Essendon faces a last-minute squad adjustment for Saturday night’s highly anticipated Dreamtime clash due to an injury setback sidelining midfielder Ben Hobbs with a calf injury. The club confirmed the late change on Friday, revealing that Hobbs would be replaced by second-year onballer Elijah Tsatas, while rookie Archie Roberts joins the extended squad as an emergency.
This isn’t the first time Essendon has had to shuffle its lineup this season. In Round 10, Tsatas was a late inclusion for the match against North Melbourne due to squad adjustments, with utility Nik Cox sidelined by illness and star Darcy Parish missing out, replaced by Dylan Shiel just before the game. However, despite these challenges, Essendon secured a convincing 40-point win over North Melbourne.
Looking ahead to the Dreamtime clash against Richmond, Essendon welcomes back defender Jordan Ridley from a quad injury and introduces forward Nate Caddy for his AFL debut. Unfortunately, Hobbs joins Harrison Jones, suspended for one game, and Dylan Shiel on the list of absentees from Brad Scott’s side that played last weekend.
As Essendon aims for back-to-back victories against Richmond for the first time since 2012, anticipation is high for another thrilling encounter following last year’s nail-biting one-point victory in the Dreamtime clash.
