Essendon still in finals contention after Zach Merrett’s third-quarter masterclass
Essendon has no shortage of matchwinners but it was Zach Merrett who turned this contest as the Bombers secured a valuable victory against Hawthorn to give their season a pulse.
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Essendon is one of those teams who doesn’t just have one or two barometers, they have several candidates.
There are two prominent ones in the forward line with the general consensus being if either Orazio Fantasia or Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti fire then the Bombers win.
Cale Hooker and Michael Hurley are thrown up sometimes, even ruckman Tom Bellchambers, but the most consistent barometer of the lot made a statement.
It’s not too big of a stretch to say Zach Merrett won this game for Essendon given his brilliant third quarter changed the complexion of the game which ended with a comfortable 19-point win for his side.
The 2016 Crichton medallist flicked the switch with 13 possessions which included eight contested and four centre clearances for the term.
He was dynamic, inspirational and a level above any Hawthorn midfielder with his combination with Bellchambers a delight to watch.
So with the Merrett barometer in overdrive the Bombers blew a three-point lead at halftime out to 23 points at three-quarter time which was effectively game over.
The first three goals of the final term rubber stamped that theory although a mini fightback by Hawthorn — three goals in four minutes — made things interesting briefly late.
Merrett (28 possessions) had his captain Dyson Heppell (28 touches) riding shotgun with him while young tagger Dylan Clarke claimed another scalp limiting Jaeger O’Meara while getting 23 possessions himself.
The Bombers speed which so often is its weapon at Marvel Stadium was in full display with half-backs Conor McKenna and Adam Saad, who kicked a brilliant goal in the third quarter, exhilarating at times.
While they were zipping all over the place, Hurley was the rock and he dominated a lifeless Hawthorn forward line collecting 26 disposals.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson was always going to come up with something different given he had two weeks to think about playing Essendon.
Regular defender James Sicily to centre-half forward was the surprise move which only had mixed success early.
Remarkably the Hawks failed to take a mark in their forward 50 until the final minute of the second quarter.
This was when Sicily had his moment.
Paul Puopolo, the smallest member of the forward line, came up with the only mark for the half which gave him a set shot from 48 metres.
His kick barely made the distance with Sicily somehow getting rid of two Bombers on the line to allow the ball to sail through much to the disgust of Hurley, whose effort to touch it was embarrassing.
ROUGHY PLEASE
Surely Jarryd Roughead can’t be going that bad in the VFL that he's not a worthy option in this Hawthorn forward line.
The four-time premiership hero has to be better value than going in with two slow ruckmen which was the story last night.
Jonathon Ceglar and Ben McEvoy rotated as the tall option in the forward line and had minimal impact.
The Hawks were adamant Roughead's dropping was about form and to give youngster Mitchell Lewis a shot at being the main man.
Well, Lewis was dropped for last night's game, another youngster Tim O'Brien didn't see much of it while in desperation Sicily was moved there for a half which also didn't work.
IRISH TRICKS
Conor McKenna couldn't help himself in the first quarter.
The Irishman was streaming out of defence, took two bounces and then momentarily forgot where he was.
McKenna obviously thought he was back in Croke Park in Dublin rather than Marvel Stadium as he went for a Gaelic rules style kick to himself which you do in that game to keep possession.
He then kept running before reverting back to Australian Rules and kicking the Sherrin long down the wing.
It wasn't the only strange act of the opening term with Hawthorn captain Ben Stratton again caught pinching an opponent for the second time this year.
Two weeks ago the cameras caught him pinching Brisbane's Charlie Cameron and last night his victim was Fantasia with field umpire Ray Chamberlain issuing Stratton with a warning about his new fetish.
ESSENDON 2.2 6.7 11.11 14.12 (96)
HAWTHORN 2.3 6.4 8.6 11.11 (77)
GOALS
Essendon: Begley 2, Fantasia 2, Langford 2, Stringer 2, Bellchambers, Guelfi, McKernan, Saad, Parish, Merrett
Hawthorn: Impey 2, Breust, Moore, Puopolo, Ceglar, Gunston, Glass, McEvoy, Scully, Henderson
BEST
Essendon: Merrett, McKenna, Hurley, Clarke, Heppell, Hooker, Parish, Bellchambers
Hawthorn: Impey, Worpel, Henderson, Shiels, Smith, Scully
INJURIES
Essendon: Stringer (leg)
Hawthorn: Nil
Reports: Nil
Official crowd: 44,846 at Marvel Stadium
VOTES
3 — Zach Merrett (Essendon)
2 — Conor McKenna (Essendon)
1 — Michael Hurley (Essendon)
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