Four from five and the first big scalp of Brad Scott's tenure at Essendon.
The Bombers won only once in the first seven rounds of 2022 and finished with just seven wins before the entire football club was turned on its head amid a tumultuous off-season in Tullamarine. But after appointing a new coach – plus a new CEO and two new presidents – Essendon is one of the early surprise packets of 2023 after comfortably dismissing premiership favourites Melbourne by 27 points at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
The Demons had won eight of their past nine at Adelaide Oval and boasted an impressive 10-5 overall record inside South Australia's sporting cathedral, but had no answers for the Bombers' intensity and class during a 45-minute blitz during the second and third quarters where Essendon kicked seven unanswered goals to set up the 15.14 (104) to 11.11 (77) win.
Essendon beat Hawthorn and Gold Coast in the first fortnight and then Greater Western Sydney on Easter Sunday – three sides that didn't feature in September last year – but this was the scalp they needed.
With Melbourne skipper Max Gawn in town but still missing after suffering an MCL injury in round two, Bombers ruckmen Sam Draper (three goals) and Andrew Phillips (two goals) pushed forward to trouble a Demons defence missing All-Australian defender Jake Lever and Michael Hibberd, combining for five first half goals. Draper was the most dominant player on the ground in the first half.
Essendon's star midfield trio of Darcy Parish, Zach Merrett and Dylan Shiel were all busy, but it was less about a standout individual performance and more about a standout team performance.
The Bombers led at every break and never let Simon Goodwin’s side within three goals when the rain transitioned from a drizzle to a deluge after half-time.
It started with Will Snelling, who slotted a set shot four minutes into the game after missing the first month of the season, and Essendon looked ominous from there, despite some of Melbourne's stars converting their chances.
Melbourne kicked the first three goals of the second quarter to reclaim the lead and looked to finally be clicking after Clayton Oliver touched the ball only twice in the first and Christian Petracca had just five disposals, but it didn't last long.
The Bombers were rarely challenged from there, with Melbourne kicking four goals to three in the final quarter to improve the final margin.
ESSENDON 5.4 9.10 12.13 15.14 (104)
MELBOURNE 4.2 7.5 7.7 11.11 (77)
GOALS
Essendon: Draper 3, Phillips 2, Martin 2, Langford 2, Hind 2, Stringer, Snelling, Perkins, Jones
Melbourne: Pickett 2, Melksham 2, Fritsch 2, van Rooyen, Petracca, Neal-Bullen, Jordon, Chandler
BEST
Essendon: Parish, Merrett, Draper, McGrath, Shiel, Durham, Langford
Melbourne: Oliver, Petracca, Langdon, Viney, May
INJURIES
Essendon: Jones (ankle)
Melbourne: Spargo (concussion)
SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Nick Hind (replaced Harry Jones in the third quarter)
Melbourne: James Jordon (replaced Charlie Spargo at half-time)
