Carlton, Gold Coast, the Brisbane Lions and Essendon each recorded wins on Super Saturday of Gather Round, but the news wasn’t all positive for Bombers fans.
Carlton, Gold Coast, the Brisbane Lions and Essendon each recorded wins on Super Saturday of Gather Round, but the news wasn’t all positive for Bombers fans. Carlton, Gold Coast, the Brisbane Lions and Essendon each recorded wins on Super Saturday of Gather Round, but the news wasn’t all positive for Bombers fans.
Key posts
- 10.40pmDraper backs Dons to keep winning, update on contract talks
- 10.17pmMelbourne’s unwanted record
- 9.58pmPetracca involved in a heavy clash
- 9.47pmThis is it – Melbourne’s season is on the line
- 9.38pmThis game has seriously shifted
- 9.25pmSuddenly the Dees are lifting – there’s a pulse
- 8.38pmWorrying signs all over the place for the Demons
- 8.31pmSetterfield is all over Oliver
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Dons ruckman Sam Draper won’t put a ceiling on what his young side can do.
The young Bombers will continue to chase wins and Draper won’t have any talk about rebuilding or developing, he wants wins now.
“We feel like we can cause some damage as a team,” Draper told Fox Footy.
“We are really young but we are really exciting and there is no ceiling on what we can do.”
Draper also said his manager would begin contract talks with the Dons.
“It’s in progress now and my manager will speak to the club in a few weeks and we will see what happens from that but I’m really happy with this win,” Draper told Fox Footy.
Both Jye Menzie and Zach Merrett praised Essendon’s focus on team play as a key factor in their win over Melbourne tonight.
Menzie kicked a career-best four goals but said they all came from the work of his teammates.
“It felt good. It’s based off the team, they got me a lot of the goals. We did a lot of work as a team and it paid off in front of goals,” Menzie told Fox Footy.
“Tackle, pressure, run my patterns and play a typical half-forward role.”
Merrett, who had 37 disposals, said team defence remained a big area to improve for his side.
“All the boys are trying to buy in and get better at team defence and the last two weeks have been a good example of that,” Merrett told Fox Footy.
Essendon were too fast, too alert and too potent as they condemned Melbourne to another loss and scored a memorable win in front of more than 45,000 fans at Adelaide Oval.
The Dons are still a work in progress but they made the Demons look a team of the past by using the ball smartly, running hard for each other and backing young guns like Jye Menzie, Nate Caddy and Isaac Kako to play their games.
Menzie kicked his fourth goal on the siren just to make sure of the win.
Melbourne have started a season 0-5 for the first time since 2012 and 2021 premiership coach Simon Goodwin’s tenure as Melbourne coach has to be under pressure, despite being contracted until 2026. The team have managed just under 10 goals again, and their top score for the season is just 74.
Nate Caddy has been very assured for a second-year player tonight, at least in the big moments.
He has marked and kicked a second goal. That should lock in the win for the Dons.
Dons 84, Dees 57 with five mins to go.
It looks too many goals in too few minutes but the Dees are still alive after Tom Sparrow roved the ball and kicked a goal.
Dons 77, Deees 57 with eight mins to go.
Dons midfielder Ben Hobbs has marked inside 50 and gone back and kicked a clutch goal.
The former Horsham Demons star’s goal capped over more than a minute of tempo footy from Essendon, who controlled the ball and took uncontested marks.
He’s a good one, that Hobbs.
Dons 77, Dees 51 with nine mins left in the match.
The Melbourne doctor is speaking to Christian Petracca after that heavy clash as he marked. We all know the injury Petracca suffered on King’s Birthday and the elbow in the back hurt. The Melbourne star is staying out there, though.
Petracca was sprinting into goal and Sam Durham looked beaten for all money.
But he went as hard as he could and got hands to the star Demon just as he kicked.
The shot missed and Durham’s teammates all went to him – it could prove a game-changing moment.
Dons 71, Dees 51 with 15 mins left to play.