Mason Redman was as thrilled as any Essendon supporter to “get the monkey off the back” by beating a top-eight side last weekend.
But after last year’s disappointing collapse, he maintained that “things can turn bad quickly” in this unforgiving competition.
The Bombers’ ascension continued last Friday as a stirring win over Collingwood entrenched their place in the top four. Still, a similarly difficult challenge awaits in the form of a clinging-on Melbourne side desperate to legitimise its own finals bid on Saturday night.
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Essendon’s dreams of finals success are alive and well after overcoming the Magpies — who Redman described as the Dons’ “bogey side” — and the feeling wasn’t lost on the playing group.
“Absolutely incredible,” Redman told foxfooty.com.au of downing the arch-rival Pies.
“There’s been a fair bit of talk about us not beating the top-eight sides, so to get the monkey off the back is a massive reward for effort.
“We’ve played well other weeks against the top sides but haven’t been able to get the job done.”
Essendon has fallen to Sydney, Port Adelaide, Carlton and Geelong this season and drew with the Magpies on ANZAC Day back in Round 7.
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“The last few years, Collingwood’s probably been one of our bogey sides — they’ve always done us in or got that draw, which I felt like we were probably the better team on the day,” Redman added.
It took an ordinary first-quarter effort against the Pies to kick the Dons into gear, but Brad Scott’s side switched on from the second term onwards, powering to a crucial 12-point triumph to sit two premiership points clear of fifth-placed Geelong.
“(Scott’s message) wasn’t to change anything, really,” Redman said of Essendon’s slow start last Friday.
“I think, other than that burst at the start by Jack Crisp (kicking three goals) where they capitalised a bit better, I felt like a lot of the game was on our terms, and I think after quarter-time we were able to rectify that and get a bit more bang for buck.
“We were able to kick a bit straighter and build pressure with the forward-half game. That’s the team we want to be — a forward-half team — and I thought other than the small patch in the first quarter the boys held up really well.”
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Redman appreciated the work of his between-the-arcs teammates, noting the all-in approach to trying to quell Nick Daicos.
“I thought the boys in the midfield — Sam Durham, Jye Caldwell, Zach Merrett and Dylan Shiel — were able to absorb their initial pressure and get it to the outside with handballs,” Redman said.
“I’m pretty sure the idea was for Durham to start on (Daicos) at stoppages … I thought Durham and Caldwell were huge again alongside Merrett and Shiel.”
The 31-year-old Shiel played his first full senior game for the season in Round 17 and stamped his influence, recording 26 disposals, eight tackles and six clearances as he aims to solidify a best-23 place to close out the campaign.
While Christian Petracca remains sidelined for the Demons, the Bombers will again need four-quarter efforts out of the aforementioned crop as they look to curtail the likes of Jack Viney, Clayton Oliver, Trent Rivers and Alex Neal-Bullen.
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As Redman alluded to, outsiders again began doubting Essendon’s finals credentials after a rather uninspiring loss to the Cats a fortnight ago.
However, while it had lost three of its past four matches heading into last Friday’s bout, the star defender hadn’t lost faith in his side’s method.
“To be honest, I feel like we’ve been playing the brand and the way we want to play,” he told foxfooty.com.au.
“Probably three out of the past four weeks we haven’t been able to get the job done, but for the majority of those games, we’ve played the way we wanted to play.
“But as I said, to get a win against a fellow top-eight side — and the reigning premier — is huge for the group.
“We’re obviously still young — I don’t know how young we are — but we’re still a building group. I think our best footy is still ahead of us, and it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”
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Redman, into his ninth Essendon campaign after arriving as the 30th selection in the 2015 national draft, acknowledged the positive trajectory of his club but maintained — following last year’s 3-7 capitulation after the bye — things can turn sour in an instant.
“I feel like we’re heading in the right direction to be the team we want to be — obviously, I think for every team in the league that’s to win the premiership,” he said, concluding.
“I think we’re heading in the right direction but as exactly what happened last year, you spoke about it, if we don’t keep our foot on the pedal, it can turn bad pretty quickly.
“We’ve just got to keep working hard during the week and working on what we can do as the Essendon Football Club and work from there.”
On Saturday night, the Demons will be without star skipper Max Gawn as he battles an ankle injury, with Simon Goodwin opting to recall Harrison Petty — instead of an established ruck replacement — for the blockbuster clash at the MCG.
It puts Essendon at an advantage as the boisterous Sam Draper prepares to wreak havoc.
Scott made just one change to the Bombers’ side that toppled the Pies, opening the door for veteran Dyson Heppell to return, in turn affording Jayden Laverde (managed) a spell.