Paul Gough at Telstra Dome
New Essendon coach Matthew Knights endured a day of conflicting emotions on his AFL coaching debut on Easter Monday, watching his new-look Bombers destroy North Melbourne at Telstra Dome but also suffering the blow of losing star centre-half-forward Scott Lucas for up to half a season with a serious knee injury.
The Bombers, in their first official game under the former Richmond skipper following the record 27-year reign of Kevin Sheedy, overcame a slow start to steamroll last year's preliminary finalists 19.8 (122) to 9.13 (67)
But the win came at a cost after Lucas injured his posterior cruciate ligament during a marking contest late in the first term.
Lucas immediately limped off with Essendon club doctor Bruce Reid telling match broadcasters Channel Seven that Lucas had suffered "a full rupture" and could be sidelined until the halfway point of the season.
The 30-year-old veteran of 248 games is one of the AFL's most durable players - having played at least 19 games a season in every year since 2000.
It is the first serious injury Lucas has suffered since breaking his leg against Adelaide in round 10, 1999 - an injury that sidelined him for the remainder of that season.
But while the Bombers face a major challenge in covering Lucas in coming weeks, it did not stop them recording their first win over the Kangaroos since their famous comeback victory against them in 2001 - when the Bombers came from a record 69 points down in the second term to win by 12 points.
Since then the Roos had won their past six matches against the Bombers - including all five previous meetings at Telstra Dome.
However after a promising start on Monday - inspired by spearhead Nathan Thompson in his first game since 2006 after missing all of last year with a knee injury - the Roos offered little.
Thompson booted three early goals as the Roos led by 27 points two minutes into the second term yet Dean Laidley's side did not manage another goal until the seven minute mark of the third term by which time the Bombers had slammed on nine unanswered goals.
Knights' decision to inject more pace into the side in his first season looks set to pay big dividends as youngsters Bachar Houli and Alwyn Davey terrorised the Roos with their pace while the return of Adam Ramanauskas has added class and skill to the Bombers' defence.
And in skipper Matthew Lloyd the Bombers had a match winner in attack with Lloyd booting six goals while Nathan Lovett-Murray chipped in with four as the Bombers managed 11 different goalkickers.
In stark contrast such was the Kangaroos' lack of options that by three-quarter-time the team had just two goalkickers - Thompson and Lindsay Thomas - for the match.
NORTH MELBOURNE: 4.3, 6.7, 7.9, 9.13 (67)
ESSENDON: 2.0, 8.2, 15.5, 19.8 (122)
GOALS: North: Thompson 4, Thomas 3, Edwards, Petrie
Essendon: Lloyd 6, Lovett-Murray 4, Watson, Ramanauskas, McVeigh, Johnson, Hille, Laycock, Lucas, Davey, Fletcher
BEST: North: Harvey, Thompson, Thomas, Campbell, Power, Swallow
Essendon: Lloyd, Ramanauskas, McVeigh, Michael, Watson, Houli, Lovett-Murray, Hille, McPhee, Davey
INJURIES: North: Jones (cut head)
Essendon: Lucas (knee)
UMPIRES: Stevic, K Nicholls, McInerney
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
CROWD: 48,100 at Telstra Dome
Sportal AFL Player of the Year votes:
3 – Matthew Lloyd (Essendon)
2 – Adam Ramanauskas (Essendon)
1 – Mark McVeigh (Essendon)