The Magpies dominated from the outset, booting eight goals to three in the opening term to set up their 24.18 (162) to 10.4 (64) victory.
Collingwood’s pressure and accuracy of disposal was just too much for an inexperienced Essendon outfit that was handed a footballing lesson.
Dane Swan had a hand in plenty of contested possessions in the midfield, as did Scott Pendlebury and rookie Jarryd Blair, who continued to impress in what has been a surprise season.
Mick Malthouse fronts the media Blair had 28 disposals in just his sixth game of the year and coach Mick Malthouse praised him after the match.
“He’s freshened up. We omitted him last week and didn’t play him in the reserves. He’s a young bloke coming in for his first seniors games. He’s played five or six,” Malthouse said.
“He hasn’t done his chances any harm by a pretty solid performance. I know he’s another option. He had four tackles and four clearances. It’s a handy night.”
Darren Jolly looked to be in for a tough night as he rucked solo against Bomber pair David Hille and Patrick Ryder but he managed to beat them at their own game, floating forward to be a part of several goal scoring attacks.
Submit your 3, 2, 1 votes in the 98-point win
The game looked like it might be closer than expected when the Bombers kicked two of the first three goals, but Collingwood quickly restored some reality with 12 of the next 13 goals in an awesome display.
Leigh Brown kicked three goals in the first term and was quiet thereafter but he won more points in his ongoing battle for a spot with Josh Fraser. However, Fraser could earn a reprieve in the ruck as Darren Jolly spent much of the final term on the bench icing his leg.
It was a typically even performance from Collingwood but one player's off night did not escape Malthouse's attention after the game.
Paul Medhurst only had eight touches in his first senior game in two months and had little influence on the match.
“I thought he played like a VFL player coming up to play AFL football. I’ve said it all year, he typifies the level of skill which is not necessarily greater than VFL but the level of intensity is massive and if you’re out of it too long and that is my fault, he’s probably been out of it for too long,” Malthouse said.
“He’ll need time to reacquaint himself with that sort of intensity. Paul understands that.”
Travis Cloke kicked five goals but was inaccurate late in the game, finishing with five behinds and several that went out of bounds. Cloke’s kicking for goal is the only question mark hovering over the Pies as they sit pretty on top of the ladder.
Alan Didak didn’t have a single touch in the first quarter in his battle with Henry Slattery but he had a solid last three quarters up forward.
Statistically, Jobe Watson was Essendon’s best but his reluctance to kick meant few headaches for his opponents. Watson finished with 28 handballs and just two kicks.
Simon Prestigiacomo in the rooms after the winAnother encouraging sign for Essendon was the performance of rookie debutant Stewart Crameri who gathered 17 disposals, including nine in the first term against a formidable Collingwood midfield.
Essendon coach Matthew Knights said he was committed to exposing his younger players to the demands of senior level, despite the heavy defeat to Collingwood.
"I'm endeavouring to find out who's going to help the Essendon Football Club and take the Essendon Football Club into the future," he said.
"You've got to play guys that you think have got the talent and the constitution to do that, and if they're a bit younger, so be it.
"I would have thought Jake Carlisle and Stewart Crameri would have come away from that with how hard they have to train now and how hard they have to work in the off-season to keep building their football."
Angus Monfries was also good up forward, shutting down the drive of half-back Nick Maxwell and kicking two goals himself.
Watch the team sing the songEssendon 3.0 5.0 7.2 10.4 (64)
Collingwood 8.2 14.5 20.11 24.18 (162)
GOALS
Essendon: Monfries 2, Carlisle, Colyer, Dempsey, Hille, Melksham, Neagle, Ryder
Collingwood: Cloke 5, Brown 3, Macaffer 3, Dawes 2, Didak 2, Jolly 2, Swan 2, Blair 2, Beams, Thomas
BEST
Essendon: Monfries, Colyer, Watson, Crameri, Melksham
Collingwood: Swan, Blair, Pendlebury, Cloke, Beams, Macaffer, Dawes, Jolly
INJURIES
Essendon: Zaharakis (knee)
Collingwood: None
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Kennedy, Ryan
Official crowd: 59,277 at MCG
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
