Essendon VFL turned over nine players for gws giants vs essendon at Tom Wills Oval on Sunday. The round seven side includes six senior-listed Dons, a sharp shift in personnel for an 11:05am AEST start.
Ben McKay, Jade Gresham, Tom Edwards and Max Kondogiannis were named for the clash, while Harry Jones and Vigo Visentini came back from injury. Nicholas Staropoli also made his VFL debut, giving Essendon a different look before the first bounce.
Tom Wills Oval selection shake-up
The changes leave Essendon with a side built around senior-listed depth for this away trip. Nine changes in one selection call is enough to alter the structure of a VFL team, and this one arrived with six of the inclusions coming from the AFL list.
That group gives the Bombers more experience around the ball and in key positions, with McKay among the headline names. Gresham and Edwards also bring senior-level presence, while Kondogiannis adds another option to the mix.
Jones and Visentini return
Harry Jones and Vigo Visentini are back after injury, which adds to the movement in Essendon’s round seven squad. Their return is part of the wider reshuffle that pushed Staropoli into his first VFL appearance for the club.
For a reader tracking the line-up rather than the result, the practical takeaway is simple: Essendon has a changed team, a later-morning start, and a different balance for Sunday’s match against GWS. The selection table has done the heavy lifting before play even begins.
Staropoli gets first VFL game
Staropoli’s debut stands out because it comes inside a selection overhaul rather than as a lone change. He arrives as a Calder Cannons prospect, and his first game gives Essendon another young name in a squad already altered by senior inclusions and injury returns.
The fixture begins at 11:05am AEST on the AFL app and website, so the team sheet is the immediate story before the round seven game starts. Essendon’s changes are set; the next move comes when that new look side runs out at Tom Wills Oval.
