AFL round 7: Essendon and Collingwood play out thrilling 85-85 draw in Anzac Day clash
Jamie Elliott probably claimed the best mark of 2024 in the Anzac Day clash, but both he and Kyle Langford fluffed their chances to be heroes in a game that will live long in the memory.
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For those wanting to leave the MCG with some big picture declarations about either Collingwood or Essendon, that didn’t happen.
The crazy final quarter which ultimately saw the game end in a classic draw will be analysed over and over again for days with many questions asked.
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One question which the AFL world is consumed by each year - who will win mark-of-the-year - has been answered.
But unfortunately for Jamie Elliott he’s not going to feel as warm and fuzzy about the honour as he thought he would have given what happened in the final 30 seconds.
Elliott, who has a habit of finding himself in the right position at critical moments, fluffed a golden opportunity to take a diving chest mark which would have seen him have a shot for goal from 50m out to win the game.
Any score would have won the Pies the game and that scenario isn’t foreign to Elliott who has broken the Bombers’ hearts in similar circumstances before.
Back in Round 19 2022, the Pies clutch operator kicked a goal after-the-siren from the boundary line to win the game.
Unfortunately for him lightning doesn’t strike twice but when the hurt of a missed opportunity fades in a couple of days, Ellliott can reflect on THE mark.
If there was still a car up for grabs for the mark-of-the-year, he would be leaving the MCG in it given the extraordinary grab he took in the third quarter.
It was almost like time stood still as Jordan De Goey went long from the wing to a contest at half-forward which had Essendon full-back Ben McKay in prime position to mark.
That’s not how Elliott saw it, he saw the Bombers defender in prime position to jump on his head . . . literally.
The Pies forward got so high McKay’s head was stuck in the middle of his thighs as he hovered on top of him and perfectly grabbed the Sherrin at its highest point.
Then as he crashed down onto the MCG turf, 93,000 people rose as one out of their seats to applaud the best mark any of them are likely to see in their lives.
The fact he then went back and slotted the shot for goal from 45m out on the angle says so much about what a big-time footballer he is.
Collingwood fans had earlier had the opportunity to celebrate another one of their premiership heroes after Scott Pendlebury chalked up an incredible AFL milestone.
The veteran came in requiring four possessions to reach the magical 10,000 mark and he made sure he got it out of the way early.
At the 23-minute mark of the first quarter Pendlebury gathered the pill deep in defence and gave off a quick handball to ruckman Darcy Cameron.
It wasn’t his most creative and perfect touch, in fact it put his teammate under pressure with Cameron required to get off a quick kick.
The crowd didn’t care, they broke into polite applause before the achievement flashed up on the MCG scoreboard.
In a neat piece of symmetry, Pendlebury’s tally of 10,000 was made up of 5,003 handballs and 4,997 kicks.
There wasn’t anything neat about the final quarter when players from both sides were vying for the same hero-worshipping which Elliott and Pendlebury had received early.
Brody Mihocek put in a good case given he inspired the Pies comeback after they were blown off the park in the opening 15 minutes of the game.
He kicked three goals in the first half but in the space of a couple of minutes midway through the final sent two set-shots out-on-full to blow his chance.
Essendon’s best forward all day had been Kyle Langford. He had four goals to his name by early in the final term and had been the fire-starter for the Bombers in the last stanza.
But then with less than 80 seconds on the clock he missed a straight forward set shot from 30m out to win the game for his team.
In the end the result was fitting given the contest and bravery of both sides. So what does this result mean come the end of the year? Who knows.
But what we do know is that Jamie Elliott will be attending Brownlow Medal night to collect his mark-of-the-year award.
SCOREBOARD
BOMBERS 6.1, 7.6, 9.11, 12.13 (85)
MAGPIES 2.6, 6.11, 9.12, 12.13 (85)
BOURKE’S BEST Bombers: Merrett, Langford, Stringer, Parish, Martin, McGrath. Magpies: Mihocek, N Daicos, Elliott, Moore, De Goey, Noble.
GOALS Bombers: Langford 4, Wright 2, Stringer, Jones, Parish, Draper, Davey, Martin. Magpies: Mihocek 3, Elliott 2, Hoskin-Elliott, N Daicos, Lipinski, Schultz, J Daicos, Harrison, McCreery.
UMPIRES Gianfagna, Hosking, Mollison, Stephens
INJURIES Bombers: Jones (nose). Magpies: nil.
CROWD 93,644 at the MCG
BOURKE’S VOTES
3. Zach Merrett (Ess)
2. Kyle Langford (Ess)
1. Brody Mihocek (Coll)
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