Bomber sent to hospital after gruesome injury leaves ankle 'pointing the wrong way'
Bomber sent to hospital after gruesome injury leaves ankle 'pointing the wrong way' | Breaking News & Latest Australia Updates
Bomber sent to hospital after gruesome injury leaves ankle 'pointing the wrong way' — By Chris De Silva Topic:AFL Essendon big man Harry Jones left the field on a stretcher after suffering a gruesome leg injury on the three-quarter time...
By Chris De Silva
Topic:AFL
Essendon big man Harry Jones left the field on a stretcher after suffering a gruesome leg injury on the three-quarter time siren.(Getty Images: Josh Chadwick)
Essendon has overcome a gritty North Melbourne and injury carnage to claim a dramatic, hard-fought three-point win.
The Bombers led by 26 in the second term but lost luckless defender Jordan Ridley to a hamstring injury just before half-time, and Harrison Jones to a horror lower leg injury in the third quarter at Docklands Stadium on Thursday night.
Jade Gresham (groin) limped off in the final term and North debutant Finnbar Maley missed a shot to snatch victory, with the Bombers claiming a 9.11 (65) to 9.8 (62) win.
Essendon big man Jones had to be taken off on a stretcher on three-quarter time after attempting to spoil a mark then landing awkwardly on his left ankle, which bent at an awful angle.
Jones was sent to hospital to have his leg assessed, with the club believing he had suffered a dislocation rather than a break, although scans will determine the full severity of the injury.
"It was carnage there in the second half in particular," Essendon coach Brad Scott told reporters.
"The Jones one looks reasonably serious. Dislocated ankle looks like the minimum, that's what it looks like.
After a week filled with tribunal controversy, Essendon defender Jaxon Prior could come under scrutiny for a dangerous, slinging tackle on Cameron Zurhaar, while Kangaroos big man Nick Larkey could also face scrutiny over a dangerous tackle on Prior in the second half.
North Melbourne was also hit with the injury bug with defender Jackson Archer suffering a left hamstring injury in the second quarter before he was substituted for Bailey Scott.
Bombers skipper Zach Merrett (35 disposals) was typically stellar around the ball, while Archie Roberts (26 touches), Sam Durham (26 touches) and Archie Perkins (three goals) stood tall.
The match came a day after North put a media ban on pundit Kane Cornes for criticism of Harry Sheezel and Jy Simpkin that the club believed had crossed the line.
Kane Cornes was in attendance but was not permitted to enter the Kangaroos rooms after being banned during the week.(Getty Images: Michael Willson)
Sheezel (32 disposals) grew into the game while Simpkin (21) kicked two crucial goals when North, without Paul Curtis and George Wardlaw, needed him. After one of his goals, Simpkin turned to the crowd and silenced them by putting his index finger to his lips, presumably a nod to the criticism levelled at him from Cornes.
Kangaroos ruckman Tristan Xerri (37 hitouts, 25 disposals) was dominant against former teammate Todd Goldstein, giving Luke Davies-Uniacke and Tom Powell (28 disposals apiece) first use.
Essendon kicked the first three goals and six in the opening term.
North settled in the second quarter, when Simpkin sank a long bomb to cut the lead to 18.
The Kangaroos came out of the break, down by 22, with fresh intensity and capitalised on Ridley's absence down back, snagging the first four goals of the second half.
Essendon star Jordan Ridley was subbed off in the second quarter with another hamstring injury.(Getty Images: Josh Chadwick)
Simpkin sank a superb long bomb to cut the deficit to a point — then shushed the crowd.
Nate Caddy restored a seven-point lead before Zurhaar crashed through a pack and brilliantly dribbled home from the pocket, with North down by a point at the final change.
Zurhaar levelled the scores before Isaac Kako steadied Essendon early in the last.
Zane Duursma cut the lead back to three points, but Maley missed his late shot and Essendon held on.
North Melbourne, winless in six, next head to Hobart to face reigning premiers Brisbane in nine days, while Essendon (4-3) host Sydney next Saturday.
AAP
Follow the live blog below for a recap of all the action as it happened.
By Chris De Silva
By Chris De Silva
Essendon coach Brad Scott says Harry Jones has been sent to hospital to get further assessment on his ankle after being stretchered off.
"It was carnage there in the second half in particular," he said.
"The Jones one looks reasonably serious. Dislocated ankle looks like the minimum, that's what it looks like.
"He's in a fair bit of pain and his ankle was pointing the wrong way, so that obviously doesn't sound good."
By Chris De Silva
Alastair Clarkson has questioned the AFL's leadership on the suspension to Paul Curtis during the week.
Here's what Clarkson said on the incident in full:
"In my view, he's (Curtis) nearly the best tackler in the competition," he said.
"It's a shame that that part of our game is getting questioned. It's a feature of our game.
"We understand there is a duty of care (to the player), but there is a duty of care to the game. If the player hasn't got any intent other than to try to lay the tackle, we understand the slings, but this wasn't a sling, this was a football action.
"We're disappointed with that outcome and particularly the severity of the outcome. A football action (and) he gets three weeks and someone swings an arm off the ball and gets less.
"It just doesn't make sense. It also doesn't make sense that the AFL comes out and says, 'We might change that at the end of the year', doesn't help us.
"We're really disappointed with that. Really strong leadership would say, 'We understand it's wrong and we'll change it right now'.
"He shouldn't be missing three weeks of footy."
By Chris De Silva
Kangaroos coach Alastair Clarkson defending his decision to keep Harry Sheezel at halfback after another strong game.
Got to think this is a bit of a jab at Kane Cornes, who has questioned why Sheezel doesn't have many score involvements.
By Chris De Silva
Essendon's Todd Goldstein spoke about what it was like going up against his old team, and the man he used to mentor, Tristan Xerri.
By Chris De Silva
By Chris De Silva
Essendon forward Nate Caddy with some reaction on that horrible looking Harry Jones injury.
"To be honest, I was pretty flat with seeing Harry go down, he's one of my best mates," he told Fox Footy.
"I hope he's feeling good but it didn't look good."
Here's Caddy on the message Essendon's coaches delivered to the team at three-quarter time.
"He just said, 'Keep competing' and to keep doing what we're doing and just refining a few things that we were lacking on," he said.
"We played to our structure but there were just a few things we had to clean up."
By Chris De Silva
Essendon captain Zach Merrett put his Superman cape on again tonight, but he's not an entirely happy man.
Here's what he told Fox's Eddie Betts after the siren.
"Mixed emotions, I think," he said.
"Really pleased to get the four points. Losing three guys to injury, it never helps, but a little bit disappointing the way we didn't show up consistently tonight.
"I thought that first quarter was the way we wanted to play more consistently.
"Obviously, teams are going to try and adjust and work through games, but I thought we went away from the way we wanted to play in the last three quarters."
By Chris De Silva
THE BOMBERS HAVE DONE IT!
How on earth have they escaped with that win?
They were down three players after Jade Gresham went off in the final quarter with a groin injury and they've held on by the skin of their teeth as the Kangaroos came hard.
The Kangaroos will wonder what could have been if they had taken some of their chances in front of goal, with Maley's shot in the final minute symptomatic of this.
Essendon captain Zach Merrett looked like he played five positions in that quarter, he finishes with 35 disposals and five clearances in a superhuman performance.
North big man Tristan Xerri finishes with 25 disposals, 37 hitouts and nine clearances.
By Chris De Silva
Finnbar Maley takes a big mark inside 50 but can't quite convert on the set shot.
Jack Darling was on the goal line and looked certain to goal, but Peter Wright, on the last line of defence, bumps him and it goes through for a behind.
By Chris De Silva
Archie Perkins misses a banana under pressure from virtually directly in front, the Roos are alive!
Three minutes left. Essendon up by four points.
By Chris De Silva
Zane Duursma with a huge goal on the run from a tight angle!
The margin is three points with under five minutes remaining.
What an excellent finish there from the younger Duursma under pressure!
By Chris De Silva
Chaos in the Kangaroos goalsquare.
The umpire called ball-up and Konstanty volleyed the footy into the stands.
The umpire, thinking it was a Bombers player, awards the free to the Kangaroos, but then is told in the earpiece that it's Konstanty that's kicked it.
Somehow, that's not a free kick to the Dons though, and it's a ball-up.
Go figure.
By Chris De Silva
Both teams looking to lock up now, and there are some tired bodies out there.
The Kangaroos pushing hard with the ball in their forward 50.
By Chris De Silva
Isaac Kako plays the role of the crumber to perfection!
Again two Kangaroos defenders are drawn to a contest in the Essendon forward line, and Kako stays on the ground and finishes coolly.
That is a huge goal for the young gun!
By Chris De Silva
What a quarter for the Kangaroos!
They kick five goals to one to draw to within one point of the Bombers with a quarter to go.
Essendon looked completely shellshocked in that quarter as the Roos dominated the clinches and the territory.
They've got all the momentum going into the final quarter and the break probably comes at a good time for the Dons.
Tristan Xerri is absolutely manhandling the Bombers in the ruck.
He's got 20 disposals, 30 hitouts and eight clearances and is giving North first use at the clearances which they lead 29-23.
By Chris De Silva
Some more injury woes for Essendon here on the stroke of three-quarter time.
Harry Jones initially looks like he's badly sprained his ankle in a contest on the wing and the physio has called for the stretcher.
He was going at great pace and then his foot basically turned at right angles, that doesn't look good at all.
That looks very serious for the Bombers big man unfortunately.
By Chris De Silva
WHAT A FINISH THIS IS FROM CAM ZURHAAR!
Oh my goodness, this is incredible!
Zurhaar pounces on the loose ball in the pocket and then shrugs off a tackle from Zach Reid and dribbles one home from a tight angle to perfection.
That ball seemed to speed up as it got closer to goal and it bounces past Kyle Langford on the goal line.
By Chris De Silva
Nate Caddy with a massive goal for the Bombers as he toe pokes one through from close range!
It was a long kick towards a contest where Harry Jones was manned by two defenders, and the defenders can't quite kill the footy and Caddy plays the role of the rover to perfection!
A big goal for the Bombers that!
By Chris De Silva
Jy Simpkin drills another one for the Kangaroos and they are within ONE point of Essendon now!
The Bombers have completely ground to a halt in this quarter and the Roos are all over them.
They've had 14 inside 50s in this quarter after halving a total of 16 in the first half.
Simpkin turns to the crowd and silences them after that one sails through.
I wonder that silencer was aimed at Cornes.
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