A classy Geelong outfit showed Essendon why they are the benchmark of the competition today as they utilised their experience to outplay the youthful Bombers and seal a convincing 64-point win.

Essendon assistant coach, Scott Camporeale, said it was the Cats’ attack on the football and defensive pressure that allowed them to dominate most of the match.

“The way they attack the ball certainly puts an element of doubt in the guys mind and when we turned the ball over they really showed us how to use the ball and counter attack,” Camporeale said.

“We didn’t get off to a great start and I thought we were pretty reactive and they took the opportunities today.

“They kicked goals from the turnovers and I think their tackling was a real standout today. We just couldn’t get through.”

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Today’s contest saw a significant gap in experience between the two sides as Geelong fielded 12 players with over 100 games to Essendon’s four. 
Ten of Essendon's squad had played less than 30 games.
However Camporeale refused to use it as an excuse for the Bombers’ performance and is confident his side can be a serious finals contender if they play to their game plan.

“Experience is one of those things that probably plays a part as finals comes closer but we didn’t do what we set out to do and that makes a difference,” he said.

“We just have to be consistent because I think we have the artillery to be a finals contender.

“With a younger list, at times you can be inconsistent and when we go away from our gameplan, things go pear shaped for us.”

Camporeale highlighted the performance of emerging ruckman Patrick Ryder as a positive to come out of today’s match.

“I thought Paddy Ryder was our best player,” he said.

“He was tireless and his tap work around the ground has been fantastic for us all year since David Hille went down.”