50 Best Essendon Wins since 2000 (countdown)

Best Win Since 2000 No. 40

Round 17 2014 vs Collingwood

Essendon 4.0.24 8.1.49 14.1.85 16.7.103
Collingwood 2.4.16 2.6.18 4.9.33 5.9.39

Context

  • Essendon were 10th but had just knocked off 2nd-placed Port Adelaide by 2 points at Football Park the round prior.

  • Collingwood sat in 6th and had lost to 8th-placed Gold Coast by 5 points at Carrara.

Why it’s on the list / key moments

  • What felt like a game where the Bombers were slight underdogs turned into a glorious afternoon where almost everything went right.

  • Jake Carlisle played one of the best games by an Essendon key forward for the decade. Carlisle took 19 marks (including 8 contested), had 26 disposals and kicked 4.2.

  • The Bombers were clinical in front of goal, kicking 15.1 before a string of behinds in the 4th quarter once the game was in the bag.

  • In the 3rd quarter, first-year player Zach Merrett kicked a classic goal on the run after some brilliant play by Dyson Heppell in the build-up.

  • Paul Chapman wound back the clock with 3 goals, including a couple of beauties, while Paddy Ambrose kicked 3 in a career-high haul.

  • Click here for the Essendon goals/highlights.

Extra notes

  • Collingwood’s key defender Nick Maxwell retired with immediate effect 3 days after the match.

What happened next?

  • Essendon made the finals in unconvincing form and threw away a 33 point lead to lose their Elimination Final against North Melbourne.

  • Carlisle continued his excellent form with a bag of 8 against the Western Bulldogs the following week. Unfortunately his purple patch didn’t last and he eventually missed the final against North Melbourne with injury.

  • Collingwood’s form yo-yoed drastically which cost them a finals spot, finishing 11th.

Click here to go to best win #39.

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