Essendon pulls off fighting win over Adelaide to start 2018 season with a bang

IF Essendon was on the stock exchange, its three quarter time price was plummeting. But all that changed after a stunning final term. Did the real Bombers stand up or was this a flash in the pan?

Jake Stringer in action during his Essendon debut. Picture: Getty Images

ON a day when stock markets around the globe shuddered with almost seismic impact, one of the AFL’s most speculative stocks turned a negative reading into a sizeable dividend.

For all intents and purposes, this new-look Essendon looked to be a massive ‘sell’ when it seemed down and out in trailing by 20 points six minutes into the final term in front of a stunned Etihad Stadium crowd.

Jake Stringer had lost his car keys and wallet pre-game, Zach Merrett lost a few moments of clarity before being ruled out of the game, and John Worsfold seemed to have every reason to lose his cool after the wasteful Bombers looked to have fluffed a serious chance of launching into the season against the undermanned Crows.

GAME RECAP: HOW ESSENDON V ADELAIDE PLAYED OUT

LIVE STATS: SEE ALL THE SCORES AND STATS HERE

BIG HIT: BOMBER BLOWN AWAY BY BIG BUMP

The ‘sell’ was on.

For a time, it looked as if the Bombers trade for the triple S’s — Stringer, Smith and Saad — was hardly going to be the panacea of its ills from stages of the 2017 season.

Then something strange happened.

The Bombers somehow found their mojo, and transformed from some sort of dodgy crypto-currency into the bluest of blue chip stocks.

Their rock-solid defence held firm; their midfielders, who had looked a little shaky and undersized at times against the harder-bodied Crows, turned the game on its head; and the talls and smalls in the forward line dragged themselves into the contest with opportunistic glee.

Cale Hooker celebrates an Essendon goal. Picture: AAP Images

Having kicked only eight goals in the first three terms, Essendon crafted six majors in the final term, off the back of some strong ground work from the likes of Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Josh Green, and the power in the air of Cale Hooker and James Stewart.

Dyson Heppell, Brendon Goddard and David Zaharakis showed strong leadership, particularly in the final term, to help drag their team back into the contest; Adam Saad was outstanding in quelling Eddie Betts and still providing great run in red and black; and Devon Smith showed precisely why Worsfold was so keen to chase the former Giant.

The Bombers were wasteful in the second term, kicking 1.6 for their 16 inside 50s, and that wasteful term will be on show at Tullamarine for part of the week in review.

But so too will be the last half hour of play, as the cut-and-run of Worsfold’s team — as well as seemingly a hard edge — shows this time might be capable of finally winning a final — if not more — this year.

Here are the takeouts from the Bombers’ blueprint going forward.

Jake Stringer in action during his Essendon debut. Picture: Michael Klein

DIFFERENT SIDE TO SAAD

Essendon recruited Saad for his breath-taking attack, but it was his lockdown skills on the ever-dangerous Eddie Betts that showed his game has a new dimension.

Everywhere Betts travailed in the Crows’ attacking half, the former Gold Coast defender was stalking him all the way. Saad saved the day on many occasions, and ran the ball beautifully out of defence. He made few blemishes and looks a defensive jet.

SMITH’S HARDNESS

The Bombers need more grunt in the midfield and Smith provided that at times. He showed exactly why the Bombers worked tooth and nail to make him their first trade of the off-season, and he is ready to pay them back in spades.

TWO HALVES FOR JAKE

Stringer set the scene for drama even before the contest, posting an Instagram photo of himself, detailing how he had left his car park pass and his wallet at home.

Stringer started in the midfield, got the first effective possession of the game, took a first-term screamer in defence and had 10 touches in a first half. Sadly, he couldn’t maintain that. But he looked threatening and will look better for the run.

JOEY’S JITTERS

David King predicted this could be the year Joe Daniher can shove his way past Lance Franklin as the best forward in the game — that won’t happen unless he can make much more out of his wayward left foot.

He managed two goals, but it should have been a few more, which might have locked this game away earlier.

But Hooker and Stewart were enormous, while Daniher took Daniel Talia for much of the game, And after a slow start, the smaller Dons turned into an electric force.

And Andrew McGrath through the midfield and on the wing is real bonus for the Bombers.