The Kangaroos scored yet another emotion-charged victory on Friday night to effectively snuff out the Bombers’ 2003 finals hopes.
A week after their memorable win for Bali hero Jason McCartney the courageous Roos silenced a 45,000 strong Essendon crowd at the Telstra Dome by coming from behind in the final quarter to score a thrilling 14.12 (96) to 13.10 (88) victory.
The win was the Roos seventh in 12 matches and sets them up for yet another remarkable against the odds finals appearance – their 10th in 11 years.
In contrast the Bombers – premiers in 2000 and runners-up in 2001, now face the prospect of missing the finals for the first time since 1997 and for the only the sixth time in Kevin Sheedy’s 24 year reign as coach.
The Bombers now find themselves with just five wins from 12 games and with a poor percentage are likely by the end of this weekend to be two games plus percentage outside the top eight with just ten rounds remaining.
And they only have themselves to blame after self-destructing in the final quarter as yet again the Kangaroos’ incredible will to win saw the AFL’s most courageous club triumph in another close encounter.
Just as they did last week against Richmond, Kangaroos players such as Adam Simpson, Shannon Grant and Brent Harvey ran themselves to a standstill as Dean Laidley’s gutsy side again refused to accept anything less than victory.
In contrast, the Bombers with their season on the line, threw away a winning position in the final quarter through a series of dreadful mistakes.
After leading by three points at the final change, the Bombers looked certain winners when David Hille lined up for a shot for goal from just 30 metres out directly in front at the halfway stage of the final term.
A goal would have put the Bombers 17 points in front with barely 10 minutes left in a low-scoring game but instead his kick barely scraped through for a behind.
Having suddenly been given a lifeline the Kangaroos’ intensity – which in the third quarter provoked a series of brutal collisions with the team with whom they have such a rivalry in the past decade, lifted even further.
After Drew Petrie, a good contributor all night, was allowed to mark unguarded just 30 metres from goal and Daniel Harris goaled at the 18 minute mark to put the Roos a point in front – it was Damien Peverill who drove the final nail into his own team’s hopes for season 2003.
Peverill committed one of football’s biggest sins by electing to kick across goal, setting up teammate Mark Bolton in the process, which allowed Jess Sinclair to spoil gather the crumbs and kick the goal which sealed yet another memorable Kangaroos victory.
The Roos were able to comfortably run down the clock in the final minutes with Glenn Archer magnificent in defence.
Archer’s fierce commitment and will to win sums up the efforts of his club, who surely give the best value for money to their supporters week in, week out.
After a low-key first half Archer helped swing momentum the Roos way in the third term and along with teammate Corey Jones sandwiched the unlucky Danny Jacobs, causing the Essendon man to leave the field.
Another heavy but legitimate bump by Archer on Mark Bolton minutes later showed the Roos determination not to have a let-down after the emotion of last week’s win for McCartney and appeared to rattle the Bombers, who responded by becoming undisciplined.
Minutes later the Roos’ best player in Simpson was felled behind play with television replays later showing Dean Rioli appearing to strike him with a forearm to the back of the head in an incident well off the ball.
The two sides engaged in a push and shove after the three-quarter-time siren after Jess Sinclair had goaled after the siren despite the close attention of several Essendon players on the mark.
But despite the efforts of Joe Misiti (24 touches), the Roos ultimately prevailed primarily due to the continued ball-winning ability of Simpson (31 touches), Harvey (26 touches) and Grant (23) along with Petrie’s three goals and two from the improving Harris.
ESSENDON: 5.0, 7.3, 12.6, 13.10 (88)
KANGAROOS: 5.3, 7.6, 11.9, 14.12 (96)
GOALS: Essendon: Lloyd 5, Bolton 2, M Johnson, Ramanauskas, McVeigh, J Johnson, Hille, McPhee.
Kangaroos: Petrie 3, Grant, Harris, Sinclair, Jones 2, Archer, Rocca, Harding.
BEST: Essendon: Misiti, Lloyd, M Johnson, Bolton, Ramanauskas. Kangaroos: Simpson, Grant, Harvey, Petrie, Archer, Sinclair.
INJURIES: Essendon: Jacobs (ribs & concussion), Ramanauskas (corked hip), Rioli (corked thigh).
Kangaroos: Wells (shin), Ben Robbins (corked thigh).
CHANGES: Essendon: Nil
Kangaroos: Nil
UMPIRES: James, Ellis, Jeffery.
CROWD: 45,331 at Telstra Dome.
