And down at the MCG Saturday afternoon, it was the players who had been there and done it before that stood up for the Bombers. Sean Wellman was magnificent, as was Dustin Fletcher. And so too was Dean Solomon who was clearly among his side’s best playing in the midfield. His eight-possession final quarter was a key to the Bombers getting over the line.
Solomon says finals’ experience is important come September and more importantly, Essendon will put its most experienced combination of the season on the park against Geelong this Saturday afternoon.
""I think the side we are putting out on the ground is as experienced as it has been all season. It gives you confidence when you have blokes like Sean Wellman back in the side that give you that steadying influence. And we might have Joe Misiti back in the side this week as well – their experience in finals is priceless,"" Solomon said today.
""It definitely helps having been there before – I have played in three or finals’ series now. You don’t become overawed by the situation. I remember my first finals’ series when I was that nervous it felt like I was playing my first game again.""
Solomon says Geelong will be a high-quality opponent this weekend. Last time these two sides met, Geelong got home by 23 points at The Dome with its consistency all over the ground and speed a key to the win.
""They are a well-balanced side. Up forward they have a good mix of talls and smalls and their backline is very good with the likes of Tom Harley and Matthew Scarlett. They have plenty of players to rotate through the middle on top of that so they will be hard to beat,"" Solomon said.
""We have played Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs over the past two weeks and they are both quick sides. If we can win enough contested ball, hopefully we can nullify the speed they have in the midfield.""
Apart from winning the contested football, Solomon said it is imperative the team doesn’t drop off for a quarter. Essendon almost paid the ultimate penalty for a poor third quarter against Melbourne. They went into the main break with a 31-point lead only to head into the three-quarter time break trailing by eight points.
""We are looking at it – if you are going to lose a quarter you can’t afford to, lose it seven goals to nil. We just need to find a way to stop the opposition run on and shut down the quarter or at least slow it down. We are addressing it and hopefully we can get it right this week,"" Solomon said.
