Illness has forced Essendon into making a late change to their 23-man squad for Saturday's clash with Geelong.
Defender Jake Kelly will miss the match due to the ailment, with fringe forward Jye Menzie named in his place in Brad Scott's Round 16 side.
The shuffle has seen Menzie move from the emergencies to the starting team, with Alwyn Davey Jr added to the list of Bombers on standby.
We have a change to our team for tomorrow night.
Jake Kelly is out (illness) with Jye Menzie coming into the team.
Alwyn Davey Jnr comes into the squad. https://t.co/3XvVNguNVD
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) June 28, 2024
Kelly's absence adds to the omissions of first-year forward Nate Caddy, who has made way for the inclusion of recruits Todd Goldstein and Jade Gresham in the squad.
Goldstein returns after being managed and will partner first-string ruckman Sam Draper again, while Gresham has been recalled after missing last week's clash with West Coast due to personal reasons.
Caddy has been named as an emergency alongside midfielder Ben Hobbs and Davey.
Essendon face Geelong at the MCG on Saturday night at 7:30pm (AEST), with a victory a chance to see the Tullamarine club return to the top two on the ladder.
