Yet they still conjured a miracle against a Bombers team that, despite the messaging out of The Hangar about building for the future, should be further advanced than they are.
The 23 Essendon fielded on Friday night had about 800 games more experience than Adelaide. While the Crows had nine players who had played less than 50 games, including three yet to reach double figures, the Bombers had just three.
Half their starting 22 have played more than 100 games but who of that group outside of Zach Merrett, Jordan Ridley and perhaps Andrew McGrath can be relied upon to carry, rather than be carried, when times are tough, like the 17-minute period in the second term when the besieged Bombers gave up eight goals in a row?
It certainly wasn’t Mason Redman, whose panicked handball to Jake Kelly gave up a goal to Ben Keays. Ben McKay has been dependable for much of the year, but his speculative handball under pressure also coughed up a goal to Keays.
In the past month, they have lost the plot when free kicks went against them in losing to Geelong; failed to follow instructions and adapt to the wet against Melbourne, and lacked the composure and knowhow to arrest a savage momentum swing.
These are the mistakes of a young side finding its way. Without a finals win since 2004, the Bombers, it can be said, are also finding their way, but in football terms they are a middle-aged team with enough grey matter, and grey hair, to be past this, a point Scott begrudgingly accepted.
Zach Merrett of the Bombers looks dejected.Credit: Getty Images
“I think that’s being a resultist, we should be better,” Scott said. “And we’ve shown we’ve put ourselves in a position where our best footy is very solid but that’s that’s the difference between where we want to be and where we are now.
“You’re right about those things. We should be better than that. And we’ve got to keep working till we are.”
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This was supposed to be one of the three wins that would get them to September.
They still have five games to get those victories, but the likelihood is they will need to get it done in the next three weeks against St Kilda, Fremantle and Gold Coast – all in Melbourne. The alternative is having to beat Sydney and/or Brisbane at the Gabba.
The path to the finals has suddenly become rockier and narrower – and nobody in the Essendon community wants to watch a cliffhanger.
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