The Bombers started with just 17 players on the field for the final centre bounce against the Swans as Aaron Francis 'bolted' into action in one of the most creative sets of the season thus far.
David King on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 revealed how starting with one less player in the defensive 50 for Essendon could've caught Sydney off guard and got them the four points on Friday night.
Down by five, as soon as the ball bounced Francis sprinted towards the centre from the bench, which saw David Zaharakis draw his man forward of the ball, in a bid to open up space for Francis.
“This is fantastic from the Bombers,” King said, “but it didn’t quite come off."
“I thought it was really great coaching and great strategy."
Unfortunately, Brayden Ham was unable to spoil the ball in a favourable direction and the play didn't come to fruition.
However, it might not have been completely legal. The AFL has been enforcing the 6-6-6 starting positions with teams receiving a warning when more than the required number are on the court.
“It’s not 6-6-6 if you’re bringing one on from the bench,' King said.
“I don’t know if it’s fair".
Technically it didn't break the rule as they didn't have any more than six players in a third at one time, but it went against the spirit of the starting positions.
More teams may look to bend the rules towards the end of matches in a bid to combat the system.
