Breaking 3aw: Cal-culations — Bombers’ two-tier fears deepen
3aw: Essendon faces a glaring class divide after a round three loss where sloppy kicking and handballing cost the Bombers while teenager Jacob Farrow shone in his debut. The club’s execution issues, compounded by the absence of Nic Martin and a quiet game from Zach Merrett, left coach Brad Scott warning change is needed. Harley Reid’s late-game impact and Farrow’s composure provide rare bright spots amid mounting fixture pressure.
Expanding details
Jacob Farrow, the No. 10 draft pick and 18-year-old, marked his first AFL appearance with a composed, penetrating left-foot kick that stood out against his teammates’ errors. The Bombers’ effort showed improvement against North Melbourne, but persistent sloppy kicking and handballing across the ground proved decisive in the defeat. That execution gap has been described as a class divide within the playing group — particularly exposed when Merrett could not influence the contest and Nic Martin remains unavailable this season.
Finn O’Sullivan emerged as a key performer for North Melbourne in the early rounds, closing down opposition ball-winners and keeping Merrett to just 10 disposals — the lowest of Merrett’s career outside shortened games or substitute appearances. The Roos’ showing was enough for an underwhelming win; they now turn their attention to a challenging Good Friday fixture they have historically struggled with.
The fixture list offers little respite for Essendon. A looming trip to face a red-hot Western Bulldogs — who have won 11 of their past 13 meetings with the Bombers by an average of 57 points — is highlighted as a key test. Other imminent challenges noted include matches against Melbourne at Gather Round, Gold Coast at People First Stadium, Collingwood on Anzac Day and a clash with Brisbane, all of which increase the urgency for improvement.
Immediate reactions
Coach Brad Scott spoke directly after the game, pointing to a need for better ball execution. “I’ve heard a lot of coaches say that AFL football is not a finishing school, [like] ‘If you can’t kick then you don’t belong here’. But the reality is we’ve got to keep working on our execution. We’ll definitely improve it, ” he said post-game.
Scott also framed Farrow’s selection as a strategic move: “A big reason in bringing Jacob Farrow into the team is, while he didn’t have a massive influence on the contest, he looked like an AFL player with beautiful composure, beautiful kick. We need to start bringing guys like that into our team. ” Those remarks underline a selection and development focus as one response to the current form issues.
What’s next: 3aw outlook for Essendon
Harley Reid looks set to be one to watch after showing he can still impact games deep into matches, credited with work over the summer that translated into mid-game power and damage. The central question for the Bombers is whether young inclusions like Farrow and Reid can accelerate a clean-up of execution errors before the run of tough opponents arrives. Expectations are that the club will lean into bringing in composed ball-users while working on fundamental skills, with close attention on the upcoming fixtures to determine whether this stage marks a turning point or the start of deeper failure fatigue.
