What a great game. Watched with the red n black army in the standing section in front of the cricketers bar (about M2) and the songs being belted out were hilarious!
Seemed to be so many good things happening, lots of good omens and players coming good. I would have given Tippa the medal but after seeing Danihers highlights it was well deserved.
This was an important game, so proud of my club right now.
Fanta, Green, Tippa up forward is just a thing of beauty.
Green making the absolute most of his second chance. Really has a crack, Seems a smart footballer too.
Essendon’s Anzac Day win over Collingwood showcases the club’s brilliant new generation
By Dean Bilton
Posted about 11 hours ago
Joe Daniher and Zach Merrett hug it out
PHOTO: Joe Daniher and Zach Merrett are the future of Essendon, and the future is bright. (AAP: Julian Smith)
RELATED STORY: Bombers beat Pies in Anzac Day clash, as it happened
MAP: Melbourne 3000
More than any other club in the AFL, Essendon now knows how to deal with adversity.
The story is well told, and everybody has an opinion, but one thing that can not be questioned is that the Bombers have been through the ringer in the last few years. It might have broken a lesser club.
One of the great unknowns of 2017 was how Essendon would re-emerge out of the ashes of the doping saga and its subsequent suspensions — would they band together and rise to greater heights, or would the hardships be too much to come back from?
The expectation was that the returning players — the Dyson Heppels, the Jobe Watsons, the Brent Stantons — would be the ones to decide Essendon’s fate this year.
Orazio Fantasia celebrates a goal against Collingwood
PHOTO: Orazio Fantasia was outstanding against Collingwood on Anzac Day. (AAP: Julian Smith)
But the Anzac Day win over Collingwood has proven that the Essendon that has woken from the nightmare is stronger and better equipped to make a play for the finals, and not necessarily because of the returning, established stars.
AFL 
@AFL
You don’t take on Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti 
#AFLDonsPies
5:48 PM - 25 Apr 2017
174 174 Retweets 454 454 likes
Joe Daniher, Zach Merrett, Orazio Fantasia and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti were probably all in the Bombers’ best five or six players on the day, and all are part of the newer brigade of Bomber, untainted by what went before and wildly hopeful for what is still to come.
Would these players be as good as they are now if not for the banishment of some of the club’s biggest names? Would Essendon be in a position to make sustained, serious tilts at the top eight for years to come if these players had not come through as they have?
Merrett has been one of the league’s very best midfielders for more than a year now, and Daniher is now at a stage of his career where he can dominate blockbuster games and take home medals as the best player on the park in those matches.
And what about McDonald-Tipungwuti? We probably never would have heard of him if not for the Bombers’ WADA bans, and our footy-following lives would be so much poorer for it.
He is a riveting footballer, the sort of player who draws the eye with his moments if inspiration but still has the persistence and longevity to stick out games. The Bombers are a better team for him being part of it.
A bloodied Jobe Watson
PHOTO: Jobe Watson still has a massive part to play, but the load of responsibility is off his shoulders. (AAP: Julian Smith)
Not to mention Andrew McGrath, the fruit of Essendon’s wooden spoon 2016. The top draft pick took a couple of weeks to settle, but now nobody can question why he went where he did in the draft — the kid is electric.
Sure, the returns of Heppell and Watson have made the midfield better as they always were going to. But it’s everything around those two that have improved the most.
It’s not just a different Essendon that has been moulded out of unprecedented adversity, it’s a better one.
6 Likes
4 points is 4 points. But ■■■■ me we’d want to find a way to stop conceding a ■■■■ tonne of I50’s each week… Aside from that… 
2 Likes
Meh, we’ll look at the negatives in the pre game of the Melbourne thread. For now, enjoy the fact we were able to win in tricky conditions despite playing crap.
We always whinge that we cant win a game of it gets ugly, we don’t like the hard stuff. Yesterday showed we can win ugly, hopefully we can be consistent with it
11 Likes
Yep, add to that we also clearly learnt from the Bloos game and adjusted our play in wet conditions. You can’t ask for more than that.
10 Likes
Best thing from the match for me was having 4 players kick 3 goals or more.
6 Likes
[/quote]
Thanks for posting Ice Temple
Nicely written, might be just me but the way it’s written reckon Dean Bilton may be an Essendon supporter.
4 Likes
A lot of their inside 50s were nothing inside 50s that were on the arch on the 50 wide and then just belted in with no real direction.
We won because we were more efficient going inside 50 and converted better.
1 Like
Highlight of the day for me was when the Pies hit the front and that ■■■■ Collllliingwooooood chat started only to be instantly snuffed out by the 65 meter goal from the centre square the Joey kicked.
Farcking awesome
31 Likes
Really? I would’ve thought a review thread was the perfect lace to review all aspects of a match, both positive and negative?!.. You’re right that there are loads of positives but the major glaring negative remains our biggest point of concern as it has been for the 1st 4 rounds. Collingwood didn’t make us pay, nor did Brisbane or Hawthorn, but good sides do (see Adelaide) if you give them so many opportunities. Plenty to be pleased about with the performance but still plenty to work on.
2 Likes
Finally, a win on Anzac Day
In what world did we actually look better when it was raining yesterday instead of dry? We looked exactly how we think we should look in the wet with our smaller players looking really dangerous. The first quarter and a half was our best football for the game, I was livid with the second half of the second quarter. We should have been 5 goals up at half time
The third quarter went in momentum swings and the last we were just far too good. With about 7 to go we were home and I don’t think I watched much, I just soaked it up and probably knocked off about another 3 beers in the grog squad.its not everyone’s cup of tea that joint but it’s definitely mine
Some random thoughts on players
I thought baguley was good, when he wasn’t on Elliot! Ffs that matchup made me cringe. I actually think there is a role for baguley but it’s not taking the opposing teams best small anymore. Id honestly rather mcneice, pidge or Gleeson.
Hurley was nearly best on, nearly. By far the best game of his year and hopefully gains confidence
Zerrett is zerrett, nothing to say. We expect it now and he is a legitimate elite of the competition now
I’m not even sure what stantons role is but he’s flat out droppable at the moment. Would love to see mutch get a run, or bird
I think it’s sad to see Watson playing the way he is and it’s becoming awkward because his disposal is killing us. It looks like he touched a ball for the first time in his life 6 months ago
Hooker looked and was dangerous. Leave him forward
Make no mistake, the club right now is being held up and driven forward by the kids and middle aged players because in general, I’d say the returning players have been average to poor. Guys like Fanta, parish, joe, walla, mcneice, green, zerrett are taking the club forward and I’m 100% set in we should be looking to phase out the likes of Stanton, baguley, Kelly at the end of the year. This group is good enough to make finals imo but it’ll be the kids who get us there
Joe just destroyed anyone who went near him. You know how we have swan/medhurst/Didak burnt into our brains? When joe twirled both fingers around in the air is the exact thing that will haunt thevpies supporters for a long time
Was great to see some familiar faces from blitz, meet some new ones, got pretty blind till early hours with dingus, his missus and Frankston bomber. Was a good night
It’s so good to not fly home fkn depressed about Anzac Day again
38 Likes
What is this meant to signify?
the barracking for c**twood from the commentary box was embarrassing.
4 Likes
I’d fkn love to see that grub maclure and just flat out drop one on his chin. The pies were certainties hey. Nice one mark
8 Likes
Jane Bunn was right. 
8 Likes
Disgraceful sports report on ABC Melbourne radio this morning. Paul Kennedy (filth tragic) could not even bring himself to mention the word Essendon or the biggest home and away game of the year. Pathetic!
3 Likes
We didn’t get let back in the royal after a went out for a smoke haha
4 Likes
If the media barely says a word about us til we win another flag and they’re forced to, quite frankly I’ll be happy.
That mob have said enough about us off the field for years and can seriously do one.
4 Likes
Great to be in this thread post-game, reading all the posts about some dude playing records.
5 Likes