Victory ... David Zaharakis kicks the winning goal with 30 seconds left. Source: Quinn Rooney / Getty Images
SOMEWHERE in amongst Essendon's war with the AFL, a game of football broke out at the MCG on Saturday night.
And what a ripsnorter of a game it was, a spirited and emotional triumph, a fluctuating contest that drew the curtain on a week that Bombers insiders described as the low point of the club's season.
| 5.4 (34) | Q1 | 1.1 (7) |
| 10.4 (64) | Q2 | 1.3 (9) |
| 15.7 (97) | Q3 | 4.4 (28) |
| 21.8 (134) | Q4 | 9.6 (60) |
| Hayden Ballantyne 4 | Brad Ebert 1 |
| Matthew Pavlich 4 | Robert Gray 1 |
| Michael Walters 3 | Kane Mitchell 1 |
| Zac Clarke 2 | Angus Monfries 1 |
| Tom Sheridan 2 | Andrew Moore 1 |
| Michael Barlow 1 | Jake Neade 1 |
| Ryan Crowley 1 | Jay Schulz 1 |
| Jack Hannath 1 | Chad Wingard 1 |
| Michael Johnson 1 | Aaron Young 1 |
| Lachie Neale 1 | |
| Cameron Sutcliffe 1 |
The Bombers looked a spent force at three-quarter time, but as they have done so often this season they found a way to fight on, fight back and pinch a victory.
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They kicked the final four goals of the match, with the matchwinner coming when scores were tied 27 seconds from the final siren.
To illustrate what a fighting win it was, the sealer came from David Zaharakis, barely sighted for three quarters, but a massive part of the gutsy rally in the final term. He gathered 10 disposals in that frantic last 30 minutes -- most of them under intense pressure -- and helped turn around Essendon's clearance work at stoppages.
He wasn't alone in lifting when it was needed.
Ruckman Paddy Ryder was quiet early, but took the match by the scruff of the neck late in proceedings. Never more so than when he leapt to pull in a contested mark midway through the final quarter to put the Dons one point in front.
As his teammates celebrated wildly, Ryder ran from the field, blood streaming from the bandage around his forehead.
To be fair, there were signs from the opening bounce that the under-seige Essendon playing group was switched on.
The desperation that had been noticeably absent for the past month was now part of the Dons' game once more.
They were winning the ball from the stoppages and applying enough pressure to force numerous turnovers.
There were little signs all over the ground that Essendon was having a crack. Acts such as defender Mark Baguley's diving ankle tap on Eddie Betts midway through the opening term. His lunge prevented Betts from running into an open goal and forced the goalsneak to have a set shot from 45 metres, which he missed.
On a forward flank Nick Kommer used his pace and recklessness to retain the ball in the Bombers' forward line.
In the midfield the disciplined Heath Hocking was not only keeping Carlton skipper Marc Murphy out of the game, he was running and crashing into packs to win plenty of his own ball.
And yet somehow Carlton was still managing to create some uncontested possessions and the cleaner scoring opportunities, and could well have split the match open had it not started with 3.10 from its first 13 scoring shots.
The Bombers lifted their game in the second quarter. They began to win the football at the centre bounces and centre-half forward Michael Hurley began exerting his influence on the lead at centre half forward.
Brownlow Medallist Jobe Watson began to break free of the attention of Bryce Gibbs. It was never difficult to differentiate between a Watson possession and a ray of sunshine: every time the Sherrin found it's way into the
Essendon skipper's hands he was roundly booed by the Blues fans. When those possessions came at a pause in play, those jeers were countered by an equally loud round of cheering from the Essendon faithful.
But it seemed the match was going to follow what has lately become a familiar plot when the Bombers started to fade in the third term.
Carlton began to dominate the contested possessions, while Essendon reverted to static uninspired football. Quite simply manyof the team, including such notables as Zaharakis, Brent Stanton, Stewart Crameri, Jake Melksham and Alwynn Davey were having no impact on the contest.
The counterpoint to that was the performance of Brendon Goddard. He simply refused to yield in that third term.
When Carlton kicked three goals to stretch their lead to 19 points, it was Goddard who dragged the Bombers back into the match.
He unleashed one beautiful 50 metre pass that virtually forced Hurley to run back tio the goalsquare for a mark and goal, and the followed up with a goal of his own when he won a free kick for an arm chop in a marking contest.
And yet it seemed inevitable that the Blues would be the ones who drew away.
Throughout they were brilliantly served by the fearless Kade Simpson on a back flank. Even with 70 seconds to go he dropped back in the hole to block the oncoming truck that was Hurley, winning a free kick and seemingly saving the match for the Blues.
Other Blues such as Tom Bell and Chris Yarran prodeuced season-best form, while Murphy at times threatened to get off the Hocking leash.
Ed Curnow outplayed the dangerous Brent Stanton, so effectively that at one stage the Bombers midfielder did not touch the ball for one-and-a-half quarters.
But when it really mattered, when the match was there to be won and it was a matter of who wanted it more, it was the Essendon players who stood up.
Maybe they drew upon their previous experiences from earlier in the season.
Maybe they wanted to make a statement.
Maybe this was their grand final.
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