In 2019 we will be looking back on five key lessons to take away from every Bombers match, thanks to RMIT.

This time we look at Essendon's 11-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG on Friday.

1. The Dons have a date with the Eagles in the first elimination final

It’s locked in; the Bombers are set to travel back to Perth to take on the reigning premiers on their home turf in week one of the finals.

There may be no tougher challenge in football than heading west to face West Coast, but this team is not one to shirk a task having shown great fight against Collingwood on Friday.

The side will certainly take some confidence out of its impressive win just a fortnight ago at Optus Stadium against Fremantle and while West Coast was too strong for Essendon in round 14 with a 35-point win, the Bombers’ sensational victory over the Eagles in Perth last year is still fresh in the memory of both clubs.

The fixture is out and the huge final is set to be played at 6:10pm local time in Perth on Thursday, September 5.

Interestingly, Essendon has won all five of its previous finals against West Coast by an average margin of 46 points, and I’m sure no one would complain if that trend continued.

2. McKernan is one of the form forwards of the competition

No forward is marking it better than Shaun McKernan is right now. The powerful Bomber raked in a career-high 12 marks (four contested) against the Pies, clunking anything that went his way in a terrific display of brawn and skill.

It took his average marks per game to 8.5 over the last month as his confidence continues to grow, and that strength in the air has also translated on the scoreboard.

McKernan’s pair of goals on Friday taking his season tally to a career-high 17 goals so far, while he also contributed to a number of other scoring opportunities through his tireless work pushing up the ground with six total score involvements.

With McDonald-Tipungwuti striking form at the right time of the year and the prospect of potential returns for dangerous goalkickers  Jake Stringer and Orazio Fantasia in the elimination final, McKernan’s ability to crash the packs and bring the ball to ground could prove vital against the Eagles.

3. Parish is getting tougher by the day

Exciting midfielder Darcy Parish has become one of the side’s most important players in the space of just a few months.

Now locked in as a Bomber until at least the end of the 2021 season, Parish has taken his game to another level in 2019, continuing his outstanding season with another strong performance against the Pies on Friday.

The onballer gathered 26 disposals, 10 contested possessions and nine tackles in another gritty effort in the contest, proving his value to the side as a genuine and tough inside midfielder.

While he has been a shining light in the tough scraps on the ball in recent weeks ripping the ball out of the packs to supply his teammates, his ability to damage his opponents on the outside and hit the scoreboard this year with 12 goals to date has also been impressive.

Parish was among the Bombers’ best performers against the Eagles in round 14 with 27 disposals and a goal.

Darcy Parish has been a contested beast in recent weeks. (Image: AFL Photos) 

4. Walla is ready for the big stage

McDonald-Tipungwuti’s dazzling display at the MCG on Friday was arguably second only to his seven-goal haul against Brisbane in round four in his best performances this year.

He wowed the 85,405-strong crowd, turning every touch into gold and setting the tone in the opening term as the Dons cut through Collingwood to prove their best football is extremely damaging - and the Bombers are at their very best when the man they call ’Walla’ fires.

McDonald-Tipungwuti had seven disposals, two goals and six score involvements in the first quarter alone and I’m sure most fans would agree that there are few things better than watching the opposition in sheer panic as the remarkable Bomber steams forward.

But that isn’t where it stops; the 26-year-old is just as entertaining without the Sherrin in his hands, repeatedly chasing down his opponents and forcing turnovers with his elite pressure and aggression.

He finished the clash with the Pies with a career-high 14 contested possessions to go with 18 disposals, 10 score involvements, five tackles, five inside 50s and two goals in what was an ideal dress rehearsal for the pressurised final that lies ahead.

5. The Bombers have rediscovered their dash

The signs were positive last week against Fremantle and Essendon’s ability to recapture its dash and cut through Collingwood in the opening term on Friday is sure to give the team plenty of confidence heading into the elimination final.

There is no doubt that the side is most dangerous when moving the ball directly with speed and organised chaos through the corridor and being able to do that and pile on six goals to three in the first quarter against a subsequent top-four team shows the team can do some damage in the finals.

Conor McKenna (35 disposals, eight rebound 50s, five bounces and 710 metres gained) was full of dash on Friday. (Image: AFL Photos)

But the challenge, as it has been throughout the year, is being able to maintain that style as well as possible and that was an issue again on Friday with the Magpies strangling the Bombers from then on to hold the Dons to just four more goals in the final three quarters.

McKernan commended Collingwood on the weekend for its effort in shutting down Essendon’s preferred game style and he said the team will continue to work on being able to break mid-game shackles.

“They did a pretty well to take away our ability to shift the ball off the line, forcing us to go long to the contest,” McKernan said.

“That’s something we’ll work on and we’ve got to work harder at being able to create the way we want to play.”

One of the keys behind West Coast’s convincing defeat of the Bombers in round 14 was the way it forced the Bombers to move the ball slowly, knowing too well how hard the red and black wave is to stop at its best after suffering a thrashing at the hands of Essendon a year earlier.

McDonald-Tipungwuti and fellow speedsters Conor McKenna, Adam Saad and Orazio Fantasia were among the Dons unable to perform at their very best against the Eagles two months ago, showing just how much room for improvement there is for the Bombers if they can get off the chain once again.