Collingwood
B: Cox / Prestigiacomo / Goldsack
HB: O’Brien / N. Brown / Clarke
C: O’Bree / Didak / Thomas
HF: Beams / Cloke / Medhurst
F: Anthony / L. Brown / Rocca
Foll: Fraser / Lockyer / Pendlebury
INT: Davis / Barham / Swan / Toovey
EMG: Corrie / Macaffer / Wellingham
No Change
Essendon
B: Fletcher / Pears / H. Slattery
HB: Dempsey / McPhee / Hocking
C: McVeigh / Stanton / Lonergan
HF: Winderlich / Lucas / Zaharakis
F: Ryder / Lloyd / Davey
Foll: Hille / Watson / Lovett
INT: Monfries / Lovett-Murray / Myers / Jetta
EMG: Dyson / Nash / Houli
IN: Lovett-Murray, Lonergan, Myers, Hocking, Jetta.
OUT: Daniher (Groin), Skipworth (Hamstring), Quinn, Nash, Dyson.
Collingwood have opted to make no change heading into our ANZAC Day clash with Essendon. After a great team performance last week, the philosophy has been to refrain from messing with a winning formula. Saturday is expected to be wet, so our experience last week will serve us well if conditions play out as forecasted.
In the event that the weather is as predicted, there has to be some question over the height that we’re carrying into the match. We will be taking 8 players above the 192cm mark into this game and I can’t help but feel a little anxious about such a line-up, despite triumphing last week. Leigh Brown will remain simply because he provides some minor relief for Fraser in the ruck, but I wouldn’t rule out a possible late change with Rocca being under a slight injury cloud.
Speaking of injury clouds, Paul Medhurst is apparently still struggling to shake off the after effects of concussion from last week’s game — although I’m reasonably confident that he’ll be right to go. Alan Didak has also been in doubt after experiencing some hamstring soreness, which saw him rested for most of the last quarter against Brisbane.
With Brent Macaffer, Sharrod Wellingham and Anthony Corrie all named as emergencies, the club is obviously covering its bases up forward in the event that one or two of Didak, Medhurst or Rocca miss. Game day conditions may also play a part, as a smaller type would be a safer bet in the event that we are faced with a wash out.
Congratulations to Brent Macaffer for getting named amongst the emergencies on the back of two hard-working performances in the seconds. We have blooded players on ANZAC Day before and whilst most had their money on Sidebottom, we may yet see Macaffer make his debut on the biggest stage in the home-and-away season.
