Essendon coach James Hird hailed Scott Gumbleton for a “remarkable” AFL comeback in Saturday’s 50-point demolition of Port Adelaide.
The injury-prone Gumbleton, in his first match for almost two years, booted three goals as the Bombers steamrolled Port to win 19.13 (127) to 11.11 (77) at AAMI Stadium.
Essendon were one point down late in the third quarter but kicked the last eight goals of the match to entrench their top six ladder position and log their first win against Port in Adelaide in a dozen years.
Gumbleton has played just 22 games since his 2007 debut, with his last match before Saturday in round 18, 2010.
But the 23-year-old tall collected 14 disposals and five marks to leave coach Hird rapt.
“I’m pleased – not as pleased as he is, don’t worry, there is a lot of relief on Scott Gumbleton’s face,” Hird said.
“We played him not knowing what we are going to get.
“… He competed, he contested – he wasn’t best on the ground by any stretch of the imagination.
“But he showed that he is going to be a very good player if he can just get some consistency in his training and his playing.
“He is a very, very talented footballer and for this football club, that was a remarkable result out there today.”
Gumbleton found an attacking ally in livewire Leroy Jetta (three goals) while midfielders Jobe Watson (28 disposals), Dyson Heppell (24 touches) and Ben Howlett (25 possessions) were influential.
But it took the finals-bound Bombers three quarters to crack Port, who were well served by Brett Ebert (three goals) and onballer Matthew Broadbent, who gathered 29 possessions.
The Power, stuck in the mire with just four wins for the year, showed pluck before a final term flop which bewildered their coach Matthew Primus.
Essendon scored 6.5 to two points in the final stanza – and one of Port’s points came after the final siren.
“At this moment, I don’t have the answer,” Primus said of reasons for capitulation.
Essendon defender Jake Carlisle will be scrutinised for a behind play bump on Port’s Paul Stewart.
Carlisle floored an unsuspecting Stewart with a hip and shoulder some 30 metres off the ball in the first quarter. The Power forward was forced from the field but soon returned.
