Essendon has kick-started its 2007 season in sensational style with a 31-point win over a highly-fancied Adelaide side in front of 43,000 fans at AAMI Stadium. It was an enormous performance from the Bombers, engineered on the back of some experienced heads and youthful brilliance. It now sets up a blockbuster clash with the Fremantle Dockers next Sunday.

Leroy Jetta would have had Essendon fans the country-wide excited by what the future might hold. The youngster was superb in his first game. He only got it ten times but he kicked two outstanding goals and gave the Bombers some leg speed and spark across half forward. Alwyn Davey wasn’t far behind him in terms of impact and their tackling was a highlight.

At the other end of the ground Dustin Fletcher and Mal Michael combined superbly – the former clearly relishing the inclusion of Michael into the team.

Essendon’s skill level caused its downfall on more than one occasion in 2006, but its first quarter of football suggested it had been a focus of the coaching staff in the 2007 pre-season. The Bombers looked much cleaner than Adelaide for much of the first quarter and it paid dividends in front of goal.

Structurally the Bombers did look a different side with Paddy Ryder playing on Nathan Bock at centre half-back and Mal Michael at full back. Alwyn Davey started alongside Matthew Lloyd while Leroy Jetta went to the bench. Andrew Welsh also went forward in a change of role for him.

The key match ups saw Angus Monfries go to Andrew Mcleod early and Dustin Fletcher take Scott Welsh. Henry Slattery was given a tough job on Adelaide high flyer Brett Burton. The battle between Brett Rutten and Matthew Lloyd was also going to be an interesting one.

The Bombers first goal was a product of patience and clean disposal by foot. After winning the ball in the midfield Essendon maintained possession on the outer wing with a series of short kicks finishing with Mark Johnson who goaled from 45m out.

Angus Monfries was excellent in the first quarter for Essendon. First he threaded a superb handball to Matthew Lloyd after gathering a spilled ball. Lloyd kicked his first goal. Monfries then found Scott Lucas with an excellent pass and Lucas had his first.

The Crows had an excellent ten-minute patch just prior to quarter time that saw goals to Burton, Thompson and Van Berlo. But the Bombers settled when Jobe Watson won a contested ball on centre wing and it finished with Welsh who kicked his first goal in his new role.

Essendon went into the first change with a nine-point break. Mark Johnson was outstanding for Essendon finishing with 10 possessions. McVeigh (6), Monfries (5), Stanton (5) and Lucas (6) were other good players for Essendon.

As they had done in the first quarter, the Bombers started the second quarter in fine style. Two goals to Lucas and another to Lloyd saw Essendon extend the lead to 28 points. Lucas was on fire and the Essendon midfield was looking for him at every opportunity.

Goals to Bock and Burton - from a questionable free kick - saw the Crows drag the margin back to 13 points late in the second quarter. Kicking into a slight breeze Essendon was trying to run the clock down and they did so to reasonable effect going into the main break with a 12-point lead.

Dustin Fletcher did plenty of good work deep in defence in the first half and was a calming influence. He had 15 possessions and five marks at the main break and was clearly relishing the inclusion of Mal Michael. Stanton (13), Mark Johnson (15) and McVeigh (13) were among Essendon’s leading possession winners at half time.

The third quarter was an arm wrestle with both sides missing opportunities but also not being prepared to take as many risks. A Rutten turnover deep in the forward line eventually saw the deadlock broken. Adam McPhee intercepted a ball and kicked superbly from 45m out from goal.

An unselfish Lucas allowed the Bombers to extend their lead to 23 points. After winning the ball across half back Lucas marked 25m out from goal but he flipped a handball over the top to Lovett who streamed into an open goal.

The Crows clawed a goal back thanks to a wonderful piece of roving from Bock and he snapped to kick his second. But Essendon refused to lie down and they replied almost immediately thanks to some magnificent work across half forward by Leroy Jetta. He attacked the ball hard and handballed to Lucas who kicked his fifth.

Jetta got his own goal just one minute later and it was thanks to a superb piece of roving he did across half forward. Jetta was cleaned up after missing a shot on goal and despite being groggy, picked up the ball turned around to put the Bombers 30 points in front. Jetta looks a star of the future and his five minutes of football had given the Bombers a real chance of causing an upset.

A late goal to the Crows saw Essendon go into the final quarter with a four-goal lead. A real test of their self-belief loomed in the final quarter. Having lost 11 games last season by four goals or less it is a hurdle the Bombers needed to overcome.

At three-quarter time Essendon’s leading possessions winners were Fletcher (21), Mark Johnson (17), McVeigh (18) and Stanton (19).

Kicking with the breeze in the final quarter the Crows start well when Ian Perrie who had kicked terribly all day marked and kicked straight from 45m out. The margin was reduced to 18 points and the Bombers have a fight on their hands.

The Crows closed the gap to 12 points and the crowd came to life when Brent Stanton turned the ball over on centre wing and it finished with youngster Chris Knights who goals. The Bombers were under siege and in desperate need of a goal to stem the tide.

Scott Lucas provided a much-needed goal when Welsh hit him with a superb kick 20m out from goal. Lucas was the dominant forward on the ground and he kicked his sixth for the afternoon. The Bombers were then in with a massive chance when Lucas kicked a brilliant goal from 50m out 17 minutes into the final quarter to put Essendon in front by 25 points.

A relayed free kick to Nathan Bock 20 minutes into the final quarter got the Crows back to within 19 points with five minutes left to play but the Bombers added two more in the final 10 minutes to score a superb win.