Essendon and St Kilda are each looking to secure their second victory of the 2024 season at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Bombers (1-1, 11th, 97.2%) are rebounding from a tension-filled defeat at the hands of the Swans in Sydney last Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Saints (1-1, 9th, 104.5%) are catapulting from a stirring win over reigning premier Collingwood in Spud’s Game at the MCG last Thursday.
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Essendon included Mason Redman (suspension), Darcy Parish (hamstring) and Jake Kelly (illness) at selection on Thursday night, with Peter Wright (suspension), Elijah Tsatas (omitted) and Alwyn Davey Jnr (omitted).
St Kilda was forced into a trio of changes on Thursday, losing Max King (suspension), Mason Wood (injured) and Liam Henry (injured), making way for Anthony Caminiti, Dan Butler and debutant Angus Hastie.
The Saints nabbed Hastie — who projects as a rebounding defender with intercepting ability — with Pick 33 in last year’s national draft.
The Bombers are 144-71 all-time against the Saints, with just four draws between the sides.
This match gets underway at 4:20pm AEDT from Marvel Stadium.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504) or stream via Kayo.
MATCH UPDATES
Essendon has swung a late change, excluding midfielder Will Setterfield (knee soreness) in favour of Harrison Jones.
Today’s starting subs are Nick Hind (Essendon) and Angus Hastie (Saints).
“Will’s out, it’s one of the challenges of naming a team a couple of days before you play,” Brad Scott said pre-game on Setterfield’s last-minute exclusion.
“He had a really minor knee complaint, just a little bit of swelling, he fell on the cricket wicket at the SCG and had a bit of swelling, we expected that swelling to dissipate but it’s not perfect.
“He’s really close, he probably could play but we’ve just got a really strong policy early in the season to play players who are 100%.”
St Kilda forward Jack Higgins snapped the first major of the afternoon before Jack Sinclair added the second.
Late inclusion Harrison Jones got the Bombers on the board after a strong mark at the top of the goalsquare.
A horrid error deep in defence by Nic Martin led directly to St Kilda’s fourth goal of the quarter.
A late Xavier Duursma goal closed the gap before the first change, with the Saints taking a nine-point lead into quarter-time.
“There is some intensity in this,” commentator Anthony Hudson told Fox Footy at quarter-time, noting the two sides had remained in their huddles for a long period.
Goals to Mitchito Owens and Jack Higgins opened the second-quarter scoring for the Saints, as they built their advantage to 22 points early in the period.
A goal out of nothing for Kyle Langford got the Bombers right back in the hunt as they increased their pressure rate in the second stanza.
Nic Martin is on record disposal-getting pace at half-time, having notched 27 after just two quarters. 54 is the all-time high for a game.
However, to start the second half, the Saints don’t appear to be too interested in putting a body on the ball-winning Bomber, leaving Martin largely unopposed at the back of stoppages and behind the ball.
Bombers utility Sam Durham appeared to hurt his shoulder in a tackle halfway through the third term.
“(After) a tackle like that everything hurts, Huddo,” North Melbourne champion David King told the Fox Footy broadcast.
“He’s holding that left shoulder though isn’t he,” Hudson said.
Durham was subbed out for Nick Hind shortly after.
It was three goals to two in the third quarter for the Bombers, tugging St Kilda’s lead to just seven points at the final change.
An enthralling and tense final quarter saw the Bombers emerge victorious after a colossal Jake Stringer goal at the 20-minute mark put the Bombers ahead.
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