AFL 2020: Brisbane scores emphatic win over Essendon, fans rage over umpiring decisions
Essendon’s finals credentials were exposed by a brutal Brisbane performance but debutant Sam Draper gave Dons fans a reason to get excited on an otherwise dismal night.
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Brisbane has banished any questions about its depth with a commanding 63-point win over a disappointing Essendon at Metricon Stadium on Friday night.
Electric forward Charlie Cameron booted four goals and set the Lions up early, as did Lachie Neale, who kicked two first-quarter goals and once again found a mountain of footy through the midfield in the 14.7 (91) to 3.10 (28) victory.
The Bombers gave up five goals in the opening term after laying just two tackles but still only trailed by 20 points at halftime, but a run of four on the trot after the long break blew the game open for Brisbane.
Recalled Lions Alex Witherden and Noah Answerth were outstanding for the home side in defence.
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Onballer Andrew McGrath fought hard against the odds for Essendon, with veteran defender Michael Hurley another solid contributor.
WORST DECISION OF THE YEAR?
The holding the ball interpretation was under fire again with Essendon fans fuming when a decision went against Andrew McGrath in the third quarter.
The Bombers midfielder was penalised after he went to his knees to pick up the ball before standing up and engaging in a wrestle for the footy with Jarryd Lyons.
The umpire ruled McGrath had dived on the ball and dragged it in, with the free kick coming in the middle of a four-goal run for the Lions.
The Bombers were on the receiving end of some rough decisions before the McGrath call as Brisbane won the free kick count 24-16 on the night.
Hawthorn premiership champ Luke Hodge said the decision highlighted the confusion around the holding the ball rule.
“This is not what this rule is brought in for. He dives in, but he gets up and is trying to fight it out,” Hodge said on Channel 7.
“That’s the frustration. It is the change of interpretation. I feel for the umpires because they’re getting told something late and they’ve got to tweak it in between rounds.”
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley last week said constant interpretation adjustments were making the job harder for umpires.
Earlier in the season Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson called for tacklers to be rewarded with free kicks to open up the game.
Suspect umpires will be back on the agenda after tonight. What you say Essendon fans?
— Mark Robinson (@Robbo_heraldsun) July 31, 2020
I scoffed when people said the holding-the-ball interpretation meant players wouldn’t go for the ball any more. This is the first time I actually worried it might be true. McGrath hunts it and gets to his feet. Still gets penalised pic.twitter.com/9wWCwl5bVW
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) July 31, 2020
Worst free kick of the year? Gee, it’s in the discussion.
— Glenn McFarlane (@MaccaHeraldSun) July 31, 2020
The Andy McGrath holding the ball. 😂😂😂😂
— Matthew Richardson (@mattricho0) July 31, 2020
McGrath free kick has to be right up there as the worst free kick of the year.
— Alex Fair (@AJFair85) July 31, 2020
Horrible night from that perspective. The umpiring has been something else indeed. #AFLDonsLions
MIXED BAG
Fresh off signing a five-year contract extension, Cameron was at his must-watch best in the first quarter.
He started with a blown set shot less than 30 seconds in but made up for that shanked miss with a brilliant goal off the ground to give the Lions their second minutes later.
The zippy forward then turned villain when a brain-fade handed Devon Smith a 50m penalty and he slotted the Bombers’ first.
Just to make sure he headed to the huddle in the good books, Cameron thrilled the small crowd with a volley from the goalsquare after he outsmarted Mason Redman, then gave him a fearful spray as the Bomber laid flat on his back. Charlie did it all.
TIPPA KEPT QUIET
When Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti is on, more often than not, he not only hits the scoreboard for Essendon, and puts enormous heat on opposition defenders.
Unfortunately for the Bombers, the lively goalkicker did neither against the Lions, not surprising given he didn’t touch the footy at all in the second half.
The only time he caused the statisticians was when he gave away a free kick.
A tight-checking Answerth relished his return to the senior side with a total blanket-job on the dangerous Bomber.
FEEL-GOOD STORY
Sam Skinner’s multiple ACL issues kept him out of senior footy since Round 17, 2017, so when he was picked to take on the Bombers, it was just reward for the key forward.
He took some time to work into the match but got his chance early in the second quarter when fellow tall Eric Hipwood found him alone 30m out dead in front.
Skinner missed a shot from a similar spot in the opening term, but calmly eased it home and was mobbed by his 17 teammates.
The major was the first of four in a row for the Lions and the result was beyond doubt. More importantly, the goal came 1098 days since his last major against North Melbourne almost three years ago.
DRAPER DELIVERS
Sam Draper went into Round 9 with plenty of eyes on his first game and produced a performance that suggests the Bomber is worth persevering with for the rest of the season.
With Tom Bellchambers stationed as a deep forward, Draper used his athleticism to provide his midfield with a presence around stoppages, and also worked hard at ground level himself.
Draper’s highlight came midway through the third term when he launched and took a towering mark on the back of fellow debutant and opposing ruckman Connor Ballenden.
It wasn’t all bad news for Ballenden, who put his side 45 points up with a neat set shot just before three-quarter time.
“I was really pleased with a young kid coming in off a knee reconstruction, and not being able to build his form through playing normal games of footy,” Essendon coach John Worsfold said.
“You never really know what you’re going to get in a first game other than you hope that they bring what you’ve been seeing at training.
“Some of his high marking has been great and we saw that tonight, so he’s going to be a threat in the air.”
TIGERS PREFECT MEASURING STICK FOR LIONS
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says his team is looking forward to testing itself against Richmond next week.
Brisbane has a horrible recent record against the Tigers, having not beaten them since 2009 and losing an incredible 14 matches in a row, but will go into the match full of confidence.
Fagan doesn’t believe those numbers will affect his current crop of players however, despite Richmond’s exceptional return to form when they belted the Western Bulldogs on Wednesday.
“They were fantastic the other night, weren’t they?” Fagan said post-match.
“They’ve had the wood on us, we’re going to have to play really good footy to beat them.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge, and it’s one of those challenges that we have to meet head on.
“The players probably don’t know that statistic because it’s not really their fault that we have such a bad record against Richmond.
“But if you aspire to be the best then you’ve got to beat the best, and Richmond have been the best team over the past four or five years.”
Fagan was forced to make five changes for the Essendon clash but while some outside the club pondered if the club’s depth would be tested with Daniel Rich (hamstring) and Dan McStay (suspended) missing, it wasn’t an issue.
Alex Witherden slotted into Rich’s role across half back and gathered 25 disposals, while Noah Answerth was also outstanding in defence.
He kept dangerous Bomber Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti to zero first-half possessions, and goalless for the match.
“They both did their jobs perfectly really,” Fagan said.
“Last year when we played Essendon McDonald-Tipungwuti kicked seven goals at the MCG and put on a clinic, so we were pretty concerned about him coming into the game.
“I thought Noah’s job on him was outstanding, he wore him like a second skin.”
Essendon coach John Worsfold said the Bombers’ effort wasn’t good enough.
“In a nutshell, they were too good for us, too classy, and used the ball too well,” Worsfold said.
“There were big patches in the game when we didn’t put them under anywhere near enough pressure, and they made us pay for that.
“Our pressure was down and in the first quarter and we addressed it and the boys responded really well in the second quarter, but we didn’t sustain that.
“Against a really good team, if you don’t put them under any sort of heat, they’ll carve you up.
“We didn’t create enough scoring opportunities or take those opportunities when they were presented to us.
“Then Brisbane created too many scoring opportunities through us not putting enough pressure on them.”
SCOREBOARD
BRISBANE 5.3 5.5 10.6 14.7 (91)
def
ESSENDON 1.3 2.3 3.4 3.10 (28)
GOALS
Essendon: Smith 2, Parish
Brisbane: Cameron 4, Neale 2, McCarthy, Skinner, Lyons, Hipwood, Ballenden, Zorko, Ellis-Yeoman
ADAM CURLEY’S BEST
Essendon: McGrath, Hurley, Ridley, Merrett
Brisbane: Neale, Witherden, Cameron, Zorko, Lyons, Berry
INJURIES
Essendon: Nil
Brisbane: Nil
REPORTS: Nil
ADAM CURLEY’S VOTES
3 – Lachie Neale (Brisbane)
2 – Alex Witherden (Brisbane)
1 – Andrew McGrath (Essendon)
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Originally published as AFL 2020: Brisbane scores emphatic win over Essendon, fans rage over umpiring decisions