Essendon looks in serious doubt of featuring in the September action this season after they were defeated by the Kangaroos by eight-points tonight. It was a titanic battle all game with no more than three points separating both teams at each break. However, it was the Kangaroos who capitalised on forward opportunities in the final term and took the valuable four points. It was an extremely disappointing loss for Essendon considering the importance of the match in the context of the season.