Bombers down Port after final term burst; Scott comes to McKay’s defence

Essendon have overcome a week of heavy criticism after a poor performance against Adelaide to defeat a disappointing Port Adelaide side and kick-start their season.

It was full of grit and effort, and reminded supporters they were prepared to do the work to be competitive even when their game is not working.

For three quarters Essendon had hung around Port Adelaide like a bad smell.

They never had the lead. They didn’t move the ball with any fluency. They dropped marks and missed kicks. But they stayed in touch to only trail by a goal at the first and last break and three points at half-time.

It was difficult to work out how they had managed to stay in the contest. Partly it was coaching – ruckman Nick Bryan sat behind the play to give the Bombers a spare in defence and Dylan Shiel moved into the middle, where he belongs. Partly it was just pure will, with the team laying 48 tackles compared to Port Adelaide’s 31. The football was as ugly as a hack golfer’s swing, but they remained in the game.

Can you hear that? Sam Draper enjoys his goal.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

That was enough after the criticism they had received all week to free them up in the final quarter, despite conceding the first goal of the term when Jason Horne-Francis produced a piece of brilliance after a quiet game.

Enter the first gamer Saad El-Hawli, who had arrived in the game after being subbed on at three-quarter-time. He grabbed the ball at half-back, faked a handball, took a bounce and then hit up a leading Isaac Kako. The ball fell short but Kako was good enough to handball it off to Nic Martin who steadied and kicked the goal the Bombers needed.

The celebrations were pure as they ran to congratulate El-Hawli and all of a sudden, their belief returned as quickly as Port Adelaide’s disappeared. Logan Evans gave the ball to Essendon’s Mason Redman via a loose handball and the Bomber kicked a long bomb goal he has become famous for to level the scores.

And that was enough for the Bombers to unleash, making the most of their territory dominance to pile on two more goals and hang on for 10 minutes of frantic football.

Both teams have one win to show from three games and face long seasons unless they improve rapidly.

Phew! That was the sound heard across the terraces at Marvel Stadium. Essendon have their first points of the season after lifting late to defeat Port Adelaide.

The game wasn’t great, and it won’t be part of highlights packages for years to come. But sometimes you’ve got to win ugly. That should be Essendon’s mood across the weekend.

Stay with us for comprehensive AFL round three coverage across the weekend. Good night.

The stats for the first three rounds (excluding tonight’s Essendon v Port Adelaide match):

Essendon’s debutant Saad El-Hawli was overjoyed to be part of a victory in his first match. El-Hawli, who has been observing Ramadan and was subbed on at three-quarter-time, gave the Bombers plenty of pace in the final quarter, when they booted the final four goals of the game.

“It’s everything I could have expected and more, to be honest,” El-Hawli said on Channel Seven.

“It was electric. [At] three-quarter-time all the boys were encouraging me to take the game on because the opposition was tired.

New Essendon player Saad El-Hawli.Credit: Getty Images

“I’m like, ‘why not?’ Once I got the ball I just hit the jets on.

“I’ve dreamt of this moment since I was a kid.”

Essendon coach Brad Scott says he didn’t think key defender Ben McKay was receiving Bronx cheers from the crowd but if they were, they weren’t warranted.

He said McKay “was the leading intercept player on the ground for the most part of the game” and was important to the win.

“I didn’t think it was the Bronx cheers. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t ... Ben McKay has all the attributes of a really good key defender,” he said.

This combination is starting to warm the hearts of many an Essendon fan ...

Essendon big man Sam Draper isn’t bothered with the criticism he’s copping and the worry from supporters about his goal-kicking routine – kicking the ball across his body instead of a straight set shot.

“A few people are losing their minds over it,” Draper told Channel Seven after Essendon’s win over Port Adelaide.

“I’ve worked pretty hard over the summer – [working out] what kick to do in what situation.

“The snap for me – there’s less room for error in front of goals … In those shorter distances, I’m backing the snap.”

Essendon have the bye in round four, so don’t play again until Saturday, April 12. You won’t see them in action for more than two weeks.

Said Draper: “I’m pretty cooked right now – I’m keen to have the week off”.

Isaac Kako (left) and Saad El-Hawli get a Gatorade shower after the win.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Isaac Kako and Saad El-Hawli of the Bombers.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

Essendon have overcome a week of heavy criticism after a poor performance against Adelaide to defeat a disappointing Port Adelaide side and kick-start their season.

It was full of grit and effort, and reminded supporters they were prepared to do the work to be competitive even when their game is not working.

For three quarters Essendon had hung around Port Adelaide like a bad smell.

They never had the lead. They didn’t move the ball with any fluency. They dropped marks and missed kicks. But they stayed in touch to only trail by a goal at the first and last break and three points at half-time.

It was difficult to work out how they had managed to stay in the contest. Partly it was coaching – ruckman Nick Bryan sat behind the play to give the Bombers a spare in defence and Dylan Shiel moved into the middle, where he belongs. Partly it was just pure will, with the team laying 48 tackles compared to Port Adelaide’s 31. The football was as ugly as a hack golfer’s swing, but they remained in the game.

Can you hear that? Sam Draper enjoys his goal.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

That was enough after the criticism they had received all week to free them up in the final quarter, despite conceding the first goal of the term when Jason Horne-Francis produced a piece of brilliance after a quiet game.

Enter the first gamer Saad El-Hawli, who had arrived in the game after being subbed on at three-quarter-time. He grabbed the ball at half-back, faked a handball, took a bounce and then hit up a leading Isaac Kako. The ball fell short but Kako was good enough to handball it off to Nic Martin who steadied and kicked the goal the Bombers needed.

The celebrations were pure as they ran to congratulate El-Hawli and all of a sudden, their belief returned as quickly as Port Adelaide’s disappeared. Logan Evans gave the ball to Essendon’s Mason Redman via a loose handball and the Bomber kicked a long bomb goal he has become famous for to level the scores.

And that was enough for the Bombers to unleash, making the most of their territory dominance to pile on two more goals and hang on for 10 minutes of frantic football.

Both teams have one win to show from three games and face long seasons unless they improve rapidly.