Essendon have withstood a withering final-quarter comeback from Geelong to claim a clutch 17-point victory in Saturday’s AFL match at the MCG.
The Bombers dominated the tackle-shy Cats for the opening three quarters and held a deserved 40-point advantage at the final change.
But the Cats sprung to life with six of the first seven goals of a thrilling final quarter to get the margin back to 10 points.
That was the cue for Joe Daniher to step up again and cap a spectacular night with his fifth goal of the match, on the run from the 50m arc.
Daniher claimed best afield honours, just as he did in Essendon’s previous victory, against Collingwood, on Anzac Day.
Both teams had struggled in recent weeks.
Essendon had won only one of their past five games while Geelong had dropped their past two against Collingwood and Gold Coast.
The Cats were dreadful in the opening half, with the most damning statistic at the long break being the tackle count, which was 52-13 in Essendon’s favour.
Young Bombers star Zach Merrett had eight tackles in the opening two quarters, while 10 Cats did not lay a single one between them in the first half, including captain Joel Selwood and fellow midfielders Cam Guthrie and Mitch Duncan.
The fortunes of the two sides were best encapsulated by the closing play in each of the first two quarters.
James Stewart celebrated his first senior game for the Bombers with a long bomb after the quarter-time siren, while Cats defender Jake Kolodjashnij failed to make the distance from 50 metres out after the halftime hooter had sounded.
The Cats were more competitive in the third term, although the Bombers were still able to extend their lead by eight points to 40, with Daniher slotting another long-range effort after the siren.
Evergreen defender James Kelly was among Essendon’s best players in his 300th career match; 273 of which came in the blue and white hoops.
He was chaired off the ground by opposing skippers Dyson Heppell and Selwood.
Geelong’s next three games are all at home at the renovated Simonds Stadium against fellow top-four aspirants the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide and Port Adelaide.
