Former Essendon coach James Hird has taken aim at his old club, following their 77-point humiliation on the Anzac Day stage on Saturday.
The Dons gave up 15 second half goals to Collingwood, who did as they pleased particularly in the final quarter.
In particular, Hird is frustrated that the Bombers allowed 38-year-old Scott Pendlebury to put together a vintage performance, putting no defensive work into him through the midfield.
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Essendon legend James Hird. Nine
Pendlebury had a career-high 43 disposals, kicked two goals, two goal assists, 19 score involvements, 10 marks and had six inside 50s en route to winning the Anzac Medal for a record fourth time.
It was an extreme outlier performance for the veteran star, who has had 30 disposals in a game twice since 2023. Ironically, the last time before Saturday he had over 30 touches was against the Bombers on Anzac Day in 2025.
Hird cannot fathom how Essendon coach Brad Scott allowed Pendlebury to roam freely in the corridor, where he could be so destructive by foot and find so much of the footy.
“Scott Pendlebury is a champion of the game and maybe Collingwood’s greatest ever player. What I was frustrated with (from an Essendon perspective) is his ability to find space in the corridor,” Hird told Nine’s Footy Furnace.
“Time after time after time he’s in acres of space with no pressure through the corridor. What was Essendon doing giving him that much space?
Scott Pendlebury of the Magpies celebrates kicking a goal. Getty
“Everyone knows that Pendlebury has been playing a corridor biased game where he just sits in the corridor to defend and attack, but not Essendon.
“It was strange. Congratulations (to Pendlebury) on another medal. He thoroughly deserved it and you can only play what people put up against you, but I don’t get how he had so much space through the corridor where it was so damaging.
“If you’re going to allow Pendlebury space, it’s out on the wing. Not through the corridor because his disposal and his execution and his calmness with the ball was better than anybody and it has been for 20 years.”
When asked if Pendlebury’s big game was simply a result of Essendon backing their structures and strategies in against the Collingwood midfield, with limited success, Hird hit back hard.
Essendon coach Brad Scott. AFL Photos via Getty Images
“If your structure is to leave the corridor open so that the best player in Collingwood’s history can walk through the middle of it, then I’m not sure the structure is right,” the former Essendon coach said.
Co-host Jimmy Bartel was equally damning in his evaluation of Essendon’s performance on Anzac Day.
“I’m going to be a bit harsh here, they were non-competitive for the last 40 minutes of that game,” Bartel said.
It doesn’t get any easier for Essendon. They host reigning premiers Brisbane at Marvel Stadium in round eight, before games against GWS (away) and Fremantle. The Dreamtime clash with Richmond follows.