Essendon has made five changes for Saturday’s clash with the Sydney Swans at the SCG.

Mark Baguley, Craig Bird and Shaun McKernan will all return for the game while Nathan Grima and Mason Redman will both make their Essendon debut.

The five players come in for Darcy Parish, Kyle Langford, Marty Gleeson, Sam Grimley and the injured Mathew Stokes.

It will mark the first AFL game for 18-year-old Mason Redman, who was taken by the Bombers with pick 30 in the National Draft. The South Australian has played four games with Essendon’s VFL side, averaging 14 disposals and kicking seven goals.

The Bombers sit 17^th on the AFL ladder with just the one win so far this season, but the team has the third highest number of disposals in the competition.

Former Essendon player Robert Shaw told the club’s website this week that he expects it will be a tough match, but he believes the Bombers can find a way to win.

“They (Sydney) showed last week they’re vulnerable against quick movement,” Shaw said.

“Brisbane should have won that game so there is a window of opportunity.

“They’re going to have to match them on the Sydney Cricket Ground in close and in tight because they’re masters of it.”

The two sides haven’t played since Round 1 last year, when the Swans won by 12 points. The last time the Bombers beat the Swans was Round 20, 2011 at Etihad Stadium, when Essendon won by a point.