Key posts
Red alert: Merrett on fire
The Essendon captain has had seven touches after six minutes of play.
A few minutes away from the first bounce at the ’G
Beautiful, sunny conditions in Melbourne today.
Friday night umpiring in the spotlight
Collingwood were all smiles on Friday night and again on Saturday after their narrow with over Footscray, but the umpiring has been firmly in the spotlight. The Magpies received 33 free kicks compared to 14 for their opposition.
Dogs midfielder Ed Richards said the officiating was noticeable out on the field.
“I’m always one to say put the whistle away, you don’t have to get yourself involved too much if you’re an umpire,” Richards told 3AW post-match. “Hopefully I don’t get in trouble for saying that.”
Former Geelong champion and 3AW pundit Jimmy Bartel had a quick summary. “Terrible umpiring,” he said on Friday night.
Ed Richards under pressure on Friday night.Credit: Getty Images
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon wasn’t prepared to offer a snap judgement when quizzed on Saturday.
“We had an incredibly experienced umpiring panel [at the MCG],” Dillon said on 3AW. “Very senior umpires on the ground.
“I’ve seen the free kick count, the [umpiring department] will review that game and we’ll get an assessment of that on Monday.
“It’s always an interesting talking point.
“We ask a lot of our umpires, they do an incredible job.
“But we want to provide the facilities, and the opportunities and the training for them to be as good as they can be.”
The substitutes at the MCG
Cats poised to lose Smith for Saints clash
Vote: Have your say
Saturday special: The Tsatas project
Elijah Tsatas was a player in whom Essendon invested considerable hope as the club’s first top-five draft pick since the troubled days of 2015-16.
Tsatas, as scouts from clubs knew, possessed power, a burst from stoppage and had the knack for winning the ball in the under 18s. At 187 centimetres, he was taller than many of the smallish Bomber midfielders, albeit not a beast like Patrick Cripps or Christian Petracca.
But, as JAKE NIALL reports and the Bombers would discover, there was a snag: his disposal by foot.
Essendon’s Elijah Tsatas.Credit: Getty Images
Hello and good afternoon
AFL round two gets hearty on Saturday with three key matches. Essendon and Adelaide launch the action with an MCG clash while Richmond, after a surprise round one win, travel to South Australia to clash with Port Adelaide. Tonight, St Kilda and Geelong clash at Marvel Stadium.
