That was the first of two matches that may very well define the Bombers’ year.
The youthful Essendon side went up against the ladder-leading Demons and while there was a pervading sense of optimism surrounding their performance they were unable to get the job done against the bigger bodies of Melbourne and their stronger defensive structures.
Read on for my takeaways from the Bombers’ Round 15 performance.
Battle of the blue-collar defences
This game was billed as what happens when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object. The Essendon forward line had been potent to this stage of the season, while Jake Lever and Steven May are in All Australian form.
It was more a battle of the defences however, with both forward lines failing to gain ascendancy early. The Demons were able to dominate the interceptions and the Bombers were able to pressure the ball in transition. It was a game of contrasting philosophies as each side had positives to take out of the game.
Jordan Ridley and Mason Redman are quietly beginning to put together very solid seasons down back for the Bombers, while Ridley’s stats are somewhat inflated given that he takes the kick outs for the Bombers.
Furthermore the improvement of James Stewart as a big, bullocking full back has been exponential as he was able to use his athleticism and reading of the ball to negate Tom McDonald’s potency.
Unfortunately, the weight of entries was too much for the Bombers to handle as the Demons got on top in the third quarter and the Bombers’ ball use heading inside 50 was putrid in the last quarter.
Dyson Heppell’s still got it
Dyson Heppell has been a revelation for the Bombers on the half back flank this year, steeling the defence against numerous attacking forays. Saturday night was no exception for the Bombers’ captain.
He may have started his career as a half back flanker with a view to going into the guts but Heppell is rejuvenated by a return to his old role where he can provide leadership to a young Bombers back line that desperately needs it.
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
The one criticism I would have of Heppell and his back line compatriots is that they’re a little one-paced, which is in stark comparison to how they were last season with Conor McKenna and Adam Saad manning the flanks in that half back role.
However, despite that, he does make the Bombers a substantially better side and Saturday night was no exception with 26 disposals at 100 per cent efficiency. When the Bombers were butchering the ball going inside 50, Heppell was the portrait of composure.
That double-50 penalty…
Now I’m normally fair and even handed when it comes to the umpiring (sarcasm), but the umpiring across the AFL has been putrid this round.
An incident in the third quarter sticks out in my mind, when Archie Perkins was paid a 50 against him for infringing on the protected zone despite not being provided the typical ‘clear out’ warnings that you’d expect from the umpire. Then another 50 when Devon Smith gesticulated with the umpire. It is penalties like this that are ruining our game.
Then to make matters worse in the fourth quarter Tom McDonald did something similar but the umpire failed to do anything about it. It is inconsistencies like this that are ruining the game and it may not have cost the game, but it has done in the past. The fact that we are tolerant of such ineptitude in the umpiring department and the rules committee shows the head office of the AFL do not have a feel for the game.
This isn’t to take anything away from Melbourne, who were the better side, nor is it to be too personally critical of the umpires, who are just doing their jobs. But there is no transparency with the system, and while I’m not advocating for equal amounts of free kicks to be given, the inconsistency of the umpiring is infuriating and needs review at the end of the year.
Bombers’ ball use
I don’t enjoy using these columns to be too critical of the Bombers here but the Bombers’ ball use going inside their forward line was atrocious. They had 17 inside 50s in the last quarter as their entries were characterised by long and high entries.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
The Melbourne Demons have played well to win games but they did not play like a top-of-the-table team and were ripe for beating yet the Bombers could not take the momentum by the scruff of the neck and win. Making matters worse was eighth spot was up for grabs and the Bombers couldn’t take the chances when they were ripe for the picking.
One more thing: Jake Stringer
The Bombers may not have taken the chocolates against the Demons but Jake Stringer has begun an ascent to rival that of Darcy Parish. With 24 disposals, five tackles, one goal and seven score involvements, it appears Jake Stringer is relishing the greater opportunity in the midfield that was promised when he came over from the Bulldogs in 2017.
The Essendon midfield still require a bigger body. Standing at 192 centimetres and 91 kilograms, Jake Stringer can play that role. Much has been made of the Bombers’ young brigade this year but the improvement out of the elder statesmen of the Bombers is just as good.
I hope that Stringer is able to extend sooner rather than later and the Bombers can experience the ultimate success. In keeping with the trend from the match, Stringer looked like he was trying to do too much as he blazed forward rather than using the options available via hand rather than foot. I can’t help but question if he is trying to show his wares to start something of a bidding war before he is out of contract at the end of the year.
Best six
6. Matt Guelfi (four votes)
5. Jordan Ridley (nine votes)
4. Jake Stringer (23 votes)
3. Kyle Langford (19 votes) and Dyson Heppell (13 votes)
2. Darcy Parish (45 votes)
1. Zach Merrett (44 votes)
Leaderboard
1. Darcy Parish (45 votes)
2. Zach Merrett (44 votes)
3. Jake Stringer (23 votes)
Melbourne did not play like the ladder leader should. They played an ugly flood style and had the rub of the green egregiously so, but that’s not to take anything away from them as my Bombers could not take the match by the throat and win.
The Bombers played into their hands and enabled the Dees to shut the match down. However, as has been said on many a Bombers podcast, this year is a development year and it’s about seeing the hope and assertiveness that can serve the Bombers well in future.
DarwinDee
Guest
That's pretty simplistic. Melbourne are a far better team at the moment and STOPPED them doing it. Your suggesting both Brisbane and Essendon just gave up after half time and rolled over. can't comment on the Collingwood game as thankfully I had food poisoning and didn't watch it.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Stringer has strength and explosiveness but will never be a pure midfielder. We need more consistency from him, he doesn’t need to think he has to win games. We do need to let him play his own game.
adhitya0710
Roar Rookie
As pointed out rightly, Melbourne were there to be beaten. Our game dropped in the second half. There were signs of Rutten taking notes from Pies win over Demons in Rd 14. The Pies avoided long bombs into the 50 at all cost and kept going flat to the edge of the 50. I thought Bombers were trying something like that in the first half and add to that, the tactic used by Stringer & co early when they knew that May likes to come high up and Stringer tried to score from outside 50. I didn't see the Bombers do this in the second half. Especially late in the 3rd Qtr and in the 4th Qtr, we just kept kicking long and high into Melbourne's defensive 50 and it made no sense. I'm not sure about the numbers but I don't think the Bombers even took 10 Contested Marks in I50. Bucks and Pies showed us the template in Rd13 and Melbourne did look weak that day and in the first half when Bombers did try the same but unfortunately chose not to do it in the second half.
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
Gee, I am so impressed about how Essendon appears to be building. So much talent out there. To see us go toe to toe with one of the strong AFL teams in a low scoring affair was fantastic. A good preseason and we may be a good team come 2022.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I am always perplexed by the willingness of umpires to insert themselves into contests buying into the media narrative. While I agree that Devon Smith did give away a fifty, the precipitating incident with Archie Perkins was not a fifty metre penalty.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
yeah the bombers have a surprisingly diverse midfield department. I used to think Parish, Merrett, and Mcgrath were all too similar, but when you add Smith and Snelling, and Stringer along with Langford then the Bombers midfield becomes more diverse. I think next year Cox and Perkins will continue to develop while I think Bryan can potentially take Hooker's spot.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
I think the thing about Essendon at the moment is they have a surprisingly diverse midfield meaning they can give sides a lot of different looks. I think it would be foolish to go after Dunkley again particularly when there are a bounty of riches in the dynamic midfielder department at this years draft.
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Depends on who we are playing, I think against Geelong it would be better to have Francis back as he is the better athlete than brayden and he can read the ball in flight more effectively. I thought the demons midfield was more damaging than the Essendon one in their ball use and their offensive capabilities
jutsie
Roar Rookie
Going into the match I thought the two areas we would be exposed in would be the midfield battle and the aerial battle in our forward line. I was right about the latter, May and lever dominated but we werent the first and wont be the last team they do that to this year. Regarding the former I was pleasantly surprised at how well parish/merrett/stringer/langford did considering Draper was given a big lesson by Gawn. Agree about the backline, they more games they play together the better they are getting, wonder whether they will rush Francis back in or whether having a 2nd stopper in BZK offers more balance?
Jakarta Fan
Roar Rookie
Stringer doing well in the midfield is something that fans have hoped for for a long time. It has often been a question of stamina but on the basis of the last 2 weeks maybe his stamina has improved. I hope so as it could be a key element in 2022 with him sharing midfield time with McGrath, Parish and Caldwell as inside mids while Shiel, Merrett, Perkins and Cox as outside mids. Langford, perhaps could be part of either group. Even without adding another elite mid to the mix Essendon seems to be developing a very strong batch of midfielders. Melbourne have shown the value of 3 elite intercept backline players in May and Lever, and while, as you mentioned, Stewart is improving, we still need at least one May, Lever or McGovern type solid defender to take that role. While Hooker has been serviceable, he has seemed slow and ineffective for the last few weeks and we need a lift there. Maybe this is one reason why our last quarter entries were atrocious. Who do you kick to? Two slow talls, an injured Walla, two first year developing talents in Jones and Perkins or an angry Smith? Something needs to change there to give a better target for those bringing the ball in. Where was the forward system? Where were the leads? Where was the spreading? It wasn't there, so where do the mids kick? No wonder May and Lever had a picnic! For all that, we got so close and gives us something to work on for next year.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Bombers could have easily won the match with the 100m penalty , the terrible umpiring in the fourth where Melbourne defender dropped the ball for all to see when tackled which was a missed six points and unlucky moments where stringer bombed and hit the post , some poor set shot kicking and hind running in to the point post to give Melbourne a donation goal. Well let's just say plenty of oops to win the game by a few goals .