Don’t poke the Bear

With the season on the line for two of football’s fiercest rivals, tensions were bound to boil over at some point. And that moment came early in the third term when Levi Greenwood collected Zach Merrett. 

Greenwood had been running with Merrett throughout the match. Merrett was taken from the field but returned later in the quarter and set up a crucial goal at the start of the last term.  He finished with 25 possessions, six tackles and two goals.

Essendon’s players were clearly unimpressed by the incident and immediately remonstrated with Greenwood. The incident sparked a series of aftershocks. Michael Hurley swung Greenwood over the boundary line a short time later. Collingwood Captain Scott Pendlebury took exception, but the man they call the ‘Bear’ returned serve with interest.

Brayden Maynard had a running battle with Orazio Fantasia. Maynard appeared to initiate a scuffle with Fantasia near the interchange bench, but confusingly received a free kick. Fantasia had the last laugh though kicking five goals in the Bombers 37 point win.

The intercept leader

Between rounds 11 and 15 this season Martin Gleeson took 17 intercept marks to be ranked number one in the competition throughout that period. 

His aerial strength has been a notable feature since he returned to the side in round 11.

Gleeson had 17 possessions, seven marks and four rebound 50s against the Pies along with 10 one-percenters – four more than any other player on the ground.

Myers justifies recall

The inclusion of David Myers was the only change to side following the loss to Brisbane. After a stint in the VFL Myers returned with a vengeance. He picked up 31 possessions, had five clearances, four tackles and five inside 50s.

It’s the first time since round 8, 2011 Myers has had more than 30 possessions in a game.

Zaharakis’ starring role 

David Zaharakis’ run of good form continued against the Pies. He picked up 38 possessions – his best return since he collected 40 against Gold Coast last year. 

Zaharakis also have five clearances and a team-high six inside 50s against the Pies.

In his last eight games, Zaharakis has gathered 30 or more disposals four times.

Bellchambers on song 

He may have only had eight disposals but Tom Bellchambers’ performance was crucial in the final result. He booted two goals in the first quarter after the Pies had made the early running and could have added a third in the last.

The ruckman provided a constant physical presence and laid four tackles throughout the game. He also flew the flag for teammate Zach Merrett when the best and fairest winner went down.

Avenues to goal

At half time Joe Daniher and Cale Hooker were goalless, but the Dons still had nine goals on the board and led by 27 points. Daniher and Hooker ended up with four goals between them as the Dons went on to record their third highest score of the season, thanks to ten different goal scorers.

The Bombers currently boast three players in the top 20 goal kickers in the competition led by Joe Daniher who is second overall with 41 goals. Orazio Fantasia (32 goals) and Cale Hooker (26 goals) are also around the mark, while James Stewart has kicked at least two goals in four of his eight games for the Dons.

The ageless James Kelly

James Kelly continues to show all of the hallmarks that helped make him become a central figure in three Geelong premierships. 

At 33 he’s showing no signs of slowing down and was one of the Dons best against the Pies. He finished with 32 possessions (including 11 contested), a game high seven tackles and 263 metres gained.

Late in the third term with the match well and truly alive, Kelly smothered an attempted Pies forward entry and then followed up with a second effort to ensure the Dons lead remained intact at the final change. It was only a small play, but highlighted Kelly’s unwavering commitment.