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.
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.
“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.”