Captain Scott Pendlebury has starred in the last quarter and led his team to a gritty 16-point AFL win over Essendon at the MCG.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Essendon Bombers 9.8.62
Collingwood Magpies 12.6.78
The Essendon Bombers will be hoping to keep their late-season revival going against a Collingwood Magpies side that just keeps getting hit by injury.
Join The Roar for live scores from the match and a live blog of the game in Round 16 of the 2018 AFL season at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, starting from 3:20pm AEST.
Essendon have had a funny old season. They started with a Round 1 win over Adelaide that made us think maybe they could take the next step this year, then fell into a patch of bad form.
From Rounds 5-8 they lost to Collingwood, Melbourne, Hawthorn and most embarrassingly Carlton in succession – and they remain the only side all year that has lost to the Blues.
However they’ve since fired up and won five of their last six, including some reasonably good sized scalps like Geelong, GWS, North Melboure, and most impressively West Coast at Optus Stadium.
They’re currently two wins and a decent chunk of percentage outside the top eight, so finals might not be a realistic dream – but just keep winning and anything can happen.
Collingwood are more proof of that than anyone. Despite widespread expectations that another poor season was on the cards, and mounting injury problems, they’re proving the doubters wrong this year.
Right now they are a top-four side and perhaps almost the injuries should be thanked – they’ve forced Nathan Buckley to innovate and create an unconventional forward line that has solved one of the ‘Pies most enduring headaches, their lack of ability to score.
Unfortunately for Collingwood they’ve lost Lynden Dunn to an ACL injury and so will now be looking to do the same kind of innovation in a backline that finds itself bereft of traditional tall defenders.
Join The Roar for live scores from the match and a live blog of the game between the Essendon Bombers and the Collingwood Magpies in Round 16 of the 2018 AFL season at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, starting from 3:20pm AEST.
Dankswonderelixir
Guest
oh boo hoo again. You were beaten by a better team on the day with a far more significant injury count to its top tier players than your mob. Consistently losing the free kick count over multiple weeks indicates poor discipline rather than anything else. Lets face it you were not good enough on the day, full stop....
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
The same Essendon Slane who had beaten North, Eagles, Giants and Cats recently? So basically the Pies still haven't beaten anyone yet we beat another in form side who had been beating top 8 sides recently?
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
No idea how we got the 50 m penalty either and the Pies were favoured heavily by the umpiring first half. We were at the game and shaking our heads and laughing at how bad it was.
Bretto
Roar Rookie
I'm not sure how we got the 50m penalty, free kick yes, 50m no. Pies got quite a few early 50/50 calls, and a few that were just strange. Thought the Bombers got a few back later in the game that were also a bit dodgy. Pretty rubbish umpiring all round. Good win by the Pies in the end, they looked gone for all money.
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
See my comment below regarding 50m penalty in the last quarter; I don't want to clog the thread by repeating it. It was a crucial momentum swing late in the game. I understand that as pies fan you may have seen it differently.
Slane
Guest
Beating Essendon doesn't count as a tough game regardless of the umpires.
Brian
Guest
Exactly- apparently umpires are HEAVILY favouring opposition sides playing Essendon EVERY week.This is according to the bomber fan sites, where up until today's game, were divided on the matter.Now it's pretty much unanimous that the AFL, through the maggots, are continuing to attack Essendon further to the manufactured supplements frame up of recent years. And yes Collingwood haven't won a tough game by itself this year,so commentators and fans should see this and stop going on about them. FU afl and FU maggots!
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Cue the doubters! Pies beat 12th side and still have beaten no one will be the geese call. Missing: Treloar, Dunn, Moore, Goldsack, Broomhead, Aish, Varcoe, Elliott, etc etc
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Andy, they murdered you first half then umps made some shockers as they tried to square up. Terrible umpiring but not sure it gave us the win.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Ha ha didn't take long for a goose to come out with that. Keep saying we beat no one, we just keep winning despite the worst injury count along with GWS and Crows.
JR
Guest
First neutral commentator I have seen to actually mention the umps. Everyone else just wants to talk up how amazing Collingwood were.
powa
Guest
yeah but it makes collingwood look better than they are, they are not as good as the eagles or port, and nowhere near as good as richmond
powa
Guest
their 9th win against the bottom 10, surely there will be more Roar articles on why they are a premiership threat somehow...
Neil from Warrandyte
Roar Rookie
Tigers on the wrong side of controversial decisions all year and yet sit on top of ladder. If you’re good enough you’ll still win.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Collingwood have defeated the Bombers by sixteen points at the MCG in a gripping encounter that went down to the final minutes. The early play seemed to be with the Pies and they took a seventeen point margin into the first change and Essendon could only manage one goal in the first term. The Bombers lifted the intensity over the next two terms and dominated long periods. They kicked six goals to three over the course of quarters' two and three and took a one point lead into the final change. The rain that featured early in the game cleared up and allowed the Pies to run riot in the last term kicking five goals to two and it cements their spot in the top four; with their eyes now fixed on something even higher. The umpiring performance will come into question with what appeared to be a lop sided advantage to the Collingwood yet that is for someone else to discuss after what was an enjoyable game at the home of football. Mason Cox, Jordan De Goey and Scott Pendlebury were inspirational for the Pies and Michael Hurley was a rock at the back for the Bombers. Final Score Essendon 9 8 62 Collingwood 12 6 78
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Agree to disagree. Most Collingwood momentum came from free kicks or 50m penalties and a lot were dodgy.
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
ThT 50m penalty against BG in the last quarter that started Collingwood's run was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen. Umpires should be ashamed of themselves.
Joe
Guest
Disagree pies a bit more polished umps not great though
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Predict the comments next week. Pies only beat the 12th side still haven’t beaten anyone. Keep saying it who cares, we just keep winning despite the injuries.
Joe
Guest
Bit more than a bit I think