Round 7 – Essendon v Collingwood (Floreat Pica Society)

 

 

Essendon v Collingwood

3:20pm, Saturday April 25

MCG

 

 

According to the AFL App, we find ourselves in Round 7 ‘Anzac Appeal Round’. This truly is the best of the home and away matches. My brother (Essendon) and his wife (one of the faithful) who are now Californian residents, are back in town for the big game – and they have secured seats in the members’. I am very envious but, as it transpires, my sister-in-law is a late out so I am subbed in off the bench! Instead of settling down in front of the television in our living room to watch the entire spectacular that is the Dons v Maggies Anzac Day clash, I will
be sitting with my one-eyed Essendon supporting brother at the MCG.

 

 

Pre-Match
Under the brilliant late Autumn sunshine, the joint banner run-through, motorcade and Anzac ceremonies are emotionally charged as the crowd pays its respects, remembers and offers its everlasting thanks to the Anzac servicemen and women.

 

As always, I shed a tear: Lest We Forget.

 

 

First Quarter
Collingwood’s captain for the day, Brayden Maynard, wins the toss. With Collingwood kicking to the city end, the first quarter is soon a fumbling tussle between two old footy foes. Essendon has selected nine Anzac Day debutants. However, it is Roan Steele, one of the four young Pies playing his first Anzac Day match, who kicks the first goal of the day and celebrates, as the young players do now-a-days, with his own unique celebration: a yoga pose complete with prayer hands and eyes closed! Such balance is not easy – and in front of over 90,000 people!

The Bombers make multiple forward forays and look dangerous early. I can’t help but admire their guernsey with its sash comprising an image of a WWII bomber aircraft. Our Nick kicks but misses entirely before Schultz goals shortly after: two goals straight to zip. Multiple dropped
marks in our forward line characterise our play, while Essendon gets opportunities but cannot convert. The desperate play means skill errors abound. Josh Daicos impresses early with his composure, though. Archer Day-Wicks goals for Essendon with four minutes to go. Their first major is on the board. Lipinski and JDG combine for an answering goal followed by young Will Hayes who kicks an exuberant running goal.

 

Keep building that buffer!

 

Essendon’s mercurial Kako dances like a gazelle around Frampton on the Shane Warne wing before Day-Wicks marks and converts with a left foot kick for his second goal. Late in the quarter Perryman gives away an unfortunate free kick to Caddy who (fortunately) misses again (third time for the match so far). The Maggies go into quarter time with a nine point lead (2.3.15 to 4.0.24).

 

 

Second Quarter
The second sees Collinwood score first: an uncharacteristic miss by Naicos for a behind. The Dons’ Durham goals after a good linking passage of play. Then Naicos misses again, his kicking efficiency slightly off early in the game. Collingwood goes forward again, opening the play and McCreery kicks truly. But…what is going on here? Nick misses again! Houston lines up from a long way out but is hurried on by the umpire who
clearly doesn’t appreciate his goal kicking prowess. The quarter is rather lack-lustre, characterised by overuse of handball by both teams. The Pies start to get our forward game going and are peppering the goals but without much success. The crowd senses the game is becoming more frenetic and becomes more engaged. There is a late shift in momentum, with the game now played more in the Dons’ forward line rather than between the arcs. Collingwood’s defence is holding up well, however, and Sharp misses a straight forward kick for goal by kicking into Nick who is standing on the mark. Merrett shows his class with an effective kick to another Archer (May) who promptly misses. Collingwood is
denying Essendon ground ball opportunities to score. The half time siren beats an ominous surge forward by the Pies.

 

The second quarter was a familiar story with Collingwood taking control but struggling to convert opportunities.

 

There is a sense, however, that the Bombers have slowed and are clinging on by their fingernails. It was a low scoring quarter with Essendon adding one goal and one behind to Collingwood’s one goal and six behinds. (3.4.22 to 5.6.36)

 

 

Third Quarter
The Pies take a 14 point lead into the third term. The jumping bean that is Oscar Steen wins the first centre clearance. Billy Elliott kicks a behind before Caddy scores a goal following a good passage of play for Essendon. Steen performs another huge centre leap. The posts get another direct hit, this time from JDG. As he has done many times over his extraordinary career, Pendles sets the ‘G alight with a goal, this time after good quick pass from De Goey. The crowd is abuzz marvelling at our Scotty. Gus Anderson steps up and goals – underscoring his value as a promising new recruit. The Dons’ two metre Peter misses – an opportunity lost. Roan Steele kicks his second, an excellent crumbing goal. Although the momentum has shifted in the Pies’ favour, Naicos hits the post again. Although his efficiency has improved from the first half and he is racking up the disposals, Nick is a bit down after a scintillating performance last week in his 100th game. A McStay goal gives
the Pies four goals straight, with the score now 29 to 63. Merrett finds himself on the bench at a critical time for Essendon but livewire Kako keeps their hopes alive with an incredible goal created out of nothing against the run of play. Howe takes a good mark, followed by McStay
who misses (again). Another goal to Jamie Elliott and then to Gus Anderson highlights the way Essendon’s defence is crumbling under pressure. The goal posts take two more direct hits: first from McStay then McCreery.

 

Overall, Collingwood has totally dominated the quarter and denied Essendon access to its forward line, while starting to rack up our own score.
(5.6.36 to 11.13.79)

 

 

Final Quarter
The quarter starts and it feels like Essendon is done, that it is beyond them to mount a challenge in the final quarter. The Pies’ elder statesman Pendles has taken charge. He kicks to JDG for a goal – just superb. Then Jordy gets his second for the quarter – a good strong goal that lifts the Magpie Army up. Beau McCreery then goals from the pocket out on his own. The Pies have kicked 10 of the last 12 goals. Caddy drags one back
following a free after a Jeremy Howe block.

 

McStay hits another poster then Billy Elliott misses completely. Essendon gets a goal from a Lipinski error arising from a ‘dumb’ rule application but the 50m penalty was there. Lipinski makes amends and gets us to the tonne for the first time this season at the 16 minute mark – then misses again shortly after. It is keepings off with Essendon completely flummoxed and out of ideas, let alone enthusiasm for the contest. Crisp kicks a nice 45m goal. Thanks to an accurate pass from our Scotty, McStay gets the ball. Can McStay miss the post this time? Goal – whew!

 

Elliott kicks another goal and then Sidey goals – with his pants down while being tackled! Kyle Langford gets a goal for the opposition. Pendles kicks his second goal for the day. Crisp misses another before Caddy gets a late goal for them.

 

There are no adequate superlatives for Scott Pendlebury. He has broken so many records in this, his 431st AFL game. He has surpassed his highest ever number of possessions with 43 for the match, he has had a record 19 score involvements for the Pies, and played in a record 19 Anzac Day matches.

 

Scott Pendlebury wins the Anzac Day Medal for 2026: his fourth, and the most ever won by a player.

 

It is an emphatic win for the Pies.

 

 

Votes
3 votes: Scott Pendlebury
2 votes: Josh Daicos
(After a lot of thought, I decided to go for Josh rather than Nick because I felt he was more consistent on the day in discharging his role for the team. Others will disagree no doubt in light of Nick’s incredible stats for the match.)
1 vote: Nick Daicos

 

Special mentions:
All other members of the Collingwood team and coaching staff. A good morale-boosting win, even if against an inexperienced opposition.

 

 

ESSENDON              2.3    3.4    5.6         9.6 (60)
COLLINGWOOD       4.0    5.6    11.13     20.17 (137)

GOALS
Essendon: Caddy 3, Day-Wicks, Langford 2, Durham, Kako
Collingwood: De Goey 3, Steele, Anderson, McCreery, McStay, Elliott, Pendlebury 2, Schultz, Hayes, Lipinski, Crisp, Sidebottom

BEST
Essendon: Roberts, Merrett, Day-Wicks, El-Hawli
Collingwood: Pendlebury, De Goey, N.Daicos, Howe, Houston, Crisp, J.Daicos

Crowd: 92,231

 

 

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