A sensational six-goals-to-none third quarter has seen Essendon overcome adetermined West Coast Eagles by 16 points in front of 33,631 fans at EtihadStadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Bombers started in sluggish fashion, falling 21 points behind early in thesecond quarter, but finished the stronger team, winning 16.10 (106) to 12.18(90).
Midfielders Sam Lonergan (23 disposals) and Heath Hocking (15 disposals) turnedthe match for the home side after West Coast, largely through veteran DanielKerr (14 possessions and four clearances in the first quarter), dominatedcontested possession (50-34) and clearances (14-4) in the opening stanza.
With midfield general Jobe Watson being blanketed by young Eagle Scott Selwood, Lonergan took itupon himself to swing the contested possession count back towards even.
He won five second-quarter clearances as Essendon, thrashed 21-6 in inside 50sduring the Eagles' four-goals-to-two opening term, began to get more ball forwardand drew level shortly before half-time.
Moved onto Kerr late in the first term, Hocking restricted the dangerous Eagleto six second-quarter disposals while picking up five touches and kicking twogoals of his own.
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With the game up for grabs at the beginning of the third quarter, thepreviously quiet Kyle Reimers turned in a brilliant burst, booting three offour unanswered Essendon goals in the first eight minutes as the Bombers surgedclear.
As the momentum turned, Essendon's stars started to get on top.
Skipper Watson (31 disposals) broke free of Selwood's tag to gather 11third-quarter touches and Angus Monfries, subbed on for Brent Stanton at half-time, had an immediate impact picking up eightdisposals for the quarter, including a superb set shot goal from deep in theforward pocket.
Leroy Jetta (16 disposals, four inside 50s) provided the run and carry Essendonlacked early, breaking down West Coast's full ground press.
The Eagles fought hard in the last term to slow the Bombers' run, but wereunable to make any serious inroads on Essendon's 24-point three-quarter timelead and fell to their third loss of the season.
Although quieter after quarter-time, Kerr remained West Coast's leadingonballer, finishing with 28 disposals.
Key forward Josh Kennedy was tireless all day. He kicked two goals and hit thepost twice, symbolic of the Eagles' inaccurate goalkicking.
Leroy Jetta lifted Essendon's energy-levels with several trademarkline-breaking dashes during the second and third quarters.
The best came at the 23-minute mark of the second term when the lightning-fast22 year-old burst into space off half-back and found Mark McVeigh in the middleof the ground.
McVeigh in turn passed to Stewart Crameri, who marked, wheeled aroundimmediately and bombed through a monster goal from outside 50 to put theBombers within six points.
Essendon 2.1 8.314.6 16.10 (106)
West Coast 4.4 9.99.12 12.18 (90)
GOALS
Essendon: Reimers 3, Crameri 3, Watson 2, Hocking 2, Hille 2, Bellchambers,Ryder, Zaharakis, Monfries,
West Coast: Kennedy 2, Nicoski 2, LeCras 2, Kerr, Darling, Lynch, Ebert,Schofield
BEST
Essendon: Hocking, Lonergan, Watson, Hurley, Heppell, Jetta
West Coast: Priddis, Naitanui, Shuey, Glass, Kennedy, Kerr
SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Brent Stanton replaced byAngus Monfries at the start of the third quarter
West Coast: Brad Ebert replaced by Gerrick Weedon at the start of thefourth quarter
Umpires: Margetts, Kennedy, Leppard
Official crowd: 33,631 at Etihad Stadium
