‘He can do things others can’t’: Scott praises Caddy as Lions reveal Fagan roast that spurred win

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Brad Scott has praised exciting forward Nate Caddy, saying the teenager played the best game of his blossoming career in their 18-point loss to Brisbane at the Gabba.

Caddy booted two goals against the Lions, including a sensational snap over his head as the Bombers mounted a comeback after trailing by 32 points at quarter-time. They hit the front in the final term before tiring in the last five minutes.

Nate Caddy kicks a stunning goal.Credit: Fox Footy

“I think he’s going to learn that he’s capable of challenging the best key defenders in the competition,” Scott said of Caddy’s game.

“I thought that’s the best game I’ve seen him play, and not just because of, you know, the goals over his head and that sort of stuff.

“He’s just a really impressive athlete, and he can do things that others can’t. Not many 19 -year-olds can, you know, when Peter Wright is in the ruck and Todd Goldstein is having a well-earned rest, he’s holding up a forward line.

“I can’t recall too many 19-year-olds doing that, and he’s been terrific for us, and we still think there’s so much upside. So clearly we’re excited.”

The Bombers were able to overcome a slow and sloppy opening term through the midfield work of Nic Martin (two goals) and Jye Caldwell.

Scott said Jade Gresham had been troubled by a knock to the thigh during the match, while Sam Durham had to overcome a painful ankle injury suffered in the first term.

The Bombers sent their chief ball-winner, Zach Merrett, behind the ball after quarter-time because they were a player short in defence.

Essendon players celebrate blond forward Nate Caddy’s goal.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

“We ran out of defenders,” Scott said. “We had five, so we had to get one from somewhere, and we did it last week a little bit against Richmond.

“We think that he’s a class act, wherever he is on the ground. It certainly wasn’t to stabilise the game. It was just a matter of shuffling the magnets a little bit to try and get some balance in our team. And we love him off half-back.

“But the problem probably with us at the moment is that we would love three or four players in three or four different positions all at once, so you’ve got to make a decision. “

Scott was thrilled with the efforts of the undermanned and inexperienced Bombers, who had several teenagers in their side, including Zak Johnson on debut.

“A huge step forward for us,” Scott said. “A huge step forward in terms of everything – the character, fight, effort, contest, exuberance of youth, young players who don’t use that as an excuse.

“We think the players that we selected are capable and that’s been our message to them, and they held up their end of the bargain.”

Veteran coach Chris Fagan gave the Brisbane players a bake at three-quarter-time after they had squandered a big lead against the Bombers.

The Lions led Essendon by 32-points at quarter-time, but that advantage had been whittled back to two goals by the final break.

The Lions celebrate one of their six first-quarter goals.Credit: via Getty Images

“He’s always pretty fired up, but we were wavering a little bit from what we wanted to do and at different times in the game, so it was important that we got back to that process,” star onballer Will Ashcroft told Seven after the game.

“We believe in what he’s saying. We want to buy in. So when he’s really strong in what he’s saying and the message he’s trying to convey to us, then, you know, me personally and all the boys just want to go out there and do what we are told and get it done.”

Last year’s Norm Smith Medallist had 12 disposals in the final term to help steer Brisbane to victory – 13.12 (90) to 11.6 (72).

Fagan said it had been challenging for his side to come off a five-day break and a six-day break across their past fortnight.

Zac Bailey marks against the Bombers.Credit: Getty Images

“We’re glad we’ve got an eight-day break now until our next game (against Adelaide),” the Lions coach said.

“The Hawthorn game was a big game for us (last week), like hadn’t beaten them for a long time, and really worked hard to get ourselves up to play.

“It was always a little bit of a danger tonight that maybe we would be a little bit off because of that and the short turnaround.”

Fagan said Brisbane could have been further in front considering they had won the inside-50 count 62 to 53 and restricted Essendon’s marking game.

The Lions coach said he had been critical at three-quarter time because their pressure and hunt had dropped away.

He said Hugh McCluggage’s game for the Lions was “huge”.

“That’s a big game, 41 (possessions) and five score assists and 11 score involvements and lots of clearances,” Fagan said.

“I don’t know how many times he kicked it inside 50, but it was a huge performance.

“He’s probably worked harder on the defensive side of his game, both to get his body stronger, but also to get involved more in that - I think he had 11 tackles or something last week.

“He’s always been really good with the ball, but he’s one of those fellas who is forever trying to improve.

“I hope at some point in time he wins an All-Australian guernsey because he’s been such a consistent player for us for the last six years.

“The leadership he displays around the footy club, he goes about it in a quiet manner, which is effective. He’s a silent assassin out there.”

Brisbane have held off the undermanned Bombers to avoid another Gabba meltdown in an 18-point win.

The Lions led by 32 points and were humming before the Bombers, behind an immense third quarter from Jye Caldwell, surged back to lead in the final term.

Defending champions Brisbane avoided a repeat of their shock loss to Melbourne at the venue a fortnight ago though, escaping 13.12 (90) to 11.6 (72) on Thursday night.

It improved them to 9-2-1, Hugh McCluggage (career-high 41 disposals, 12 score involvements) starring again as Kai Lohmann (three goals) had his best game of an injury-marred season.

The Bombers came without injured trio Ben McKay, Zach Reid and Kyle Langford, debutant Zak Johnson and youngsters Archer Day-Wicks and Elijah Tsatas filling the void.

Nic Martin (29 disposals) kicked two brilliant goals while Caldwell (30 touches) had 18 disposals, seven clearances, one goal and a goal assist in the third quarter alone.

As they did against Melbourne a fortnight ago, the Lions started fluidly and tore through the middle of the Gabba at their leisure.

A 6.3 first term was built on punishment of every Bombers turnover as the Lions queued for goals.

Six consecutive behinds followed in the second term though, the hosts butchering chances that gave the Bombers life just as it did the Demons in their shock comeback win earlier this month.

Peter Wright kicked the first two of the quarter before Sam Durham, back on the ground after a nasty-looking ankle roll, added another.

Logan Morris stopped the rot for the Lions with a 45-metre snap, but the Bombers kept coming in a showstopping third term.

Nate Caddy was influential in the air at both ends, his goal followed by a Caldwell major out of a stoppage a part of his prolific term.

Caddy should have had another but missed when he played on, Martin then nailing a second goal from the same pocket to make it a five-point game.

Scores were level when Caddy snapped a brilliant goal back over his head, before a pair of Lions majors gave them a 12-point buffer at the final break.

That was eroded inside three minutes though, Jade Gresham snapping truly and Todd Goldstein finding space from a clever squaring assist.

They hit the front for the first time with a behind before Morris put Brisbane back in front and Lohmann skipped through another from 50 metres into an open goal.

Noah Answerth was the unlikely match-sealer, the defender’s long-range goal with three minutes remaining icing the contest.

Hugh McCluggage has moved a step closer to earning his first All-Australian blazer.

The gun midfielder had a career-high 41 disposals in Brisbane’s 18-point victory at the Gabba and continues to stamp himself as one of the competition’s best players.

Hugh McCluggage celebrates with Noah Answerth.Credit: Getty Images

“It felt like, you know, maybe I got my hands on a little bit more than usual, but yeah, it was a tough game,” McCluggage told Seven after the game.

“They really brought their best, so we had to lift there, especially in the last quarter.”

Despite the Lions sitting second on the ladder and the Bombers coming into the game with an inexperienced side, McCluggage said there was no such thing as an easy game.

“You know every game is going to be a grind, and we’ve learned that lesson time and time again,” he said.

“If you’re a few per cent off, you get found out, and the Bombers are going really well.

“They’re a young side, but they’re six and four. They’ve only had two less wins than us through the year, so evidently, we didn’t take it lightly.

“In that third quarter, they really came out hard, and I’m really proud of our group for bouncing back in that last quarter.”

Brisbane have beaten Essendon by 18 points at the Gabba but not before an almighty scare.

The Bombers trailed by 32 points at quarter-time but fought back to take the lead in the final term.

Brisbane were shaken but not stirred. They steadied late to kick the last three goals of the game and win 13.12 (90) to Essendon’s 11.6 (72).

Hugh McCluggage was mighty with 41 disposals, while blond forward Kai Lohmann had a return to form with three goals.

A young and undermanned Essendon outscored Brisbane ten goals to seven across the last three quarters but had given up too much of a lead in the opening term.

Nate Caddy showed flashes of brilliance with two goals, one of them a sensational snap over his head, while Jye Caldwell (30 disposals) and Nic Martin (29 disposals and two goals) dragged them back into the match.

Brisbane’s Noah Answerth has kicked a goal to give the Lions an 18-point lead with less than three minutes to go.

That is his first goal for more than 70 games. What a time to kick it.

The clock has ticked under four minutes and the Bombers trail by 12 points.

They need a goal quickly.

Kai Lohmann has booted his third goal and given the Lions a 12-point lead.

He pounced on an Essendon turnover in the middle of the ground as a result of a rare miss kick from Essendon captain Zach Merrett.

Merrett had fired the ball towards the centre circle off halfback only for it to be spoiled by Josh Dunkley. He fisted the ball forward into the path of Lohmann.

Lions 12.12 (84) lead Bombers 11.6 (72) with six minutes remaining