There was no hiding the fact that the stakes were high for Essendon tonight – the season was on the line. And the team came out and performed like all Essendon supporters hoped they would. They played four consistent quarters of football and answered every challenge Geelong threw at them. It was a solid team performance and a good launching pad for the team’s attack on the second half of the season. An eight goal opening term set-up the win along with Damian Cupido’s five goals. The winning margin was 36-points.