Essendon’s fighting win after week of scrutiny; Libba says he’s fine after fall

ESSENDON 15.6 (96) d WESTERN BULLDOGS 9.13 (67)

Jake Stringer celebrates a goal.Credit: Getty Images

A Bombers blueprint, a calamity for the Dogs

Essendon can’t have had few more meritorious recent wins. Smashed by Port Adelaide last week, reduced again by injury, under the cosh at times in the first half by a Western Bulldogs side that should be better than they are, the Bombers might easily have excused themselves another defeat here. Instead, they applied themselves doubly, chafed away at the notionally superior Dogs who at length fell apart. Narrow leaders at three-quarter time, the Bombers booted the first five goals of the last quarter to win by a convincing margin. The standard throughout was sloppy, courtesy of a mystifyingly slippery Marvel Stadium surface, and the footy was labour-intensive, but for the Bombers, hard work was its own reward. They have a blueprint. For the Dogs, this was a calamity. Their vaunted midfield was thrashed, Marcus Bontempelli had only five touches after half-time and the Dogs kicked two miserable goals in the second half. It was the sort of defeat that often gives rise to a crisis.

The surface, the reviews

The Marvel Stadium surface was unaccountably slippery. Yes, winter is here, and yes, there’s been plenty of rain, but strong rumour has it that this stadium has a roof and that it was closed. Whatever the cause, it had a deleterious effect on the match, as players regularly lost their feet and with it their timing and their fluency. It’s 2024 and this shouldn’t be an issue. Last week, it was all about score reviews. During the week, there was a review of the reviews. At least, the AFL made known its view about reviews, which is that goal umpires should err on the side of reviewing too often than too little. The outcome? This night, there were only two reviews in the live portion of the match, both completed quickly and affirming the goal umpire’s judgement, before a late, long contemplation of a Sam Darcy toe-poke. The game was negligibly disrupted.

The Naughton question

The Aaron Naughton question remains live. He kicked the Bulldogs’ first goal of the match, but his other was in junk time, and he has six only in five games. He worked far upfield, as per his new brief, but made little impact. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Darcy looked constantly threatening, though less productive than they might have been, which leaves Naughton … where? Which is where we began.

KEY STATS

Thanks so much for joining us this evening everyone.

We will be back tomorrow afternoon with our AFL Saturday blog, please join us then.

Bye for now.

Bombers coach Brad Scott spoke to the media post game.

What were you most pleased with tonight, Brad?

I think, clearly, the response to a poor performance last week. That’s important. I think you - when things are going well for you, get positive reinforcement of what’s working but I’ve always been a believer that you learn the most from your losses. I was pleased with the work our coaching group did. One, to rectify last week in a few areas but coming up against a midfield that contains Liberatore, Bontempelli, Treloar, really good players and to respond like we did particularly in centre bounce was really important for us. I thought our rucks were important in that part of the game as well. I think the overwhelming thing I was most pleased with is just the response because when things are going well, things are a lot easier. I think the real measure is how you respond.

Sam Durham.Credit: AFL Photos

It seemed like they would roll over you after half-time, it happened the other way around. Is this the sort of win that can set up a season?

All I keep thinking and I keep hearing other coaches and players about it, it is just a brutal competition. We were really good at stoppage, centre bounce areas for the first three weeks, then we got taught a lesson in three quarters or two quarters. You just can’t take anything for granted. I thought it was a solid performance from our guys today. That’s great for round five but doesn’t mean anything for round six. You look around the competition, it’s just tight. Even the really good teams are a little bit off. They’re vulnerable. We’re in a position where we’re trying to assert ourselves in game against good opposition and we’ve clearly got a long way to go in that space. Things that you can control...the effort, the intensity, is that the challenge now compared to last week, to maintain the consistency.

The first four games, you were pretty consistent...

I get it looks like really poor effort and it’s difficult for me to say last week, I didn’t identify effort as the issue. But when you are losing by 10 goals, it looks like a lack of effort. I’ll analyse our GPS numbers later tonight and I’m pretty sure they will look pretty similar to last week. There’s effort and there’s execution. I think when the game is on the line, the contest is on the line, it is the ability to hold your feet in the contest, to win a crucial contest like Jye Caldwell did in the middle of the ground. That’s the difference to get the game on your terms. The game, from my vantage point, always appears on a knife’s edge every week. It is the way the AFL wanted

The Dogs midfield, Libba, Bontempelli, how proud were you of the younger players tonight?

It is a big call to say that...we’ve got some good experienced players but the big roles went to Durham and Caldwell. You learn a lot from those opportunities but I thought they stood up really well. They were really important for us, both of them. I feel like an under 12s coach but it was a good team effort tonight. I could go through all the players, a lot of roles, some will be recognised externally, some will be recognised externally, some won’t but all will be recognised internally.

One is the effort of Todd Goldstein. One of the in-form ruckmen, one of your best players tonight.

He was terrific. He set us up early. It is the combination with Draper. We’re keen to get going. They were...they’re proud competitors and they were disappointed with their performance last week. I thought both Draper and Goldstein were influential. English is an All Australian for a very good reason. He is a really good player. I thought we got the ascendancy in there.

“C’mon Ronny. You know better than that,” Beveridge responded when asked by former Age reporter Ronny Lerner if there was any consideration in moving Aaron Naughton into defence.

When asked about the partnership between his forwards Naughton, Sam Darcy and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Beveridge said a lot of it came down to supply.

“I think it is OK if we get the supply but unfortunately tonight, it was not just about our keys [key forwards] as I felt like we missed some influence from others down there as well,” Beveridge said.

“Sam is now more ready to play at the level but the objective tonight was to play him for longer periods. That is something that was different for us and we knew it would be a challenge for our boys against their ruck combination tonight. There are things that will continue to improve. We have scored, on average, more than 100 points a game before this one. That was encouraging and we need to remember that.”

Aaron Naughton of the Bulldogs is congratulated by Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.Credit: Getty Images

Beveridge added that his club was looking to give some younger players opportunities this season but it wasn’t for the future, it was because they think those younger players can help them win games later in the season.

Many people watching were concerned about Tom Liberatore after he fell down late in the game without anyone around him.

But both Liberatore and coach Luke Beveridge have said there is no problem and Beveridge said he was checked out post game and he had no signs of concussion.

“He lost his footing and he stumbled but he is fine,” Beveridge said.

“He’s been looked after and there is no concussion or anything like that. We were coming in, making sure he is OK and he is, apparently, fine.”

Liberatore told ABC post game that he had just lost his balance on his troublesome ankle.

Tom Liberatore unexpectedly goes to ground late in the game.Credit: Channel Seven

Tom Liberatore’s opponent signals for assistance.Credit: Channel Seven

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge spoke to the media post game.

On the match:

“We obviously missed some opportunities to get some momentum on the scoreboard but there was a period where Essendon got a stranglehold [on us] with their pressure. In the last week there was obviously some commentary about the second half for them but, in the end, behind closed doors we came here feeling pretty bullish about our chances and in the end, it is a disappointing night. As it rolled on we didn’t get anything going. We need to process it and get back to it next week.”

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge.Credit: AFL Photos

On Bontempelli’s quiet night and being beaten in the middle:

“It was an important part of the night. The centre bounce situation, week to week, is such important territory and as a scoring avenue. They came out a bit too clean at times. They only scored three goals from it but it seemed like more as far as territory goes. It is an area that, before this year, we have been measuring up pretty well in. We’ve probably been in the top two or three, regardless of ladder position, but it is something we go to work on pretty diligently. We couldn’t get the upper hand, they were pretty good in there.”

On the contest between the teams:

“There were times when we were in open field, had overlap and they broke down whether it was a handball error, it was fumbled or whatever it may be. They are some of the things that are nasty surprises in games. You can’t plan for them or how the momentum shifts. We gave away too many free kicks in the first quarter. I will have to have a look at that as historically we have been a pretty disciplined side as far as that differential goes and it has gone south. We need to better with that side of it. Give Essendon credit, this game is all about being first to the ball and first in aerial and ground contests and over the night, there is no doubt they held sway there.”

On their missed shots:

“You can’t put it down to youth and the evolution of the group, it is just something that wins and loses games of footy. There was more to the game than that aspect but it would have taken away from Essendon’s game if we made some of those missed shots. It always makes a difference.”

ESSENDON 15.6 (96) d WESTERN BULLDOGS 9.13 (67)

Jake Stringer celebrates a goal.Credit: Getty Images

A Bombers blueprint, a calamity for the Dogs

Essendon can’t have had few more meritorious recent wins. Smashed by Port Adelaide last week, reduced again by injury, under the cosh at times in the first half by a Western Bulldogs side that should be better than they are, the Bombers might easily have excused themselves another defeat here. Instead, they applied themselves doubly, chafed away at the notionally superior Dogs who at length fell apart. Narrow leaders at three-quarter time, the Bombers booted the first five goals of the last quarter to win by a convincing margin. The standard throughout was sloppy, courtesy of a mystifyingly slippery Marvel Stadium surface, and the footy was labour-intensive, but for the Bombers, hard work was its own reward. They have a blueprint. For the Dogs, this was a calamity. Their vaunted midfield was thrashed, Marcus Bontempelli had only five touches after half-time and the Dogs kicked two miserable goals in the second half. It was the sort of defeat that often gives rise to a crisis.

The surface, the reviews

The Marvel Stadium surface was unaccountably slippery. Yes, winter is here, and yes, there’s been plenty of rain, but strong rumour has it that this stadium has a roof and that it was closed. Whatever the cause, it had a deleterious effect on the match, as players regularly lost their feet and with it their timing and their fluency. It’s 2024 and this shouldn’t be an issue. Last week, it was all about score reviews. During the week, there was a review of the reviews. At least, the AFL made known its view about reviews, which is that goal umpires should err on the side of reviewing too often than too little. The outcome? This night, there were only two reviews in the live portion of the match, both completed quickly and affirming the goal umpire’s judgement, before a late, long contemplation of a Sam Darcy toe-poke. The game was negligibly disrupted.

The Naughton question

The Aaron Naughton question remains live. He kicked the Bulldogs’ first goal of the match, but his other was in junk time, and he has six only in five games. He worked far upfield, as per his new brief, but made little impact. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Darcy looked constantly threatening, though less productive than they might have been, which leaves Naughton … where? Which is where we began.

KEY STATS

Kyle Langford and Jake Stringer spoke to Channel Seven post game.

On the win:

KL: It was a great win. We copped it all week about our performance [last round]. We wanted to bounce back for each other and our supporters. It was a great effort by the guys. Great win.

Kyle Langford.Credit: Getty Images

So impressed with your forward line, 10 individual goal kickers but it was more the defensive heat and the pressure you brought to really own territory in the second half which was really impressive?

JS: It was. It is something as a forward group we applied on ourselves last week, we let ourselves down last week and it was good to respond tonight

Five goals between you, JS gave you the stink eye when you didn’t pass to him, did he give you some feedback?

KL: I didn’t see him. Just kicked it. I should give it next time.

What about your celebration?

JS: There are a few people that know what it’s about. It’s all good. I’m just enjoying my time out here.

How impressive was Harry Jones’ performance?

KL: Not just tonight. His last month of footy has been terrific. He is finding his spot and growing in confidence every week. We love playing with him. He is a great teammate, I’m happy for him.

As one of the leaders of this club, a more senior player, how do you navigate the ebbs and flows of the scrutiny that comes and goes on your football club week in, week out?

JS: We deserved it last week. As I said, for this group, being as young as we are, and inexperienced, to be able to come out against a very good opposition on their home deck, as well as ours, but to hold them to under 70 points and really pressure them and put them under pressure, it was terrific.

The Bombers have scored a memorable win and raised some serious questions about the prospects of the Western Bulldogs this season after a 29-point win.

Sam Durham, Zach Merrett and Xaiver Duursma were among many winners for the Dons who score the win in front of the first 50,000 strong crowd between the two clubs since 2013.

Xavier Duursma celebrates a goal.Credit: AFL Photos

Sam Darcy has shown some agility to soccer the ball between two diving defenders and kick his first goal of the night.

The Dogs are getting a bit chippy with their opponents but the scoreboard shows Essendon will get an easy win.

Dons 96, Dogs 60 with seven mins to go.

Sam Darcy of the Bulldogs marks the ball ahead of Mason Redman of the Bombers.Credit: AFL Photos