AFL round 1 match review: Sydney v. Essendon at Sydney

After being vindicated after their victimisation as part of the political elite’s War On Sport ASADA investigation, Essendon were at full strength against Sydney at le stade olympique (in its not-quite-oval configuration) for the opening match of the season in the Emerald City.

And what a match it was. The Bombers came out of the blocks hard, racking up four goals (including rippers from outside fifty from a Jobe Watson run and an Adam Cooney set shot) and conceding none on the way to a twenty-six-point quarter-time lead. Cooney began the second quarter with a soccer in mid-air, while the Swans had to wait until the halfway mark of the term before Craig Bird could nab their first major. Their poor ball-handling on the rain-soaked surface and their lack of discipline hurt them, and Isaac Heeney, the star recruit from Maitland, was doing little to justify the hype bestowed on him.

The Same Olds took a twenty-two-point buffer into the long break, and added to it when Dyson Heppell capitalised on yet another fifty-metre penalty. They appeared to be practicing a variant of Pagan’s Paddock (perhaps we should call it Hird’s Backyard), pushing their forwards up to the edge of midfield and letting their superior wet-weather skills do the trick when the ball was loose in their attacking fifty-metre arc. High tackles at each end led to the sides trading goals, and Essendon’s advantage mushroomed to forty-one points in third quarter.

At this point, Sydney looked gone for all money. Buddy Franklin had done little, Adam Goodes was substituted off, and the fourth quarter opened with a collision between Franklin and Luke Parker which resulted in the latter being stretchered off with blood oozing from various temporary facial apertures. But the stoppage in play and a slight change in the weather altered the terms of debate, and i rossoneri were forced to try and slow things down.

Three unanswered Swans goals into the term, Franklin made a superb tackle on a surging Essendon forward. Behinds to Kurt Tippett and Kieren ‘Son Of Gary’ Jack reduced the margin to twelve, and two consecutive turnovers of possession gifted opportunities to Bird and Jack, who each kicked truly to level the scores, Essendon having failed to score since late in the third quarter.

The scores might have been level, but a tired Essendon outfit looked unlikely to score again, and indeed didn’t, instead trying to grind out a 60-all draw. But two more downfield thrusts from la albirroja settled the issue, Franklin goaling with fewer than four minutes remaining, and the boy from Maitland (of all places!) sealing it with fewer than two remaining.

Sydney 10.12.72 – Essendon 9.6.60

Goals: Franklin 3, Bird 2, Tippett 2, Heeney, Jack, Laidler, (Syd.); Cooney 3, Colyer, Daniher, Goddard, Heppell, Melksham, Watson (Ess.)

Best: Parker, Jack, Kennedy (Syd.); Heppell, Melksham, Watson (Ess.)