Younger Bombers side outworked as the premiers show ominous form.
Sydney have shown ominous form to down the Essendon Bombers by 44 points at the SCG to cement their place in the AFL top four.
The game and the west conditions was tailor-made for the Swans, who again are proving to be kings of winning ball from stoppages as Sydney won 17.13 (115) to 10.11 (71).
Essendon did not give up and continued to manage to earn inside 50s, but the younger players in the side were simply outworked at times, as Jarrad McVeigh and Nick Malceski dominated across half-back.
Shane Mumford scored the first for the Swans and for the game when he crumbed well from a pack.
Jobe Watson moved into the forward line for Essendon in a bid to try and captalise on the times the Bombers get the ball into their forward-50.
Sydney continued to rebound well off half-back as they relieve pressure that kept coming from the Bombers who had 67 per cent of the ball in their forward half.
Mumford was an excellent target at centre half-forward for the Swans in the first quarter and helped the home side pin-point their attack, which has often been long and direct.
The Bombers midfield did not flood into the Swans defensive-50 when the ball went in and the Swans did a much better job in covering up any mistakes as the home side lead by 12 at the first break.
Brent Stanton earned 14 disposals mid-way through the second quarter as he provided vital thrust for Essendon.
Stewart Crameri scored the first goal for either side in the second term after a scramble in their forward-50, with the Bombers finally getting equal numbers in attack.
Ryan O’Keffe gave the Swans back their 12-point lead with a good piece of evasive play
Sydney continued to drop back well to flood their defensive-50 with excess numbers to deny the visitors scoring chances.
Crameri scored his second for the term in what was a goal out of nothing, and despite
lacking genuine set-ups for the Dons.
Essendon were finishing much the better at the end of the second term as the game started to break open slightly after being a dire arm-wrestle.
But after having a quiet first half Adam Goodes kicked a vital goal just before the long break to give the home side an important 18-point lead at the break.
Essendon’s Courtenay Dempsey stayed down hurt after a heavy collision and was eventually stretchered off with a possible rib injury or internal bleeding, after copping a knee to the back.
The Dons found themselves in trouble after they took a risk and brought on their substitute early in the third term, with Dempsey’s injury leaving them down a rotation.
Tom Bellchambers slotted a vital goal for the Bombers as the margin closed to 13 points after the first major of the third term.
However, Goodes answered for the home side as he snapped off his left foot to restore the margin to 19 after slick service out of the middle.
Jason Winderlich answered for the Bombers when he kicked a massive goal from the centre circle dribbled its way through in the end, before the Swans answered to keep the margin at 23.
Tom Mitchell then completed his impressive debut when he kicked off the ground,
as the Swans goaled three times off the back of centre clearances.
The goal fest at the back end of the third term favored the Swans as they grew the lead to 29, which was a massive lead in the context of the game.
Goodes bagged his third for the term after blasting out of a pack and surviving a umpires video review as the game quickly got away from the Bombers.
Michael Hibberd scored one of the goals of the year when he sent a shot sailing towards the posts from a tight angle from outside 50, as the Bombers closed the margin to 25 points at the last break.
Brendon Goddard scored his second to keep his side in touch before Jake Carlisle bagged another quickly for the Bombers as they clawed their way back into the game.
However, two goals in as many minutes by the home side again broke the Bombers’ backs as their work off the ball paid dividends as they ran out deserving winners.
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