Essendon's Nathan Lovett-Murray and Tom Bellchambers starred in the Bendigo Bombers' come-from-behind five-point win over Collingwood in round 20 of the VFL on Saturday.
The Bombers trailed by as much as 50 points early in the second quarter against the Magpies, but hit back to claim a stirring win.
Bendigo coach Shannon Grant said he could feel the game turning the Bombers' way in the second quarter, but was disappointed with the first quarter.
""We just didn’t turn up with the right attitude. We played a first quarter that was probably our worst quarter for the year,"" Grant said.
""As disappointing as it was, I think it was great the way the group responded and continued to grind and get their way back into the game.
""Our pressure and intensity improved and we started to use the ball a lot better. We actually won a few key one on one battles that we weren’t doing in the first quarter, so you could certainly feel the shift halfway through the second quarter.""
Central to that change in momentum was Lovett-Murray and Bellchambers, the pair creating much of the play from the stoppages and combining to push the ball forward.
""Lovett-Murray was outstanding,"" Grant said.
""He won his own ball and got the ball moving the other way. At that level he really asserts himself on the game and leads well, and he's a really great player to have around.
""Tom rucked well, he was damaging around the ground and took some really strong contested marks. He's run himself into some quality form on the weekend.""
Grant also praised the work of Henry Slattery, saying the 25-year-old was important when the game was there to be won.
""He was really good. He started across half-back and we threw him into the middle after quarter-time and he was one player who really stood up for us and got us back into the game,"" he said.
Scott Gumbleton kicked two goals in the win, and key defender Cale Hooker played 75 minutes of game time in his return from a hamstring injury.
