AFL 2021 Essendon v GWS: Lachie Whitfield ignites Giants as Darcy Parish shutdown clamps Bombers

Essendon fell out of the top-eight after Sunday’s loss to the Giants. But, on current form, coach Ben Rutten says it won’t even matter if the Bombers clinch a finals spot.

Daniel Garb

4 min read

July 26, 2021 - 7:44AM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Callan Ward looks to send the Giants deep into attack. Picture: Getty Images

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It won’t matter if the Bombers make the finals or not the way they’re playing at present, according to coach Ben Rutten after his side dropped out of the top eight with a lacklustre second half performance against GWS on the Gold Coast.

In a 13-point loss that saw his team relegated to ninth, and the Giants jump from 12th spot into the eight, Rutten said unless his side improve dramatically it won’t matter if they clinch a September spot.

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Bombers coach Ben Rutten speaks to his players during the loss to GWS. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos

“We just need to get our game better. That’s our biggest focus. We’re not going to get too far in the finals if we play like we have over the last couple of weeks,” he said post-match.

“That’s our priority at the moment, to get our game back to where it was for the main part of the season.

“In particular the second half the Giants just had their way with us a bit too much in the contest. It was disappointing, I would have liked to see a bit more competitiveness around the ball, aerial balls as well.

“We’re far from the finished product, we’ve still got a lot of growth to go in our group.”

After holding a 16-point lead at half-time, the Bombers were overpowered by the Giants on-ball brigade in the second half, and with star on-baller Darcy Parish kept to just 14 possessions by Lachie Ash predominantly – his lowest total of the season – Essendon struggled to wrestle control of the contest back.

“It’s part of being a good midfielder. Darcy’s put a big body of work in throughout the season so it’s not surprising that opposition teams are starting to put a bit more work into him,” Rutten added.

“That’s just part of his evolution as a player now and I thought he battled well but our whole midfield group was down a little bit tonight.”

The Bombers were well beaten at the contest by the Giants on Sunday. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

The engine room issue may be alleviated slightly by the return of Kyle Langford from injury with Rutten adding he was hopeful that he would be back to face the Swans on Saturday, most likely on the Gold Coast again.

Mid-season draftee Sam Durham seems set to keep his spot in the midfield, howeve, after tallying 15 possessions in another impressive showing in just his second game of AFL football.

“We’re really enjoying seeing everything he’s doing at the moment. He’s got some nice poise and composure with the ball and has some toughness in him as well,” Rutten said.

“He’s a really promising player for us. I think he took another step forward for us which is great.”

Match report: Giants back in hunt as midfielder clamp sinks Dons

The GWS Giants have given their hopes of a return top finals football an almighty boost with a 13-point win over the Bombers on the Gold Coast that moves them into the all-important eighth spot and shifts Essendon out of the finals positions with four weeks to go.

In a sign of just how tight the race for a spot in September is the Giants jumped all the way up from twelfth spot with the victory that came in the absence of arguably their best player in Toby Greene, who remains in quarantine and was inspired by a sensational third term from Lachie Whitfield who would finish with 36 possessions.

In a scrappy game, that was yet again at a neutral venue, the contest was crying out for a superstar to take control and it would be the two-time best and fairest who answered the call with a brilliant third quarter that helped his team kick four goals to none for the term and take an eight-point lead into the final break.

Callan Ward looks to send the Giants deep into attack. Picture: Getty Images

Another tense quarter would ensue in the final stanza until Brent Daniels, who was impressive all evening, snapped one out of a ruck contest from a tight angle to put the Giants out of sight and secure a critical four points.

Essendon had looked the stronger side in the first half, taking a 14-point advantage into half-time, mainly off the back of the brilliant work from Zac Merrett on-ball and the red-hot Jake Stringer.

BRENT DANIELS!

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A strong Stringer tackle on Daniels in the second term led to a holding the ball call which the dynamic forward would convert from which summed up the Essendon edge in the first half.

After half-time though the Giants prime movers took control, led by Whitfield but ably supported by young gun Tom Green, who finished with 29 touches and six clearances, Josh Kelly in his 150th game as well as Jacob Hopper as the Giants sealed one of the most important wins of their season.

DARCY DILUTED

Darcy Parish has been one of the standout performers of the season prompting Leon Cameron to put a lot of work into dulling his influence in a must- win game. Lachie Ash was moved into the midfield with the responsibility of diluting the impact of the Bombers ball winner and succeeded as he was kept to just 14 disposals, his lowest tally of the season.

SHIEL SILENCED

Expectations weren’t necessarily high for Dylan Shiel’s return top footy considering he spent four months out with a knee injury but Bombers fans would have been hopeful that he could add even more of his class to a burgeoning midfield group. It’s clear that may take some time however as he finished with only the 13 possessions for the game and had minimal impact against his old club.

Jake Stringer fends off the tackle from Phil Davis. Picture: AFL Photos/via Getty Images

BULL DURHAM

While the loss is a big dent in Essendon’s quest to play finals, so much of this season has been about unearthing youngsters for the future and in 20-year-old Sam Durham, who was taken with pick nine in the mid-season draft, they seem to have found another one. The midfielder was hard at it once more in just his second game finishing with 15 disposals and looking like he’ll keep his spot in Ben Rutten’s best 22.