Butters tries to rove a long ball to the top of the square, Redman prevents it but Rozee pounces, did his soccer kick touch the right goalpost? No spike on Edge, goal stands. (Q1 2:29)
Powell-Pepper hits the near right goalpost from a set shot from 50m on the flank. (Q1 5:49)
Dixon marks a Drew pass in front of Laverde 45m out on the flank and sneaks the set shot inside the near left goalpost. All play in Port’s half in the first stanzas. (Q1 7:29)
Butters marks on the wing, plays on and passes to Marshall on a diagonal lead to the flank 45m out. His set shot is tugged left. (Q1 9:49)
Laverde intercepts 50m out on a slight angle and brings back some good memories of his forward craft with a thumping set shot for Essendon’s first major! (Q1 11:34)
Martin roves at half back but dithers and is monstered by Dixon from behind to concede a HTB free. Dixon shoots from 50m on a slight angle but just hangs it to the right. (Q1 13:29)
Dixon takes a mark on the HFF and goes inboard for Finlayson who draws a front-on contact free on Parish 40m out on a slight angle, Don fans boo but it was there. Dorsal misses. (Q1 16:30)
Dons have found a few young mids this year but they’re getting spifflicated early by the older Port bodies. Clearances already 6-1. (Q1 17:49)
Dixon marks again in the pocket 30m out but his screwing set shot off the left is short and rushed by McGrath. (Q1 18:15)
Guelfi is pinged for a push as Narkle kicks, downfield free to Powell-Pepper 50m out on the flank. SPP’s set shot falls on the line for Zerk-Thatcher to rush. (Q1 20:23)
Dixon gets targeted again inside 50 but this Wines kick clears him and is marked by a sliding Byrne-Jones 40m out on a slight angle. DBJ slices it right. (Q1 22:30)
After a 50m penalty to clear lines for Essendon, Redman marks a Merrett pass 50m out on a slight angle but misses. (Q1 23:30)
Guelfi falls on Wines’s back who fell on a loose ball in the pocket for the Dons, 50/50 umpire’s call goes to Guelfi for HTB, he goals. (Q1 25:03)
McEntee gives to Powell-Pepper who is on his wrong side running to the pocket 20m out, his snap is too low and cut off by Zerk-Thatcher for no score. (Q1 26:32)
Stringer beats Burton to mark near the boundary 35m out but his set shot drop punt is narrow to the right. (Q1 27:15)
Langford snaps from the hotspot, it sails through but just after the umpire had signalled QT. (Q1 28:13)
Port is still bossing clearances but the second half of Q1 was mostly about rebounds, not many stoppages at all which favours the Bombers. (Qtr Time)
Perkins baulks clear on the HFF and goes to the hotspot where Hobbs wins a raffle with Heppell to mark over Houston… but he hangs the set shot left. (Q2 3:41)
Williams shanks the kick in to a nest of Bombers, Hobbs roves and feeds Durham who pokes a pass to Langford 20m out in the pocket, he kicks straight to give Essendon the lead. (Q2 4:41)
Clearances are at 9-1 now Port’s way but scores are coming from turnovers rather than stoppages. (Q2 5:11)
Hobbs volleys the crumb from a stoppage at half forward to the flank 40m out where Menzie marks in front of Farrell. He also hooks the kick left. (Q2 6:57)
Port rebounds at pace with Burton and Butters involved, Dixon passes to McEntee near true CHF, he gives off to Farrell who launches a howitzer from 55m, big goal! (Q2 7:59)
Visentini is pinged for encroachment to bring Caldwell within range, he goes inboard to Martin 35m out in front to punches low and straight. (Q2 12:12)
Essendon have the last four clearances, so everything is just about even in this game. (Q2 12:42)
Horne-Francis passes to Rozee 40m out near the boundary after Port gets a forward half turnover. Rozee sails through a peach of a drop punt! (Q2 14:12)
Perkins bounces a snap wide from half forward. (Q2 15:28)
Short kick in doesn’t work for Port, Perkins gets another chance but this high snap from 35m lands near the square to be rushed. (Q2 16:12)
Wines passes short from the HFF down the line to Narkle 35m out. Crowd hoots as he shoots… he shuts them up with a nice finish. (Q2 18:57)
Aliir leaps on the line to try to touch through a Parish snap from a stoppage 25m out on the flank that bounced in front of him… review shows he did get a finger to it in time. (Q2 22:42)
Williams fumbles a crumb at defensive hotspot, Snelling has a chance 40m out but his snap falls on the line for McKenzie to cut off for no score. (Q2 24:28)
Clearances are now 12-12, it’s an arm wrestle all across the ground. (Q2 25:29)
Narkle misses a pass at half forward, Essendon counters, Stringer feeds Parish who kicks off a step from 40m in front… swerves left. (Q2 28:22)
Aliir intercepts at defensive hotspot but his kick to the back pocket is telegraphed, Menzie picks him off and goes quickly to Guelfi 25m out on the flank. Guelfi goals. (Q3 1:21)
Houston is pinged for encroachment after a very short pass to bring Caldwell to 30m on the flank, but the set shot is wide right. (Q3 5:51)
Snelling passes to Langford on another repeat inside 50. Langford shoots from 25m in the pocket, he doesn’t miss. (Q3 6:46)
Horne-Francis roves his own contest on the HFF and feeds Narkle to poke a pass down the line to Dixon 35m out, nothing Laverde could do there. Dixon’s kick is poor, rushed. (Q3 12:59)
Farrell’s pass up members wing sets Butters off on a scoot with two bounces, stumbles and luckily gets caught high by McGrath 40m out on a slight angle. Crowd boos, he goals. (Q3 15:46)
Weideman takes a link mark after the next bounce and passes to the pocket over Burton for Stringer 35m out. He restores Essendon’s lead with a nice set shot drop punt. (Q3 17:53)
Rain started falling earlier in Q3 and is getting heavier. (Q3 18:31)
Stringer wins a HTB free on Aliir who fumbles the wet ball under a swinging tackle 50m out on a slight angle. The set shot is tugged left. (Q3 19:51)
Wines scuffs a pressured kick from defence and the ump pings him for insufficient intent, Merrett goes short to Parish on the boundary 40m out, Parish misses across the face left. (Q3 21:22)
Very heavy rain falling at the G now, already slippery conditions. (Q3 22:32)
Langford marks a Perkins pass leading hard to the boundary in front of Bergman 35m out. Tough set shot… just misses near side right. (Q3 24:54)
Wines baulks in midfield and pokes a pass to Narkle 45m out in front, he tries a pass that doesn’t work, opportunity lost. (Q3 25:28)
Butters passes to Finlayson 50m out on a slight angle. The ball is not yet heavy from the rain… Dorsal says the water doesn’t bother me anyway and sends through a big goal! (Q4 1:47)
Burton fumbles on the HFF but Kelly roves and Burton catches him HTB 40m out. This set shot for the lead for Port… straight through! (Q4 5:12)
Aliir roves on the HBF and tries to step Merrett but gets caught HTB. Merrett kicks to the hotspot where Weideman marks unopposed, Port defence disorganised. The Weed misses. (Q4 9:40)
Byrne-Jones snaps off a step from near the hotspot but it skids across the face. (Q4 10:47)
Powell-Pepper catches a shoots from a pack 45m out on the flank, skids but goes just to the right of the right goalpost. (Q4 12:08)
Repeat inside 50s for Port eventually tell, Powell-Pepper roves a Marshall contest at the hotspot and gives wide to Rozee who screws through a sensational finish from 25m! (Q4 15:26)
Fantastic quick and clean hands by SPP on that play with a cake of soap that is the ball. (Q4 16:08)
Butters speeds up the corridor on a rebound started by Aliir, he kicks over Dixon leading from the square for Byrne-Jones to run behind and skid through another one! (Q4 17:22)
Four goals to none in Q4 for Port, they are on an 11-0 run and are likely to make it 14-0 by round 19 when they host Collingwood with the Suns and Blues in between. (Q4 18:08)
Drew passes to the lead of Powell-Pepper in front of Heppell 35m out on the flank. This would ice it in wet conditions… wide right. (Q4 19:13)
Alngford feeds Caldwell for a lovely snap from the pocket 25m out after a stoppage. Two kicks in it now, 6:56 to play. (Q4 20:37)
Surge by the Bombers after the next bounce, Parish goes to pack 30m out on a slight angle, Langford leaps over it and clunks the mark with strong dukes! Set shot is good! (Q4 22:13)
Just a kick in it now, 6:05 to play. (Q4 22:34)
Rain has held off in Q4 and the conditions are not terrible, time for those with the cleanest hands to use them. (Q4 25:09)
Williams intercepts a rather aimless inside 50 kick by Heppell, 3:21 to go as he rebounds. (Q4 26:31)
Ridley pumps it back in but Aliir rebounds. (Q4 26:45)
Heppell catches Marshall HTB on the wing and kicks long to the flank, Houston punches for a throw in 40m out, 2:32 to go. Rain falling again. (Q4 27:13)
Repeat inside 50s for Essendon, Redman’s kick lands with Caldwell 30m out on a slight angle! This for the lead as the clock ticks past 1:30… it’s good! (Q4 28:28)
The soggy crowd is going ape droppings at the G, 1:23 to play and Port needs another score to keep their unbeaten streak alive, down by a point. Another draw on the cards? (Q4 29:08)
Phillips thumps forward in ruck, Parish gets the opportunity from 25m but it skids across the face. 1:04, two points in it. (Q4 29:53)
Long kick n by McKenzie, Redman roves at half back but his kick is insufficient intent on the wing, repeat inside 50 out for a throw in, 42 seconds… (Q4 30:31)
Throw in lands near the hotspot, Byrne-Jones roves and is claimed, both sets of fans scream for a free, throw up… (Q4 31:10)
Martin’s dump kick is marked by Houston 50m out on the flank, he goes back for the set shot, this has to be a goal for Port to win, siren goes… (Q4 31:29)
Houston kicks after the siren to win, crowd booing lustily, the kick is straight but falls on the line, huge pack, soft call is a goal, on review it’s just over the line! (Q4 32:04)
Houston launched a rocket to win the game after the siren, the streak is alive! (Q4 32:13)
