Essendon showed they will not take defeat lightly in gritty loss to Gold Coast

GOLD Coast could have humiliated Essendon but each time the Suns threatened the Bombers rallied, enough to give fans hope for 2016.

Darcy Parish battles with Gary Ablett on Saturday.

THESE were the much-needed signs of life.

At least three times on Saturday, Gold Coast looked like it was about to open Essendon’s season with a three-figure humiliation.

And each time the Bombers kept their noses over the ball and rattled home a goal or two to not only give their fan base some much needed hope about the season ahead, but undoubtedly frustrate Suns’ coach Rodney Eade.

Yes, Gold Coast had this game in its pocket at quarter time up by 29 points and truly looked like a team in training mode at times, as Gary Ablett returned to Brownlow Medal mode in the 61-point rout, with 34 possessions and a goal.

He had nine clearances and seven tackles and looked untaggable again, even though Ryan Crowley tried to, early.

The score line confirmed what we were probably all thinking anyway; that Essendon looks headed towards its first wooden spoon since 1933.

Darcy Parish battles with Gary Ablett on Saturday.

But what mattered most is that a gutsy, if not modestly encouraging Essendon never gave up on the Gold Coast last night. They could have, but didn’t.

Even for a side that had been twice belted in the preseason and compared with Fitzroy, the players’ thirst for the contest was apparent. There was a heartbeat, not a white flag.

What should give Essendon fans some heart this morning is that senior midfielder David Zaharakis kept putting his head in the hole and charging hard forward, franking what has clearly been the best preseason of his career.

Zaharakis is challenged with the task of becoming Essendon’s best player this season and when he hit up Joe Daniher with a lace-out pass in the second term and goaled on the run from 40m in the third, the prophecy looked like it could yet be fulfilled this season.

Likewise, Kyle Langford showed his class, curling home a right foot snap, after Shaun McKernan battled hard to keep a boundary-line ball inside the line.

Langford played at centre half forward last night after standing Patrick Dangerfield in the centre square against Geelong a few weeks ago, showing his versatility.

John Worsfold ponders the season ahead after a Round 1 loss.

With goalkicker Patrick Ambrose forced to play centre half back, Mitch Brown was desperately courageous and fell hard to the turf several times trying to repel Gold Coast’s continued flow forward.

Ex-Cat James Kelly kept ploughing into the contest and feeding out hard-fought handballs, not looking out of place. Ex-teammate Mathew Stokes kicked three-straight goals either side of the last change to cut the lead to 45 points.

And Darcy Parish, the No. 4 draft pick, had the look of a young Rory Sloane as he got the ball, got knocked over and got back up again. He is a goer, Parish.

These are the precious silver linings that will give the Bomber army reason to keep coming to the footy, albeit as Gold Coast kept piling home the goals down the other end.

Really, the Suns should have won by more had they not been as inaccurate inside 50m, registering a wayward 16.19 (115) to 9.6 (60).

The Suns would have been happy enough, but not doing cartwheels, with the victory as Tom Lynch looked like a superstar forward in the making, bagging four goals.

Zach Merrett gets a clearance for Essendon.

Tom Nicholls and Sam Day had too much athleticism for Mathew Leuenberger in the ruck and the dash of Adam Saad and Jarrod Harbrow in defence and growth of Aaron Hall in the midfield will again make the fun to watch. He was a force in the clinches, Hall, alongside the returning Prestia who deserves the attention of the competition and clubs everywhere clambering for his signature.

Nick Malceski moved into a new forward role and looked much more damaging than he did throughout the whole of last season. Rory Thompson is a quality defender, if we had forgotten.

It will get harder for the Bombers when they face-off against the top sides and the eagerness and enthusiasm wears off in the depths of a Melbourne winter.

That’s when John Worsfold will know he has the toughest job in footy, but for now, he wants the Bombers to enjoy their game again.

And there were some signs, at least, that that was indeed the case.

Originally published as Essendon showed they will not take defeat lightly in gritty loss to Gold Coast