Essendon aren’t alone in having shown promise during the 2020 AFL season and completely falling in a hole at other times.
But that will be of little solace to a loyal fanbase that has been through hell over the past decade and still appears no closer to seeing the Bombers end a 16-year drought of finals wins.
That much is true after another horror first half led to a deflating 10.8 (68) to 5.3 (33) loss to St Kilda at the Gabba on Sunday.
Saints midfielders Zak Jones and Jack Steele starred and Max King kicked three goals as Essendon meekly surrendered, conceding seven of the first eight majors in a contest that was over by halftime.
“The Saints took uncontested marks and used the ball as they wished under really limited pressure in that first quarter,” Essendon coach John Worsfold said post-match.
“To go forward like they did and score at ease like they did in that first quarter really put the game away.
“We matched them fairly well for big parts of the game after that, but the damage was done.
“We can’t really give teams that un-pressured look for those long periods.”
Essendon, who have about half of their best team sidelined with injuries, meet top-eight sides Richmond, West Coast, Geelong, Port Adelaide and Melbourne, as well as Hawthorn, in a brutal finish to the home-and-away season.
It could be worse for the Bombers.
Adelaide are a stark example of that after their losing run was extended to 15 matches earlier on Sunday in a 57-point thrashing from the Western Bulldogs.
The hapless Crows are 0-12 with a percentage of just 54.7 under first-year coach Matthew Nicks this season, and are edging dangerously closer to the first winless season in the AFL era.
It wouldn’t be a full round in 2020 without controversy and Carlton’s thrilling win over Fremantle over Saturday night had it in spades.
In a frantic final few moments, Dockers forward Matt Taberner was pinged for deliberate on the wing and Blues defender Sam Docherty was awarded a free kick that was paid down the ground.
Jack Newnes took the after-the-siren kick, which should have been given to Michael Gibbons.
But the record books will show a four-point win to the Blues after Newnes kept his cool to slot a near-impossible shot from the Optus Stadium boundary line.
Tom Hawkins’ stellar season continued as he outscored the opposition on his own with six goals in Geelong’s huge statement win over ladder leaders Port Adelaide.
Other contenders struggled, with Greater Western Sydney falling to a shock 41-point defeat to cross-town rivals Sydney.
Injury-hit Collingwood copped a 56-point smacking from the resurgent Melbourne and an unusually-flat Brisbane limped over the line in a one-point win ovet lowly North Melbourne.
