ESSENDON'S hopes of reaching back-to-back finals series remain alive after a three-point win over Sydney on Wednesday evening.
The Swans lived in their front half for much of the game, but the Bombers' steadfast defence stood tall, resulting in the 4.3 (27) to 3.6 (24) victory under lights at Mission Whitten Oval.
BOMBERS v SWANS Full match coverage and stats
Two late goals from Lucy McEvoy and Ella Heads had Sydney threatening to snatch the win out from under Essendon's nose, but it wasn't to be.
Paige Scott (15 disposals, one goal) was magic in attack for the Bombers. Their attack at the footy was one thing, often proving to be the link between lines, but they were even better defensively. Their speed and energy to limit space and force errors from Sydney's defence was impressive, and exactly what Essendon needed in that part of the ground.
Meanwhile, defender-turned-forward Ellyse Gamble did the damage on the scoreboard, with two first-half goals to set up the victory.
Essendon was especially good at weathering the storm deep in defence, standing up to Sydney's barrage of inside 50s throughout the second half, and then expertly spreading when winning the turnover and looking to rebound.
Georgia Clarke (15 disposals, six intercepts) and Amy Gaylor (15, six) were staunch on the last line, proving almost impossible for Sydney's attack to break through.
Too often was Rebecca Privitelli (one goal, six disposals) expected to compete with two or more Bombers, and although the forward fought hard, Essendon's numbers regularly won out.
The Swans opted to use Tanya Kennedy in a tagging role – one she made her brand last year – sending her to Bombers star Maddy Prespakis. While Prespakis still racked up 19 disposals, she wasn't able to be as clean or crafty as she typically is.
With Prespakis fighting that physical battle, Brooke Walker (22 disposals, 11 tackles) really made her presence known through the middle of the ground, as did Georgia Nanscawen (22 disposals, seven clearances).
But they had to contend with star Sydney duo Laura Gardiner (35 disposals, seven clearances) and Sofia Hurley (27 disposals, eight clearances), with the latter a cut above when it came to her ball use, especially around the contest.
Manic melee
With mere seconds remaining in the third term, Sofia Hurley was working to send the Swans forward before being dealt with by Maddy Prespakis after her kick. Lexi Hamilton took exception to the hit, and started a scuffle with Prespakis, and although Hurley was trying to pull her teammate out of the melee, a larger argument broke out as the siren sounded. Adding to the manic nature of the melee, the siren rang out for a good 15 seconds as the coaches waited for their players to head into their respective huddles.
All Star
In the absence of Bonnie Toogood in Essendon's forward line, coach Natalie Wood has opted to swing key defender Ellyse Gamble into attack. The move has worked wonders for the Bombers, but in particular her resilience against the Swans early was on show. In the opening minutes of the match, Gamble came from the field with a nasty looking dislocated finger. Soon after she returned to the field, however, to slam through two goals before the main break, with Smash Mouth's 'All Star' ringing around Footscray as the Bombers celebrated.
Up next
Both teams now face a tight turnaround, with Essendon heading north to play Gold Coast at People First Stadium on Sunday, while Sydney will return home to host Geelong at Henson Park later that same day.
ESSENDON 0.1 3.2 4.3 4.3 (27)
SYDNEY 0.1 0.2 1.3 3.6 (24)
GOALS
Essendon: Gamble 2, Scott, Adams
Sydney: Privitelli, McEvoy, Heads
BEST
Essendon: Scott, Walker, Prespakis, G.Clarke, Nanscawen, Gaylor
Sydney: Hurley, Tarrant, Gardiner, O'Sullivan, Davies
INJURIES
Essendon: Gamble (finger), Scott (corked right quad)
Sydney: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Essendon: Kodi Jacques (suspension) replaced by Mia Busch in selected side
Sydney: Nil
Reports: Nil
Crowd: 1,460 at Mission Whitten Oval
