ESSENDON lost its Anzac Day clash against Collingwood because it tried to play "dry-weather football" on a wet Saturday afternoon at the MCG, coach James Hird says.
When the Bombers and Magpies lined up for the Anzac Day ceremonies ahead of Saturday's clash, the MCG's surface was slippery after a wet Melbourne morning.
Five talking points: Essendon v Collingwood
The rain largely stayed away until the final quarter but the ball was like a cake of soap from the opening bounce, with both teams regularly turning it over, admittedly often under fierce opposition pressure.
Apart from a 15-minute stretch in the second quarter when the Essendon kicked nine scores in a row – 2.7 – and had 15 consecutive inside 50s, the Magpies generally held sway with more efficient ball use.
By the final siren, the Bombers had racked up 421 possessions to Collingwood's 338 and yet had been outscored 6.13 (49) to 9.15 (69).
Hird told reporters after the game that the most disappointing aspect of Essendon's 20-point loss had been its ball movement.
"We tried to play dry-weather football, when it was a wet-weather day," Hird said.
"To have (almost) 100 more disposals than the opposition and really just play a brand of football that wasn't suitable to the conditions is very disappointing."
Hird said the Bombers' inability to adjust to the conditions at the MCG was all the more disappointing given they had played so well in the wet in their brave round one loss to the Sydney Swans.
"We played against Sydney three weeks ago and played very well in the wet and played the brand that you can be competitive with in the wet," Hird said.
"We didn't play that way today, so that was disappointing."
Hird said Joe Daniher and Jake Carlisle had been hampered by poor delivery at times against the Pies, but was adamant both needed to have more of an impact.
Daniher kicked 2.2 and took seven marks against Collingwood but Carlisle was held to one behind by Pie defender Nathan Brown and was shifted to defence in the final quarter when Hird threw Michael Hurley forward in an effort to spark his attack.
"They didn't get the goals we needed to get but probably they were outnumbered a lot of the time down there and that wasn't pleasing," the Bombers coach said.
"I thought our delivery particularly in that second quarter where we kicked two or three balls to the goal-line rather than putting it 10 or 15m out from the goal, where we give our forwards a chance, was disappointing.
"But it doesn't absolve them (the forwards) from all responsibility, they do need to perform better.
"It will come, we're confident that it will come – it's just taking a bit of time."
Hird conceded he could have made the Carlisle-Hurley swap earlier but pointed out that he had been considering a similar move in the Bombers' round two win against Hawthorn but had stuck with Carlisle in attack, and the spearhead justified his faith with a crucial goal.
Hird said Paul Chapman was substituted from Saturday's game after suffering a corked left knee early in the game.
The former Cat has eight days to prove his fitness for the Bombers' clash against St Kilda next Sunday.
