<>VENUE & TIME: Etihad Stadium, Sunday August 22, 2.10pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 20, Essendon 9, Brisbane Lions 10, Draw 1
LAST TIME: Essendon 13.9 (87) drew Brisbane Lions 12.15 (87), Round 19, 2009 at the MCG
LAST TIME AT VENUE: Essendon 24.11 (155) def Brisbane Lions 18.10 (118), Round 15, 2008 at Etihad Stadium
WALKING WOUNDED: Essendon's injury list was worsened last week with youngster David Zaharakis ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. He joins Darcy Danniher (adductor), Alwyn Davey (arm), Scott Gumbleton (ribs), Jason Laycock (foot), Tayte Pears (pancreas) and Mark Williams (ankle) as those already looking towards 2011. Veteran defender Dustin Fletcher could return from his hamstring injury, while Bachar Houli, Nathan Lovett-Murray and Jason Winderlich all face fitness tests. Brisbane will be sweating on the fitness of captain Jonathan Brown, who missed last week's match with a knee complaint but is a chance to return this week. Matt Maguire will be tested on his troublesome ankle, as well Xavier Clarke with his hamstring. The remaining players on the club's official injury list including Brendan Fevola (groin), Andrew Raines (quad), Josh Drummond (knee) and Jamie Charman (ankle), are out for the season.
FORM:
Bombers past five:
Round 20: Loss, 10.4 (64) - 24.18 (162) v Collingwood, MCG
Round 19: Loss, 9.19 (73) - 23.11 (149) v Carlton, MCG
Round 18: Win, 16.12 (108) – 11.9 (75) v St Kilda, Etihad Stadium
Round 17: Win, 18.14 (122) – 18.11 (119) v North Melbourne, Etihad Stadium
Round 16: Loss, 14.16 (100) – 20.12 (132) v West Coast, Etihad Stadium
Lions Past Five:
Round 20: Loss, 13.19 (97) - 15.14 (104) v Adelaide, Gabba
Round 19: Win, 10.10 (70) - 9.11 (65) v West Coast, Subiaco
Round 18: Loss, 9.10 (64) - 11.8 (74) v Melbourne, Gabba
Round 17: Loss, 9.10 (64) - 19.13 (127) v Geelong, Skilled Stadium
Round 16: Loss, 7.1 (43) - 17.16 (118) v Hawthorn Aurora Stadium
Not a lot to write home about for either of these two clubs. Essendon showed glimpses of improved form with back-to-back wins over North Melbourne and most notably St Kilda, but in the past fortnight have lost by a combined 174 points to Collingwood and Carlton. Brisbane has just one win in their past 10 - against wooden spooners West Coast - and just two since Round 4 when they were sitting equal top of the ladder. Last week they had numerous chances but just fell short against an Adelaide side that was down two players for almost three quarters of the match.
WHO'S HOT: Henry Slattery was one of the few shining lights from the Bombers' dismal showing against the Pies with a superb tagging job on the dangerous Alan Didak. Slattery kept Didak statless in the first quarter and while the star Magpie finished the game with 22 touches and two goals, the majority came in the second half when the game was already well and truly over. Without dynamic duo Brendan Fevola and Jonathan Brown, Lions coach Michael Voss pushed ruckman Mitch Clark forward to devastating effect. With Matthew Leuenberger doing the majority of the rockwork, Clark spent plenty of time up forward and delivered with five goals on All Australian defender Ben Rutten.
WE THINK: Not a lot to like about this match with both sides out of finals contention and struggling with long injury lists. But there is a sub-plot with both coaches under intense pressure and the victor is sure to escape the scrutiny for at least another week. Having said that, it's hard to see the Lions winning considering they've won just twice since Round 4 and one of those wins was with the last kick of the game against the bottom-placed Eagles. Brisbane haven't won in Melbourne since Round 10 last year and are unlikely to break that duck this week unless Jonathan Brown takes to the field in what would be his 200th game. The Bombers do enjoy playing under the roof at Docklands and if they can emulate anything close to the performance that saw then topple the Saints a few weeks back they should have no problems securing their eighth win of the season. Essendon by 23 points.