AFL Round 21 Essendon v West Coast: All the news, action and fallout as Bombers avert disaster

Essendon coach Brad Scott has lashed his team, admitting Saturday was the ‘harsh lesson’ the Bombers needed. But he also floated a reason for his side’s spluttering form.

Ronny Lerner

6 min read

August 5, 2023 - 7:04PM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

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If the Bombers think they are at a stage in their development where they think they can just rock up to a match against a bottom team and expect to win, coach Brad Scott warned they had better shed that mentality quickly.

Essendon’s season almost came to a humiliating end on Saturday when it found itself five points down against last-placed West Coast with under two minutes to go at Marvel Stadium.

Luckily for the Bombers, star forward Kyle Langford pinched a one-point victory from the jaws of defeat with his fifth goal deep into time on to keep their faint finals dream alive.

West Coast’s average losing margin prior to Saturday was 11 goals, meaning Essendon missed a golden opportunity to give their percentage a much-needed boost.

And with a match against another two-win team next week in North Melbourne, Scott hopes his team learned a timely lesson.

Essendon just escaped from Marvel Stadium with four points on Saturday. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

“We are nowhere near that stage going into a game thinking that the four points are banked and it’s all about percentage. But that’s what people were telling us going in,” Scott said post-match.

“In a perverse way, I’m not that disappointed that our players got that lesson because if it did seep into their subconscious somewhere, they better get it out pretty quick.

“Every game is a hard game for us. Part of the challenge we’ve got to work through is that we are a very young and inexperienced team who have shown an ability to get up for games against really high-quality opposition.

“One of the hallmarks of a young and inexperienced team is that potentially when they think things are just going to happen for them, they learn a harsh lesson.

“Now, fortunately we learn a harsh lesson with a one-point win rather than a five-point loss, but as much as we’ve guarded against that, and the message was really clear - you get what you deserve in this competition.

“I think the players probably subconsciously think that, when they’re playing the team that’s on top of the ladder, ‘This is going to be really hard today, so we’ve got to be at our best’. “That’s the psychological challenge when you play other teams.”

Adam Simpon and the Eagles were so close. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Despite being relieved with the win, there was plenty about Essendon’s performance that Scott wasn’t happy about.

“We just allowed them to score way too easily,” Scott said.

“West Coast bounced the ball out of our forward half way too easily.

“We did some things really poorly that left the door ajar for them, and to their credit they walked through it.”

Scott agreed that in recent weeks his team hadn’t been playing as consistently across four quarters as they perhaps did in the first half of the year, and that fatigue was continuing to play a role.

“Everyone loved Gather Round but right now everyone realises Gather Round adds another game to the home-and-away season,” he smiled.

Scott said his players were happy to “still be in the hunt” for finals, although they will probably have to win their final three games against North Melbourne, the Giants in Sydney and premiership favourites Collingwood to qualify.

Brad Scott says fatigue is playing a role for his side’s patchy performances. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Essendon had Langford largely to thank for the win as he booted the third bag of five goals for his career – all of which have come this season.

“He’s been fantastic for us,” Scott said of Langford who now has 45 majors for 2023.

“He’s a pretty complete player. He’s a really tough match-up because he’s really agile, he’s quick, he’s a good size.”

Scott also praised emerging defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher who took the match-saving mark with 32 seconds left.

“It was just a great, contested mark and that’s what (Jeremy) McGovern’s done for West Coast for a decade plus,” Scott said. “That was just a terrific contest.”

Meanwhile, star ruckman Sam Draper (hip) remains at least two weeks away, Jake Stringer (foot) and Dylan Shiel (foot) are both “wait-and-see” propositions, but Will Setterfield (foot) is closing in on his first senior game since Round 9 after playing in the VFL this weekend.

Finals pretenders? Dons avoid Eagles embarrassment – just

Essendon has avoided an embarrassing Saturday afternoon at Marvel Stadium by the skin of its teeth as it snatched a last-gasp one-point win against bottom-of-the-ladder West Coast to keep its faint finals hopes alive.

The Bombers looked like they were cruising to a big win early in the third term when they shot out to a 30-point lead, but rather than roll over, West Coast belied their standing on the ladder to respond impressively, kicking six of the next seven goals to lead by five points with 1:40 remaining.

With all the momentum, they were running all over Essendon but just as they looked like they were going to grab a famous win, Kyle Langford bobbed up for his fifth goal from the goalsquare with 68 seconds remaining to put the Bombers back up by a point.

: Kyle Langford put the Bombers in from with just over a minute on the clock. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos

The Eagles had one last roll of the dice with 32 seconds to go when Noah Long bombed it into their forward line but Brandon Zerk-Thatcher was there to take the match-saving mark for the Bombers and ensured a thrilling 10.13 (73) to 11.6 (72) win.

But based on their lacklustre performance, against a team which has been travelling worse than the infamous 1996 Fitzroy team for much of the season, Essendon will be nothing more than September cannon fodder if they somehow manage to finish in the top eight.

Outside of a dominant six-goal second quarter, the Bombers were troubled severely by the Eagles for much of the contest.

The result squared the Bombers’ win-loss ledger at 10-10, and they could finish the round two points outside the top eight if results go their way this weekend. But they look anything but a finals-calibre side.

The Eagles almost caused a boilover at Marvel Stadium. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos

The match presented a golden opportunity for Essendon to get a much-needed percentage boost over the bottom team, whose average losing margin was 67 points this year.

But they only increased their percentage from 98.4 to 98.5.

To finish in the top eight, they will probably have to still win their final three games against North Melbourne, the Giants in Sydney and premiership favourites Collingwood, which looks highly unlikely based on their latest effort.

Tim Kelly starred for West Coast with 30 disposals (11 contested) while Liam Duggan played an important role with 29 touches.

For Essendon, Langford was the match winner with five majors, while Darcy Parish (33), Nick Hind (31) and Zach Merrett (29) found a heap of the ball.

Forward delivery dogs Dons

Essendon almost doubled West Coast for inside 50s in the first quarter (17-10), but as they so often do, the Dons routinely bombed it forward with no system or method, and their predictable entries played right into the hands of West Coast’s stacked backline.

The Bombers failed to capitalise on their early territory dominance, managing just one goal in the opening term, which allowed West Coast to pinch the quarter-time lead against the run of play as their pressure caught the Bombers off guard as well.

Langford booted five – and his final one was the most important. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos

Langford erupts

The arm wrestle continued early into the second quarter, by which time there had already been seven lead changes, before Langford stamped his authority on the contest by kicking four goals in 12 minutes – all from set shots – to help Essendon open up a 23-point lead at half-time.

Langford benefited from the Bombers’ vastly-improved forward delivery, as they kicked 6.2 from 13 entries, compared to 1.6 from 17 in the first term.

Sigh of relief for Phillips

Andrew Phillips had the chance to give Essendon a match-winning 17-point lead at the 19-minute mark of the final term, but his set shot from 15m out missed badly to the left. In response, the Eagles kicked the next three majors via Jack Darling, Oscar Allen and Ryan Maric to get their noses in front. Luckily for Phillips, Langford saved his blushes with the match-winning goal.