1. Wooden spoon still up for grabs
The Bombers played brave and bold football against arch rival Carlton on Saturday, and it paid off. The 24-point win over the Blues was Essendon's third victory in what has been one of the toughest years for the club. But more importantly, the win gave them every chance to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon. Heading into the final round of the home and away season, the Brisbane Lions were a win and three per cent ahead of the Bombers on the ladder. Essendon's fate now rests on St Kilda and whether they can defeat the Lions by eight goals or more to relegate them to last. If not, the Bombers will claim their first wooden spoon since 1933.

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2. Daniher runs hot
The goalkicking of Essendon's Joe Daniher was a big talking point in the lead up to the game, after he appeared to have lost all confidence against the Bulldogs last week. He had a nervous start in the second term, missing his first two shots at goal. But that didn't shake his confidence, Daniher kicking truly to finish with three goals (two from set shots) at half-time, all of them from drop punts. The Bomber spearhead's hot form continued in the third term, Daniher bringing the house down with a brilliant long-range goal from inside the centre square. He finished the game with five goals, bringing his goal tally to 43 for the year. That total saw him become the first player to kick 40 or more goals for the Bombers in a season since Matthew Lloyd (62 goals) in 2008.

3. Dons finally crack the ton
Mostly thanks to the efforts of Daniher in attack, the Dons’ scoreboard ticked over 100 points for the first time in season 2016. Before Saturday, the closest the Bombers had got to the ton was 98 against St Kilda in round 16. But against the Blues they had their biggest score of the year, kicking 103 points. Daniher kicked five of the Bombers' 15 goals, but was ably assisted by youngster Kyle Langford. The 19-year-old kicked two goals in the opening term and finished with a career-best haul of three goals. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti snagged four goals of his own in a personal best effort.

4. Blues end season on a low
It certainly wasn't the way Carlton wanted to end the year. After winning just four games last season and claiming the wooden spoon, the Blues have been rejuvenated in 2016 under the tutelage of Brendon Bolton. Defensively Carlton has been much improved, with the Blues only conceding 100 points on six occasions prior to Saturday. But against the Bombers they were poor. They stepped up their intensity in the final quarter, kicking four goals to one but it was too little, too late. The Blues finished the year with seven wins, a big improvement, but there were far too many passengers against Essendon. At three-quarter time there were 12 Blues with 10 touches or less, including Dale Thomas in his 200th game. 

5. Dons farewell top-up players
As one of the toughest seasons Essendon has endured drew to a close on Saturday, the club took the time to thank fans and its 10 top-up players after the win. The players received rapturous applause from the red and black faithful at the end of the game, as they handed out footballs to the crowd, while the coach and captain publically thanked the supporters. Out of the 10 top-ups, defender Matt Dea, who had 27 disposals against the Blues, and veteran James Kelly (22 disposals) seem to be the only two likely to play on next season. For the other eight, their football careers may be over, but they will always be remembered by supporters for playing a crucial role in the most challenging year for Essendon.

The complete Essendon squad toasts a three-win season with plenty of upside. Picture: AFL Photos