VelvetSledge
Moderator
- May 24, 2007
- 17,501
- 35,346
- AFL Club
- Essendon
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- Liverpool FC, Melbourne Storm
- Moderator
- #1
ADELAIDE
A thoroughly enjoyable game for your average Essendon fan, with the supposed "Kings of the close finish" going down to an extremely resilient traveling Crom side.
The Crows kicked the final three goals of the game to seal the win and give the scumrats their first loss for the season.
Super Sub Sam Berry scored the winner with just over 60 seconds left on the clock, and they desperately held on for the win, much to the delight of us here on the Essendon board.
Big Tex looked to be back to his best after a lacklustre start to the season, booting 4 majors to go with 3 to both Rankine and Keays.
Nicks showed some strong coaching nous with McKay and Curnow threatening the Crows defence, dropping an extra man down there to stunt the Scum's forward set up.
Matt Crouch was a sore point however, with a very debatable suspension for an accidental high contact on Jack Carroll.
Izak Rankine is one of the more dynamic and damaging players in the game, with the hybrid mid/forward attending 20 centre bounces but also being a constant threat up forward.
The Crows kicking for goal was elite; 16.4 has to be some of the best shooting we've seen for quite some time.
Hahaha. * Carlton.
CARLTON 14.14 98
def. by
ADELAIDE 16.4 100
BEST: Rankine, Soligo, Walker, Keays, Rachele, Hinge
GOALS: Walker 4, Rankine, Keays 3, Rachele 2, Gollant, Dawson, Cook, Berry
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ESSENDON
We wanted a response, and what a response we got.
The Dogs pegged back a few consolation goals towards the end of the game, but don't get confused; this was a proper smashing in front of a record crowd.
The Dons piled on 5.1 in the final quarter to push the margin out to 43 points, which resulted in just our second win against the Dogs in the past 11 meetings.
208cm Sam Darcy looked to be a concern at the start of the night, but faded as the game went on, while the Dons grew in confidence.
Sam Durham, fresh off signing a new 4 year deal, absolutely toweled up arguably the best player in the league in Marcus Bontempelli. He finished with plenty of the footy, a ton of clearances, and a goal himself. He is a star, and he's only just getting started.
I didn't like the bow and arrow when he was at Port, but Xavier Duursma can do it whenever he wants now. He had a slow first few weeks, but he is showing all the potential he had in his early career in full flow. He's a star.
Jye Caldwell wore Liberatore as best he could, limiting him to a somewhat low 25 touches, before Libba got absolutely crunched in a massive Jake Stringer tackle. The tackle was so strong, that he collapsed on the ground a few minutes afterward.
Todd Goldstein, at 35 years old, absolutely crushed AA Tim English. And it was beautiful to watch.
Zach Merrett just doesn't have any bad games. We are privileged to have him as our player, and as our captain.
Kyle Langford seems to be slipping under the radar again; another 3 goals and he's putting together another very impressive start to a season, despite dropping out of the game at times.
The renaissance of Harrison Jones is such a joy to see.
Go the Planes.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 9.13 67
def. by
ESSENDON 15.6 96
BEST: Merrett, Durham, Duursma, Langford, Goldstein, Caldwell
GOALS: Langford 3, Jones, Stringer, Duursma 2, Goldstein, Caldwell, Martin, Davey, Gresham, Durham
ADELAIDE OUTS: Jordon Butts (Injured), Matt Crouch (Suspended)
ADELAIDE INS: James Borlase, Lachlan Sholl
ESSENDON OUTS: Jye Menzie (Injured)
ESSENDON INS: Elijah Tsatas
ROUND 17, 2023
Marvel Stadium
9/7/2023
ESSENDON 17.13 115
def.
ADELAIDE 15.7 97
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ESSENDON GOALS: Wright, Langford 3, Guelfi, Martin, Menzie 2, Stringer, Merrett, Kelly, Redman, Hobbs
ADELAIDE GOALS: Walker, Keays, Rankine, Pedlar 2, Sloane, Smith, Fogarty, Murphy, Jones, McHenry, Thilthorpe
ESSENDON BEST: Parish, Merrett, Wright, Martin, Guelfi
ADELAIDE BEST: Dawson, Laird, O'Brien, Hinge, Worrell
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CHANGES SINCE LAST TIME:
ESSENDON OUTS: Wright, Guelfi, Perkins, Zerk-Thatcher, Ridley, Phillips, Menzie, Snelling, Weideman, Shiel
ESSENDON INS: McKay, Hind, Duursma, Davey Jr, Gresham, Goldstein, Draper, Tsatas, Cox, Jones
ADELAIDE OUTS: Murray, Sloane, Pedlar, Milera, Thilthorpe, Schoenberg, Murphy
ADELAIDE INS: Nankervis, Borlase, Keane, Cook, Hamill, Gollant, Berry
It's concerning how we don't know which Essendon will pop up each week. If we show up with the same effort we did against Port, we'll lose this by 60 odd. If we bring the same game we did last week, we'll get a win in enemy territory and head into ANZAC Day with a 4-2 record. We just have to hope that's what happens.
Essendon by 19.
