Essendon slumped to an uninspiring 28 point defeat at the hands of the Sydney Swans in their NAB Challenge practice match in Blacktown on Saturday night.

SYDNEY 2.3 7.5 10.6 14.7 (91)
ESSENDON 0.3 1.4 6.7 9.9 (63)

GOALS: Sydney: White 3, J Bolton 2, Jetta 2, Barlow, Hannebery, Goodes, Jack, Kennedy, Rohan, Seaby. Essendon: Houli 2, Neagle 2, Zaharakis 2, Carlisle, McVeigh, Laycock.

BEST: Sydney: Goodes, J Bolton, Jetta, Rohan, White. Essendon: Davey, Houli, Laycock, Neagle, Zaharakis.

INJURIES: Sydney: Mattner (ankle). Essendon: Myers (hamstring), Slattery (wrist).

CROWD: 4122 at Blacktown Olympic Park.

Match thoughts from Lifetime Ban
Okay, just got back on board from the game and will try to give a sensible account of the proceedings. Before I do I want to add this bit of info. Went with my wife’s cousin who is a mad RL supporter, and his comment at the end was that the score really didn’t reflect how close a contest it actually was, and I tend to agree.

Okay, from the players I can remember or name in no particular order.

Gumbleton :- not great and by no means the great white hope tonight, but given he lasted the game, took some knocks, got some touches and scored a goal, a satisfying effort.

Hardingham :- I am on this kids bandwagon. Given half a chance he is going to be a very good, and very exciting player. Fantastic leap, competitive, not afraid of going body on body, beat Goodes a couple of times in the air, colour me impressed.

Long :- very nice. Still a lightweight, but I had flashbacks to another Long a couple of times tonight. I think we have found a player there.

Dyson :- good tonight, worked hard, put his body on the line a couple of times when he probably didn’t need to, definitely following up on last years efforts.

Houli :- serviceable game, don’t know if its enough to make best 22 but was one of the better players tonight.

Howlett :- didn’t see him get a lot of the ball, but he has some ticker about him, prepared to go in hard.

Davey :- don’t know if I would have him in my best 22 at present, wasn’t bad but wasn’t anywhere near great either. edit (Probably being a bit harsh there, he did some good things tonight)

Prismall:- worked hard but didn’t have a lot of support.

Bellchambers:- really got some drive out of the middle when he too over rucking duties, will be a damned fine ruckman in another 3 or 4 years.

Laycock :- disappointing in the middle, kind of expected after missing big chunks of football, but was our best forward on the night, if not on the scoreboard. Was very good below his knees and worked pretty hard on the chase.

Neagle :- someone needs to tell this kid to put his arms out to mark a football, saw him drop 3 straight off his chest tonight, and try to gather another ball one handed.

Daniher :- wasn’t impressed, was very loose playing back and that lack of attention cost a couple of goals.

McVeigh :- for a senior player with a bit to atone for after last year, I wasn’t overly impressed, don’t know if he would make my best 22 at this stage, and I’ve always been a fan of his. Disappointed.

Carlisle :- didn’t do a lot, showed a few glimpses, but has some developing to do.

Zaharakis:- went hard most of the night and I would put him in the seniors before McVeigh at this stage.

Dempsey:- was pretty good tonight, probably our best defender or second behind Hardingham.

Marigliani :- showed some good skills at times tonight, probably too good for the guys around him at times. Would not be distressed if he picked up the last spot on the senior list.

Myers :- was pretty much the invisible man, just read that he may have been injured, but they were plying him back again and he just isn’t.

Silverlock:- tried hard but don’t think he got much of it.

Atkinson :- pretty much a typical Atkinson game. At his best he is top 22, but I don’t know if he can deliver that consistently.

Quinn:- there is definitely something to like about this kid, probably still a year away, but I really do think he will make it.

Lovett-Murray:- pretty much what you would expect, hard at it, with the occaisonal brain fade.

Melksham :- can’t say I even noticed him out there unfortunately.

Slattery :- another that doesn’t really register on my conscious recollection of the game.

Reimers :- think he could be the Dale Thomas of Essendon, brilliant one minute, frustrating as hell the next. Really failed to have an impact tonight.

Pretty much all I can remember about the individual players. As for the game, much of it was scrappy, with fairly poor skill levels exhibited by both teams. Sydney seemed able to create space better than us, but I put that down to the stronger bodies giving them the upper hand in many of the stoppages. Sydney look to have found a bit of a player in Jetta and don’t underestimate the impact Seaby will have there either. Overall, pretty happy with the result, went expecting a 10 to 15 goal loss given the senior depth of the respective teams, only for Essendon to really look like threatening Sydney for a short period after half time. In the end, Sydneys greater experience proved the difference.