Essendon is ninth on the ladder with a bullet. Here’s why Richmond — and the rest of the top eight — should be nervous.David King and Daniel Hoyne
HeraldSun
June 1, 2021 - 3:58PMCurrently sitting ninth with a 5-6 record, Essendon faces eighth-placed Richmond (6-5) in a blockbuster Dreamtime clash on Saturday night.
Speaking on Pure Footy, Champion Data analyst Daniel Hoyne said Essendon was producing finals-like numbers over the past month in wins against West Coast, North Melbourne and Fremantle and a two-point loss to the Giants.
He said the Bombers ranked fourth in the AFL for loose ball gets over the past month while an overall 15th ranking for contested possessions was misleading.
“A lot of their ruckwork is contributing to that, their free kicks are contributing to that, if you take that out and just look at what they’re doing when the ball is on the deck, they are actually the sixth-best ground ball team in the competition.
“Their profile over the last month, if it continues for the next 11 matches, they are going to be in it right up to the eyeballs in terms of playing finals this year.”
Essendon's strike rate past 4 weeks:
Stoppages: 2nd in the AFL.
Turnovers: 4th in the AFL.
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