Essendon’s ‘nightmare’ story that unfolded up front against Sydney on Friday night was far too familiar – and it almost cost them a place in the final again this season.
Having lost five of their last six games and eight of their last 11, Bombers fans are downright delirious. They, like many, got ripped off by their 8-2-1 record as the halfway point of 2024 approached.
And instead of pushing for the club’s first finals win in two decades, they stick labels like ‘inconsistent’ and ‘panic traders’ like glue to Brad Scott’s side.
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Scott reveals where Dons are missing | 05:50
In a post-match speech, Scott put the spotlight on his side’s costly ‘trend’ of not taking advantage of dominant spots during games. Essendon’s efficiency inside the 50 on Friday finished at a paltry 38 per cent, compared to Sydney’s economic 52 per cent.
“Unfortunately it’s a trend in our season… (they) are probably the most difficult parts of the game in terms of giving yourself chances and creating chances in the game,” he said on Friday evening.
“To be +20 in contested possession for most of the night, double (Sydney’s) inside-50s in the first half, and dominate the game in most facets in the first half off the scoreboard against a very good team .
“You always get the feeling that if you don’t take your opportunities, at some point they will take theirs – which they did.
“The players are incredibly frustrated, they are doing all the hard work but don’t have the ability to finish that work with our connection inside the 50 and the ability to score and open a gap on the opponent.
“And that’s hard enough against anyone, but against the best teams it’s going to come back and bite you, and that’s what happened (tonight).”
The Bombers doubled the Swans’ inside-50 tally 36-18 at half-time but only led by seven points. Their incompletion in the final third again undid them.
Scott wouldn’t blame his side’s ability or talent, but instead lamented their decision-making going forward.
“I think it’s unfair to just say it’s about personnel,” he said. “I mean, you just kick it in haphazardly and hope someone marks it.
“If you compare it to a lot of the ways Sydney scored – long-range set shots, building up the ball, accurate kicking – a whole range of things.
“But unfortunately it’s not a one-off event for us. It’s been a problem for too long, so it’s a clear focus for us to get it right.
“But like I said, the harder part of the game is competing against the best teams and giving yourself chances, and it’s not often that you play against the team that has been at the top of the ladder all year. and you double their inside time. Fifties, plus twenty in contested possession at half time and still (only) seven points ahead.”
The three pillars of Swans’ success | 02:57
As has been the case at press conferences in the past, Scott was hesitant to make comparisons between his current team and the one this time last year — despite the irrefutable similarities in the postseason.
“I mean, I understand the correlation, but it’s like… I’m not even going to bother arguing with it, I’m just looking at it in terms of where we are,” he said.
“Four weeks ago is ancient history (let alone last year)… the foundation of what we do is really solid.
“Last year we weren’t able to compete against the best when it mattered – if you want to make the comparison – at the moment it’s a bit of refinement, a bit of system and a bit of class that makes the difference between us and the best. ”
With a fortnight to play in last year’s home-and-away season, the Bombers totally squandered their chances in September with two grim defeats – a 126-point thrashing at the hands of GWS before ending the year with a loss to 70 points against rivals Collingwood.
“They were competitive all year (in 2023), they weren’t far from the final, and these are the last two rounds – which I know will give the Essendon supporters nightmares,” Melbourne great Garry Lyon said in Fox Footy’s post-match coverage.
“Do you know how hard it is to swallow (those results) and chew through the next six months until you can come back?
“So they came here tonight, at half time they are seven points up… I know it’s not the same (as last year) but they have conceded twelve goals to four in the second half. A horror result from a team that is panic traders.
“I know it sounds cruel, and if it was Melbourne I would say the exact same thing!”
The Bombers matched the Swans on clearance (-1) and comprehensively won the contested possession (+20) and territory (+6 inside-50s, including +18 at half-time) battles, but their efficiency in the forward 50 was more than 13 percent worse than John Longmire’s side, which proved fatal to their chances of winning.
And on top of that, the Bombers created fifteen set-pieces during the third term, out of the defensive fifty, of which only two actually entered the attacking arc – a morbid statistic that Bombers fans should keep their eyes on.
“The minute the third quarter started, all of a sudden Sydney brings some pressure, they bring some heat and it was just a parade of panic, panic, panic!” Lyon continued.
“The fear increases… and then you make one mistake on top of another.
“You can see it in their eyes; they get nervous, and then the next guy gets nervous – there’s no calming influence.
“If you look at the good aspects when the pressure increases, the basic principles are just done well – there’s nothing flashy about it. The marks are taken, the handballs are made, the tackles are taken; everything is clean,” added four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis.
“The fundamentals and the basics … those parts of their game are inconsistent, or not at a level where they should be.”
Despite being in the AFL’s top four between the 9th and 17th rounds of this season, Essendon’s current tally of 11 wins is the same as in 2023, after losing seven of its last 10 games to finish 11th.
A similar fate awaits the Bombers this season – currently 10th with another 11th well within the realm of possibility – with their finals hopes all but extinguished save for the pinnacle of miracles in Round 23.
