AFL Round 17: Essendon defeat Collingwood by 12 points
Essendon’s defence looked all at sea as Jack Crisp ran riot for three consecutive first-term goals at the MCG – but the Bombers steadied and then broke away to silence the doubters.
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No more “horses for courses” – Essendon coach Brad Scott found his perfect mix of talls as the Bombers stormed past Collingwood on Friday night.
Third-gamer Nate Caddy secured his place in the Bombers’ forward line as he and Sam Draper sparked an impressive turnaround from four goals down to complete a 12-point victory.
Essendon’s defence looked all at sea as Jack Crisp ran riot for three consecutive first-term goals, but the Bombers steadied and then broke away to emphatically quell doubts over their legitimacy as finals contenders.
After Scott put his leaders on blast following a second-half meltdown against Geelong, captain Zach Merrett could not have responded more fervently as he seized control of the midfield battle with 30 disposals and a massive 15 score involvements.
But the Bombers kept possession and kept their cool in the final minute as a sea of red and black scarves waved in the MCG stands.
Collingwood’s wretched run with injury reared its head again as Brody Mihocek appeared to dislocate a shoulder during time-on in the final term.
After he’d already looked off-colour with just one goal from six disposals, the Magpies spearhead tried to play on for several minutes before he came from the field.
Dylan Shiel made the most of his recall to Essendon’s starting 22 with 19 disposals and five clearances in a huge second half.
ONE CRISP QUARTER
Nearly 10 years since he last bagged three goals in a game, Jack Crisp had a hat-trick in only two minutes on Friday night thanks to a roving masterclass which left the Bombers reeling midway through the first term.
Crisp sharked a Sam Draper handball to snap the Magpies’ second goal of the game off his non-preferred boot before a deft tap from Nick Daicos to Pendlebury at the next centre bounce allowed him to burst out the front of the stoppage for a brilliant long goal.
Crucially, Crisp didn’t come from the ground after either major, and was still in position to swallow up a Peter Wright hit-out and snap off his preferred left from the pocket to have his third before the Bombers could blink.
HOW WAS HE DROPPED?
It’s unlikely Essendon’s VFL side will see Nate Caddy for a while.
After a week on the sidelines for Todd Goldstein, Caddy was crucial to the Bombers’ second-half resurrection and excited fans as he leapt confidently for the ball and used it smartly going inside 50.
He only had 1.2 to halftime but it came with six score involvements and a number of headaches for Collingwood defenders already desperate to keep Jake Stringer and Kyle Langford under lock and key.
DURHAM FIGHTS BACK
Sam Durham had Nick Daicos under wraps in the first 20 minutes but as the Bombers tried to increase the speed of their ball movement in the second term, Daicos racked up 14 disposals.
It was another show of Durham’s impressive maturity that the 22-year-old got back on top of the Brownlow Medal fancy after halftime and got his own offensive game going as well.
He relentlessly drove the Bombers forward with eight kicks and set up a crucial goal to Kyle Langford with a clean pick up and spearing forward entry running through the middle.
Scoreboard
MAGPIES 5.2, 8.4, 8.7, 12.8 (80)
BOMBERS 2.5, 6.8, 10.12, 13.14 (92)
ED BOURKE’S BEST Magpies: Sidebottom, Crisp, N Daicos, Pendlebury, Moore, De Goey. Bombers: Merrett, Durham, Draper, Caldwell, Shiel, McKay.
GOALS Magpies: Crisp 3, Howe 2, Harrison 2, Kruger 2, Pendlebury, Schultz, Mihocek. Bombers: Langford 2, Wright 2, Merrett, Stringer, Caddy, Jones, Gresham, Draper, Duursma, Guelfi, Caldwell.
UMPIRES Broadbent, Fleer, Foot, Stevic
INJURIES Magpies: Mihocek (pectoral). Bombers: nil.
CROWD 81,711 at the MCG
BOURKE’S VOTES
3. Zach Merrett (Ess)
2. Steele Sidebottom (Coll)
1. Sam Durham (Ess)
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