ESSENDON V BRISBANE LIONS

Venue Telstra Dome
Date Saturday, July 12 Time 7.10pm
Head to head Essendon 19 Brisbane Lions 13 Drawn 0
Last time Essendon 18.19 (127) def. Brisbane 8.15 (63) R8 2007 at Telstra Dome
Betting TABSportsbet Brisbane $1.55 Essendon $2.35 Centrebet Brisbane $1.60 Essendon $2.35

Essendon
Backs: Ramanauskas Fletcher Lovett-Murray
Half-backs: Slattery Ryder Nash
Centres: Reimers Watson Jetta
Half-forwards: Lonergan Lucas Lovett
Forwards: Lloyd Neagle McPhee
Followers: Hille McVeigh Rover: Stanton
Interchange: Peverill Monfries Laycock Welsh
Emergencies: Atkinson Dyson Hocking
In: Slattery Neagle Out: Myers (foot) Dyson

Brisbane Lions
Backs: Drummond Merrett Patfull
Half-backs: Stiller Brennan Johnstone
Centres: Corrie Black Notting
Half-forwards: Rischitelli Brown McGrath
Forwards: Copeland Bradshaw Clark
Followers: Charman Power Rover: Adcock
Interchange: Collier Selwood Hooper Leuenberger
Emergencies: Henderson Dalziell Sherman
In: Johnstone Stiller Leuenberger
Out: Macdonald (ankle) Polkinghorne Sherman

Summary Essendon enter this fixture, a blockbuster not so long ago, on the high of three consecutive wins, while the Lions are still asking themselves how they managed to surrender an 11-point time-on lead to cellar-dwellers Melbourne. On Telstra Dome's fast track the defences of both sides will be under severe pressure to contain the likes of Jonathan Brown, Scott Lucas, Daniel Bradshaw and Matthew Lloyd, and on paper Brisbane's looks more capable of standing up to sustained assaults.
Key Bombers ruckman David Hille's recent hot streak will need to continue to give his midfield first use against a Lions on-ball division still among the most dangerous in the league.
Tip Brisbane Lions by five points