Essendon VFL has started its 2019 campaign with a bang after a 121-point drubbing of Frankston at Skybus Stadium on Sunday.
The Bombers led from start to finish and were exceptional across all areas of the ground, going on to record the 22.13 (145) to 3.6 (24) victory.
It only took 40 seconds for tall Sam Draper (22 disposals, five tackles, 39 hitouts, two goals) to slot Essendon’s first for the season, before James Stewart opened his scoring account with a beautiful set shot.
Stewart went on to record four majors from five marks but was rested in the second half, while Mitch Brown finished with five of his own.
James Stewart and Mitch Brown combined for nine majors. (Photo: Ben Johnstone)
Conceding just three goals for the match, the Bombers were confident in their approach and executed their game plan to perfection.
By playing the game on its terms, Essendon was able to extend its margin by kicking 17 unanswered goals from midway through the first term right up until the 13-minute mark of the last.
The majority of the ball was spent in the Bombers’ forward 50, capitalising from their 73 inside 50s.
Even when the ball did spill out, their defensive set-up behind the footy meant when the home side tried to move forward they were cut off almost instantly.
Dylan Clarke was on fire, notching up 30 touches and laying five tackles, with Trent Mynott (28 disposals, six tackles) and Kyle Langford (25 disposals) among the leading ball-getters.
In his first game back since rupturing an ACL on Anzac Day, Josh Begley impressed with two goals from 11 disposals on limited minutes.
Josh Begley celebrates one of his two goals in his return game. (Photo: Ben Johnstone)
Nino Lazzaro (22 disposals, eight tackles) and Mason Redman (21, four tackles) paired up well in defence, taking a number of strong intercept marks and forcing turnovers.
Debutant Brayden Ham (19 disposals) was also impressive in his first hit-out.
Frankston found some rhythm late, but by that stage the damage had already been done.
“We didn’t know what we were going to get from Frankston, so we just went into the game with a real focus on what we wanted to achieve early,” senior coach Dan Jordan said.
“We particularly spoke about effort, intensity and physicality to set the tone of the game, and I thought the boys did that really well.
“The guys in the middle really set that tone. I thought big Sam Draper was outstanding the whole day, and then all of our mids including Langford, Mynott and Clarke found plenty of the ball but were also really good in tight.
“In the second half Ham and Redman held their width well and gave us some great ball use going inside. Lazzaro was outstanding down back - he took 11 marks and positioned himself really well.”
With 10 individual goalkickers getting involved in the scoreboard action and a number of Bombers playing their role, Jordan said it was a collective team effort.
“There’s probably 15 to 16 players who were impressive - it was an even spread and contribution across the board, and as a coach that’s always pleasing,” he said.
Jordan also applauded the five debutants in Ham, Tom Jok, Irving Mosquito, Noah Gown and Ray Connellan, saying he looked forward to seeing them develop as the season progresses.
Essendon VFL's debutants enjoy a Gatorade shower after the win. (Photo: Ben Johnstone)
Essendon will have a bye in round two, before travelling to Avalon Airport Oval to face North Melbourne on Saturday, April 20.
FINAL SCORE AT SKYBUS STADIUM:
FRANKSTON 2.1 2.1 2.1 3.6 (24)
ESSENDON 8.3 11.6 19.10 22.13 (145)
GOALS: M. Brown 5, Stewart 4, Begley, J. Brown, Draper, Gown, Houlahan 2, Ham, Hocking, Jok
DISPOSALS: Clarke 30, Mynott 28, Langford 25, Draper, Lazzaro 22, Redman 21, Ham 19
Brooke Varney is in the final year of her Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree at RMIT University. As part of their strategic partnership, Essendon Football Club and RMIT University are committed to providing opportunities for students, staff, players and the wider community.
