The Demons held the early advantage with the first two goals of the game while holding the Bombers goalless into time-on, but after leading by a goal at quarter time trailed by nine points at the main break after two brilliant goals from James Hird in the second term.
The third quarter was goal for goal as the two teams kicked four each, and despite Melbourne kicking three goals in time-on to get within a goal, Essendon did just enough to stay in touch with the unbeaten Hawthorn.
James Hird led the Bombers from the front with four goals in a solid cameo, with Jason Johnson, Adam Ramanauskas, Sean Wellman and Damian Hardwick all playing well for the reigning premiers.
For Melbourne, Adem Yze, Shane Woewoedin and James McDonald played well in the middle, David Schwarz and David Neitz battled hard up forward and Matthew Whelan and Anthony Ingerson were solid in defence.
Essendon’s win was soured slightly though, with Blake Caracella, the Bombers’ best player in the first quarter, suffering a chest injury and Hird possibly carrying some sort of leg injury.
Melbourne made all the running early in the game, but could only kick two goals, both to Brad Green, before Matthew Lloyd finally brought up the Bombers first after good lead up play from Dean Rioli and Dean Solomon 23 minutes in.
Rioli added a second for Essendon within a minute to close the gap, but a late goal to Demon skipper Neitz after returning from a blood rule-enforced stint on the sidelines gave Melbourne the quarter time lead, 3.3.21 to 2.1.13.
James Hird opened the second term with a brilliant goal from the boundary line, and when he repeated the dose from 20m closer moments later, Essendon were in front.
One hundred gamer Scott Lucas kicked his first after a defensive mistake by Schwarz, and after several misses by both teams in the tight battle, the Bombers went to the half-time break leading by nine points, 5.4.34 to 3.7.25.
In the first ten minutes of the second half Yze and Neitz kicked goals for Melbourne, but on each occasion Hird answered with his third and fourth goals, the second coming from 50m on the run after a Demon defender confused him for a teammate.
Green kicked his third goal after 14 minutes, but yet again the Bombers answered through Lloyd’s second, before Schwarz had his number taken for a clash with Gary Moorcroft.
After Hird left the field injured Melbourne debutant Troy Broadbridge goaled from his first kick with the benefit of a 50m penalty, but Lloyd kicked another from a tight angle just after Hird returned to give the Bombers a 10 point lead at the last change, 9.9.63 to 7.11.53.
Neitz marked and goaled for his third, but as they had done for the entire second half, the Bombers had the answer through Johnson, and when Mark Bolton made it two in a row with the aid of a soft 50m penalty against Schwarz, the lead was 16 points.
After several more chances went begging for Essendon, Rioli seemed to make the game safe, but goals to Yze, Nathan Brown and Russell Robertson, despite the last one appearing to be touched, slashed the margin to just six points before Essendon hung on.
Scoreboard:
ESSENDON 2.1 5.4 9. 9 12.13 (85)
MELBOURNE 3.3 3.7 7.11 11.13 (79)
Goals:
Essendon: J Hird 4, M Lloyd 3, D Rioli 2, J Johnson, M Bolton, S Lucas.
Melbourne: D Neitz 3, B Green 3, A Yze 2, T Broadbridge, R Robertson, N Brown.
Best:
Essendon: S Wellman, J Hird, J Johnson, D Solomon, D Jacobs, M Lloyd.
Melbourne: M Whelan, A Yze, J McDdonald, S Woewodin, B Green, D Neitz.
Reports:
D Schwarz (Melbourne) reported by field umpires A Coates and C Mitchell for striking G Moorcroft (Essendon) during the third quarter.
Injuries:
Melbourne: Nil.
Essendon: B Caracella (chest).
Umpires: A Coates, M Vozzo, C Mitchell.
Official crowd: 47,452 at MCG.
