Essendon have kept their AFL season alive with an extraordinary one-point comeback win over Fremantle but though "proud", coach Brad Scott is unsure his charges are ready for the heat of finals.
The Bombers trailed by 25 points early in the fourth quarter at the MCG on Sunday afternoon - before kicking five unanswered goals to take the lead.
Jye Amiss drew the Dockers level from a free kick with 36 seconds to play but Sam Durham burst forward to receive Zach Merrett's subsequent centre clearance and kicked a point to deliver a 13.12 (90) to 14.5 (89) win.
"Pride is the overwhelming sort of emotion. Just proud of the players' effort," Scott said.
After three losses on the bounce, Scott this week said his players had kept failing pressure tests.
"If you want to play at the pointy end of the season against the best teams, there's gonna be pressure on you," he said.
"Dealing with the pressure is just the reality of the competition. And we didn't handle it when we were under pressure.
"But again, it's not what happens. It's how you respond.
"Even today we had some some really good moments, we had some average moments, but the fight was there right till the end."
Essendon (ninth, 11-8-1) sit two points outside the top eight with games against Gold Coast (Marvel Stadium), Sydney (Marvel Stadium) and the Brisbane Lions (the Gabba) to come.
Scott said it was "yet to be proven" whether the Bombers were ready for finals.
"As soon as we get outcome-focused we take our attention away from where we need to be," he said.
"We need to just be really consistent with effort, play a really consistent brand that's gonna give ourselves a chance against the best now.
"If you fall into finals and you're not ready for it, it can sometimes be more damaging than being ready.
"So our focus is just on playing a style that's capable of competing in finals."
Justin Longmuir's Dockers (sixth, 12-1-7) blew their chance to consolidate a top-four spot ahead of a brutal home run against Geelong (Optus Stadium), GWS (Engie Stadium) and Port Adelaide (Optus Stadium).
Essendon midfielders Jye Caldwell (32 disposals), Darcy Parish (34 disposals) and Zach Merrett led the way while Scott hailed veteran Dylan Shiel for his monster final term.
Essendon dynamo Jake Stringer kicked four goals, with Jade Gresham adding three.
Xavier Duursma (hamstring) didn't finish the game but Scott played down a knock to Jayden Laverde.
Fremantle midfielder Hayden Young (two goals, 28 disposals) starred, with support from Andrew Brayshaw (33 disposals) and 100-gamer Caleb Serong (32 disposals).
Dockers spearhead Josh Treacy went down holding his right knee after an aerial collision with Ben McKay in the fourth quarter, but returned to play, with Longmuir hopeful his injury was merely a corked knee.
Treacy (three goals), Jye Amiss (four), Luke Jackson (two) and Sam Sturt (two) all hit the scoreboard.
Longmuir said the Dockers were "getting smacked in the midfield" early and labelled the contest "one that got away".
"Early in the last we had opportunities to put them away and we didn't," he said.
"We left the door open and what was plaguing us in the first half came back to bite us late for the last 20 minutes probably of that last quarter.
"We couldn't win a centre bounce, we lost territory and then our backs couldn't hold up any more and the dam wall burst."
