Essendon Bombers thump Geelong Cats by 34 points

Tom Naghten

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Essendon Bombers thump Geelong Cats by 34 points image

You won't need to tell John Worsfold that a week is a long time in football.

Last Saturday, Essendon went down by 13 points to the previously winless Carlton and the whole club was under pressure.

Assistant coach Mark Neeld was sacked, or quit depending on who you believe, and senior players were widely criticised.

Fast-forward seven days, Worsfold's Bombers dish out a 34-point pasting to top-four hopefuls Geelong at the MCG.

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Some late goals flattered the away side but make no mistake, this was a thumping.

The Bombers looked nothing like the team that had limped to two wins after the opening eight rounds.

The Cats weren't given a moment's peace as Essendon's smalls applied a level of pressure that the visitors' star-studded midfield couldn't cope with.

Key defender Cale Hooker claimed the Tom Wills Medal as best-on-ground in the competition's annual country game.

After a tough week, it was Essendon's big names who stood up, with David Zaharakis, Dyson Heppell and Zach Merrett all impressing.

Worsfold will be buoyed by big games from some of the Dons' new recruits, Devon Smith (10 tackles) and Jake Stringer (seven tackles) contributed to the manic pressure.

Shaun McKernan (four goals) and Orazio Fantasia (two goals) did the damage on the scoreboard.

Viewers watching on certainly didn't see the result coming and it may have thrown a few tips out the window.







The result lifts Essendon into 14th place, still a long way off the pace but with the potential to reinvigorate their campaign.

Geelong are now in danger of dropping out of the eight if Melbourne can get over 17th-placed Carlton on Sunday.

Tom Naghten

Tom Naghten Photo

Tom Naghten is a senior editor at The Sporting News Australia where he's been part of the team since 2017. He predominantly covers boxing and MMA. In his spare time, he likes to watch Robbie Ahmat's goal against the Kangaroos at the SCG in 2000.