In the latest edition of Opposition Watch, Swans Media examines Essendon’s camp ahead of the Sydney Swans’ clash with the Bombers at the SCG on Friday night.

Recent form

The Bombers fell to the Geelong Cats in a 32-point defeat at the MCG on Sunday. 

But they strung together three successive wins over Melbourne, Brisbane and North Melbourne earlier in the season, before falling just four points short of Collingwood in Round 6. 

Essendon sits in 11^th on the ladder with three wins and four losses beside its name ahead of Friday’s match.

Ins and outs

Essendon has made four changes to its side that lost to Geelong.

Orazio Fantasia, David Myers, Brayden Ham and Zac Clarke have been named to replace Joe Daniher, Jordan Ridley, Kyle Langford and Mark Baguley.

The Bombers’ most significant inclusions are exciting forward Fantasia, who’ll return from a two-match break due to illness, and experienced midfielder David Myers, who was managed as Essendon faced Geelong last week.

Star key forward Daniher has averaged 2.3 goals per match over the opening rounds of the season, but he’ll miss Friday’s match as he continues on the road back from an injury-hampered 2018 campaign. 

Key match-up

Two of the competition’s most dangerous pocket-rockets will do battle as Sydney’s Tom Papley meets Essendon’s Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.

With their searing pace, willingness to take the game on, silky skills and awareness around goal, the two stars add plenty of firepower to the forward line and midfield, while Papley (67 games) and McDonald-Tipungwuti (73) are almost equally experienced.

In McDonald-Tipungwuti’s best game of the season thus far, the 26-year-old gathered 20 disposals and seven goals to earn a perfect 10 AFL Coaches’ Association votes against Brisbane in Round 4.

Papley was at his best in Sydney’s loss to Brisbane last Saturday, with the 22-year-old collecting 18 disposals and four goals, including an AFL Goal of the Year nomination.

Essendon livewire Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti flies high against the Sydney Swans.

Last time they met

Essendon grabbed a 43-point win when the Swans and Bombers last squared off at Docklands Stadium in Round 19 last year.

Sydney trailed by just 12 points at the final change, but Essendon would pile on four last-term goals to the away side’s zero to claim a 15.19 (109) to 10.6 (66) win.

Star defender Aliir Aliir was Sydney’s best on his way to two Brownlow Medal votes.

What they said

Essendon coach John Worsfold: “The Swans have been in all their games and they’re still a very good team. We’re going to have to put them under the pump over the course of four quarters to make sure we get the win. That’s our focus. We were disappointed with our overall work rate last week. We matched Geelong in some areas but there are areas we need to improve in – and we’ve got to focus on bringing that this week.”