Essendon VFL have continued their strong form with a 44-point win over the Northern Bullants on Saturday, recording a fourth victory from their last five games.

With AFL-listed talent all over the park, the Bombers proved too strong from the outset for a struggling Bullants outfit, particularly in the midfield where Will Setterfield (43 disposals, eight clearances) and Ben Hobbs (34 touches, eight tackles) dominated proceedings in the muddy conditions.

The Bombers booted five goals in the first, third and fourth quarters to flex their offensive muscle from a variety of sources. Peter Wright finished with three goals to take advantage of some key mismatches, while Bendigo Pioneers prospect Jobe Shanahan booted four goals on his VFL debut.

Oskar Smartt also showed a promising return to form after coming in and out of the side in recent weeks, slotting three goals and looking dangerous at ground level.

Essendon’s structure behind the ball allowed for easy transition and spread throughout most of the game, with defenders the beneficiaries on the statsheet.

Matthew Foley (35 disposals, 11 marks) produced arguably his best game at VFL level to date, while Nick Hind (27 disposals) and Tex Wanganeen (22 disposals) also proved valuable with their run and distribution by foot.

Sam Weideman and Lewis Hayes combined for 18 marks in the key posts defensively, proving again to be an important partnership for the Dons’ charge up the VFL ladder in the final two months of the campaign.

The Bombers were also bolstered at clearance by Todd Goldstein in his first appearance for the VFL side this season, finishing with 43 hit-outs in a convincing win over the Bullants’ big men.

Archie Perkins was one to take advantage of Goldstein’s dominance, working into the game and looking particularly classy after half-time to finish with 26 disposals, four clearances and a goal.

The on-field response of last week’s individual AFL omissions will make promising reading for Bomber fans. Perkins and Wright seamlessly slotted into a VFL side that’s come along in leaps and bounds through the second half of the campaign, growing an even spread of contributors week-on-week.

The Bombers will be hoping to finish the season on a strong note with games against Gold Coast and Coburg to wrap up the home-and-away season over the next two weeks.

BULLANTS     2.1     4.3     9.3    12.5   (77)
ESSENDON      5.5     8.8     13.12     18.13  (121)

GOALS
Shanahan 4, Wright 3, Smartt 3, Peris 2, Hately 2, Visentini, Perkins, Hobbs, Hind

BEST
Setterfield, Foley, Hobbs, Goldstein, Perkins, Hind, Tsatas