ESSENDON has qualified for back-to-back finals series with a 36-point win over Carlton on Saturday evening, breaking Narrm's heart in the process.
The victory sees the Bombers qualify for the post-season, slipping ahead of the Dees on the ladder following a 9.6 (60) to 3.6 (24) win under a setting Melbourne sun at Ikon Park.
But it wasn't without some pain, as co-captain Bonnie Toogood was ruled out by quarter-time with an ankle injury, leaving a cloud over the important key forward for next week's elimination final.
Maddi Gay (33 disposals at 90.9 per cent, 10 marks) was the star, doing what she wanted across half-back for Essendon, and showing off her elite field kicking, while Georgia Nanscawen (25 disposals, one goal) was everywhere.
Already without important ruck Steph Wales for the match, the loss of Toogood could have been a more significant one, but after the star missed five matches earlier this year with a knee injury, the club's back-up option of Ellyse Gamble into attack proved a reliable one.
Gamble, in her 50th career game, kicked a critical second-quarter goal when Essendon started to gather some steam and create a gap on the scoreboard.
Despite being down a couple of stars before the opening siren, with Mimi Hill (groin) and Abbie McKay (adductor) both late withdrawals, Carlton was up for the fight early, desperate to spoil the Bombers' party. But it was short lived, with Essendon slamming through three second-quarter goals from three different players to really challenge the Blues.
It was their midfielders that were doing much of the damage, controlling the scramble in the absence of Hill and McKay, then pressing forward to create some chaos inside 50.
Essendon's ability to shift gears when needed was evident. Moving from its slower, uncontested marking game to maintain control – which bore an eventual mark count of 83-51 – into a hard-running, handball receive game when there was a desire to move quickly.
Essendon co-captain Bonnie Toogood, who missed a chunk of the season with an MCL injury, was just getting going heading into the club's do-or-die week 10 game. But she lasted less than a quarter, suffering a left ankle injury early in the game. The 2023 All-Australian key forward spent much of the opening term in conference with club doctors on the bench, and attempted some run-throughs to prove her fitness to return to the field, but was unconvincing. By the first break, she had been ruled out for the remainder of the game, and her availability for the Bombers' elimination final next week will be cloudy.
It's the end of the road for Carlton, which finishes the season with four wins from 11 starts, while Essendon will await Sunday's results to find out who it will face in next week's elimination final, with Walyalup the frontrunner.
CARLTON 1.2 2.4 2.5 3.6 (24)
ESSENDON 1.0 4.1 7.2 9.6 (60)
GOALS
Carlton: Austin, Vescio, Halfpenny
Essendon: Radford, Gaylor, Nanscawen, Gamble, Morcom, Vogt, Gee, Bannister, A.Clarke
BEST
Carlton: Guerin, Sherar, Fitzgerald, Good, Peterson
Essendon: Nanscawen, Gay, Gaylor, Morcom, Radford, Prespakis
INJURIES
Carlton: Pound (head knock), Goss (right ankle)
Essendon: Toogood (left ankle)
