Bombers fail to take opportunity, Dees not done yet
The Melbourne Demons showed they’ve still got something to say about the outcome of the 2024 AFL season, as they overcame the absence of their skipper to pick up a crucial 17-point win over Essendon on Saturday night.
The loss of Max Gawn to a leg injury the week prior was the dominant headline going into this top-8 defining clash at the MCG, but the Bombers failed to grasp the opportunity ahead of them, as the Dees eventually carved out a 13.6 (84) to 10.7 (67) win to climb back into the finals hunt.
Squandered opportunities were the theme of the first term for Essendon, as they peppered the usually stout Melbourne defence but were unable to make maximum impact on the scoreboard.
Their woes in converting passages of play to goals were compounded when the rain began to pour in the second term, with the Demons adjusting to the conditions with much more success.
Clayton Oliver played his best game for some time, and while still not at the lofty heights he’s enjoyed in the past, his in-and-under presence was effective in the wet alongside hard nut veteran, Jack Viney.
The Dees’ work in the middle, along with a strong defensive performance of the back six, restricted Essendon to just two goals across the second and third quarters.
Nic Martin, who was prolific on the night booting four goals from his 26 disposals, brought the margin back to single figures midway through the second term, but a quick response from Jake Melksham restored some comfort for the hosts.
The Bombers would go on to kick just one goal for the next 40-odd minutes through the boot of Harrison Jones, and while Melbourne wasn’t exactly pumping the scoreboard up themselves, the barren stretch allowed the Demons to maintain their lead with minimal pressure.
The conditions allowed May and Jake Lever to do what they do, setting up a wall in the Melbourne defence, but they were forced to survive a scare when Nic Martin broke through for his third goal early in the fourth term.
In what might be the most impressive performance of his career-best season, Martin was able to kick truly after being caught high by May to cut the margin back to 11 points in the first minute of the final quarter.
Essendon’s challenge would go no further, though, as another quick response from Melksham sparked a run of five straight Demons majors.
Goals from livewire forward Kysaiah Pickett, Daniel Turner and Bayley Fritsch (who all scored multiple goals on the night) pushed Melbourne’s lead beyond 40 points.
It was a lead that proved insurmountable, as despite Essendon putting together their own run of four goals they would eventually fall short.
It’s a result that offers plenty to sink our teeth into, so enough with the blow-by-blow, let’s get into some of the key points.
Makeshift ruck combo works for Dees
Prior to the season beginning, I wrote a prediction piece in which I labelled Melbourne as one of my “sliders” for the 2024 season.
That call was based mainly around this side’s over-reliance on its legendary ruckman and captain, Max Gawn. I figured if Gawn were to miss games, you could just about lock the Dees in for a loss.
Well, that certainly wasn’t true on Saturday night.
Making things even more interesting was Melbourne opting not to bring in a genuine ruckman to cover big Max’s absence. Instead, Harrison Petty and Jacob van Rooyen combined to shoulder the ruck load together, which they did with great success.
Bombers big man Sam Draper controlled the hit outs as expected, but the Demon duo got to work around the ground and were able to contribute in different ways.
Melbourne’s new ruck department will face a bigger test when they travel to Perth for a date with Freo’s Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson next week, but for now, they’re 1-0.
Bombers back in the rat race
What a difference a week makes, right?
This time last week, the footy world was showering the Bombers with praise following a key win over Collingwood. Some even had them as top four “locks”.
Now, seven days on, they’re a chance to not play finals footy at all.
The loss to Melbourne drops Essendon well and truly back into the rat race, just six premiership points ahead of the ninth-placed Western Bulldogs.
They’ll be favoured in their next two games against Adelaide and St. Kilda, and should they drop even just one of them, the Bombers’s finals hopes may be in some serious strife.
Some love for Jye Caldwell
What a patch of form this bloke is having.
A strong performance last night as one of Essendon’s best saw Caldwell amass 23 disposals and lay 12 tackles. He’s become a crucial part of their engine room, and his past four games have been nothing short of excellent.
The gutsy midfielder is averaging 27 disposals across that four-week stretch, but more pleasing for his coach and teammates are his sky-high tackle numbers.
He’s laid 42 tackles in his past four games, setting the tone for his fellow mids to follow suit.
It’s an impressive body of work deserving of a shoutout here.
And don’t forget Nic Martin
Four goals, 26 disposals, nine marks, four tackles… seriously, how did this bloke not get drafted?
At times, Nic Martin’s form this year has sparked plenty of debate about “empty possessions” and “stat padding”, but there’s absolutely nothing empty about putting four majors through the big sticks.
He’s been on the fringe of the All-Australian discussion for most of the season, and performances like this one may just bring him closer to earning a blazer.
Impressive contributions from Melbourne forwards
The Demons’ forward line is often much maligned as their side’s weak spot, but it certainly didn’t appear that way in wet conditions on Saturday night.
An even spread of goals from Daniel Turner (three), Bayley Fritsch (three), Kysaiah Pickett (two) and Jake Melksham (two) buoyed the Dees in this one. All four of them booted majors during the Demons’ defining run in the fourth term, and their impact was made more important considering usual key forward Jacob van Rooyen spent a large amount of time in the ruck.
When they get contributions like this from their forwards, the Dees are a different side.
