Goal feast, but Dons ensure no picnic for Demons

Essendon’s Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti about to snap one of his four goals against Melbourne. Photo: AFL MEDIA

The pressure on both Essendon and Melbourne was palpable this week, two teams whose prospects had been universally talked up all summer only to turn in two pretty abject performances first-up.

But if the Bombers and Demons were feeling the pinch, it sure wasn’t reflected in the way either side approached their already-critical Friday night clash.

This was fast, flowing football, attack at a premium and defence often sadly lacking, the sort of game we might see a lot more of thanks to some of the new AFL rules, and if that’s the case few would complain, because it was top-notch entertainment.

It produced 38 goals. Most importantly, though, it produced an 18-point win to Essendon, the pressure upon coach John Worsfold relieved for a while at least. And for Melbourne, a preliminary finalist of last year, a bottom line of 0-3 and all sorts of trouble.

Essendon had kicked just 14 goals in two games, and managed to surpass that tally with half-a-dozen to spare. This week, the marks were held by key forwards like Shaun McKernan, who helped himself to four goals as a result.

The Dons’ small forwards hadn’t hit the scoreboard or applied enough defensive pressure in the first two weeks. This night, both were there, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti bagging four goals, he, Orazio Fantasia and Devon Smith eight between them.

The Bombers had lacked on-field leadership in the losses to GWS and St Kilda. This time, the senior men all stood up, none more so than skipper Dyson Heppell, who worked himself into the ground, not only picking a stack of possessions but hurling himself at the contest repeatedly. David Zaharakis had had a poor start to the season. This was one of his best games in a long time.

GWS imports Smith, already an Essendon best and fairest winner, and former Giants teammate Dylan Shiel, underlined why they have been and will be valuable for a club which continues to develop a list for the longer term.

Most critically, after failing to kick a goal in either first quarter it had so far played, Essendon this time hit the ground running, banging on six and taking a 21-point lead to the first change.

McKernan’s strong grab and conversion had the first goal on the board in just on a minute. Melbourne squared things up soon enough via Jake Melksham, but by the time Fantasia booted the Dons’ second it was two from just two entries, the Demons seven entries for just one.

That became three goals to one after some defensive heat saw the ball spill to Jake Stringer, who soon after bombed his second goal from outside 50. And when McDonald-Tipungwuti threaded a ripper from the pocket, his first goal of the season, the margin had crept out to 21 points.

At that moment, Essendon had managed 10 scoring shots from just 15 inside 50s, Melbourne’s defence riddled with holes, the Bombers continually finding acres of space, Shiel with a dozen touches to the first break.

Melbourne needed a response ASAP. And it found one. Corey Wagner’s snap inside the first minute post resumption brought the gap back to 15.

Then Essendon began to assist the Demons, too. Zac Clarke marked 35 metres out, but with two teammates in the clear and streaming in to goal for the pop over the top. It never came. Clarke decided to shoot. And missed. There’s no escaping what a poor piece of play that was.

Ditto a few minutes later when Clarke and teammate Matt Guelfi were in a two-on-one marking contest against Melbourne small man Jay Lockhart, somehow allowing the Demon to mark, then start arguing with each other as the Demon slotted another goal.

That was the second of six unanswered goals in less than 15 minutes Melbourne would kick as now they ran amok into an Essendon defensive 50 full of holes.

Christian Petracca looked dangerous again, Jayden Hunt and James Harmes got on the board, big men Sam Weideman and Max Gawn hauled the grabs in and converted. A deficit which had blown out to 23 points eight minutes into the term for the Demons had become a 13-point lead17 minutes later.

To further sound the alarm bells, Essendon, which had already lost youngster Kobe Mutch in the opening minutes, was also nursing injuries to Devon Smith and Aaron Francis.

McDonald-Tipungwuti’s goal shortly before the half-time siren came very much against the flow. It certainly gave no indication of what was to come after the long break.

Which was another burst of seven goals, unanswered, and this time, from Essendon. Stringer had the first, in just 30 seconds. And a little over 20 minutes later, the Bombers were 33 points up.

McDonald-Tipungwuti looked deadly every time he touched the ball. His third goal on the run put his team back in front. Then Mark Baguley outmarked Sam Frost in the goal square. “Tippa” would boot his fourth of the evening, Zaharakis bounced one through from long range and Smith bagged two in succession.

Even then, though, it didn’t feel like Essendon was necessarily safe, particularly when Hunt and Weideman brought the gap back to 21 points again at three-quarter time.

But the Dons had invested too much effort into this game to let it, and possibly its whole season, slip now.

Each Melbourne goal was answered. Angus Brayshaw, who’d played an enormous game for his side, kept racking up the touches, and again the Demons kept racking up the forward entries for not nearly enough reward.

It took a while, but finally, through Darcy Parish, who got better the longer the game went, the Dons built an edge which couldn’t possibly be overhauled, even allowing for another five goals which came in junk time.

It was far from perfect. But after the start Essendon has had, the value of this result, not only in terms of the match points, but the confidence gained, was enormous. And for Melbourne? Well, if things were hot in the kitchen this week, stand by for what’s to come.

MELBOURNE 3.1 10.1 12.3 18.4 (112)
ESSENDON 6.4 8.6 15.6 20.10 (130)

CROWD: 52,475 at the MCG