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READ > Essendon-Collingwood match previewLeon Davis returns to the Collingwood team for Saturday afternoon’s clash with Essendon at the MCG.
With the Magpies having to win to keep any hope of a top-four finish alive, Davis will certainly add spark and class to the forward line and midfield against an in-form Bombers outfit, who have won four of their last five.
Davis is the only inclusion, having missed one match with an ankle injury after being a late withdrawal last week. Young defender Tyson Goldsack has been omitted from the team that went down to North Melbourne by 18 points last Friday night.
Vice-captain Josh Fraser remains out of the side, with his posterior cruciate ligament injury still preventing him from being able to ruck at the elite level, however he is set to have another run with the club’s VFL team on Sunday at Princes Park.
Goldsack is joined as an emergency by Danny Stanley and Alan Toovey.
The match also marks Tarkyn Lockyer’s 100th consecutive league game, a streak which began in round 10, 2004. CLICK HERE to read what Tarkyn had to say about his milestone on collingwoodfc.com.au.
Essendon, meanwhile, has also made just the one change, replacing injured forward Jay Neagle (ankle) with veteran defender Dustin Fletcher.
2008 AFL Premiership Season Round 17
Essendon v Collingwood
Saturday 26 July
MCG, 2:10pm
Collingwood
B: Heath Shaw, Shane Wakelin, Tarkyn Lockyer
HB: Martin Clarke, Nick Maxwell, Heritier O’Brien
C: Ben Johnson, Scott Burns (c), Rhyce Shaw
HF: Scott Pendlebury, Travis Cloke, Chris Bryan
F: Alan Didak, Nathan Brown, Paul Medhurst
Foll: Cameron Wood, Dane Swan, Dale Thomas
Int: Shane O’Bree, Sharrod Wellingham, Leon Davis, John Anthony
Emg: Danny Stanley, Tyson Goldsack, Alan Toovey
In: Leon Davis
Out: Tyson Goldsack (omitted)
Milestone: Tarkyn Lockyer (100 consecutive AFL games)
Essendon
B: Jarrod Atkinson, Dustin Fletcher, Jay Nash
HB: Adam McPhee, Patrick Ryder, Henry Slattery
C: Kyle Reimers, Jobe Watson, Adam Ramanauskas
HF: Angus Monfries, Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas
F: Leroy Jetta, Jason Laycock, Sam Lonergan
Foll: David Hille, Andrew Welsh, Brent Stanton
Int: Mal Michael, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Damien Peverill, Ricky Dyson
Emg: Cale Hooker, Rhys Magin, John Williams
In: Fletcher
Out: Jay Neagle (ankle)
