“Rozee and Horne-Francis were just totally dominant in that part of the game,” said Scott.
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“Whatever we threw at them,they were good enough to beat us. That’s a disappointing part of the game,but that is the difference right at the moment between the two sides.”
Six days earlier,Melbourne managed to overcome Port’s edge in the midfield and territorial advantage (66 entries to 45) by dint of outstanding defensive work and superior efficiency,despite the absence of Steven May.
But the Demons have excellent,experienced defenders and also Max Gawn and Christian Petracca,plusClayton Oliver and Jack Viney.
The Bombers don’t own those weapons,nor that quality of defensive rebound/interception (and Jordan Ridley was missing). Thus,they can only compete with the better teams – and occasionally overcome them – by raising their energy,effort and pressure to a higher pitch.
Essendon’s backline was besieged. Consider the deluxe service and sheer abundance that Jeremy Finlayson and returning Mitch Georgiades received from Port’s mids,compared to Essendon’s Harrison Jones.
Jeremy Finlayson takes a mark under pressure from Essendon’s Nik Cox.Credit:Getty Images
Scott stuck up for his defenders,headed by recruit Ben McKay. “I thought McKay was outstanding. I thought our defence held up under a tidal wave of pressure.”
If anyone is still questioningWest Coast’s decision to retain pick No.1 and draft Harley Reid,rather than selling it for multiple lesser picks,they should watch the Port v Essendon match and especially Horne-Francis and Rozee;the value of the prospective midfield superstar was the underlying story of this mismatch.
“They’re obviously super players of our competition and I think every midfield in the comp,on their day,looks scary and can have their moments,but they probably had more than us today,” said Essendon vice captain and half-back Andrew McGrath of the midfield rout.
“Having Rozee,Butters and Horne-Francis running sort of out of centre bounces and stoppages it’s a dangerous look against any defence.”
Where had the Bombers broken down?
“It’s hard to put a finger on it right now,” said McGrath. “Like,you think about different things but often when you look back at the vision there’s a whole lot of things that we’re not doing right.”
Insufficient pressure was a likely failing,McGrath suggested. “So it’s probably a lack of pressure from down defence and our midfield. But ideally,we don’t want teams running out the front of stoppages.”
Coaches cannot tell their players that they’ve simply been outclassed. Typically,the storyline from a bad loss will be that they didn’t defend,apply pressure or that ball use wasn’t up to standard this time. Pressure,of course,is something that even the less talented can bring to the fight.
Young Port gun Jason Horne-Francis was superb against Essendon.Credit:AFL Photos
Scott noted that Essendon had 18 more tackles and that their pressure,as it is measured these days,was “probably on the positive side of the ledger”.
To the naked eye,at the ground,Essendon’s pressure did appear to sag in the second quarter,as they buckled. Or was that simply that Rozee and Horne-Francis ran away from them and busted tackles?