Unfamiliar Ground: Bombers Left Reeling by Power Failure as Pies Shine on Anzac Day

Collingwood has reaffirmed its status as a serious premiership contender by convincingly overcoming Essendon on Anzac Day, finishing the match at 107-66.

In the absence of Darcy Moore, Nick Daicos stepped up to lead the team, and he excelled in the captain’s role, showcasing his skills and dominating play. Meanwhile, Jamie Elliott’s five goals dashed any hopes the Bombers had of a comeback.

The Magpies displayed their exceptional abilities in the challenging wet conditions, with Daicos and Bobby Hill managing to score incredible goals that left the crowd in awe.

Collingwood started strongly, racing to a commanding 27-point lead early in the second term. The Bombers, however, fought back valiantly and even seized the lead at one stage, though Collingwood held a slim advantage at half-time.

Controversy arose in the third quarter as the Magpies took control, scoring five goals to three, but rain wreaked havoc on the interchange bench. Reports indicated that Essendon suffered a power outage, severely hindering their ability to communicate and access vital statistics for the quarter, while Collingwood faced only a brief disruption later in the term.

Footy analyst David King expressed concern that the Bombers were at a significant disadvantage during this pivotal moment in the match. “I’m curious about the extent of its impact,” King remarked on Fox Footy. “The Pies were able to relay strategic information for the entire quarter, whereas the Bombers couldn’t. This certainly hamstrung their coaching.”

Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall suggested that the AFL may need to reconsider its protocols, proposing that Collingwood’s access should have been limited until Essendon was able to restore communication. “There needs to be a system in place so that one team isn’t unfairly disadvantaged,” he stated.

Jon Ralph clarified that both teams were given extraordinary permission to utilise mobile phones during the outage to facilitate some level of communication. “We’re in uncharted territory. Essendon received approval to use mobile phones to restore some communication. Ordinarily, due to integrity concerns, this isn’t permitted—it’s a significant development,” Ralph explained.

The Pies maintained their lead into the fourth quarter, and while it’s difficult to ascertain just how much the communication issues affected Essendon, it would undoubtedly have been frustrating for both the players and coach Brad Scott.

Essendon also suffered the loss of tall forward Harry Jones to an ankle injury during that third term, a significant setback for the 24-year-old who has cemented his spot as a key player in their line-up this season.

For Collingwood, concerns now centre on key forward Dan McStay, who was substituted due to a knee injury. McStay had previously missed most of the 2024 season with a torn ACL, and there are fears the new injury may involve the same knee.

Looking ahead, the Pies face another challenging fixture in round eight against Geelong, while Essendon prepares to take on North Melbourne this Thursday night.