Essendon’s finals hopes took a significant hit on Saturday night – and you sense the blow was predominantly self-inflicted.
The Bombers squandered a gilt-edged chance to bury some demons and keep their September hopes burning, with a stinging one-point loss to Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium.
It was the third time in three seasons that Essendon had lost a match via a kick after the siren, following Magpie Jamie Elliott’s feat in 2022 then Power defender Dan Houston’s epic bomb last year.
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Adding salt to the wound for the Bombers was the fact that they had victory well within their grasp in the final quarter. They had control and momentum and peppered the goals, but a diabolical 1.9 prevented them from shutting the door on the Suns.
And after taking a spectacular pack mark with 20 seconds left, Sun Mac Andrew made Essendon pay the heftiest of prices with a clutch post-siren goal.
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The Bombers had more inside 50s, but their appalling goalkicking, especially in the crucial final quarter, brought them unstuck, with Jake Stringer (0.3) and Sam Draper (0.2) the main culprits for the Bombers after three-quarter time.
In ugly scenes, Essendon fans threw drinks bottles on the ground after Andrew kicked the match-winner.
“1.9 to Essendon in the last quarter – I don’t know if I’ve seen a capitulation like it,” dual premiership Kangaroo David King told Fox Footy post-match.
“They just couldn’t take their opportunities … They had countless opportunities. They had them absolutely on the rack.
“And you know what? That’s what Brad Scott has been talking about: Handling the pressure of the moment, the pressure of these sorts of games – and they haven’t been ready for it over the last six to eight weeks.
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“Essendon should’ve won this game by four to five goals, but in the end they didn’t take their opportunities, they didn’t handle the pressure.”
Triple premiership Tiger Jack Riewoldt added: “The Essendon edge is well and truly gone for that football club.”
— with NCA NewsWire
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