After the disappointment of the Melbourne loss at the MCG (which we didn't get to 'live', Robin and I were hoping for a better showing against the Swans at Etihad Stadium. At least in Melbourne, Sydney seems to be a team we play well against and tend to have really close games.

The first quarter started tight and the Swans looked up and about and kicked a couple of early goals 'out the back' and we were a bit slow and missed some easy shots at goal. No reason to panic at quarter time even though we were down by around 20 points.

The second quarter was a repeat of the first with the smaller, quicker Swans making us look inept, plus we butchered the ball around the ground and in front of goal. No goals at all for us in Q2, and seven goals down at half time was a fair reflection of the efficiency difference between the two teams, although I couldn't question our effort, just execution.

The boys continued to try hard in the third quarter but just couldn't score finding ever more creative ways to miss. Just one goal for the quarter, and only two to three quarter was a pretty pathetic return. While we restricted the Swans to only three goals, being nearly 10 goals down at 3/4 time was very disappointing.

In the last quarter, we obviously decided to remove the impostors from the field and put the 'real' Essendon players out there. What a barn-storming finish! Goals from everywhere, everyone up and about. Just too much was left to be done when Courtenay Dempsey got the ball sixty metres out and played when the siren rang. An honourable defeat? Maybe or one that got away.

Best for us were Watson, Davey, Howlett and Hooker, with Alwyn Davey the only real star up forward with three goals.

We now have a bye coming followed by a vey important clash against Fremantle in Perth.