ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights says his team drew inspiration from a couple of acts of bravery during Sunday’s 35-point win over Carlton.
The first-year coach said while young defender Henry Slattery’s decision to back into the path of Carlton spearhead Brendan Fevola left his side a man down for a large part of the contest, the courageous act might have played a role in his side’s win over the Blues.
“To play with 21 from that point onwards, in a pretty up-tempo game of footy, was another real plus for us,” Knights said.
“To hold them off with the run and then come again strong with 21 was a big plus from a coaching point of view.”
Essendon booted seven first-term goals but had to see off a determined Carlton fightback before eventually running out convincing winners, 20.16 (136) to 15.11 (101).
Knights said he and his players were used to seeing Slattery – who was carried from the MCG on a stretcher suffering concussion and a cracked cheekbone – showing little regard for his own safety.
“You go back with the flight and receive a knee in the cheekbone like that because he wants to help (Dustin) Fletcher out … great spirit,” Knights said.
“He zones in and he doesn’t waver on ground balls or high balls. He’s going back if a Mack truck is coming the other way, but that’s just Henry Slattery, it’s just the way he goes about his footy.”
Moments after Slattery was collected the day’s two captains collided on centre wing, a clash which left Carlton skipper Chris Judd’s task of shaking tagger Andrew Welsh even tougher.
“Even the little thing how Lloydy got up first, you know as a coach you’re really pleased when you see that,” Knights said of the bone-crunching clash involving Lloyd and Judd.
Essendon led by 25 points at three-quarter time, but the Blues fought back to hit the front, making the Bombers’ response even more meritorious.
“They didn’t go back into their shells,” Knights said.
“We spoke about [it] before the game, whatever the result, whether we were five up or five down, [the need] to stay focussed, stay in a good zone.”
A major reason Knights’ side was able to wrest back the ascendancy was the domination of ruckman David Hille, whom was one of many the coach singled out for special praise.
Last week Hille starred when opposed to West Coast “superstar” Dean Cox, so Knights was unsure when asked whether his big man’s efforts had exceeded the previous week’s.
“I would have thought it was on a par … he’s playing against some younger type of ruckmen today,” Knights said.
“He’s doing things on the deck, as well as in the air, and that’s why he’s a real asset for this team at the moment.”
Knights also praised Lloyd and said he was grateful to have a more complete list to choose from each week.
“It’s just good to have a semblance of a reasonably full side back in,” he said.
“I mean we’ve still got (Alwyn) Davey, (Courtenay) Dempsey, (Heath) Hocking, (Jason) Winderlich that would come back into that 22, back it’s just really good to have a lot of your structure back in your team.”
