Gather Round is upon us once again, and it’s time for another edition of my famous ‘Live from the Lounge Room’ game reviews!
Except this year, there’s a big twist. Avid Mongrel reader (I’m guessing) Andrew Dillon, in his infinite wisdom, decided that this review would be a far more enjoyable read if I were able to attend the match live and in person.
So he thought, just for you, he’d round up every single team and bring them all across the borders to the great state of South Australia, he’d organise a $15 flash sale for tickets, and here we are.
So, from Section 525, Row K, Seat 46 at Adelaide Oval, this is Essendon vs. Melbourne. Two Victorian teams, battling it out at the City of Churches. One team that has been belted from pillar to post, both on and off the field, the other that has pulled itself out of the fire after two seasons of turmoil.
Will the Bombers be able to fight back from all the negativity? Can the Demons take another step towards an unlikely finals re-appearance?
Let’s find out. Together.
PRE GAME:
11:59 am: We finally get on the delayed bus. And it’s standing room only. Might miss the start of the game. Thanks, Adelaide Metro!
12:22 pm: We exit the bus and make the mad dash to the oval.
12:45 pm: Well. Start missed. We’re lining up to get in. I’ll find out the goss when I get to my seat.
FIRST QUARTER
12:52 pm: I’ve got to my seat just in time to see Thomas Edwards nail the first goal of the game from outside 50. I am reliably informed that not too much of note happened before then.
12:54 pm: What an answering goal from Bayley Fritsch from the boundary!
12:55 pm: And now Latrelle Pickett on the run with a banana!! There might be no other tandem in the competition as exciting as the two Pickett cousins.
1:00 pm: Strong defensive work at both ends, first from Ben McKay, then from Disco Turner and Jake Lever at the other.
1:01 pm: Beautiful snapping goal from Xavier Duursma! The Dons look up and about here!
1:04 pm: When they move the ball quickly, Essendon looks very good. They do need to clean up their disposal by foot, though; it’ll get them in trouble if they keep it up.
1:05 pm: That would’ve been an amazing goal had Edwards nailed it!
1:07 pm: I kept trying to tell you this out-of-bounds rule is stupid and would cause confusion, but no one wanted to listen!
1:10 pm: Good goal from Elijah Tsatas! I’d love to see him get a proper run at it.
1:12 pm: Harrison (Petty), if you’re going to centre the ball inside 50, best to do it when there’s a player around that can mark the ball. Otherwise, it’ll continue to get cut off.
1:13 pm: No worries, though, as Blackiston’s kick-out immediately comes back in, and Harry Sharp converts his running goal.
1:15 pm: Quarter Time: Essendon 3.5.23 lead Melbourne 3.1.19
SECOND QUARTER
1:23 pm: Essendon are all over Melbourne here. They’re winning the territory battle, and every time the Demons exit defensive 50, it’s a dump kick that comes straight back.
1:27 pm: Melbourne hit back thanks to some slick roving from Max Gawn of all people. That did feel against the run of play, though. Dons really should be in front here.
1:29 pm: Kako goes for a run. Kick it! Get rid of it! Beautiful run down from Kozzy, but it goes unrewarded.
1:30 pm: Kozzy gets his reward in front of goal. And he’s lining up in the middle at the next centre ball up, I love that move!
1:32 pm: Light rain is falling again. And it has made the next minute or two a tough watch from a skills perspective.
1:34 pm: Excellent vision from Fritsch to spot up Tom Sparrow! Fritsch is key to the Demons’ success, especially since Jacob van Rooyen has done nothing since Round 1. And Sparrow duly converts his set shot; the Demons have kicked away.
1:37 pm: My word, that’s a glorious kick from Archer May! The Bombers have to keep persisting with him; there’s certainly something to work with for the future.
1:39 pm. Two very solid efforts from Turner to cut off Essendon forward forays. His second one was even better, because it was followed by a sensational kick inside 50 to hit a running Kade Chandler on the chest.
1:43 pm: Game high lead to Melbourne, and it’s starting to get away from the Bombers. For all their good work, Essendon can’t stop Melbourne’s quick ball use, and their defensive unit is under too much stress.
1:44 pm: But when they need a big mark, step right up, Archer May! Shame he missed the set shot though.
1:46 pm: Sam ‘Willy Wonka’ Durham with a major sell of the candy! The slickness of that passage of play worked wonders for the Dons, but it really feels like it’s much harder for Essendon to get their goals than it is for Melbourne at the other end.
1:51 pm: In the absolute blink of an eye, it’s a two-goal turnaround. Van Rooyen misses a gettable shot at one end, then the Bombers go at the speed of light, and Isaac Kako bangs one home from the goal square. Breathtaking passage of play!
1:54 pm: Half Time: Melbourne 8.2.50 lead Essendon 6.8.44
First half thoughts: You wouldn’t have thought it coming in, but the Bombers are in this up to their eyeballs. If not for their mediocrity in front of goal, they’d be in front, and it’s a lead they deserve. Both sides’ pressure has been good, and Melbourne’s ball movement has been better, but Essendon has more than held its own. Ben McKay has stood up in defence, and although Gawn is winning the ruck battle, the Bombers’ midfielders are standing up when it counts. Having said that, Melbourne are still playing well, and if they were to go on and win from here, it wouldn’t be a surprise. If they can turn around the midfield dominance from Essendon, Melbourne’s experienced bodies can carry them to victory, but don’t count out the exuberance of the Bombers’ youth.
THIRD QUARTER
2:13 pm: Second half underway. Let’s see if the Bombers have got another big effort in them.
2:15 pm: Three times in 90 seconds that Max Gawn kicks the ball inside 50, only for it to come straight back out. The Dees have got to tighten that up; they’re letting a good start slip.
2:18 pm: Back to all square. It took longer than it should’ve given their defensive capabilities, but through Archer Day-Wicks, the Bombers get rewarded for their good start to the half.
2:22 pm: Harrison Petty isn’t a forward. I’m sorry, but he just isn’t. It was a great contested mark to be fair, but he has to follow that by nailing the goal.
2:23 pm: Ok, that was another strong grab by Petty. And this time, he’s hit Jack Steele 35 metres out on a slight angle.
2:24 pm: Another gettable set shot missed!
2:26 pm: That is a superb finish from Archie Roberts! Outside 50 on the boundary if you don’t mind!!
2:27 pm: Melbourne’s connection between defence and forward has been an issue all day. They can’t get any semblance of balance, and in this instance, it’s gone straight down the other end in three good kicks. Nate Caddy goes back and converts, and Essendon now enjoy a handy little break.
2:31 pm: Oof. A 30-second segment of his life that Zach Reid would like back. Kicks the ball into the man on the mark’s head, then gets pinged for insufficient intent when trying to correct the previous mistake.
2:32 pm: There’s so much garbage inside Melbourne’s forward 50, it’s very distracting. And no, I’m not talking about the players.
2:33 pm: The garbage is so distracting that I missed that great goal from Kozzy Pickett. Also, excellent work, Petty, bringing the ball to ground. More of that effort, please!
2:38 pm: The pro-Essendon crowd is loving this right now! Pretty dumb from Disco Turner that costs a 50 metre penalty inside 50, and Kako gives Essendon their biggest lead of the game.
2:40 pm: Well, what have you got, Melbourne? Quick centre clearance, pressure resulting in a holding the ball, and the Bombers are out by 16 points!
2:42 pm: It’s turning into a red and black procession! Three goals in a flash and it’s 22 points!
2:44 pm: Three Quarter Time: Essendon 12.9.81 lead Melbourne 9.5.59
FOURTH QUARTER
2:55 pm: Essendon holding firm here. It’s been end-to-end for the first five minutes, but both defensive units are tough to get through.
2:59 pm: NOW THAT’S THE GOAL OF THE YEAR FROM ZACH MERRETT!! It’s exactly what Essendon craved for all their hard work, and it’s going to be hard for the Demons to get up from here.
3:01 pm: Archer May you star! From outside 50, it’s a big roost from the big fella!
3:03 pm: Good low bullet from Andrew McGrath to Caddy on the lead. I can believe I’m writing this, but it’s a 40-point Bomber lead!
3:04 pm: I can’t keep up! It’s all fallen apart very quickly for Melbourne. They look tired and flat, and that slick ball movement has evaporated.
3:14 pm: The Bombers are shutting the game down now. Melbourne have had far too many passengers, and Essendon have belted them in the second half.
3:16 pm: Brilliant effort from Merrett to nail Kozzy in a holding-the-ball tackle. It is efforts like that that’ll warm the heart of a fan base that booed him in Round 1 for trying to leave in the off-season.
3:17 pm: That’s icing on a very nice cake. Strong mark from Peter Wright, who converts Essendon’s 17th goal of the afternoon.
3:21 pm: Final score: Essendon 17.11.113 d. Melbourne 10.8.68
WRAP UPS:
ESSENDON:
It was a tale of two halves, but in reality, both halves will be viewed far more positively at Windy Hill. At half-time, the feeling was that Essendon were the better side, and only their inaccuracy in front of goal left them in arrears on the scoreboard. But the bigger question would be whether their run could be sustained for four quarters, since they’ve been very Carlton-like in starting well, but fading and fading fast.
And it all clicked in a flash. The Bombers suffocated Melbourne all over the ground, and their defence stood up brilliantly, cutting off plenty of Demon forward forays. The third quarter was especially blistering, and once the Bombers weathered the storm of the first 10 minutes of the quarter, they exploded, and when they turned for home 22 points up (after a six-goal to one quarter), there wasn’t much that Melbourne was going to do to get back into the contest. And the third quarter was even better again. In the past, Essendon would’ve wilted under the pressure of the positive scoreboard, but today they rose to the occasion. Any chance Melbourne had of willing themselves back was quickly extinguished. Essendon slammed home another five goals to one, and what we all thought was going to be a Melbourne procession turned into a 45-point red and black dream.
After 323 days and 17 rounds of football, the Bombers finally have something to smile about. And even when you take away the margin, it was the manner of victory that would please Brad Scott the most. Because there were simply no passengers, and strong arguments can be made in many different directions for best on ground honours.
Archie Roberts was phenomenal off half back and through the middle, with a career high 42 disposals, 15 marks, nine defensive rebounds and a goal. It was by far his best game in Bombers colours.
But if we’re talking about best games in Bombers colours, step right up, Elijah Tsatas! Every Essendon fan keeps clamouring for Tsatas to be selected at AFL level far more often than he does. And today, he showed everyone why he was drafted so early in 2022. Tsatas ended his day with 29 disposals and three inside 50s, and was everywhere when the Bombers needed him.
Midfield mainstays Zach Merrett and Darcy Parish controlled the centre square all day, with 31 and 33 disposals respectively.
And it just keeps going. Kyle Langford pushed up and ground and collected 26 disposals playing as a connector forward of the square. Jordan Ridley and Ben McKay were an excellent tandem in defensive 50, McKay being especially brilliant given the narratives surrounding him. McKay finished with 23 disposals and 11 marks, pairing very nicely with Ridley’s 26 disposal, 11 mark performance.
Nate Caddy, Thomas Edwards and Archer May each kicked two goals and provided presence in the forward line, with Peter Wright playing well as the starting ruck. Jacob Farrow showed more than plenty, Xavier Duursma was an effective wingman, Isaac Kako was everywhere, the list goes on, and on, and on.
MELBOURNE:
For all the good that Melbourne managed to give itself last week in the strong victory over the Suns, pretty much all of it evaporated in the second half here. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a lot to like, especially from the first half, but to give up 11 second-half goals to the bottom, 17-loss team is incredibly disappointing, however you manage to frame it. The slick ball movement that Steven King’s men have been renowned for all season long was gone, replaced by slow, desperate long bombs inside 50 that did their tall targets no favours.
And sure, you can make an argument that Essendon was going to win a game of football eventually, and that Melbourne just ran into a team that had everything fall their way.
However, that excuse only holds water if you overlook the lack of effort shown by the red and blue, especially in the second half.
Because pressure builds diamonds. And when 16 players hit two tackles or less in 120 minutes of action, it sends a clear message to those watching that this group of players got ahead of themselves after last week’s win.
I can go further as well. Kozzy Pickett laid eight tackles, and Tom Sparrow managed seven. Two players contributing 15 of the team’s 54 tackles is galling for the rest of the playing group, a playing group, mind you, which has been the very definition of contest and defence over the last five seasons.
Six inside 50 tackles to Essendon’s 10. Bombing the ball in long, then watching as it is walked straight back out again. It’s like Melbourne didn’t want the ball inside their forward 50 at all, such was the lack of pressure being applied.
And I know it’s not exclusively about the tackling numbers, but it paints a picture of a team that simply didn’t go hard enough for long enough. It may seem like I’m piling on, and I’ll get to the good stuff in a minute. But without paying any disrespect to Essendon, who thoroughly deserved the victory, Melbourne, and the wider AFL community, would’ve expected to leave South Australia with the four points after a commanding win, and to lose in that fashion shows that Steven King still has a way to go before the Demons are ready for finals football again. There were simply too many passengers, and far too much was left to far too few, evidenced by the fact that only four Melbourne players managed to make it past 20 disposals, compared with Essendon’s nine.
Now, I’m not going to dwell on the negatives any more, but even in heavy defeat, you need to find positives; otherwise, the doom cycle will never end.
And in Kozzy Pickett, Melbourne fans will find their strongest positive. Spending a lot more time around the ball (accruing the most centre bounce attendances on the field with 26), Pickett was by far the best player in a Demon jumper. 28 disposals, eight tackles, two goals and 633 metres gained. The knock on Pickett’s performance was the efficiency of 46%, and while that cannot be glossed over, his pressure on the ball carrier after the fact, evidenced by the game-high eight tackles, went a long way to make up for it.
The three key pillars behind the ball, Disco Turner, Jake Lever and Tom McDonald were also very good, and while the second half avalanche did sour things a little bit, their efforts still deserve praise.
Lever and McDonald’s 10 marks each were equal best, while Turner sat just behind them with seven. Each of their opponents was restricted to two goals each, and no Essendon tall forward got out of control for long periods.
The other Demon I’ll single out is Koltyn Tholstrup. This is a young man still finding his way in the game, but today was undoubtedly the best performance of his young career. Playing mostly as a roaming half-back, Tholstrup gathered 22 disposals, with just two turnovers, had eight intercepts and four defensive rebounds. Efforts like that should ensure that Tholstrup remains firmly entrenched in Melbourne’s best 23 going forward, because he has all the tools to make himself a long-time AFL star.
4:20 pm: That’s all from me from Adelaide Oval. It’s time now to let the staff reset everything, ready for the big clash between the Dogs and the Hawks. And our group has tickets for tonight’s game, so it’s off to Elder Park to enjoy a few cold ones in the rain, while we wait to head back inside tonight.
