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June 09, 2006
Geelong Vs. Essendon
WHERE & WHEN: Telstra Dome, 7:40pm (AEST), Friday, June 9
TV & RADIO: Channel 9 (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane), Triple M (Melbourne, Adelaide), ABC, 3AW, 5AA, 6PR, NIRS
HEAD TO HEAD: Geelong 85, Essendon 112, 5 Draws
LAST TIME: Essendon 16.11 (107) bt Geelong 13.16 (94), Telstra Dome, Round 18, 2005.
TAB Sportsbet: Geelong $1.30, Essendon $3.20
GEELONG
B: Wojcinski, Scarlett, J.Hunt
HB: Callan, Mooney, Egan
C: Enright, Bartel, Mackie
HF: G.Ablett, Milburn, Kelly
F: S.Johnson, N.Ablett, Chapman
FOLL: Ottens, Corey, Ling
I/C: Stokes, Byrnes, Blake, Spencer
EMG: Gamble, Lonergan, Tenace
IN: Wojcinski, Spencer
OUT: Harley (shoulder), Rooke (foot)
NEW: Matthew Spencer (Swan Districts)
ESSENDON
B: Heffernan, Fletcher, Welsh
HB: Nash, McPhee, Lovett-Murray
C: Winderlich, J.Johnson, Bolton
HF: Stanton, Lucas, Solomon
F: Hille, Johns, Reynolds
FOLL: Laycock, McVeigh, M.Johnson
I/C: Monfries, Dempsey, Peverill, Camporeale
EMG: Dyson, Jolley, Lee
IN: J,Johnson, Camporeale, Reynolds, Dempsey
OUT: Bradley (ankle), Watson (corked knee), Slattery (suspended), Dyson
Spencer in for Bombers clashGeelong has made two forced changes for its clash against Essendon at Telstra Dome on Friday night.
Tom Harley (shoulder) and Jarad Rooke (foot) are out through injury, while the Cats have named key defender Matthew Spencer for his first AFL match, as defender/midfielder David Wojcinski also returns.
Harley has had a wretched run with injury, having played just three matches this season, as a knee problem sidelined him at the start of the year.
It will be Rooke's first absence for the season, while Wojcinski will line-up for his fifth match this year, after his missed almost the entire 2005 season with a knee injury.
Spencer was selected at No.42 in the 2003 NAB AFL Draft and was a member of Geelong's NAB Cup grand final victory over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
Geelong has named Ryan Gamble, Tom Lonergan and Kane Tenace as its emergencies.
Essendon has included two key midfielders - Jason Johnson and Scott Camporeale - for its clash against the Cats.
Johnson, who underwent surgery last December after rupturing a tendon in his left foot, battled form when he returned for the start of the season - yet post-Christmas his pre-season was ruined because of the set-back. This forced him to have a two-match spell with the Bendigo Bombers in the past couple of weeks.
Camporeale has played just four matches since joining the Bombers this year. He has injured his hamstring on two occasions this season.
But the Dons have lost in-form ball-winner Jobe Watson (corked knee) - arguably Essendon's best performer this season after three injury-riddled seasons - while key tall Kepler Bradley (ankle) is also out and Henry Slattery has been suspended.
The Bombers have also included promising youngster Courtenay Dempsey and defender Joel Reynolds.
Youngsters Ricky Dyson, Ben Jolley and Andrew Lee are the emergencies.
Prediction: Geelong by 25 points
Posted by Sammy D at June 9, 2006 12:52 PM