Essendon

2022 - 8 - 14

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Image courtesy of "AFL"

Watch out! Under-notice Power demolish lacklustre Bombers (AFL)

AFTER being told everyone at the club is under notice this week Port Adelaide responded strongly, downing Essendon 23.8 (146) to 9.8 (62) at Marvel Stadium ...

Finlayson was one of the Power’s better players, finishing with two goals, 25 disposals (at 80 per cent efficiency), 10 score involvements and four clearances. After just eight points separated the sides at quarter-time, the Power ran rampant in the second, restricting the Dons to a solitary point while piling on seven goals. Some of Port’s goals came far too easily and the Bombers’ lack of intensity at times was obvious. Essendon has lost 14 games in 2022, with just one of them being a single-digit margin (Round 19 against Collingwood, where they lost by four points). The Bombers’ average losing margin for the season is 33.21 points and they lost by 30 points or more on six occasions. There was no let up in the final term, with Port banging on nine goals to register its highest score of the season, while the Bombers conceded their highest score of 2022 and 20 goals or more for the second time (the first was in round one against Geelong). The Power set up their 23.8 (146) to 9.8 (62) victory with a seven-goal to nil second quarter to inflict a fifth consecutive defeat of the Bombers.

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Image courtesy of "The Canberra Times"

Power thrash Essendon in AFL rout (The Canberra Times)

Zak Butters and Jeremy Finlayson have played starring roles to help Port Adelaide hand Essendon their heaviest defeat...

"We've been really close but not been able to get the job done, so it was good to come over here and put a score on the board, which we think we're capable of but haven't really done that often." "It really hurts. It hurts me, it hurts the players and everyone who's putting in to try to get us where we want to get to."

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Image courtesy of "Fox Sports"

Bombers 'weren't AFL standard' in 84pt flop. The 'gamble' to keep ... (Fox Sports)

The Essendon hierarchy will “rue” the decision not to pursue four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, Fox Footy's David King has warned as the Bombers ...

“It was an embarrassing effort from our guys. This is the forward 50. They won 11 games last year, they’ve won six this year.” “It was the sort of game that our members and supporters who came to the game or were watching on TV … it’s not the sort of thing they should have to watch,” he said. “How lax this is? Watch Live & Ad-Break Free on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14 days free >

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Image courtesy of "Fox Sports"

'Don't know what to say': Woeful Bombers so bad you could hear ... (Fox Sports)

'Don't know what to say': Woeful Bombers so bad you could hear their fans sledging them: 3-2-1.

“It shows the difference in the day, it also shows the impact a player like Finlayson can have.” Such was the scale of the loss, Brown in the immediate aftermath noted: “I don‘t know what to say.” The midfield responded with a better showing in the third quarter, but limped to the finish line, doing nothing to mask questions the Bombers must address ahead of a searching off-season. “It started from the centre-bounce in the first quarter but then around the ground in the second quarter. Todd Marshall kicked the first goal of the second half, but Essendon was then let off by a couple of misses from Port Adelaide in front of goal. “Around the contest it‘s terrible ... they’d been the number one stoppage team in the last month of football but were smashed last week and were absolutely smashed around the football today, especially in the second quarter,” Jonathan Brown told Fox Footy at half-time. There were no late changes for either side. Port Adelaide got off to the perfect start, with Travis Boak finishing off a crisp bit of play in the first 15 seconds of the match. Peter Wright and Nick Hind got back-to-back goals for the Bombers as they began to show a bit more fight through the middle of the ground, but Port Adelaide still managed to get looks at goal. “It seems like they’ve given up in a sense Essendon,” Jordan Lewis said on Fox Footy, pointing to the Bombers’ lack of communication and effort. It marks a welcome pressure release for Port Adelaide and sets the stage for a Showdown with Adelaide to close out its season. Essendon has been demolished by Port Adelaide - 23.8 (146) to 9.8 (62) - in a dismal showing sure to ramp up the pressure on the Bombers heading into the off-season.

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