Filling the void key ingredient with Bombers

ESSENDON big man Shaun McKernan has been asked to fill the immense void left by Cale Hooker in tonight’s clash with Sydney, while Michael Hartley will be given an even more onerous job.

Hooker, coming off a fivegoal haul in the club’s thumping of Port Adelaide, dislocated his finger this week at training and will be sorely missed at the SCG.

Hooker’s replacement will be McKernan, elevated on Thursday off the Bombers’ rookie list.

The former Adelaide ruckman has played 17 games for the Bombers since joining the club in 2014. The majority of those have been in the ruck, including rounds one and two this season.

“Shaun McKernan has been in wonderful form in the VFL,” Essendon coach John Worsfold said yesterday in Sydney.

“He’s a strong marking player and will play a very similar role to Cale.

“We’re happy that we have a player who was in good form earlier in the year.

“He went out of the side because he was playing mainly as a ruckman, but he is a key forward and he’s ready to go.”

Hartley, whose development was one of Essendon’s great success stories from its miserable campaign last year, will be asked to shut down Lance Franklin.

The key defender, who hails from western Sydney, has played 27 games.

Franklin sits 10th on the list of VFL/AFL goal-kickers and boasts an incredible record against the Bombers. He has booted 64 goals in 13 matches against Essendon, an average of 4.92 per game.

“I don’t know if he saves his best for us, but he’s played well in the past. I haven’t seen the record, so haven’t given it a lot of thought,” Worsfold said.

“Our planning has been around how we want to play now. No doubt Hartley will be matched up on him for a fair part of the night.”

Worsfold is upbeat that Hooker, who has avoided tendon or bone damage, will only miss one match.

Meanwhile, Kyle Langford has claimed David Myers’ place in the Bombers’ side.