Essendon wins high-stakes game to end Collingwood’s finals hopes

IN a high-stakes game Essendon kept its season alive after it was prepared to roll the dice but Collingwood decided to play it safe and its chances of playing finals are now gone.

Joe Daniher pushes Tyson Goldsack out of the way. Picture: Michael Klein

IT was a game of risks and Collingwood decided to play it safe.

In the first half, anyway. In a high-stakes game, how risky was that?

Essendon rolled the dice and rolled the Magpies. The first quarter at the MCG told the story.

For the first 13 minutes, Collingwood had control. Chip, chip, chip went coach Nathan Buckley’s men.

Much like the club’s graph under Buckley’s, the movement was more sideways and backwards rather than powerful surges forward.

There were rewards, with Tim Broomhead and Jamie Elliott kicking the first two goals. But there was far more palpable frustration from the stands as fumbles and bumbles punctuated the start.

Then, whoosh. Seven consecutive goals to Essendon, two courtesy of imposing ruckman Tom Bellchambers.

If monikers were pulled from the playing surface it would’ve been the Collingwood Boundary Huggers against the Essendon Corridor Creatures.

Essendon’s Andrew McGrath is too slick for Mason Cox. Picture: Getty Images

Both sides moved it backwards. But when the Bombers did, it was with purpose, wanting to wheel into space.

When the score read 7.0 (42) to 2.3 (15), Essendon was playing on from 50 per cent of marks and Collingwood just 30 per cent.

“Most people that watch Collingwood can’t see a game plan,” former goalkicker Nathan Brown noted on Triple M.

It’s a scathing assessment of a coach in his sixth season. The same couldn’t be said about Essendon, a team on the incline.

As stagnant as the Pies were, the Dons were a joy to watch when they got it right.

Orazio Fantasia starred for the Bombers with five goals. Picture: Getty Images

With the ball in hand, No.1 pick Andy McGrath burst through the centre square with three running bounces during the second quarter.

The forward entry landed in Orazio Fantasia’s lap and he slotted Essendon’s sixth consecutive goal.

Then, after a mini fightback by the Pies, Conor McKenna found the footy at halfback.

The Irishman burst forward with three running bounces and while his kick wasn’t pretty, the entry was so fast it gave Fantasia space to work with.

Fantasia snapped another goal, on his way to a second bag of five, and the Dons scooted 27 points clear at the main break.

The similar pieces of play epitomised the powerful potential of the Bombers in a win baked in positives.

Veteran James Kelly, 33, retired from Geelong in 2015.

He should be thinking about playing in 2018. Kelly’s dash from halfback was obvious, while the on-field coaching he must deliver would be less so.

The signs were ominous for Nathan Buckley and Adam Treloar at three-quarter time. Picture: Michael Klein

Dyson Heppell enjoyed perhaps his best game since Round 1 and another blond mop of hair, Darcy Parish, mopped up well in defence.

Even James Stewart, the father-son the Pies didn’t want, slotted two cool majors in the second term.

Michael Hurley’s All-Australian season continued with 11 marks and David Zaharakis won the second-most disposals of his career.

Magpie Brayden Maynard got under the Dons skin, and Levi Greenwood got into Zach Merrrett’s chin.

Greenwood will cop a suspension after throwing an elbow while Maynard and Fantasia traded niggles as the contest grew in spite after halftime.

Joe Daniher and Cale Hooker remonstrate with Levi Greenwood after his high elbow on Zach Merrett. Picture: Getty Images

But by the final quarter, the sting was gone. Even press box interest, from media and club staff alike, had turned to the frantic final minute of the Hawthorn-GWS draw in Launceston.

In seven weeks coach Alastair Clarkson has turned the Hawks around.

Magpie believers wouldn’t even be sure Buckley could do that in his seventh year, if given the chance, next season.

COLLINGWOOD 2.3 4.6 9.7 12.8 (80)

ESSENDON 5.0 9.3 13.6 18.9 (117)

GOALS

Magpies: Fasolo 4, Elliott 3, Broomhead, Reid, Cox, De Goey, Adams

Bombers: Fantasia 5, Daniher 3, Bellchambers 2, Stewart 2, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Merrett, Zaharakis, Hooker, Merrett, Colyer

BEST

Magpies: Elliott, Pendlebury, Adams, Langdon, Goldsack

Bombers: Heppell, Kelly, Zaharakis, Hurley, Fantasia, Watson, Merrett, Myers

INJURIES

Magpies: Jeremy Howe (calf) replaced in selected side by Matt Scharenberg

Bombers: Michael Hartley (corked thigh)

Reports: Nil

Official crowd: 63,537 at the MCG