ESSENDON HAVE kept their 2008 finals hopes alive with a dramatic four-point victory over Fremantle in a tough and uncompromising battle at Subiaco Oval.
In what developed into a war of attrition with both sides losing key players to injury, the Bombers held off a fast-finishing Fremantle to win 14.11 (95) to 13.13 (91).
Another commanding six-goal performance from Matthew Pavlich was not enough to lift the injury-hit Dockers to victory.
The Bombers paid a high price for the victory, with key defender Dustin Fletcher likely to miss several weeks with a suspected broken hand, while Dockers tagger Ryan Crowley was taken to hospital with a punctured lung.
The Bombers made a promising start with Mark McVeigh opening the goal scoring with a clever snap at the 10-minute mark, but young Docker Chris Mayne was proving a handful for the Bombers defence and quickly replied with his first.
Giant Dockers ruckman Aaron Sandilands was controlling the ruck duels, but the Bombers midfield had the upper hand with the clearances.
Adam Ramanauskas drifted forward to goal on the run before Matthew Lloyd capitalised on some clever running from Leroy Jetta to post his first major.
The Bombers took a narrow three-point lead into the first break but fell away in the first half of the second quarter as the Dockers went long and direct. Pavlich worked his way on top of Fletcher to kick three goals for the quarter.
The Dockers rattled on four goals and had stretched their lead to 20 points before David Hille cleverly sharked a Sandilands ruck tap and snapped truly. Hille’s work around the ground lifted the Bombers, and midfielders McVeigh, Job Watson and Angus Monfries all started finding more of the ball.
Hille finished the quarter with nine possessions and two goals, his second coming deep into time on to leave the Bombers just one point adrift at the long break.
The only concern for the Bombers was the loss of Fletcher, but the Dockers also had injury problems with both Roger Hayden and Ryley Dunn unable to return, both suffering hamstring injuries.
The third quarter became a tough arm-wrestle with goals hard to come by. Just when the Dockers appeared to be gaining the upper hand, Matthew Knights moved the dangerous Leroy Jetta into the forward line.
The Bombers speedster sparked his side, which kicked three quick goals against the flow of play to take an 18-point advantage at the final break.
With Crowley on his way to hospital and only one fit player on their bench, Fremantle were expected to fold in the final quarter.
But Pavlich was having none of that, and his three final-quarter goals ensured the Bombers would be pushed to the limit.
With less than two minutes on the clock, Chris Tarrant put the home side within four points. A last desperate attack was foiled when McPhee put his body on the line to deny Byron Schammer with one of the bumps of the year.
Jobe Watson led the way for the Bombers with a hard-running 36 possession game and was well supported by McVeigh (36), Hille (17), Stanton (19) and Andrew Lovett (22). Andrew Welsh’s shutdown job on young Docker Rhys Palmer was superb.
Pavlich stood out for the Dockers with six goals, Dean Solomon played hard and tough against his old side, and Aaron Sandilands delivered a remarkable 25 possessions and 45 hitouts.
Essendon 3.2 7.5 11.9 14.11 (95)
Fremantle 2.5 7.6 8.9 13.13 (91)
GOALS
Essendon: Lucas 2, Ramanauskas 2, Stanton 2, Hille 2, McVeigh, Lloyd, McPhee, Lonergan, Reimers, Lovett
Fremantle: Pavlich 6, Mayne 2, Tarrant 2, Hinkley, Solomon, Carr
BEST
Essendon: McVeigh, Watson, Lovett, McPhee, Lovett-Murray, Peverill, Jetta
Fremantle: Sandilands, Pavlich, Mayne, Solomon, Bell, Palmer
INJURIES
Essendon: Dustin Fletcher (broken hand), Jay Neagle replaced in selected side by Damien Peverill
Fremantle: Roger Hayden (hamstring), Ryley Dunn (hamstring), Ryan Crowley (lung), Luke McPharlin replaced in selected side by Josh Head
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, Stewart, Nicholls
Official crowd: 34,239 at Subiaco Oval
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
