Essendon’s 2007 AFL Finals hopes lie in tatters after a 63 point drubbing at the hands of Hawthorn at the MCG in AFL Round 18.

With only four matches remaining, which included two trips to Perth in the next month combined with a poor percentage, the only hope for the Bombers to send off departing coach Kevin Sheedy with a last finals appearance after 27 years is the unlikely prospect of winning all four remaining matches.

After Damien Peverill goaled with just seconds left before the three-quarter-time siren the Bombers had got within 23 points and an outside sniff of victory which saw Sheedy implore his players at the three quarter time break “to find a gallant effort to ensure one final September for their former skipper James Hird.”

However the next 30 minutes only highlighted why Sheedy would no longer be in charge in 2008 as the Hawks piled on six goals to nothing in the final term to blow the final margin out to over 10 goals and push the Bombers from 8th to 12th on the AFL ladder.

After the Bombers began by kicking the first four points of the match to waste the opportunity to put the Hawks under early pressure, from that point on the Hawks began to smash the Dons at the centre clearances with Mitchell, Hodge and Lewis doing the major damage as the Bombers were left goalless for the opening term to trail by 22 at the first break.

The Bombers managed to get on the goal scoring sheet during the second quarter, however it was heavy going and goals come by unconventional means.

Dustin Fletcher gave the Bombers there opening goal of the game after a soft 50-metre penalty allowed him to bomb a drop punt goal from 55 metres out. Scott Lucas added the second from the boundary line, while just before the half-time siren skipper Matthew Lloyd notched his first of two goals for the game from a free kick to send his side into the half time break trailing by 25 points.

In an error riddled third term, the Hawks began to build on their half time lead and it was looking like curtains for the Bombers before Henry Slattery, Angus Monfries, Matthew Lloyd and finally Damien Peverill brought the margin back to 23 at the final break with a four goal time-on period.

However from that point it was all Hawthorn in the final term as the Hawks went on a goal scoring spree with Rick Ladson, Richard Vandenberg, Jarryd Roughead and Shane Crawford all getting in on the action as the Bombers finals hopes slipped out of their grasp.

Skipper Matthew Lloyd with two goals was the Bombers only multiple goal scorer as Dustin Fletcher finished with 26 possessions and a goal to be the leading stat getter on a forgettable day, while Brent Stanton, Patrick Ryder and Jobe Watson could also be classed as ‘amongst the best’.

The loss has seen speculation mount that Sheedy will not see Round 22 in his current role, with increasing rumours that the much hyped Round 21 clash against Richmond will be his final match in charge before assistant Gary O’Donnell takes the reigns for the final season match against the Weagles in Perth.

“I mean, that’s up to the club but I would think I will be coaching up to round 22, unless you guys know otherwise,” Sheedy said. “They’ll lose a lot of money against Richmond (in round 21), so it might be a very smart decision to keep me.”