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All eyes will be on Essendon and coach Ben Rutten in what could be his final game as senior coach, while Richmond will look to enter finals full of steam.
The Bombers (7-14, 85.4%) are coming off an 84-point defeat to Port Adelaide that gave way to boardroom upheaval and intense focus on Rutten’s role, with the club launching a failed 11th-hour bid for Alastair Clarkson.
Richmond (12-8-1, 118.7%) is guaranteed a finals berth after last week’s win over Hawthorn, with it now only a matter of whether the side finishes seventh or eighth by the end of the round.
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There were no late changes for either side. Jye Menzie (Essendon) and Jason Castagna (Richmond) were the medical substitutes.
Speaking to channel seven pre-game, Rutten was asked directly if he could see himself coaching the Bombers in 2023 as per his contract.
“Absolutely,” he said.
“I really believe in the playing group we’ve got at the football club and what we’re building.
“I’d love to be able to see it through and that’s certainly my intention at this stage.”
Noah Cumberland got the Tigers off to a solid start with a major, but Essendon replied instantly with a running goal from Jake Stringer from 50 metres out.
Cumberland crumbed a pack shortly after to make it three goals in the space of two minutes to start the match.
The Bombers missed a couple of chances in front of goal before Richmond scored via Dion Prestia to make it three goals to one.
Massimo D’Ambrosio’s razor-sharp left boot helped get the Bombers their second goal as they continued to hold their own against their more polished opponents.
Maurice Rioli Jnr added another goal to Richmond’s tally, but D’Ambrosio received a free kick for high contact at the other end and converted for a goal.
Essendon trailled by 19 points at quarter-time but burst out of the blocks in the second term, with Darcy Parish and Peter Wright kicking truly.
Things took a sour turn when Stringer copped an errant knee to the back of the head from Marlion Pickett.
Stringer had to be helped from the ground by trainers and was taken straight into the changerooms, with the Bombers’ sub warming up.
Essendon’s fortunes began to take a turn for the worse as Richmond kicked back-to-back goals via Jack Riewoldt and Shane Edwards.
A moment of good fortune came as sub Menzie was given a 50 metre penalty to bring him 10 metres out from goal, which led to his first kick also being his first AFL goal.
This match gets underway at 7:25pm AEST from the MCG.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504) from 7pm AEST.
Follow Essendon v Richmond in our live blog below!
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