Overview
- GWS’s pre-game banner, unveiled Saturday, labeled Essendon’s “weakness” as “7916 days,” a dig at the Bombers’ wait since their 2004 finals win.
- GWS backed up the taunt with a late surge, kicking five goals in the final term to overturn a 26-point deficit and beat Essendon 16.7 (103) to 13.11 (89) at ENGIE Stadium.
- Essendon coach Brad Scott dismissed the stunt as the Giants being “desperate for some relevance” as he defended his club’s approach.
- First-year Bomber Dyson Sharp hurt his left shoulder in the third quarter, and scans will show if it is minor, a four-to-six-week issue, or an injury that needs surgery.
- The mock “whiteboard” echoed last week’s leaked Brisbane board and fit GWS’s bold social-media style, which drew both praise and pushback from fans, even as the Giants played without key forward Jesse Hogan.