ESSENDON coach James Hird praised his team's efficiency inside its forward 50 in the 84-point win over the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
Three weeks ago against the Sydney Swans, 78 inside 50s yielded just 11 goals and 28 scoring shots, which led to lots of work on ball movement during Essendon's bye week.
54 inside 50s against Fremantle last week yielded 28 scoring shots and a rare win at Patersons Stadium. On Saturday night against the Bulldogs, they again registered 54 inside 50s and this time they racked up 35 scoring shots, including 19 goals.
It was this efficiency in their forward half that was a key reason behind the emphatic win.
"Our ball movement was very good," Hird said after the match. "We probably didn't defend the ground as well in parts but I'm not going to complain. I was very happy with the win.
"We had a fair bit to work on after the bye. We really struggled against Sydney and it was a big emphasis during the bye week.
"The last two weeks we've been really happy with our forward entries and the way we've moved the ball."
Hird hoped to tick a few other boxes against the Bulldogs and was able to leave Etihad Stadium pleased in that department. He wanted Michael Hurley's upward curve to continue and it did, with the Bomber forward backing up from last week's six-goal haul with another five.
It was an imperious performance from Hurley, who worked at a feverish pace all night. He had 22 possessions and 12 marks against the Bulldogs, the sort of return that leaves us raving about Buddy Franklin most weeks.
The easy temptation is to say that Hurley has found his groove over the past fortnight, although as Hird pointed out, he's been in good touch for the past five weeks but it's only now that the goals are coming.
Hird also lauded Hurley's "competitive nature" and his ability to get to contests, saying there were some concerns that he would struggle after having his left hand stomped on last week in Perth.
Hurley played the game with a black glove on his left hand but appeared unencumbered throughout and even found time to retrieve and return to the Bombers medical staff a pair of scissors that was mistakenly left on the ground after the three-quarter time break.
His was a clinical performance in every conceivable way.
As the Bombers arrived at Etihad Stadium, they would have been aware that over in Western Australia, West Coast was doing a job on Gold Coast. A few hours later, the Swans hammered Greater Western Sydney into submission. And having seen Hawthorn inflict a hefty beating on Carlton the night before only further emphasized that percentage will come into play at some stage as the final make up of the top eight is determined.
Essendon had to come to the party in that respect. And it did.
"To kick the score we did and to finish 84 points in front is obviously going to help us later in the year, particularly when West Coast, Sydney and Hawthorn all had big wins," Hird said.
Hird's other pre-match goal was to see whether Jobe Watson could back up again. He did. Watson had 14 touches in the first quarter, saw off Bulldogs captain Matthew Boyd and then eventually wore down the dogged Liam Picken to finish with 30 possessions and three goals.
"We love Jobe Watson and the heart and soul he brings to our team. I thought early he was at his best when the game was in the balance," Hird said.
"His leadership and care for his teammates means he's more than a teammate, he's a leader. For his sake and the team's I hope he keeps playing that way."
You can follow AFL Media senior writer Ashley Browne on Twitter @afl_hashbrowne
