Best Win Since 2000 No. 20
Round 22 2013 vs Carlton
| Carlton | 3.9.27 | 5.10.40 | 9.18.72 | 9.22.76 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essendon | 4.2.26 | 6.7.43 | 8.7.55 | 12.10.82 |
Context
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Essendon were awaiting their punishment to be handed down by the AFL as a result of the supplements saga. The charges had been announced a couple of weeks prior. It was heavily rumoured/accepted that the Bombers wouldn’t be allowed to play finals.
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Carlton needed to win their last 2 matches to guarantee a spot in the top 8.
Why it’s on the list / key moments
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AKA “The Zaharakis against Carlton game”.
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Carlton led Essendon by 19 points early in the 4th quarter. It was only inaccuracy on the Blues’ part which had kept the scores relatively close.
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The Bombers kicked 6 of the last 7 goals of the game to break the Blues’ hearts.
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2013 was Jake Melksham’s best year in red-and-black. His long swerving pass to find Michael Hurley in the goalsquare in the 1st quarter was a thing of beauty.
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Jobe Watson put aside what had become customary boos for his every disposal to kick 2 goals, pick up 27 disposals, and earn himself 2 Brownlow votes for the night.
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With a leaking head wound, Paddy Ryder took a fantastic leaping mark with half a quarter to go to put Essendon in front by a point.
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A Bryce Gibbs behind for Carlton had levelled the scores with a few minutes remaining. The Bombers surged forward with a bomb inside 50 with 40 seconds on the clock. Carlton’s Andrew McInnes tried to punch the ball away but missed entirely. McInnes was then overzealous in making up for his mistake, as he then pole-axed his own teammate (and Carlton’s best player on the night), Kade Simpson, who had just taken possession of the football. Simpson understandably gave up the footy in a haze, which allowed Jackson Merrett to dish the ball out to David Zaharakis, who guided his shot through for a goal on a tough angle. Scenes.
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Carlton had one last chance to take something from the game when Daniel Menzel kicked inside 50 for the Blues with 8 seconds to go. Star small forward Eddie Betts used Essendon 2nd-gamer, Lauchlan Dalgleish, as a stepladder, but was put off by contact from David Myers, resulting in a decisive clearance. The siren sounded and the Bomber fans went nuts.
Extra notes
- Stewart Crameri kicked 2.0 for Essendon, his last ever goals for the club before being traded to the Western Bulldogs.
What happened next?
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Essendon were officially kicked out of the finals only days later. They lost to 5th-placed Richmond by 39 points to end their nightmare of a season, all things considered. Unfortunately, it was only the beginning.
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Carlton were gifted a place in the finals and hilariously beat Richmond in the Elimination Final, leading to an avalanche of Ninthmond memes all over social media. Sydney ensured that Carlton’s run didn’t last too long in a Semi Final at the SCG.
Click here to go to best win #19.