After 323 torturous days and 17 miserable losses on end with no cause to sing their song, the Bombers finally broke through and got the chance to be loud and proud again.
With victory over Melbourne in Gather Round on Saturday, Essendon broke their 17-game losing streak and avoided setting a new outright record of the longest run of losses in the club’s 154-year history.
The relief at avoiding the alternative was as strong in the rooms as the joy at claiming the first win of the season and in nearly a year for the Bombers.
“I think it is important for them [the fans], because they have put up with a lot over the journey,” coach Brad Scott said of averting the unwanted 18-game losing streak – albeit one not spoken about by the coaches or players.
“I am pretty explicit about the fact that what drives me personally, and we as a club, is we have a team-first attitude, and we put out a team that makes our supporters and members proud, and we haven’t been able to do that over recent times, and we are working extremely hard to do that.”
Wearing a black sash and looking lurid in red jumpers and shorts, this was in many ways a different-looking Essendon. A team that had been all-too-easy to score against kept an opposition that had carried into this game the reputation as the exciting, uber-attacking kids of the competition to two goals after half-time.
The Bombers withstood a Melbourne burst in the second term that saw them go 19 points down and, where previously they would have surrendered, this time they rallied. They held Melbourne up, stifled their run, cut out the uncontested marks, and kicked 13 of the last 14 goals to not only win but eventually do so in a romp, winning by 45 points.
More importantly, the club’s win was driven by its phalanx of young players, who stopped the ballistic Melbourne style that has scythed through teams in the early part of the year.
Lachie Blakiston, in his 16th game, had never played in a win. Four Bombers in total – Blakiston, Archer May, Jake Farrow and, of course, debutant Sullivan Robey – had never played in a win.
“We have said we are excited by our young players, but I get when you are not seeing results people don’t care that much,” Scott said.
“I don’t know if it was enjoyable. It was satisfying … sometimes the reality is you need some reward for the effort because it’s hard to see the positive progress when you are not getting the result.
“It’s not just about personnel, but this was the first time I can remember selection pressure. We have had it in my time, I just can’t remember it – it is that long ago. That means you have some flexibility to do some things, [to] move some players around.”
Andy McGrath played a run-with role on Kysaiah Pickett to some effect, Peter Wright was tremendous in what could be his permanent new role as No.1 ruck, working well in tandem with Blakiston. Both Max Gawn and Pickett were still their club’s best players, but they did not have the pronounced effect they normally do.
“We were able to blunt their influence, and sometimes I think that is the best you can hope for,” Scott explained.
“It was a big challenge for Pete today, and he accepted it and I thought the last goal [of the match, which Wright kicked] was fitting. Max was still good – you are almost trying to mitigate centre bounce when he is in there.”
Essendon won the centre clearances by nine to two in the second half, which was a critical measure of the shift in the game and how they held Melbourne up. Once Essendon had territory, they made it difficult for the Demons to transition the ball.
“We are still a massive work in progress,” Scott said.
“Perspective is such an important thing in this game. While we are incredibly pleased with the result, I am pleased for the players to get that reward, I am pleased for the supporters who have been through a really tough time, [and] I am really pleased for the club. But perspective is important – it’s not like we have done anything miraculous. Even if we don’t get the result today, the trajectory we are on is still the same.”
Archie Roberts was outstanding, Nate Caddy is now leading the forward line, Isaac Kako is pushing high up the ground and has been given a licence to attack the game, the Archers – Day-Wicks and May – as well as the pantomime archer, Xavier Duursma, were all very good.
Interestingly, Zach Merrett had good moments, kicked one of the best goals of the game with a snap from the pocket at a boundary throw-in, and created more goals from tackles and pressure, but he was not Atlas holding up the team, as was previously the case in the dim reaches of history when Essendon used to more often win games.
Key defenders Jordan Ridley, Zach Reid and Ben McKay had only played in the same team six times out of the past 50 games under Scott.
“You can throw [Mason] Redman in that mix too,” Scott said.
“You look at the top-four sides over the last four years – they have been very settled with key components of their defence, but for reasons we haven’t been able to put them out there.
“It’s pleasing to get the young players back to support the young talent, but that perspective is important. We knew that three weeks ago when we were poor, and we know it now after a win. So it’s not like anything is massively different – it’s just our supporters can be happy for a change in the last 12 months or so.”
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Michael Gleeson is an award-winning senior sports writer specialising in AFL and athletics.Connect via X or email.