Round 16 – Essendon v Sydney: a pretty forgettable game at the “G”

    Essendon v Sydney at the MCG.

 

 

I have been looking forward to this game for a couple of weeks. It’s at the “G” and it’s being played early on a Saturday afternoon. To make things even better it’s a mild, no, a warm winter’s day.

 

The game started with the usually mauling park, ball ups, missed kicks, hard tackles, loud calls for “BALL” but very little scoring. I have some cousins over from the US and they told me excitedly they were going to the game, God knows what they can make of it.

 

There were few stand out players, however Allir Allir of Sydney, who obviously has superb stamina, was one. He was competing in the ruck, sharking hit outs, intercepting ill directed passes and tackling opposition players nonstop.

 

On the Essendon side I was impressed with Dylan Shiel’s ability to get the ball but his kicking continually let him down. On a number of occasions he passed the ball with precision to Sydney defenders.

 

Basically Sydney just wanted to play “keepings off” the Dons. Little sideway kicks, backward passes,and crossing the ground from one side to the other, seemed to be the way they move the ball. Essendon got sucked into it too, and the game felt very ordinary to me. When I go to the footy I want to see fast open play with the ball moving forward and the scoreboard ticking over.

 

Not today though, at three quarter time both sides were seven goals each and inexplicably Sydney were three points up. Is this another wasted afternoon I found myself thinking. I have watched boring uninspiring footy on a beautiful sunny day. I haven’t jumped from my seat with excitement. I haven’t cheered or clapped. I’ve just sat and watched a game of football.

 

The myriad of coaches that Essendon employ must have agreed on a new approach for the last quarter. I’m not sure what their combined plan was but it worked, the Dons found a way of scoring goals and even though Sydney persisted with their negative game, Essendon proved the superior side adding four goals to Sydney’s two. A win is a win but not all that inspiring for this Tragic Don.

 

 

ESSENDON     2.3       4.5       7.5       11.10 (76)
SYDNEY           1.2       3.6       7.8       9.12 (66)

 

GOALS
Essendon: Zaharakis 3, McKernan 2, Stringer 2, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Fantasia, Parish, Langford
Sydney: Reid 2, Parker 2, Blakey, Jones, Papley, Rose, McCartin

 

BEST
Essendon: Shiel, Zaharakis, Parish, Saad, Hurley, McGrath
Sydney: Heeney, Kennedy, Rampe, Hewett, Aliir, Mills

 

INJURIES
Essendon: Dyson Heppell (foot) replaced in selected side by Kyle Langford
Sydney: Nil

 

Reports: Nil

 

Umpires: Dalgleish, O’Gorman, Mitchell

 

Official crowd: 60,199 at the MCG

 

Votes:  Aliir 3 (S)  Zaharakis 2 (E) Hurley 1 (E)

 

Rod Oaten

 

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