Back in primetime and looking to respond.
Essendon’s Friday night clash with Adelaide will provide that opportunity, with the Bombers hoping to rectify last week’s frustrating loss to the Dees and reaffirm their place among the top six.
With just eight premiership points standing between second and 13th spot on the AFL ladder, every game in the run home is vital and that notion certainly applies to this one.
Essendonfc.com.au previews the key factors ahead of the big fixture.
Structure & selection
With just five players on its current injury list, Essendon have been willing to take advantage of availability and experiment with its lineup, which Brad Scott reiterated in his media conference this week.
How that looks against Adelaide will make for interesting viewing on Friday with managed defender Jayden Laverde available, as well as the prospect of the Dons returning to a two-ruck setup against Crows big man Reilly O’Brien.
The midfield arrangement has also invited more depth for Scott to consider, with Will Setterfield and Ben Hobbs each pushing their cases for a senior recall from strong performances in the VFL last Sunday – Hobbs finished with 30 disposals, 11 tackles and seven clearances in three quarters of play.
Marto magic
Despite spending the majority of the year to date distributing from defence, Nic Martin reminded Bomber fans of his lethal eye for goal last Saturday.
Finishing with 26 touches and four goals, Martin’s ability to get forward and make scoreboard impact often kept the Dons in touching distance on the night and could again create a point of difference come Friday.
Conversion
While content with his side’s current effort and intent, Brad Scott said during the week that ‘execution’ will be one of the biggest tests for the Dons going forward.
The Bombers have won the inside 50 count in each of their last three games, however in the two losses (Geelong and Melbourne), their ‘efficiency inside 50’ rating sat at an average of 35 per cent, well down on their season average of 45 per cent.
Given the Dons recently showed their capability with a rating of 58 per cent on that front in the win over the Pies, they’ll be looking to recapture that efficiency under the roof.
Recent history
The tale of the tape between these two sides in recent seasons has made pleasant reading for Bomber fans, who haven’t lost to the Crows since their Grand Final campaign in 2017.
The run of seven wins in-a-row over Adelaide has held four at Marvel Stadium, including a resounding 63-point win in round 17, 2021 where the Bombers conceded just 21 points for the game, marking Adelaide’s lowest ever score in its history.
Most recently, the Bombers played out a thriller against the Crows at the Adelaide Oval in round six this season, headlined by late drama after a back-and-forth slog for most of the night.
Trailing by 19 points halfway through the third term, the connection of Harry Jones and Kyle Langford provided a spark for the Bombers, the pair combining for three quick goals (including a Langford major after the three-quarter-time siren) to energise the contest.
After some late heroics from Zach Merrett and Nic Martin edged the Dons ahead, the side defended frenetically in the final five minutes to cling onto a three-point win, one of the more thrilling encounters between the two clubs in recent memory.
The Bombers square off with the Crows at Marvel Stadium from 7:40pm on Friday night.
