ESSENDON forward Jacob Townsend's night has ended early in the first term against Greater Western Sydney after a brutal collision with Giants defender Heath Shaw.
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Townsend was chasing a loose, bouncing ball in Essendon's attacking goalsquare but Shaw gathered the ball first and turned to protect himself as he took possession, crunching the Bomber in the process.
>> WATCH THE INCIDENT IN THE PLAYER ABOVE
He was taken straight from the field by trainers and headed down to the rooms for assessment, before returning to the interchange bench with a tracksuit top on before the end of the quarter, signalling his night was over.
The early blow comes as the Bombers aim to claim the scalp of a top-eight team for the first time in a month.
The Bombers have fallen into a form slump since their rousing 15-point win over Collingwood in round five, with heavy losses to the Western Bulldogs and Brisbane punctuated by hard-fought wins over battlers North Melbourne and Adelaide.
However, John Worsfold's men face a tough ask against the Giants, who burst out of their own form woes with successive victories over reigning premier Richmond and the rapidly improving Gold Coast in the past two rounds.
ROUNDS 11-13 Check out the full fixture
The Giants have risen to eighth on the ladder but still face at least two games without superstar forward Toby Greene and the game's most effective stopper, Matt De Boer.
Former GWS co-captain Callan Ward will boost his side's midfield after making a rapid recovery from a knee problem while Shane Mumford replaces fellow veteran big man Sam Jacobs in the ruck.
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Youngster Xavier O'Halloran, the No.22 pick in the 2018 NAB AFL Draft, also comes into the side for his AFL debut.
Second-game Bomber Sam Draper will carry his side's ruck division against the big 'Mummy', likely with support from the recalled Shaun McKernan.
THE FULL INJURY LIST Who is racing the clock?
Kyle Langford returns to the side after suspension and Conor McKenna has been brought back in after a bout of homesickness kept him out of the side that lost to the Lions in round 10.