Stadium, 3.20pm AEST
SYDNEY
In: C.Warner, J.Bell
Out: C.Mills (Achilles), R.Fox (medi-sub), B.Campbell (omitted)
Last week's sub: R.Fox (replaced C.Mills)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
In: S.Mumford, S.Reid, T.Green
Out: K.Briggs (omitted), T.Bruhn (omitted), A.Kennedy (hamstring), X.O'Halloran (calf)
Last week's sub: S.Coniglio (replaced X.O'Halloran)
Melbourne v Brisbane at Adelaide Oval, 7pm ACST
MELBOURNE
In: Nil
Out: J.Jordon (medi-sub)
Last week's sub: J.Jordon (unused)
BRISBANE
In: H.Andrews, M.Robinson
Out: C.Ah Chee (groin), R.Lester (hamstring), R.Mathieson (medi-sub)
Last week's sub: R.Mathieson (unused)
Sunday, August 29
Western Bulldogs v Essendon at University of Tasmania Stadium, 3.20pm AEST
WESTERN BULLDOGS
In: Nil
Out: J.Schache (medi-sub)
Last week's sub: J.Schache (unused)
ESSENDON
In: M.Gleeson, J.Caldwell
Out: N.Hind (managed), D.Clarke (omitted), N.Cox (medi-sub)
Last week's sub: N.Cox (unused)
