Four changes for Dreamtime clash
6:18:41 PM Thu 7 July, 2005
Exclusive to bombersfc.com.au
The Bombers have made four changes to the side to play Richmond in Saturday's Naidoc Week clash at the MCG. with young forward Courtney Johns set to make his AFL debut.
Ricky Dyson, Kepler Bradley and Paul Thomas are the other Essendon inclusions and they replace the suspended David Hille and Damian Cupido, Jobe Watson and Angus Monfries who've been dropped.
Johns, who's overcome a debilitating hip injury to get his chance at AFL-level, has been named on a half-forward flank.
Richmond has made two changes - Trent Knobel and Chris Hyde replace Greg Stafford (suspended) and Brent Hartigan.
Tigers football manager Paul Armstrong said that Knobel was the logical replacement for fellow big man Stafford, who accepted a two-match suspension from the AFL Match Review Panel on Tuesday.
Knobel was a late withdrawal against Sydney last Saturday because of a virus.
Hyde's form has been scratchy since suffering a fractured skull, but according to Armstrong, has started to find some form in the VFL.
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=213822Essendon line-up:
B: 17. Paul Thomas, 31. Dustin Fletcher, 12. Andrew Welsh
HB: 7. Dean Solomon, 16. Kepler Bradley, 33. Adam McPhee
C: 28. Justin Murphy, 11. Damien Peverill, 24. Brent Stanton
HF: 5. James Hird, 25. Scott Lucas, 21. Courtney Johns
F: 43. Dean Rioli, 18. Matthew Lloyd, 41. Andrew Lovett
R: 26. Jason Laycock, 1. Mark Johnson, 14. Jason Johnson
IC: 10. Mark McVeigh, 23. Mark Bolton, 2. Ricky Dyson, 42. Nathan Lovett-Murray
EMERG: 13. Damian Cupido 22. Tristan Cartledge 20. Ted Richards
Sheeds is playing funny business with McPhee