Scott Pendlebury Shines in Memorable Performance as Collingwood Dominates Essendon in Anzac Day Rout

Collingwood delivered a devastating defeat to Essendon in a commanding display on Anzac Day, leaving Bombers legend Matthew Lloyd exasperated with the recent performances of his former team.

The Magpies’ veteran, Scott Pendlebury, clinched the Anzac Day medal for best on ground after an extraordinary outing, amassing a career-best 43 disposals, alongside 19 score involvements, two goals, two goal assists, 10 marks, and six entries inside 50.

This victory marks Pendlebury’s record fourth Anzac Day medal; his first was awarded 16 years ago. He previously shared the record with Essendon icon James Hird, who has three medals to his name.

The Pies were rampant in the final quarter, completely overwhelming the Bombers in the latter half with a score of 15 goals and 11 behinds to five, finishing the match at 20.17 (137) to 8.6 (54).

The 77-point victory sets a new record for the greatest margin in Anzac Day history, eclipsing the previous mark set in 2008 by four points.

The last term devolved into a triumphant celebration for the Magpies, while it became a dismal experience for Essendon supporters.

Multiple goals were kicked by Jordan De Goey, Dan McStay, Angus Anderson, Jamie Elliott, Beau McCreery, Roan Steele, and Pendlebury, among 12 different goal scorers for the Pies.

When questioned about whether this match jeopardised Essendon’s commendable efforts over the last fortnight, Lloyd responded with a firm “absolutely”.

“What is Essendon’s game plan? They’ve changed it repeatedly all year. They managed to beat Melbourne by playing safe, but opted for a faster game against Gold Coast. Today, they were quick in the first half but regressed after the break,” he elaborated.

“I seriously doubt they have a clear strategy, despite their improved efforts over the past few weeks; that should be expected from any team participating in football.”

Lloyd expressed his disappointment with several Essendon veterans and their contributions on Saturday afternoon.

“Look at Darcy Parish, he made no impact in the midfield; Andrew McGrath showed flashes but isn’t an elite midfielder; Zach Merrett was subdued, especially in the second half,” he remarked.

“In defence, you think about players like Harris Andrews and Josh Battle who can intercept and create pressure, but Ben McKay isn’t doing that. He’s on a $1 million salary but appears anxious with his footy, particularly under pressure.”

“He fails to assist in winning the ball; Collingwood manufactured 62 entries, so he was constantly under threat today.”

Josh and Nick Daicos also enjoyed stellar matches, combining for an impressive total of 77 disposals.

For Essendon, Archie Roberts recorded 42 disposals in defence, while young forward Nate Caddy scored three goals.

Following his record-breaking performance, Pendlebury is set to equal the all-time V/AFL games played record on Thursday night against Hawthorn, matching North Melbourne great Brent Harvey at 432 games.