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AFL

Dons defy Dees and pouring rain to stake legitimate finals claims with 27-point win

2023-04-15T18:59+10:00

An inspired Essendon side has produced one of the upsets of the season to date, downing Melbourne by 27 points as the heavens opened up at Adelaide Oval.

The Bombers produced their best footy of an already impressive season and responded to every challenge the Demons could throw at them.

They’ve now got legitimate claims to be in the finals discussion and Brad Scott’s got the win he craved to announce the Bombers to the competition once again.

A three-goal last quarter when Melbourne looked to be coming early in the fourth term underlines the maturity Scott has built into this club so early in his tenure.

Essendon had consistently looked the better team through the first half, but the footy world was holding its breath for the Melbourne comeback.

With Jake Lever out, Scott had a game plan set to take full toll, and take full toll the Bombers did.

The Dons kicked 9.10 in the first half, putting up a stunning 64 points by the main break.

It was the most points scored in the first half against Melbourne since the Demons lost the preliminary final of 2018 to West Coast.

But the rain that had been forecasted for all day finally arrived in the third term, thundering down to drench the contest in seconds. It could have been the Demons' chance to adapt quicker and get back into the contest, but as they’d done all day Essendon continued to outnumber at the contest.

It was to be the Bombers’ best quarter of football this year.

“They’re inspired Essendon, absolutely inspired,” Andy Maher exclaimed in commentary for AFL Nation.

“This is as good as they’ve gone for a long, long time.”

It started in the clinches, with Darcy Parish and Dylan Shiel seizing the ascendancy early and only surrendering it late in the game when the contest was won.

That duo combined for 59 touches and 33 contested possessions, but it was the burst from stoppage and ball use that set them apart from their Melbourne counterparts.

On the flip side, Clayton Oliver in particular struggled to input himself on the contest in a manner we’ve rarely seen, particularly early with the game on the line. A disposal count of 41 fails to reflect his influence on Saturday evening's affair.

Will Setterfield’s role on the three-time All-Australian around the contest now might become the norm for how sides can combat Oliver in 2023.

The dominance out of the middle was also a byproduct of Sam Draper, who was the most influential player on the ground in the first half.

Last year’s Goal of the Year winner had never kicked three goals, but that’s where he found himself at the main break and proved the X-Factor for the victors.

A late flurry from Melbourne was again seen off in an impressive performance that now makes Essendon’s top eight hopes legitimate.

Anzac Day now can’t come fast enough.

FULL SCORE

Essendon: 5.4, 9.10, 12.13, 15.14. (104)

Melbourne: 4.2, 7.5, 7.7, 11.11 (77)

GOALS

Essendon: Draper 3, Phillips 2, Martin 2, Langford 2, Hind 2, Stringer, Snelling, Perkins, Jones,

Melbourne: Pickett 2, Melksham 2, Fritsch 2, van Rooyen, Petracca, Chandler, Jordan, Neal-Bullen

BEST

Essendon: Parish, Merrett, Draper, Shiel, Laverde

Melbourne: Viney, Petracca, Grundy, Langdon, Oliver

INJURIES

Essendon: Jones (ankle)

Melbourne: Spargo (concussion)

CROWD: TBC at Adelaide Oval

Sports-News Melbourne Sydney Swans

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