Essendon has had a bleak start to the season, and the prospect of an ultra attacking and in-form Western Bulldogs side this Sunday would terrify Dons fans.
Add to the mix that golden boy Nate Caddy has been ruled out with concussion and it appears the Bombers' woes inside forward 50 look set to continue.
Essendon coach Brad Scott said he and his team will assess their options in attack after strong performances in the VFL last weekend from Tom Edwards (five goals and 16 disposals), who returned from an ACL injury, and 2025 first round draft pick Sullivan Robey (four goals and 22 disposals).
"(Edwards) has done a power of work," Scott said.
"Real credit to Matt Inness and the high performance team and the rehab team to get Tom looking as good as he did after 12 months out. So he is an option.
"Robey played very well. (Jordan) Ridley came back, Nick Bryan will play in the VFL this week returning from an ACL last year. We are starting to build some availability."
The topic of concussion has been at the forefront of AFL media this week with Melbourne great Garry Lyon criticising Adelaide's Jordon Butts and players across the competition for trying to act "macho" when it came to staying on the ground after a head knock during a game.
Scott had a different point of view on the subject.
"I disagree with Garry," he said. "I don't think players are trying to fight through it. Players are more informed than they have ever been.
"Where you have players fighting through it is where they are saying, 'I am fine, I'm fine'. So if you take every player off who says he is fine after every big contest, we are going to need a bigger bench."
During the Bombers' Round 3 loss to North Melbourne, former captain Zach Merrett (10 disposals) was tagged out of the game by Finn O'Sullivan.
Scott said his star midfielder was the first to get to work on what went wrong for him against the Roos.
"(Merrett) has gone through his review process," he said.
"There are things that no doubt everyone could have done better. Yes it wasn't, by his own admission, a great game, but what I have observed of all the great players, of which Zach is one, they go to work on what they need to do. He is one of the best I have seen at that. He has identified himself and he has come to me already.
"He is still ranked as, certainly our best pressure player for the night. So whatever the opposition do to him, they can't stop him doing that. I think that's what he has been very good at over the last few years."
