Essendon eased Matthew Lloyd and Dustin Fletcher back into AFL service, and West Coast’s Ashley Hansen dispelled his fitness doubts, as the Eagles beat the Bombers 15.10 (100) to 14.10 (94) in their NAB Challenge match in Perth tonight.

With Lloyd and Fletcher blowing away the cobwebs in their first pre-season run out, youngster Brent Stanton simply blew the Eagles away, finishing the night with 36 touches and four goals.

But a 26-point third quarter lead for the Bombers was swallowed up by three goals in the term by Hansen, who finished with five majors and, probably more importantly, uninjured after more hamstring troubles in pre-season.

Playing just the first half, the Bombers’ linchpins Lloyd and Fletcher did little more than get used to the guernseys again – although after kicking two early behinds, Lloyd then survived a teeth-rattling bump from Beau Waters late in the second quarter.

And by then Stanton had sent his message to new Bombers coach Matthew Knights with a telling display in the first half, racking up 22 touches and three goals.

Bachar Houli also impressed as the Bombers’ promised attacking style was honed, with four of the first five goals in the third quarter taking them out to a handsome lead.

But after Eagles coach John Worsfold had been given encouraging signs of his own with Andrew Embley’s showing (32 touches, 13 marks), Hansen sprung to life after the main break.

Two majors in five minutes were followed by a textbook grab after great centre square work from Dean Cox and Matt Priddis to bring the Eagles back into the contest.

And after the improving Josh Kennedy showed his aerial abilities, only to be trumped by Paddy Ryder for mark of the night, Hansen’s fifth goal a minute into the last term brought the Eagles level.

With Chad Fletcher influential, gleaning 14 touches in the last term, Kennedy wobbled through a major to give the Eagles the lead, only for Stanton to equalise to make the draw a possibility.

But Damien Peverill’s push in the back on David Wirrpanda was compounded by a 50m for throwing the ball away, and the easy goal was to be be the last of the night.

© AAP 2012

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