Essendon dominates Carlton to win NAB Challenge game and pre-season PR battle

COACHING legend David Parkin said this week Carlton’s list is still worse than Essendon’s even after the drugs scandal. There may be merit to his theory.

NAB Challenge, AFL : Carlton v Essendon

DAVID Parkin was all over it.

The coaching legend declared last week he thought Carlton’s list was in worse shape than Essendon’s even after the drugs scandal.

On the evidence presented on Sunday at Ikon Park, there is merit to his theory.

The new Bombers, including four of their 10 top-up players, dominated an ordinary Blues outfit.

For these two sides it’s all about perception and PR at this time of the year.

Both aren’t going to play finals so the key is to give hope to supporters who deep down know it’s going to be a long, hard season.

They can put up with that to a degree if at least they got to see some excitement in February.

For Carlton this should have been a no-brainer. A perfect afternoon at their spiritual home ground which was full to capacity in a throwback to the glory days of the 1980s and 90s.

Lots of good PR to be won here, lots of memberships to be sold.

All that was required was the mayonnaise on top in the form of a decent on-field performance.

Leaving your best half-dozen players out of the team was a risk but new coach Brendon Bolton clearly thought he had enough bodies to deal with the mishmash Bombers.

It was the first major mistake of his coaching career.

Essendon’s patched-up team which wasn’t even finalised until last week played with a spirit and efficiency that was impressive.

The last signing of the ‘Top-up 10’, former Brisbane ruckman Sam Michael, started in the centre bounce and got the first hitout.

Andrew Phillips of the Blues and Sam Michael of the Bombers take off at a centre bounce.

It was a case of normal programming resuming for Ryan Crowley, whose first couple of touches were greeted by loud boos from the Carlton faithful.

The former Docker played mainly across half-forward, collecting 17 possessions including a goal on the final siren.

Ex-Hawk Jonathan Simpkin started on a wing and his 17 touches included six inside-50s.

But it was the fourth member of the new crew who stole the show.

Sam Grimley started at centre half-forward and looked lively from the outset.

He should have kicked two goals in the opening quarter, missing easy set shots from inside 25m.

He eventually kicked straight early in the third quarter after taking another impressive pack mark.

Grimley was the leading goalkicker in the VFL for the past two seasons but Hawthorn clearly thought he was incapable of making the next step.

He certainly looked the part on Sunday, teaming with Joe Daniher in a forward setup that will certainly test opposition teams in the air.

Of the other new faces, former Swan Craig Bird got enough of it while first-round draft pick Darcy Parish’s reputation as a ball magnet is well founded and Jake Long, son of club legend Michael, did a couple of nice things.

While anything that happens in the pre-season must be taken with a grain of salt, there was enough from Essendon to suggest they’re not going to be the walkover the AFL may have feared.

As for Carlton, well, Parko probably summed it up best.