3 minute read
Essendon got their second win of the season - a thrilling 24-point victory over Collingwood as Darcy Parish delivered a career-best performance.
Cult hero Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti starred as Essendon overcame the loss of Aaron Francis to injury, holding on for a pulsating 24-point win over Collingwood in an Anzac Day arm wrestle.
In front of 78,113 fans at the MCG - a world-record crowd at a sporting event since the start of the coronavirus pandemic - the Magpies got the jump on their rivals in each of the first two quarters.
But the Bombers held control for longer, riding McDonald-Tipungwuti's five goals and Darcy Parish's career-best performance to register a stirring 16.13 (109) to 13.7 (85) victory.
Both sides were desperate as they entered the traditional blockbuster with poor 1-4 records, and the margin separating them was only briefly larger than two goals until midway through the final term.
Parish won the Anzac Medal as the best player on the ground and put the Bombers 22 points clear when he kicked his second goal with 10 minutes left.
He led the way with 42 disposals, with Zach Merrett and Jake Stringer also influential, and tall duo Peter Wright and Andrew Phillips important contributors.
"I'm proud of the way we fought it out," Essendon coach Ben Rutten said.
"We showed a bit of maturity in that last quarter when we needed to.
"It was another little step forward for our group.
"Our guys are getting more and more belief and confidence in what we're trying to do."
Parish became just the second player to have more than 40 disposals in the Anzac Day clash, after Collingwood's Dane Swan in 2012.
Veteran duo Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom worked tirelessly for the Magpies, but the defeat poured more heat on out-of-contract coach Nathan Buckley, who lamented his side's inability to control the ball.
"We didn't find each other often enough tonight," Buckley said.
"We gave the ball away when we had it and we had to defend for too long.
"It was a poor evening, especially with our kicking."
Collingwood had enjoyed a bright start when Darcy Cameron snapped the first goal after just 18 seconds - one of three Pies majors in the opening six minutes - before the Bombers found some field position and hit back.
The lead changed hands three times before the main break and McDonald-Tipungwuti had three goals to that point, including a controversial one that was allowed despite the ball appearing to roll over the boundary line as he gathered it during the build-up play.
Bombers key defender Francis was helped off with a right ankle injury during the second quarter after landing awkwardly from a marking contest and was replaced by substitute David Zaharakis.
Collingwood pinched the lead early in the final term when Brody Mihocek made a rare contribution, kicking his first goal of the day.
But McDonald-Tipungwuti put Essendon back in front and another goal soon after to Stringer gave the Bombers breathing space before Peter Wright and Parish (two goals each) pounced to settle the result.
Darcy Cameron and youngster Beau McCreery kicked three goals each for Collingwood.
