Intro:
The Bombers’ season was hanging by a thread. They gave themselves one more gasp of air with a late win against Fremantle last week. Another win in this game keeps the door ajar. A loss and the experts will be getting their calculators out to work out their possibility of finals action.
The Suns’ year is shot, but they’re still looking to try and achieve their best result in an AFL season. An away win would not be hated either. Especially at the superstitiously poor venue for their coach. Damien Hardwick does not like Marvel Stadium, so maybe a win will lift his spirits. An away win could ignite a big finish to the 2024 season for Gold Coast.
Both teams needed a win for vastly different reasons.
The Game:
It was a really good back-and-forth game. The Sun had the hot start, the bombers fought back, and on it went across the first quarter.
Essendon took the lead in the second quarter thanks to some brilliant moments from Draper and Caldwell. The Suns hit back with a strong forward display. However, it was the Bombers who closed out the half in front. It was a good quarter of footy that finished up with a bit scragging between all of the players between the two clubs. Still unclear to this Mongrel what actually caused it, but the TV footage may be found during the week.
Another swing in the third quarter as Suns made another push and outmuscled the Bombers to retake the lead. It was the big men doing the damage with Andrew, Walter, Draper and Caddy hitting the scoreboard.
However, the teams saved the best until last with a thrilling finish being delivered at Marvel Stadium.
The Best Stuff:
Mac Andrew
Most people are holding out for a hero. Not many are asking for a villain (unless you’re Marvel). But that is exactly what Mac Andrew stepped up to be. Starting a scuffle at half time. Being in the Bombers’ players’ faces all night. Even just seconds before taking his game defining contested mark he was locked in some push-and-shove. He even pushed away his own teammates. He was booed by the Bombers fans every time he went near the ball in the second half, and it was only fitting that it was Andrew who stuck the dagger into every Bombers fans heart and ended their clubs’ finals aspirations for 2024.
Andrew was thrown forward last week with promising results. And this match showed that last week was no fluke with another really strong performance. Another four goals to his name, including the match winner after the final siren.
Jack Lukosius must be wondering how he will ever break back into this Suns team.
Andrew McGrath
That chase down tackle. It was everything. While the Essendon forwards were doing everything in their power to lose this match with poor goalkicking, McGrath was putting everything on the line for the Bombers to keep their noses in front.
Matt Rowell – The Thing
Matt Rowell walked out to the centre of Marvel Stadium looked at his opponent and said, “It’s clobbering time”. All this guy does is bash and crash and win contested footy and get clearances and lay tackles. Who says you need to have super quick leg speed to be a midfielder in the AFL?
Matt Rowell is current proof that it doesn’t matter how quick your opponent is if you just continually win the footy at the source. Everyone crows about the broken tackles’ stat, but I’d prefer to see an “absorbed tackle” stat. One that recognises when a player wins the ball, gets tackled and then is still able to find a teammate and get an effective disposal away. Matt Rowell would be streets ahead of anyone else in this.
Battle of Big Ben
Arguably the most engrossing match-up of the night was that of Bombers full back and star recruit Ben McKay and Gold Coast spearhead Ben King. It seemed the ball was following them around all game. It would be fascinating to know how many actual contests they competed in.
King was the Suns’ avenue to goal, whether kicking them or supporting them, he was the main piece up forward. Meanwhile McKay was the giant tower blocking their way. The ball went to them, and either King turned it to a score or McKay sent it back with interest. It almost looked like McKay had taken complete control in the last quarter before King fought back again to help the Suns get forward and steal an unlikely victory. Also, go back and look how McKay was unable to fly at that last aerial ball in the Suns forward fifty. King engaged him perfectly and allowed Andrew to come in and take the mark.
The Good Stuff:
Nate Caddy
Essendon fans might have to be a little patient with him, but everything points to this kid being a star. The leaps, the hands, the goals. He brings so much to the game. He’s going to give you the odd moment that leaves you scratching your head, but if the Bombers stick with him, you will reap the rewards, much like the Bulldogs with Jamarra at the moment or Carlton with Curnow. Just let him grow and put the pieces around him.
Sam Draper
Draper just loves playing the Suns. He probably wishes he could play them more often, although after losing to them twice this season, the Bombers may think once is enough in 2025. Draper was a star in this game with his goals, some clean marks and some other efforts. He is one of the Bombers to miss in the final quarter points bonanza, but that shouldn’t overshadow a strong performance from the 25-year-old.
The Not So Good Stuff:
Jake Stringer
As Dennis Cometti said, “They say bad kicking is bad football”, and how that rings true for Jake Stringer. He could’ve easily found himself in another section of this review had he kicked truly just once more, showcasing his enigmatic ability on the football field.
Basically, if you want to be the man, then you have to be THE MAN.
And when you’re not, you have to accept the criticism that comes with it. This does not to absolve the other culprits for the Bombers, especially those in the last quarter. But Stringer kicked three points in the last quarter, on top of multiple other shots during the game that failed to score, and he is meant to kick goals, and if he had, the Bombers would’ve won and their season would still be alive.
Alex Davies
Should Davies be nervous? He is a solid player but jeez he can do some silly things. Giving away free kicks and fifty metre penalties. Brain fades and sometimes being a bit slow with the ball. Damien Hardwick doesn’t suffer players continually costing his team in matches, just ask Josh Caddy. There’s plenty of opportunity for Davies, he just needs to tidy his game up a little bit.
The Commentary
Jade Gresham was denied the chance to seal the game for Bombers late in the last quarter. The umpire CORRECTLY judged that he had pushed his Suns opponent in the back when they had jumped up to grab a loose ball.
Just to be clear, the push in the back rule is not exclusive to marking contests, and if you push your opponent in the back with a full extension of your arms and off the line of the ball, then it s a free kick. If anything, Gresham was lucky not be paid a 50-metre penalty against for kicking the goal after the whistle. Yes, the crowd was loud and meant that he didn’t hear it but tell that to 2007 Matthew Richardson!
Some Other Stuff:
A bit of by-play in the match. From Merrett offering what can only be assumed was some hearty words of support to his Suns opponent after he had just drilled him into the ground, to the almost-brawl at half time. There were little niggles all over the places as players transgressed and things were eventually evened up. It looked like it might get the better of Mac Andrew at the end of the game when he and a Bombers payer tussled, just moment before his match-winning heroics.
The Wrap:
Essendon:
Well, that’s all folks. Essendon has a long summer of introspection ahead of them.
Apologies Bombers fans, but this is the reality. You can work the ladder predictor however you like, and talk about percentage chance of making it, but if we’re being honest with each other, it’s over. It was over when the Bombers kicked 1.9 in the last quarter of this game and failed to seal it from a very winnable position.
The Bombers just had to deliver some consistency in their performance across the season, and they would be comfortably inside the top eight right now. The talent is there. Brad Scott is a coach who knows how to take a team deep into September. It just needs to click, which it did in the early part of this season, but good teams in this competition know it is a marathon.
Yes, it’s a cliché, but any team can have a hot patch of form, only the best can sustain it and get themselves into the finals. The Bombers need to start believing they’re one of those teams, as wanting to be one is not enough.
Gold Coast:
Suns fans rejoice, an AWAY win!!!! I mean, it’s a bit of ‘too little too late’ but hey, we’re taking the positives out of this one. Speaking of the positives, I wouldn’t be surprised if Damien Hardwick brought the team into their meeting post-match and did his best Ace Ventura and just launched into “I have exercised the demons. This house is clear”.
This win could be a launching pad. A character-building moment to use as a baseline of what is to be expected for Suns teams moving forward. Outplayed, outmanned but not beaten. Hanging on by a thread and scratching out a win. And who knows, a wounded and defeated Melbourne await next week, followed by a rudderless Richmond. The Suns may yet achieve their goal of their best ever season.
A few more list changes in the off-season and the Suns may just leapfrog a few teams like the Bombers and finally reach the promised land of September.
