The last time Essendon defeated the Kangaroos was in 2001 and it marked a significant occasion with the Bombers winning after mounting the biggest comeback in the game's history. Six years on Essendon has finally tasted victory over North Melbourne again and it was equally significant, marking the first win in Matthew Knights’ reign as coach.
Blistering foot speed and improved skill were the cornerstones of a win that had Bomber fans in the outer delerious. Essendon coach Knights surely felt the same way but outwardly he was at pains to point out it was a very small step and there was still much to work on.
“It is a great feeling and I am pleased that we won the game,” Knights said. “You could easily say that as new coach with a new-look team the track record doesn’t really matter, but the reality is that we haven’t beaten the Kangaroos in a long, long time and that is the reality.
“It is good for the club to win today under those circumstances and in knowing that the Kangaroos are a pretty sharp outfit. They finished top four last year and they beat Hawthorn in the final. I think we looked like what Hawthorn did yesterday.
“We knew they would be well organised - they have had three or four years under Dean (Laidley) now in which they have shown their ability to be well organized and well structured.
“But we are all about developing us - the Essendon Football Club - and how we want to play and what we want to achieve. We are passionate about sticking to our development as a club rather than putting too much focus on the Kangaroos.”
Knights and his match committee knew what North Melbourne were capable of and it didn't take long for them to get a taste of it. The Kangaroos fired out of the blocks strongly kicking the first three goals before Essendon were able to pin back the lead and sail to a comfortable victory.
Bachar Houli claimed the first centre clearance at the opening bounce but, from there, it was mostly one-way traffic as the Kangaroos created numerous chances inside deep inside their 50m. The quick linking-up out of defence, that the Bombers’ had used as a key feature of their play throughout the preseason competition, had seemingly evaporated as Essendon looked flat-footed and second to the ball.
The Bombers were dealt a significant blow early when Lucas landed badly on his left knee and limped to the boundary line. He has a torn posterior cruciate ligament and will miss up to 12 weeks. One positive to come from the first term was the performance of Sam Lonergan who looked to have benefited from an excellent pre-season.
Mark McVeigh led the charge from the front in the second quarter as he tried desperately to inspire his side, but it would take more than one player’s commitment to pin back a determined Roos outfit. The team followed McVeigh's lead and Essendon suddenly looked in control.
They were also making the most of their opportunities up forward - Essendon taking a seven-point lead into the long break thanks to four consecutive goals through Nathan Lovett-Murray, Matthew Lloyd (2) and Jason Johnson.
The Bombers lifted further in the second half with their hard running making life difficult for the Kangaroos. McVeigh was dominatung while David Hille was clearly the most effective big man on the ground. Lloyd was brilliant up forward and Jobe Watson knocked up winning possessions. Of the youngsters, Courtenay Dempsey, Leroy Jetta and Bachar Houli were all impressive.
Another highlight for Essendon was the performance of Adam Ramanauskas who was magnificent across half back. He got plenty of the football and for the most part used it exceptionally well.
Knights said the win would give his team some confidence going into the toughest test in football - a clash with the reigning Premier at Telstra Dome next Sunday.
“Gary O’Donnell and I watched Geelong train a couple of months ago in the Gold Coast and they looked absolutely superb with their execution and ability to hit targets,” Knights said.
“We understand what we will be lining up against next week, but what we won’t be is intimidated and we will go out there and play hard and see what flows from that.
""It is the same as today’s match in that we came to the game today unsure of what to expect, and what the result would be. We just wanted to take the game on and play hard and I gave my players the license to be creative and that is what happened.”
