Bomber coach Kevin Sheedy said they were two of probably six players that contributed in the match. ""Matthew Allan has only played two hours for the Essendon Football Club and he has been in our best six. Probably our best four. That’s a bonus for us,"" Bomber coach Kevin Sheedy said.
Allan gave Essendon first use of the ball and finished with 21 hit-outs for the game. Murphy was the team’s second highest possession gatherer (25 disposals) behind the skipper James Hird (31 disposals). Essendon only kicked eight goals for the match and Murphy booted one of these. The match committee is hoping Murphy can continue to contribute on the scoreboard, especially in the absence of Damian Cupido.
Sheedy isn’t expecting Murphy and Allan to continue to shoulder the workload like they did against Port Adelaide. He is hoping for 22 contributors this Saturday against St.Kilda. ""We will get our best side back eventually and only have one or two out like most clubs have had and then throw blokes like Murphy and Allan in and they will be a bonus for us.""
