Essendon’s AFL finals dream dwindles in St Kilda ‘horror show’

St Kilda has dismantled Essendon by 53 points to deliver a big blow to the Bombers’ dwindling AFL finals hopes.

The Bombers looks dejected after the loss. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

St Kilda has dismantled Essendon by 53 points, 17.6 (108) to 8.7 (55), in a Bombers horror show that has dealt a big blow to their finals hopes.

The Saints separated the game with a seven-goal third term that Brad Scott’s side couldn’t recover from as questions will come after Essendon’s ugly showing.

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Saint Rowan Marshall (26 disposals, 10 marks, 30 hit-outs, one goal) had his finger prints all over this one, while Jack Steele, Cooper Sharman and Anthony Caminiti all kicked three goals apiece.

It marked the 10-1-7 Bombers’ third loss in a row, with their finals hopes now hanging by a thread, at risk to sliding as low as 11th by the end of the round pending other results.

The Saints have meanwhile won three of their last four games to improve to 7-11 and emerge as a genuine danger team for opposition finals contenders on the run home.

Jack Higgins celebrates a goal during St Kilda’s big win. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

A season once with so much promise for Essendon, including having genuine top four hopes, suddenly has the Bombers under threat of missing the finals.

It was a game the Bombers simply had to win, but they failed the test in a major way.

And it was the manner in which the Bombers lost that was perhaps most disheartening, dismantled by the Saints with that crucial seven-goal third term.

“I think Ross Lyon said after last week ‘we mightn’t be able to make the finals, but we’re going to enjoy being the Grinch’,” Demons great Garry Lyon said.

“Right now they are putting the Bombers and their supporter base into a world of pain.”

Of course, Essendon last year faded late in the season, dropping five of its last eight games to slide out of the top eight.

So is history repeating itself?

The Bombers looks dejected after the loss. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

It comes ahead of a tough run home, where the Bombers face Fremantle (MCG), Gold Coast (Marvel Stadium), Sydney (Marvel Stadium) and Brisbane (Gabba) in a period we’ll learn plenty about Scott’s men.

“If Brad Scott called last week gory, this has been a horror show of all new proportions for Bombers fans,” Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones said at three-quarter time.

“Forget finals, if you have a look at the run home, it’s actually hard to see them winning any games based on the form they’re showing at the moment.

“With so much to pay for today, there’s going to be a lot of seething Essendon fans here at Marvel Stadium.”

Originally published as Essendon’s AFL finals dream dwindles in St Kilda ‘horror show’