Essendon got off to a fantastic start against the wind when they kicked four goals to Richmond's two and then cemented the 39-point victory in the next two quarters. Shaw and the coaching staff were pleased with the win considering they used the game as an opportunity to look at some players that have had limited game time in recent weeks. ""That being said we didn't take Richmond lightly and don't forget we came into the match having to win to cement our spot in the finals. We had a good look at Henneman and McGrath, and Haynes had a good run. I suppose the bonus was 17 possessions to Mercuri off the bench and he looked pretty sharp,"" Shaw said.
With only two home and away games remaining, Essendon will be looking to stabilise starting 22. ""We found ourselves in a difficult situation today - because we have finals coming up we had to make sure we won the match to play in September and secondly we had to make some decisions on players,” Shaw said. “We get Wellman and Johnson back next week and there is a couple of boys in the seconds playing very well. I guess it was Kevin's final opportunity to make some decisions on players so we chose to rest players at stages to give those peripheral players game time. That probably unbalanced us a bit but that is the difficult decision we find ourselves in because we can't be experiment next week or the week after.""
The Round 22 clash between traditional rivals Essendon and Collingwood is fast approaching. The match is shaping up to be a season defining game for Essendon - the result will shape the final eight. To cheer the Bombers along at the MCG on Friday, August 29th make sure you book a ticket today. The AFL has nominated the match as an all-ticketed game due to the reduced capacity of the MCG and to ensure that fans are not turned away on the night. Contact Ticketmaster on 1300 136 122 to book your seat and be a part of the action!
