Bombers keep season alive with win over Lions
Essendon's season hasn't gone exactly to plan and during the third quarter of Sunday's 22-point win over the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba you sensed there may have been another torrid chapter to come.
The Bombers have endured a series of disastrous third quarters in 2018 and that trait came back to haunt them in the third stanza as they scored a wasteful 1.7 to Brisbane's 2.2. That scoreboard return came from Essendon's 23 inside 50s to Brisbane's six. Jake Stringer, who had a handy game, missed an easy set shot, while Devon Smith missed two of his own. Put simply, they had let Brisbane stay in the game and their 20-point lead at three-quarter-time was by no means safe.
But the Bombers managed to win despite Brisbane pushing them during the last quarter, the victory coming thanks in no small part to the Lions' own goalkicking woes in the final term, which compounded their inaccuracy in the first.
And while the game was sloppy and frustrating at times in the second half Essendon fans should take great encouragement from the win given they did it mostly without their captain Dyson Heppell.
Heppell, after kicking two goals, setting up another and collecting nine disposals, was ruled out from early in the second quarter. Brisbane's veteran and long time Bomber nemesis Luke Hodge had collected Heppell high, fairly, in a 50-50 contest on the Lions' half-back line.
Hodge got to the ball first but fumbled it. Heppell braced for contact but continued to move forward, running into Hodge. He came off the ground dizzy and with damage to his mouth and was soon ruled out due to concussion. Importantly, Hodge's arm and elbow remained braced during contact but it didn't stop the Bomber fans at the Gabba booing the former Hawks skipper and four-time premiership player.
Brisbane defender Harris Andrews put on a masterclass in defence, albeit against a makeshift Essendon forward line anchored by Shaun McKernan and Mitch Brown. Andrew cut out entry after entry by the Bombers. At the other end Cale Hooker did a similar job while at ground level Adam Saad and fourth-gamer Mason Redman helped Essendon look dangerous on the break.
Redman hadn't played in over two years with the victory his first win at AFL level.
The game began at a frenetic pace, with both teams trying and sometimes succeeding at going coast-to-coast in search of ascendancy. While the skills of both teams didn't live up to their industry, they did manage to hit the scoreboard.
Brisbane's approach was to get the ball forward as quick as possible through the corridor. It worked brilliantly for their first goal but Essendon did fairly well at congesting that area of the ground early, and stifling the Lions ball movement.
Not many ardent footy watchers would have tipped Essendon's round 12 forward line to be without Hooker, Joe Daniher and James Stewart - given how the club lined up in the early stages of the season - but that's how it looked at the Gabba. McKernan and Brown were joined by Stringer, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Mark Baguely, Orazio Fantasia all intermittently waiting at their feet.
Stringer was important across the afternoon and, along with Saad and Devon Smith - who was admittedly quiet - the Bombers' high-profile trade trio are starting to hit their stride.
The game became more contested and error-riddled in the second half and save for the inaccuracy that hampered both sides it could have been one of the season's most memorable shootouts.
Essendon have been notorious for struggling on the road but with wins over GWS and Brisbane away in the past few weeks that seems to be turning.
ESSENDON 4.0 7.4 8.11 12.12 (84)
BRISBANE LIONS 2.4 3.7 5.9 8.14 (62)
Goals: Essendon: J Stringer 3 A McDonald-Tipungwuti 2 D Heppell 2 M Brown 2 J Green M Guelfi S McKernan. Brisbane Lions: D Zorko 2 E Hipwood 2 D McStay J Berry O McInerney S Martin
Umpires: Shane McInerney, Robert O’Gorman, Brent Wallace
Official Crowd: 20,476 at Gabba