Tania Hird, the wife of suspended Essendon coach James, has stood by her comments on the ABC's 7.30 Report that the Bombers were tipped off by AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou about the ASADA drugs scandal.
live coverage of North Melbourne v Essendon Source: Supplied
BOMBER recruit Paul Chapman has inspired his new side to a seven-point lead at quarter time.
The Geelong premiership player kicked two of the first three goals and had a hand in the fourth as the Bombers skipped away to an early lead.
North Melbourne looked stunned early and wasted opportunities going forward, but a Lindsay Thomas goal and a classy finish from Nick Dal Santo go it back into the game.
Ruckman Todd Goldstein left the field midway through the term and didn’t return.
More to come ...
PREVIEW
BELIEVE it or not, there is a game of footy to be played tonight and a good one at that.
North Melbourne and Essendon harbour high hopes for 2014 and genuine top four claims after forgettable 2013 campaigns.
For different reasons, both sides were disappointed not to feature in the finals last year.
Despite winning 14 games and finishing in seventh place, Essendon was — of course — ruled ineligible by the AFL in the last week of the premiership season.
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North Melbourne finished two games shy of a finals berth, but considering the number of narrow losses it endured, the Roos would feel that if talent was the sole decider, they should have featured in September.
ROOS TO SHED SLOW STARTERS TAG
The bookies have North Melbourne as favourites, but Essendon play Etihad Stadium as well as any side so it will enter the game full of confidence.
It is expected to be a free-flowing affair with some interesting individual subplots.
Dustin Fletcher, age 38, plays game number 379 and overtakes Simon Madden as the Essendon games record holder.
HIRD SURVIVES ESSENDON MEETING
MADDEN HAPPY TO PASS THE TORCH
Former St Kilda star Nick Dal Santo plays his first game for North Melbourne after moving to the club via free agency at the end of last season.
At the opposite end of the age spectrum, two father-son selections take their first tentative steps along their AFL journeys.
Roo Luke McDonald — son of Donald — makes his AFL debut, while Bomber Joe Daniher needs no introduction entering his second season at the elite level.
Marty Gleeson and mature-age recruit Patrick Ambrose also make their AFL debuts tonight.
No changes to final teams.
SUBS — Leigh Adams (NM) and Zach Merrett (Bombers)
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