Gardner did a solid job on Francis but will be looked at by the match review officer for a high hit off the ball which felled the South Australian in the dying stages of the third quarter.
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Schache stood up when needed,taking advantage of his opportunities.
Peter Wright,the match-winner when these teams met three weeks ago,was comprehensively beaten by Alex Keath in the wet,while Jake Stringer kicked two goals to bookend the first-half scoring but was otherwise quiet.
In conditions highly suitable to his style,Tom Liberatore was the Dogs’ most consistent midfielder across the afternoon. Marcus Bontempelli was a slow starter but worked his way into game well. Aaron Naughton wasn’t much of a factor until the game was already won,but he helped pile on the goals late.
The margin ultimately stretched beyond eight goals as the Dons became the first team in 65 years to go goalless in the second half of a final.
Beveridge will,however,surely need to think long and hard about persisting with Lewis Young in the ruck after he was thrashed by Sam Draper.
Love the one you’re with
Ten months ago,Essendon wanted Josh Dunkley and Dunkley wanted to become a Bomber. The problem was Dunkley was contracted,and the Dons were unwilling to pay the price to move him from Whitten Oval. They didn’t know it at the time,but Essendon probably got lucky. It will remain an unanswerable hypothetical of just how much midfield time Darcy Parish would have been granted this season had Dunkley joined Jye Caldwell in arriving at Tullamarine during the trade period. But it doesn’t take too much of a stretch to think Parish would not have enjoyed nearly as much of a run in the guts.
Darcy Parish is congratulated by Devon Smith after kicking a goal.Credit:AFL Photos
Parish was named in the All-Australian team on Thursday night,and will probably win the Essendon best and fairest,and was huge again on Sunday. His second quarter in particular was something to behold:16 disposals,six clearances,one goal and one goal assist.
Dunkley,meanwhile,has struggled to make much of an impact since returning from injury late in the season,and was quiet again in the first half on Sunday.
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Ironically Beveridge sent Dunkley to Parish after half-time,a successful move that helped the Dogs break away in the third term. Dunkley is still only 24 and could yet have many good seasons ahead of him. But Parish’s season is a reminder for clubs that sometimes improvement comes from players already on your list,rather than a shiny new toy from elsewhere.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
2.1 5.4 8.5 13.7(85)
ESSENDON
1.4 4.7 4.10 4.12(36)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Weightman 4,Naughton 3,Hannan 2,Schache 2,B Smith,Vandermeer.
Essendon: Stringer 2,Smith,Parish.
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Weightman,Liberatore,Macrae,Bontempelli,Keath,Treloar,Dale,Naughton.
Essendon: Parish,Draper,Merrett,Ridley,Heppell.
UMPIRES
Rosebury,Stephens,Williamson.
CROWD
9760 at UTAS Stadium.
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