The fourth game on Saturday for AFL Round 22 is between Carlton Blues and Essendon Bombers. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7:40pm with the game to be played at MCG. The favourite for the match is home team Carlton Blues. View our preview and teams for the game between Carlton Blues and Essendon Bombers.

Round: Round 22 7:40 PM August 24, 2013
Stadium: MCG
Weather: 17° Possible shower.

Featured Bookmakers:

Carlton Blues $1.44 vs Essendon Bombers $2.75 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

Carlton Blues $1.42 vs Essendon Bombers $2.85 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by AFL Odds:

Carlton Blues	1.44	1.45	1.42	1.45	1.44	1.45
Essendon Bombers	2.75	2.75	2.85	2.75	2.75	2.77

Preview:

Carlton’s season hangs by a thread and nothing short of a win here will suffice.

They kept their season alive for a further week with a win over Richmond by 10 points last week and remain two wins off eighth placed Port Adelaide who this week, have the unenviable task of travelling to WA to take on Fremantle.

Port and Carlton then face off in the final round of the season in what could determine which of the two sides goes through to the finals.

They afforded a genuine opportunity to reach the final round still alive, as they take on a struggling Essendon whose club is embroiled in controversy.

This off-field drama which has been persistent all year has finally caught up with the Bombers who have lost their last four games by an average margin of 58.5 points.

In each of those four games, Essendon has fallen further behind the longer the games went.

The poor form has seen them slip to seventh on the ladder and in likelihood, facing Hawthorn or Geelong in the first week of the finals.

Essendon appear tired and frustrated and with Carlton having it all to play for, they’ll be too good for the Bombers.

Teams:

Carlton Blues:
B: Heath Scotland, Michael Jamison, Lachie Henderson
HB: Zach Tuohy, Andrew McInnes, Bryce Gibbs
C: Chris Yarran, Mitch Robinson, Kade Simpson
HF: Ed Curnow, Andrew Walker, Tom Bell
F: Brock McLean, Levi Casboult, Matthew Kreuzer
Foll: Robert Warnock, Eddie Betts, Marc Murphy
I/C: Jarrad Waite, Nick Graham, Troy Menzel, Dennis Armfield
Emg: David Ellard, Nick Duigan, Aaron Joseph

In: M.Kreuzer
Out: J.Bootsma

Essendon Bombers:
B: Mark Baguley, Tayte Pears, Michael Hibberd
HB: Brendon Goddard, Cale Hooker, Lauchlan Dalgleish
C: Alwyn Davey, Jobe Watson, Jackson Merrett
HF: Michael Hurley, Stewart Crameri, Jake Carlisle
F: Patrick Ryder, Kyle Hardingham, Nick Kommer
Foll: Joe Daniher, Jake Melksham, Heath Hocking
I/C: David Zaharakis, Brent Stanton, Ben Howlett, David Myers
Emg: Nathan Lovett-Murray, Will Hams, Nick O’Brien

In: P.Ryder, D.Myers, M.Hurley, J.Merrett
Out: L.Jetta, T.Bellchambers, D.Heppell (ankle), N.O’Brien

Hird may sue AFL over supplements scandal

Essendon coach James Hird is planning to sue the AFL over its handling of the supplements scandal.

Hird told a media conference on Wednesday he’d been denied natural justice by the AFL.

His legal team have signalled their intention to lodge a claim in the Victorian Supreme Court on Thursday, media reports said.

“We will be going to the Supreme Court tomorrow lodging a statement of claim outlining our concerns about the manner in which the AFL has conducted itself over the course of the past several months,” Hird’s spokesman Ian Hanke told AFL.com.au.

The Bombers coach, the club and three other officials have been charged by the AFL with bringing the league into disrepute over Essendon’s supplements scandal.

On Wednesday, eight days after the AFL announced it had laid charges against Essendon and the four individuals, chief executive Andrew Demetriou went ahead with the league’s intention to release the details in a 34-page document described by AFLPA chief Matt Finnis as shocking and distressing.

Hird is demanding the case should be heard by an independent tribunal, not the AFL Commission.

A Fairfax Media report says Hird’s legal team will demand the AFL provide particulars of charges it has laid against Hird and a list of witnesses for the case, which was originally scheduled to be heard next Monday by the AFL Commission.

Hird is concerned he had not been given the chance to contest evidence compiled since his day-long interview with ASADA in April, the report says.

Hird denies several key allegations contained in the 34-page report released by the AFL on Wednesday, including that he suffered side-effects from using Melanotan II and that he was warned by the AFL in August 2011 against using peptides.

He also denies it was his responsibility to conduct appropriate background checks on Dean Robinson and Steven Dank before the Bombers employed them as high performance coach and sport scientist.

Hird also maintains he never received the letter written by club doctor Bruce Reid, addressed to Hird and ex-club football manager Paul Hamilton, which addressed Reid’s concerns over the use of some supplements.

However Hird says he did discuss some of its contents with Reid.