Essendon withstood several Bulldogs comebacks, including one in the final quarter, to prevail 18.13 (121) to 14.11 (95) at Telstra Dome to ensure James Hird celebrated his 100th game as captain in style.
But in a high-scoring shoot-out, it was a less than convincing performance by the Bombers against last year’s wooden spooners, whose commitment still far outweighs their skill level.
The Bombers have now accounted for West Coast (in Melbourne), Carlton, Collingwood, Sydney (in Melbourne) and the Bulldogs – since starting the season with two losses to highly-rated pair Port Adelaide and St Kilda.
And while those five represent some handy scalps for the Bombers, they are all a fair way short of the best opposition Sheedy’s team will confront this season.
And had the Bulldogs’ skill level matched their application and attack on the ball on Friday night, Peter Rohde’s battlers could well have caused an upset to follow on from their one point win over the Kangaroos in Canberra last week.
But in the end the superior class and polish of the Bombers prevailed with Matthew Lloyd finishing with five goals and Jason Johnson inspirational in just his second game back from a month-long absence with a hamstring injury with 26 touches.
However the Bombers, whose percentage is still below 100 despite five successive wins, will get a better idea of whether they are indeed a top contender this season in the coming weeks.
While the Bombers only face struggling Adelaide next week, the game is at the Bombers’ bogy ground at AAMI Stadium – where they have won just four of 16 matches – and a fortnight after that they face high-flying Fremantle.
The Bombers’ superior delivery into their forward line proved the difference against the Bulldogs on Friday night as the Dogs continually wasted their opportunities when inside 50 with the Bombers only going inside their attacking zone on six more occasions than the Bulldogs.
This made life difficult for spearhead Jade Rawlings, who had a top battle with Dustin Fletcher all night, and it was only when Luke Darcy went forward and kicked two early goals in the final term that the Bulldogs suddenly looked a winning chance.
Darcy’s second goal bought the Dogs within ten points at the six minute mark and the Dogs had countless chances to bridge the gap in the next 12 minutes but continual turnovers hurt them.
And in the end Mark Bolton showed them how to deliver the ball into the forward line when his magnificent 40 metre pass found Nathan Lovett-Murray, who kicked the sealer with just over seven minutes left.
Earlier the Dons had burst out of the blocks with the first three goals of the game with Dean Solomon doing the early damage in a surprising match-up with Darcy, with the pair playing as ruck-rovers while David Hille and Peter Street rucked.
Rioli also kicked two goals in the opening term and when Adam McPhee set up Lloyd for his first goal of the night early in the second term, the Dogs were in trouble.
But the Bombers lost momentum minutes later when McPhee was on the end of a fair but bruising hip and shoulder from Matthew Robbins.
However another incident minutes later summed up the difference in skill level between the two sides when Scott Bassett’s terrible kick out of defence went straight to Rioli, who quickly got the ball to Lloyd for a goal.
And unfortunately for the Bulldogs they just made far too many of those errors – both by hand and foot – all night.
Bombers coach Kevin Sheedy was pleased by what he considered a genuine team effort.
Skipper James Hird had 22 touches and took five marks but did not dominate the match.
“I’m really pleased that we actually played very well, a solid game, and he wasn’t a star. It’s very good from the team’s point of view.”
“Not meaning to be rude to Jim, but it’s good that the actual team won the game and not Hird having to win it,” Sheedy said after the match.
Western Bulldogs coach Peter Rohde was left to lament his side’s delivery into the forward line.
“They steadied and we had a couple of important turnovers which cost us,” Rohde said.
“All night they were cleaner than us (with their disposal).”
Essendon: 5.2 10.6 15.7 18.13 (121)
Western Bulldogs: 3.2 7.5 11.9 14.11 (95)
Goals: Essendon: Lloyd 5, Lovett-Murray 3, Rioli 2, Solomon 2, Murphy 2, Hille 2, Misiti, Hird
Bulldogs: Johnson 3, Robbins 3, Darcy 2, Rawlings 2, Murphy, Bowden, Gilbee, Street
Best: Essendon: J Johnson, Hird, Lloyd, Solomon, Hille, Murphy, Wellman, Rioli
Bulldogs: Smith, Grant, Johnson, Darcy, Murphy, Robbins
Injuries: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Allen, Head, Jeffery
Crowd: 45,119 at Telstra Dome
