Essendon has sealed a satisfying five-point victory over Collingwood at the MCG in the annual blockbuster clash today.
Victory couldn’t have been much sweeter for the Bombers who trailed the Magpies by one point with less than a minute remaining on the clock before a goal on the run to David Zaharakis in just his fourth game sealed the match.
Alwyn Davey said you couldn’t have scripted a better win for the Bombers.
“To win these big games is good for the players, the club and the supporters,” he said.
“We just kept pressuring the opposition all day and I think everyone worked hard. In the end it all came down to the last five minutes and it was good to see the hard work all day pay off.”
Essendon were without David Hille all day after the ruckman landed awkwardly on his knee in the first two minutes of the match. He left the ground with a suspected ACL injury.
Patrick Ryder was called to stand up in his absence and did exactly that. The 21-year-old was instrumental in the Bombers win and was well deserving of the ANZAC Day medal he was awarded post-match.
“When Hille went down, Paddy really stepped up so that was great to see.
“It was good to see him come away with the medal because he really deserved it after all the hard work he put in all day under difficult circumstances.”
The morale-boosting victory will give Essendon confidence as they make the trip interstate to take on Brisbane next week.
“This win will lift us up for next week and hopefully we can back it up with another solid performance with everyone contributing,” Davey said.
Watch Matthew Knight's full post match press conference
