Collingwood have been dominant in field position, winning most key ground balls on an afternoon when the ball will be on the deck.
Essendon can take consolation with the reality that at 18 entries to eight and many more dangerous looks for the Pies, the Dons have restricted the damage – and deficit – to manageable levels in the first quarter.
Nick Daicos and his brother Josh have been impactful – Nick being played tighter since that opening goal, where he was afforded excessive space for a hand-off – and Steele Sidebotton is continuing his remarkable late-career bloom early this season.
The upside for Essendon is that their defence has held up reasonably well, and that Peter Wright appears in good touch – his early mark and goal was one of a player with confidence.
The major issue for Brad Scott is simply the superior organisation and cleanliness of the more experienced Pies at ground level and especially behind the ball. A 15-point deficit is easily wiped out. It could’ve been much more.
