Melbourne’s much vaunted finishing power evaporated at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon, exposed for the third time in four years by its Essendon Gather Round hoodoo. 

The word "hoodoo" is probably not enough to express the correct sentiment of the disaster that unfolded after the Demons’ pulsating victory last week against the Suns. The opportunity was there for the taking to start the season at 4-1 amid the exciting game style being instilled by new coach Steven King and it was also Jake Melksham's 250th AFL game, presenting the chance of honouring a remarkable teammate who a week earlier had been the spearhead of one of the team’s most famous recent victories.

Despite an injury to Melksham who hobbled off with discomfort in his ankle but returned to the field, and a tentative error-riddled start to the match which saw the Bombers holding a narrow quarter time lead, the Demons burst into action with the usual suspects leading the offensive: Max Gawn dominating the ruck and kicking a rover’s goal out of a pack, Jack Steele getting the ball out of the middle and Kozzy Pickett being himself with a chase down tackle of Isaac Kako as he was running towards goal, following that up by brilliantly anticipating the play to mark and goal moments later. It was all Melbourne which held a 19-point lead with the half time break looming, and the opportunity was there to crush Essendon’s sagging confidence and take a stranglehold on the match. Suddenly however, it all changed with a massive momentum switch that turned the game on its head.

You can put it down to a number of factors. Bomber coach Brad Scott had cleverly worked out a plan to counter the Demons’ spread and fast movement of the football by changing tempo to slow the play. This move elicited no corresponding response and it enabled his team to kick two late goals to reduce the deficit to a single goal at half time. 

It was a tactic that proved decisive in the end as Scott and his team persisted with it in the second half to telling effect with Essendon kicking six goals to one in the third quarter as Melbourne simply capitulated. 

It wasn’t just a case of Scott outcoaching King. The change in the mood of the game was accompanied by the flagging of spirit and strength by the Demons. King blamed it on lethargy:

"We certainly didn't look as sharp as last week. That's probably happened a couple of times now in the five weeks in where we just haven't looked as sharp," King said. 

The Demons' struggles were exacerbated by a slow and top-heavy defence, in stark contrast to its counterpart at the other end of the ground. Christian Salem's ankle injury didn't help, nor did the fixturing of the AFL's feeder competition, which likely ruled out smaller defender Andy Moniz-Wakefield, who could have been a handy option for adding pressure and grit as well as run out of defence.

Ultimately, the Demons' mids and forwards reverted to old habits, allowing the Bombers to kick 13 of the game’s last 15 goals and break their AFL losing streak as well as retain a strong grip on their Gather Round hoodoo over the Demons.

MELBOURNE 3.1.19 8.2.50 9.5.59 10.8.68

ESSENDON 3.5.23 6.8.44 12.9.81 17.11.113

GOALS

MELBOURNE K Pickett 2 Chandler Fritsch Gawn Langford Mihocek L Pickett Sharp Sparrow 

ESSENDON Caddy Duursma Edwards Kako May 2 Day-Wicks Durham Gresham Merrett Roberts Tsatas Wright

BEST

MELBOURNE K Pickett Steele Gawn Langford Sparrow Lever

ESSENDON Roberts Parish Kako Merrett Langford Farrow

INJURIES

MELBOURNE Christian Salem (ankle) 

ESSENDON Nil 

REPORTS

MELBOURNE Nil

ESSENDON Nil 

UMPIRES  Nicholas Jankovskis Mathew Nicholls Peter Bailes Jordan Fry

CROWD 38,006 at Adelaide Oval

Think you are being excessively generous to include Sparrow & Lever in the best players.

17 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

Think you are being excessively generous to include Sparrow & Lever in the best players.

How old does Lever look when he’s trying to run after someone… I don’t reckon I’ve seen him catch anyone he’s after. They even beat him when he’s got a straight path and they have enough time to do a full meter wide turn around him and get away.

He’s still a great ball reader and intercepts/spoils well, but his boot isn’t accurate and he’s dead slow.