AFL 2024 round five LIVE updates: Under-pressure Essendon to feel the heat under Friday night lights

Injured Bulldogs star Bailey Smith is out on the field with his teammates during warm-ups

Smith ruptured his ACL during preseason training and is listed as being out for the season.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge thinks the addition of James O’Donnell to his side will boost the half-back line and allow Ed Richards and Taylor Duryea to take on more attacking roles.

“James had a terrific preseason and was just a little bit unlucky when he had a head knock and a rolled ankle, so we’ve been waiting to get him back in,” Beveridge told Fox Footy.

“I think it balances up our backline a bit better and allow Richards and Duryea to play slightly different roles tonight and we hope to get some dividends from that.”

Long-time Bulldogs player Daniel Giansiracusa, now an Essendon assistant coach, speaks with new Bombers recruit Todd Goldstein, who was a long-time North Melbourne player.

Both will have big roles as Essendon tries to win tonight’s match.

A resurgent Brisbane will head into next week’s home clash against Geelong without Charlie Cameron after the livewire forward was suspended for a week for a sling tackle.

Cameron was handed a match by match review officer Michael Christian for his crude dumping of Melbourne defender Jake Lever in the first quarter of Thursday night’s game at the MCG.

The action was graded careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.

Cameron lifted Lever from the ground and his head hit the turf when slung, but the Melbourne defender did have his left arm free to help cushion the impact.

The actions of another Lion during the match also came under scrutiny with the AFL saying they did not like the look of Noah Answeth’s “crybaby” sledge aimed at Melbourne’s Harrison Petty.

But the league said it had left the issue with the clubs to address internally.

Melbourne and Brisbane have been contacted for comment.

First Caleb Daniel was dropped, now Bailey Dale has been made the sub for tonight as the Western Bulldogs continue to switch around long-standing players in the side.

Dale will start the sub tonight while Nick Hind will again fill the sub’s role for Essendon.

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge isn’t buying into queries over under-fire Essendon – he’s more worried about their ruck dynamic duo.

The Bombers (2-2) will seek a response to their 69-point humiliation from Port Adelaide when they face Beveridge’s charges (2-2) at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.

The Bulldogs are also attempting to hit back after a heart-breaking four-point loss to Geelong, when Rhys Stanley made Tim English and Sam Darcy’s lives difficult.

Rucks Sam Draper and Todd Goldstein will be key to Essendon’s midfield having any hope of combating a Bulldogs on-ball division led by Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore and Adam Treloar.

“There was some real instability at the stoppage in the first half through a couple of roles (against Geelong) and we felt like they had some ruck dominance in that game that we need to take care of,” Beveridge said.

“I mean, we’re coming up against two well-credentialled ruckmen in Draper and Todd Goldstein, and so it’s going to be a challenge and our rucks in Tim and Sam are going to have their hands full.

“It’s going to be an important byplay in the game.”

Beveridge resisted the temptation to call upon Rory Lobb, who is an emergency, as it would have made the Bulldogs too tall.

While both teams sit at 2-2, there is undoubtedly more heat on the Bombers given their meek second half against Port.

Essendon will be without midfielders Archie Perkins (hamstring) and Will Setterfield (knee) but regain Sam Durham from concussion and have recalled forward Alwyn Davey Jnr.

Beveridge expected a response from Brad Scott’s charges.

“The Bombers had been pretty consistent until Port got the better of them probably late in the second quarter and then the game rolled on in Port’s favour from there,” he said.

“So we’ll look at what they’ve been doing, when they’ve probably been at their best.

“I mean, there’s no doubt that they’ve got some challenges with their injuries in their midfield and they’re going to need to put players in there who will have to play critical roles for them, we understand that.

“But we respect what they’ve been doing. They’ve had a healthy, competitive and contested attitude and like every team we’ll aim to be at our best and challenge them with what we can do there.

“It’s always convenient to say you’re not going to take anyone lightly based on the fact that Port had a pretty good second half against them. They’re going to come out with gritted teeth, and so we’ve got to be ready for that.”

The Bulldogs dropped stalwart Caleb Daniel for tall defender James O’Donnell.

AAP

A Brisbane player was caught taunting Melbourne forward Harrison Petty with a “crybaby face” two years after the Demon was left in tears by a sledge from another Lion.

On Thursday night, Lions defender Noah Answerth was pictured on camera shoving and then making a crying face at Petty in the last term at the MCG after the Demons forward missed a shot at goal. At that point, the Lions were up by seven goals.

Answerth’s actions appeared to reference teammate Dayne Zorko’s unsavoury sledge to Petty during a match in 2022, which resulted in teammates and coaches consoling the distressed Demon during a three-quarter-time huddle.

Click here to read the story.

G’day everyone and welcome to tonight’s AFL live blog as Western Bulldogs take on Essendon at Marvel Stadium.

I’m Roy Ward and I’ll be tapping away on the keys as we watch this match play out and deal with the reactions post game.

First bounce is set for 7.40pm AEST.

Please enjoy the hours to come.