Should Dons veterans Goldstein and Heppell come straight back? Tim Watson weighs in

Will Essendon veterans Dyson Heppell and Todd Goldstein get back into the senior side to face Melbourne on Saturday night at the MCG?

That was the question posed by Garry Lyon to Dons great Tim Watson after the duo were managed for the Round 17 win over Collingwood.

Given how well the side performed against the Pies and the fact that Goldstein is 36 and Heppell is 32, Watson can’t see them making an immediate return.

Watson explained why he doesn’t expect that to be a bad thing either and Lyon thinks that the Dons would be comfortable continuing with Sam Draper as a sole ruckman given his outing against Collingwood.

Lyon: “Does either or both of Dyson Heppell and Todd Goldstein play this weekend against Melbourne?”

Watson: “No, I don't think they will.”

Lyon: “Dyson Heppel won’t get back in?”

Watson: “Look, he might get back in. But I don't think he gets back in this week because you're going to have to drop somebody else for him to play.

“Everyone did a reasonable job last week. Nate Caddy's in the team and that brings the excitement, Jake Kelly came back in and played that real shutdown sort of role with the best small forward - he'll go to Pickett this weekend.

“So, I don't think he gets back in this weekend and that's not going to be a bad thing for him either. It gives him a couple of weeks off to freshen up.

“The same thing with Goldstein. I think when they recruited ‘Goldy’, they would have said to him, ‘Look, mate, you really are going to be recruited as a backup’.

“He's a really competitive beast, so he wants to play like all players do. Heppell would want to play as well.”

Lyon: “I thought that it was a calculated risk that they took by playing without Goldstein (against Collingwood), but Draper paid it off big time.

“He repaid the faith shown in him and he looks like the one that's going to take them forward, there’s no question.”

Essendon’s team will be announced at 6:20pm (AEST) on Thursday. Saturday’s game against Melbourne at the MCG is set for 7:30pm (AEST).