As easy as it is to say just bounce the ball and focus on the game, the ASADA investigation into Essendon continues to lurk in the background. Before the game, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire thanked interim Essendon CEO Ray Gunston for his personal apology this week for the way the Magpies were dragged into his club's supplement saga by former high performance manager Dean Robinson in his Wednesday night television interview. Then, the Bombers released a statement that landed minutes before the first bounce, announcing the club had received the ASADA report from the AFL and would "review the report and respond in due course". Coach James Hird said on Saturday his players weren't distracted by the off-field issues, their performance on Sunday suggested the controversy just might be starting to take a toll with the Magpies easily the cleaner, more focused and determined outfit.
2. It's not just a West Coast thing
When Jobe Watson was booed and jeered by West Coast supporters in round 14 – his first game after his admission he believed he was administered the banned substance AOD-9604 – it led to the Eagles' fans defending themselves from being tarred as the most feral in the competition. On Sunday, Watson copped just as much heat from the Collingwood fans every time he collected the ball. In his first game back from a broken collarbone sustained in round 15, the Bombers skipper largely didn't let the noise affect him as he racked up 31 possessions in the 79-point loss. Although, when he took a strong chest mark in the third quarter and lined up for a shot a goal, the jeers reached a crescendo – and Watson's set shot fell horribly short and off-line.
3. When Harry met BJ
Tensions between Harry O'Brien and Brendon Goddard escalated in the second quarter after the Essendon midfielder took exception to the premiership Pie shepherding him when he was manning the mark. Plenty of words were exchanged between the pair throughout the rest of the quarter, with the emergency umpire very interested in their interaction and their teammates needing to separate them. It reached fever pitch at half-time when an infuriated O'Brien went at Goddard again before the Magpies dragged him away. The long break gave both players the chance to cool off, and while there wasn't any further pushing and shoving, there was a sizeable gap between them when they lined up against each other on the wing for the second-half restart.
4. Courtenay's curse
Frustration was written all over the face of Courtenay Dempsey when the Essendon defender injured his left hamstring in the first quarter. The 25-year-old has a history of hamstring issues and knew exactly what he'd done when he slipped over while chasing the ball unopposed through the centre square. He grabbed at his left hamstring as he lay face down on the turf, and then as he walked towards the bench with a trainer, his expression told the story. It took less than five minutes for the Bombers to rule him out and take the green vest off Leroy Jetta, who came on for his first run in the second quarter.
5. Popular Pies
The Magpies are closing in on their target of 80,000 club members. President Eddie McGuire, fresh from a US study trip with AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou and other club presidents, said before the game that the Pies were "very close" to announcing their 80,000th member. The Pies' popularity has also been reflected in their attendances with an average of 70,000 across their 10 MCG games this season. McGuire said it wasn't just this year they've been heartily supported at the gate; the Magpies have attracted 3.7 million at an average of 74,000 people at match over their past 50 at the MCG. It's a statistic the club president believes puts the Pies in the "top three or four clubs in the world". McGuire also said the Magpies had averaged 60,000 fans across the 515 games they had played at the MCG since aggregate records began in 1909.
Jennifer Phelan is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenPhelan
