Black Diamond
Sleight of Hand
These two sides meet for the second this season, the first being the ANZAC Day game which saw Essendon take the spoils. David Zaharakis was best on ground with 34 disposals and four goals. The brave Bombers dug deep to run out the game and take a 46 point win having lead by just two goals early in the final term. Their superb fourth quarter efforts have been a constant all season.
Since then the Bombers have gone from strength to strength, only succumbing to an inspired Lions outfit, and to other top four aspirants Sydney, Hawthorn and Geelong. Collingwood have been a little more erratic dropping games to Port and the Suns, but showed their quality defeating Geelong (a task only the very best clubs have managed this season).
That first encounter in round five came on the back of a declaration from Essendon that six players had been administered AOD-9406. I wasn't at the game, but I'm told there was an air of discontent at James Hird's presence post match. Given this week's revelations from the widely respected Dean Robinson, and public disclosure of Hird's previously private beliefs that Collingwood are using HGH, the justification for Essendon's own attempts to push the boundaries, which if they overstepped is only a result of poor governance and the actions of rogues like Stephen Dank and Dean Robinson and not at all the result of recklessness by the big wigs at EFC HQ, I wouldn't be surprised if Hird cops a BOOOOOOOOOOing five-fold the magnitude of anything the passionate West Coast crowd could deliver to the Scott Brothers.
For reasons unknown the AFL deemed this game between two "big four" clubs to be worthy of the Sunday twilight slot. Maybe they knew when the fixture was released that Essendon would soon be investigated, and if so I wonder if they thought the players would have been suspended by now thus leaving a makeshift VFL outfit to take on a premiership favourite? It's the only logical explanation.
I can't remember a game which has such potential to become spiteful for almost purely off-field matters. Essendon by six goals.
Since then the Bombers have gone from strength to strength, only succumbing to an inspired Lions outfit, and to other top four aspirants Sydney, Hawthorn and Geelong. Collingwood have been a little more erratic dropping games to Port and the Suns, but showed their quality defeating Geelong (a task only the very best clubs have managed this season).
That first encounter in round five came on the back of a declaration from Essendon that six players had been administered AOD-9406. I wasn't at the game, but I'm told there was an air of discontent at James Hird's presence post match. Given this week's revelations from the widely respected Dean Robinson, and public disclosure of Hird's previously private beliefs that Collingwood are using HGH, the justification for Essendon's own attempts to push the boundaries, which if they overstepped is only a result of poor governance and the actions of rogues like Stephen Dank and Dean Robinson and not at all the result of recklessness by the big wigs at EFC HQ, I wouldn't be surprised if Hird cops a BOOOOOOOOOOing five-fold the magnitude of anything the passionate West Coast crowd could deliver to the Scott Brothers.
For reasons unknown the AFL deemed this game between two "big four" clubs to be worthy of the Sunday twilight slot. Maybe they knew when the fixture was released that Essendon would soon be investigated, and if so I wonder if they thought the players would have been suspended by now thus leaving a makeshift VFL outfit to take on a premiership favourite? It's the only logical explanation.
I can't remember a game which has such potential to become spiteful for almost purely off-field matters. Essendon by six goals.
