ESSENDON remains in the finals race after a commanding 48-point victory over last-placed Melbourne in a lopsided Friday night encounter.
After a brief arm-wrestle in the second term, the more experienced Bombers pulled away in the run to the wire to win in convincing fashion 19.17 (131) to 13.5 (83).
In front of more than 45,000 fans, the Bombers led by 16 points at the half and for a fleeting second it looked as if the Demons were on the verge of making it a Friday night thriller, but for the second game in succession, the wooden spoon favourites let their fans down.
Led by midfielders Jobe Watson, Brent Prismall, Mark McVeigh and Andrew Welsh in his first game back from a broken ankle, the Bombers blew the game wide-open with seven goals to one in the third term.
The Demons added some scoreboard respectability with a last quarter flurry but it was all to no avail.
Matthew Lloyd jumped to equal seventh with Leigh Matthews on the AFL all-time goalkicking list with his three goals while Scott Lucas enjoyed a return to form with three of his own.
Melbourne went into the game with six players on less than 10 games – Essendon had one – and the lack of physical presence told.
Essendon won the contested possessions, 146 to 96, while dominating the free kick count 27-12 as field umpires Mathew James, Scott McLaren and Heath Ryan kept a tight rein on proceedings.
With consecutive losses etched in their minds the Bombers flew out of the box to kick five of the game’s opening six goals.
With Watson, Welsh and Prismall racking up stats in the middle and Lloyd finding the goals twice, the red and black looked dangerous every time they went forward.
However, if Queens Birthday was Melbourne’s grand final, then Friday night football was its preliminary and the Demons weren’t about to roll over.
A steadying goal by hard-running forward Matthew Bate steadied the ship and when youngster Jack Grimes burst into an open goal to kick the first of his career, the margin was back to 11 points.
The AFL’s new rushed behind rule cost the Demons a red-time goal when Aaron Davey’s goal line handpass was snared by Lloyd who kicked his third goal for the term in the easiest fashion.
If the first term was forgettable, the second term, for Demons in particular, was unforgettable.
It produced Jack Watts’ first goal in league football and some Liam Jurrah excitement that helped the Demons reduce the 19-point margin to 16 at the long change.
Watts marked and goaled at the 13-minute mark, much to the delight of teammates who rushed to the No.1 draft pick like kids to the ice-cream fan.
Jurrah’s goal had a much higher degree of difficulty after he flew for a goal-square hanger, dropped the mark, but soccered through the goal while falling to the ground. If Watts’ teammates were happy, Jurrah’s family and friends were beside themselves in the Docklands terraces.
However, for all the Demons first-half efforts, it amounted to little as Essendon took complete control in the third quarter.
With Watson, McVeigh and Prismall winning the midfield clearances, the Bombers kicked the opening three goals of the third-term off the boot of Lucas, Hayden Skipworth and Alwyn Davey to explode the margin to six goals.
From there, the result was never in doubt.
Sensing the opposition was on its knees, Essendon lifted, to a man.
Lucas, Skipworth and Davey goaled again, while Angus Monfries added another late as the Bombers ran riot.
With time and space all over the field it was a picnic of possession for the Bombers who relished the unaccountability of their Melbourne counterparts.
Apart from a brief patch early in the final term when the Demons kicked four quick goals, the game fizzled into predictability as both sides played for the final siren.
Watson ended with 28 touches, Prismall 26 and Brent Stanton 27 while Welsh would be well pleased with his 25-possession first-up effort.
The only sour note for Essendon was the report of McVeigh late in the third term for striking Jared Rivers.
Brad Green, Cameron Bruce, Paul Johnson, Matthew Bate, Colin Sylvia and Brent Moloney tried hard, but it was a case of too leaving too much to too few for the Demons.
Essendon 6.3 10.7 17.13 19.17 (131)
Melbourne 3.2 8.3 9.3 13.5 (83)
GOALS
Essendon: Lloyd 3, Lucas 3, Davey 2, Lonergan 2, McVeigh 2, Monfries 2, Skipworth 2, Hooker Watson Winderlich
Melbourne: Bate 2, Miller 2, Robertson 2, Watts 2, Bruce, Grimes, Jetta, Jurrah, Martin
BEST
Essendon: Fletcher, Watson, Prismall, Lucas, Monfries, Welsh
Melbourne: Bruce, Green, Moloney, Johnson, McLean
INJURIES
Essendon: Nil
Melbourne: Nil
Reports: McVeigh (Ess) reported by umpire McLaren for striking Rivers (Melb) in the third quarter
Umpires: James, McLaren, Ryan
Official crowd: 45,740 at Docklands
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
