Essendon named five players into its side for Sunday night's Eagles vs Essendon clash at Optus Stadium, with Elijah Tsatas, Will Setterfield, Saad El-Hawli, Nik Cox and Max Kondogiannis all added for the 7:20PM AEST start.
The Bombers finalised the group ahead of the match in Perth, giving coach and selectors a refreshed line-up for a game that arrives at a useful point in the season. Kondogiannis is set for his fourth game of senior footy, while Cox has earned his place after a strong VFL performance.
Tsatas and Setterfield were both held out of last week's VFL match as a precaution, and now come back into the senior frame together. El-Hawli's return is a different kind of boost: he has worked back from a broken collarbone and is now available again.
That mix of returnees and promotions leaves the other side of the selection ledger as the unanswered piece, with Ben Jacobs and Ben Robbins departing the Essendon Football Club. The changes sharpen the contest before a Sunday night trip to Optus Stadium, where Essendon and the Eagles are due to meet under lights.
For Essendon, the five-ins selection is the whole story for now. The next one comes at 7:20PM AEST on Sunday, when the Bombers see whether the reshaped side can turn those changes into a result in Perth.
