JB

It was good last week too.

the Sunday Rub Boys crunch the numbers behind Essendon's defensive stability.

We have to start with the Essendon Football Club.

323 days in the making.

They have won a game of AFL footy.

The drought is over.

17 matches and they did it in pretty good style against the Demons.

Archie Roberts, dominant at halfback.

Nate Caddy looked like an imposing figure forward of the ball.

Andy McGrath went to some centre bounces and did a pretty good job quelling the impact of Cozzy Pickett.

Darcy Parrish, 34 touches at 82%, which we haven't

always seen from Darcy Parrish so he's back in some good form and I want to bring you a stat when it comes to the back line so since the start of 2024 since Essendon recruited Ben McKay they've only played seven games with McKay Zach Reed and Jordan Ridley who returned yesterday after some hamstring troubles they are five wins and two losses in those seven games with McKay Reed and Ridley it feels like they are the three important defenders when it comes to that footy club and they were able to get the chocolates against the demons yesterday

Yeah, we were having a chat about this over a couple of suds last night, and my thought went to Brad Scott.

Just the pressure that he's been under, and I've been in a side that things haven't been going great, and if anything, you're trying harder than the sides that are absolutely just rolling along.

The coaches are doing more.

They're finding more visions.

They're looking for better ways.

For the first time in a long time, I'm sure, last night, he goes home.

He lays down on the bed.

he decompresses he just has the ability to breathe out just sit there and go okay thank christ for that because the walls closed in pretty quickly mitch and the pressure was not getting any less it was starting to build so from a uh well i guess from that point of view this surely stops a little bit of the questioning for at least a week or two