Round 16 – Essendon v Sydney: Revenge is a dish best served close

 

Caspar McLeod.
Essendon Vs. Sydney Swans.
M.C.G. 6/7/2019.

 

My two beloved teams are playing each other again. This time, at the MCG, for the first time since 2004.

 

This is the first time we meet each other since the infamous goal post climbing incident. Will Essendon get revenge? Or will the Swans soar again?

 

First quarter:

 

My Essendon side:
We should be further in front. As my Dad states, we are *this* close to connecting and blowing the Swans away early. It’s uncomfortably close.

 

My Sydney Side:
Eh, I’m not worried. The red and white always fight back and win in the end.

 

Second quarter:

 

My Essendon side:
Ok. Better second quarter slightly. Why can’t we hit our targets in the middle of the ground? Turnovers galore.

 

My Sydney side:
Still not worried. We’ll show up in the second half, don’t you worry about that.

 

Third quarter:

 

My Essendon side:
Oh no. Now our turnovers are hurting us on the scoreboard. Thank goodness Sydney are missing a lot of shots on goal. “OH, OK UMPIRES! APPARENTLY, TRIPPING IS NO LONGER A FREE ANYMORE, HUH?”

 

My Sydney side: There we go, there’s the dominance. Yes… it would be nicer if we were further in front at three quarter time. But still, great quarter.

 

Fourth quarter:

My Essendon side:
WHAT A FINAL QUARTER. WHAT A COMEBACK. TWO WEEKS IN A ROW. WHY DOESN’T CALE HOOKER PLAY IN THE FORWARD LINE ALL GAME FROM NOW ON?! AND Z. CLARKE, YOU HAVE PLAYED AMAZINGLY WELL THIS QUARTER. WAY TO PROVE THE DOUBTERS WRONG.

 

My Sydney side: Typical pro-Victorian umpiring. Although…. If I was to be honest, a good team wins regardless of the umpiring. We had our foot on their throat. And we couldn’t do it.

 

Final thoughts:

My Sydney Side:
Brave loss, but I am kind of sick and tired of brave losses. Oh well. Bring on Carlton.

 

My Essendon side: SEE THE BOMBERS FLY UP, UP! WHAT A WIN! AND WE ARE IN THE EIGHT! BRING ON NORTH MELBOURNE NEXT WEEK, AND THE REST OF THE YEAR. WHO SAID WE CAN’T MAKE FINALS? Revenge is a dish best served with a side of nail-biting and another side of heart-attacks: nice and close.

 

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

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

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