Star Essendon recruit Brendon Goddard is calling it one of the best wins of his 208-game AFL career.
Goddard and fellow midfielder David Zaharakis say they were determined to prevail on Friday night against Fremantle – and coach James Hird was a prime reason.
The Bombers came back from a goalless first term to beat the Dockers by four points, giving them a 3-0 start to the season.
It followed a torrid week for Hird, with more revelations about the club’s controversial use of supplements last season.
Then came Friday’s bombshell suggestion from AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou that Hird might want to consider standing down for the time being as the investigations into the club continue.
Hird is emphatic that he will not step aside voluntarily.
Goddard, who joined from St Kilda under free agency late last year, said the circumstances of the win made it extra special.
“I don’t say it lightly … and with respect to the Saints and everything I was a part of there, but you put everything into context … it’s a significant win and one of the best I’ve been a part of,” he told Triple M.
“Everyone respects him (Hird) and loves him and all the guys, particularly the young guys, really feed off what he has to say.
“We really played for Hirdy.”
Zaharakis told SEN radio it was on a par with the 2009 Anzac Day win over Collingwood, when he kicked the winning goal.
“We never felt out of it, even at quarter-time,” he said.
“The resilience of the group – it’s built up over the last two or three years, since Hirdy took over.
“When we’re faced with pressure from the outside and all the stuff that’s going on … we’re pretty close.”
Zaharakis praised Goddard for his leadership, saying he was proving a great foil for captain Jobe Watson.
Lyon, who coached Goddard at St Kilda, said the onballer was “a special acquisition” for the Bombers.
Another area of improvement for Essendon so far this season is their defensive work.
“Jobe spoke about how in his first eight or nine years at the footy club, we hadn’t finished higher than 12th in defence,” Zaharakis said.
“That was a massive concern for us – you look at the top four clubs in the competition and they’re all top four in defence.
“Everyone knows we can attack … defensively and the pressure acts around the footy were the (top goals) in the pre-season.”