After a memorable win against old rival Hawthorn - which saw Essendon secure a finals berth for the first time since 2004 - assistant coach Ashley Prescott said he is proud of his side for standing up when it counted.
Speaking on Weekend Rewind, Prescott said that the melee fired up both sides but it was the Essendon players that were able to hold their nerve and let their on-field performance do the talking.
“After the blue I think both sides were pretty angry and fired up but our guys put their head over the ball, got some free kicks, importantly got the ball forward and scored some good goals,” he said.
“There was a lot of emotion out there but the players really kept a cool head and I think that was reflective in the way the attacked the football.
“The general attitude of the team of getting in harder and lower then Hawthorn and working harder to support our teammates were the things that got us into the game.
“Some people might say it was Lloyd’s bump, Sewell was an important player for Hawthorn, but really across the board we lifted as a whole and it made all the difference.”
Prescott was full of praise for young key position player Michael Hurley, who was best on ground in an inspirational performance, where he kicked four goals.
“We couldn’t not mention Michael Hurley - he was inspirational with his efforts up forward. He is so competitive, you know every time he is involved there is going to be a brutal contest,” he said.
“In modern day football your forwards are just so important because a lot of sides get numbers back and try to rebound the ball quickly.
“If you have forwards who can win possession of the ball and aren’t just marking players - as in if it hits the ground they can be competitive and create scoring opportunities - these guys are instrumental for your team.
“We knew Michael fitted this mould, we knew he was a competitor and these competitors can be played anywhere.
“Regardless of if we play him forward or back, he has a lot of confidence in his ability without being arrogant; he is a lovely young man and a real talent.""
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Whilst the football world has been quick to write off the young Bombers side against the Adelaide Crows, Prescott believes they have what it takes to go another week further in the finals series.
“Our focus this week will be to be hard and competitive, to get our structures right, to get our match ups right and really take it up to Adelaide,” he said.
“The longer we can stay in the game- the more confidence the boys will gain to be able to pull off what could be a fantastic win.
“After the melee last week and possible suspensions to come from that, we are giving every listed player available the opportunity to be nice and fresh this week.
“Knighta spoke to the whole player group on Sunday morning about everyone being involved in our finals campaign.
“All 46 players are going to continue to train and continue to be a part of all the team meetings and planning.
“It’s a great experience for the whole group and it really shows that we are a committed unit going into the finals series.”
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