- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Greater Western Sydney Giants have recorded their first win over Essendon, defeating the Bombers by 45 points at Spotless Stadium in the NAB Challenge.
GWS – 14 13 97
ESS – 8 4 52
Playing a depleted Bombers team, because of the supplements scandal, GWS dominated the clash from start to finish to run out comfortable winners.
It was all set up in the first half for GWS as they kicked 10 goals to 2 to lead by 52 points at half time.
The Giants – playing at home for the first time this season – started well, kicking the first four goals of the game.
Utilising their dominance in the middle of the ground, Rhys Palmer kicked two goals, with Stephen Coniglio kicking another, to give the Giants the early jump on their opponent.
By the time Joe Daniher kicked Essendon’s first goal in the 21st minute of the quarter the Giants led by 21 points.
GWS would continue their dominance in the second quarter by kicking the first two goals of the quarter.
They would add another three goals for the quarter to extend the lead to over 50 by half time.
In the second half they started like the first and kicked the first two goals of the quarter.
They extended their lead to a game high 66 points before Essendon fought back.
Goals to Jared Petrenko, Clinton Jones, Jason Ashby, and Patrick Ambrose, reduced the margin 54 points by three quarter time.
The inexperienced Bombers then kicked two goals in the final quarter and kept the Giants goal less to reduce the margin to 45 points at the end.
The big problem for the Bombers was clearances and inside 50’s in the match. They were smashed in the middle as the Giants, through Mumford and Coniglio, dominated play.
They would always be second to the ball in contests and struggled to contain the pace of the Giants.
The Bombers also struggled to match up height wise against the Giants.
It’s hard to gauge how well each team will do based on this match. The Giants dominated a team that missed a lot of players and the Bombers struggled without their stars.
They will be hoping all their players are cleared by ASADA and the AFL on March 31.
Essendon will play one more NAB Challenge game against Melbourne with GWS to play Sydney next week.
The Greater Western Sydney Giants face the Essendon Bombers in the NAB Challenge at Spotless Stadium. Join The Roar for live coverage of the match from 7:10pm AEDT.
Since GWS entered the competition in 2012, they have lost all five matches against the Bombers – four during the regular season and one in the NAB Cup in 2013.
Today they will face a depleted Bombers team, after 25 players were prohibited to play in the NAB Challenge as part of the ASADA investigation into the club.
This forced the Bombers to bring ring-ins for the duration of the NAB Challenge.
In their first match of the preseason the Dons were beaten by 50 points by the wooden spoon team of 2014, St Kilda.
With GWS beating the Suns by 36 points in their opening match, and naming a strong team for tonight’s match, they will be looking to beat Essendon for the first time in an AFL fixture.
They will also be buoyed by the recent re-signing of Jeremy Cameron and Devon Smith to the club. While Cameron played against Gold Coast in their first game, Smith will start his 2015 season tonight against the Bombers, one of seven inclusions in the squad.
Shane Mumford, Heath Shaw, Adam Treloar and Rhys Palmer are some of the other big names to play for the first time this year for the Giants.
While GWS gain these players they also lose Callan Ward, Ryan Griffen, Joel Patfull, Dylan Shiel and Josh Kelly, who have been rested for the match.
The 29-man squad will be reduced to 26 just before the match.
The Bombers have also named a 29-man squad, including some big names. Brendon Goddard, Joe Daniher and David Zaharakis will play their first matches for the year, with Adam Cooney and James Gwilt to debut for the club.
Zaharakis, who played for the club during the drugs scandal, will play after declining to be involved in what the club was doing in 2012.
For this game he will be joined by Nick O’Brien, Jackson Merrett, Elliott Kavanagh and Lauchlan Dalgleish who were part of the team in 2012.
They have been given permission by the club to compete despite potentially facing a suspension as four of the players involved in the supplement scandal.
The Bombers have named nine top-up players for the clash.
Prediction
With so many players out for the Bombers, and GWS having a strong team, I expect them to record a comfortable victory tonight.
GWS by 20 points.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.