Essendon have shot into the VFL top four after an impressive 73-point win over the Northern Blues in round eight at IKON Park. The Blues were within reach at the last change trailing by 20 points but the Bombers turned on the after-burners in the last with eight goals to just a single behind from the home side. The final score Essendon 19.14 128 to the Northern Blues 8.7.55.
Mitch Brown (above) was prominent up forward with four goals and twenty disposals while former Coburg small forward, Daniel Younan booted three. Midfielder Darcy Parish racked up 29 possessions to figure in the Bombers best and he was well supported by Aaron Francis (22) down back, Aaron Heppel (25) who kicked and important goal late in the third quarter and Ben McNeice with 22 disposals around the middle.
Conditions, both weather and ground, were perfect for football and Essendon were the first to capitalise. They kicked the first three goals of the game to the Legends Stand end before the Blue’s Tom De Koning chimed in with a couple to get the Blues off and running. Essendon leading by nine points at quarter-time.
It was a scrappy affair in the second quarter as the Blues lost three players with injury severely denting their rotations for the rest of the match. Nick Graham left the field with calf tightness while Harrison Macreadie (hamstring) and Alex Federico (concussion) failed to re-appear after half-time.
The Bombers holding an eighteen point lead at the main break with the likes of Parish, Heppell and McNeice in the thick of it around the ground. Blues skipper Tom Wilson was working hard around the packs while Jack Silvagni and former Eagle and Bulldog, Josh Hill, covered plenty of territory to find the footy.
The third quarter was the Jesse Palmer show. The former Port Adelaide player booted four goals in the term to get the home side to within fourteen points late in the term, however a goal to Heppell 30 minutes in provided the Bombers with some breathing space as they extended their lead to 20 points at the final change.
It was all one-way traffic in the last as the Bombers slammed home eight goals to the Blues the solitairy behind to finish with a resounding win. The Blues fought hard to remain in the match for most of the game and losing three players to injury before half-time certainly made life difficult.
Palmer with his five goals and sixteen possessions a standout for the Blues while Hill (16), Silvagni (23) and ruckman Phillips gave their all. The Blues host Geelong in round nine searching for their second win while Essendon travel to Footscray for a Saturday night match with the Bulldogs.
