Essendon captain Jobe Watson has tipped a physical grudge match against the Hawks tomorrow night in what looms as a high-stakes clash.
“I think the players are intelligent enough to know that you win games of footy by putting your head over the ball and the team that will do that with more ferocity tomorrow, and at a more consistent level, will be inevitably the team that wins,” Watson said to Bomber.tv.
“You understand that there’s going to be times where there's going to be physical contact and that’s part of the game and when you cross the line you accept that and you live with it.
""But I think if, as a team, we make the focus the ball then we’ll give ourselves the best chance to win.”
Watson said he expects the fallout from last year's Round 22 fireworks to be fresh in the Hawthorn players' minds.
“I would expect them to come out and play with the ferocity that they do week in and week out,” Watson said.
“They’re traditionally a really competitive side that places a huge emphasis on putting physical contact on the player or putting their bodies on the line to get the ball for their teammate.
“I think that’s the way that Hawthorn has played for a long period of time and that’s the way that past Essendon teams have played as well and I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
With both sides having recorded just one win after five rounds of football, Watson says the Bombers are under no illusion about the gravity of tomorrow night’s result.
“We’re one and four and to climb back from one of five, well that would be a steep hill,” he said.
“We’ve got a couple of tough games coming up but we really do need a win and its being able to play at a consistent level over four quarters that will hopefully enable us to do that.”
Other Fan Info:
To celebrate the Essendon-Hawthorn rivalry, the Bombers and the National Sports Museum (NSM) at the MCG are offering Essendon members free entry to the NSM tomorrow (Saturday).
Members will have the chance to have a photo with the 1985 Premiership Cup and the opportunity to hear from the 1985 captain, Terry Daniher.
5pm – 6.40pm: MCG Sports Museum – Gate 3, Olympic Stand – open
6.15 – 6.30pm: Terry Daniher special guest at National Sports Museum (MCG)
7.10pm: Match commences
Price: Members receive complimentary admission upon showing your membership. All other supporters who have a Ticketek match ticket will receive a 50% discount.
