Bombers Survive Dees Hellish Scare in Adelaide
Are Essendon a threat in 2025? Now 2-2 after dispatching the Dees. Melbourne themselves, are feeling the woes, as they are now 0-5 for the year.
After a lead of 12 points at quarter time, the Bombers went on to kick five goals in a row in the second term to open up a near five goal advantage at the main break.
Elsehwhere, the second term began with Ed Langdon getting a solid hit from Nic Martin. Martin got Langdon with a high hit that no doubt will be looked at by the Match Review Officer.
The Melbourne players took out their own form of justice on the night when a scrap broke out as Langdon put the ball through from the goal square.
Essendon was without star midfielder Jye Caldwell for the match, and Nick Bryan followed him out of the game relatively quickly after it started, with a knee injury suspected. Bryan would be subbed out of the game before the end of the quarter.
Melbourne’s main problem was not so much Essendon, but themselves. Melbourne should have been leading this game and comfortably, but for large parts of the game, Melbourne couldn’t hit a target inside forward 50.
The likes of Ed Langdon and Jack Viney were incredible in the midfield for the Dees. But much like their teammates, no one was able to hit a leading forward in the first half.
Essendon had their own midfielders with plenty of the pill. Dylan Shiel and Andrew McGrath were causing all kinds of problems, while Zach Merrett was important to the cause as well. Up forward, Jye Menzie had brought his own football for his three goals.
In the third quarter, the Demons came, led by youngster Jake Bowey, Melbourne were able to get on top.
Harrison Petty went back and saluted to cut the margin back to under five goals at the eight minute mark of the third quarter.
Melbourne then started to use the ball better, and when Essendon got pinged for deliberate out of bounds, Bayley Fritsch took off and sent the ball sailing home from outside 50.
Melbourne’s crisp ball movement led to Fritsch’s next goal as Melbourne got three goals in a row, Essendon for the first time all night felt something akin to pressure.
Archie Perkins attempted mark of the year on the broadcast wing, he took the ball, but Melbourne were able to intercept in defence. Jake Melksham came charging through to receive the football, he lowered his eyes and found Kysaiah Pickett as the Dees looked like running over the top of the Bombers.
Xavier Duursma arrived in the forward 50 in the nick of time for the Dons to get a settler, then super sub Harry Sharp finished off a nicely work team goal for the Dees. The Dees should have stopped a goal with a Steven May intercept mark, but didn’t and Nic Martin run past the falling May and into the open goal.
Melbourne has closed the margin to 16 at the final break, but Menzie’s clever ball to the top of the square found Jade Gresham’s chest, and he killed off any Melbourne chance in the opening stanza of the final stage.
Essendon would go on to kick a further three goals to run out …. point winners.
Melbourne: 1.4 2.5 7.7 8.9.57
Essendon: 3.4 7.4 10.5 15.6.96
Goalkickers:
Melbourne:
Fritsch, (2), Pickett, (2), Langdon, Petty, Sharp, Sparrow
Essendon:
Menzie, (4), Caddy, (2), Hobbs, (2), Duursma, Gresham, Jones, Martin, Perkins, Redman, Shiel
Best:
Melbourne:
J. Bowey, E. Langdon, K. Pickett
Essendon:
J. Menzie, Z. Merrett, D. Shiel