Jones feeds Gresham for a pressured snap from 25m in the pocket that flies wide right after the Dons boss the first bounce.
Repeat inside 50 by Kelly for Essendon, Caldwell shanks his centring ball but it wobbles over Hinge to Jones 10m out for the first goal. Luck’s a fortune!
Dawson feeds Laird at a stoppage on the HFF, he has ten yards of space to run and shoot… but wide left, disappointingly. (Q1 7:16)
Soligo tries a short pass at half back but misses Dawson, Parish swoops and runs to 40m but blazes wide right. (Q1 11:01)
Dons are swarming the Crows on rebound, on the latest forced turnover Redman lets fly from 50m on a slight angle but hooks it left under pressure. (Q1 12:17)
Both sides are sending multiple flankers to clog up midfield, making for lots of pressure around the footy and not much flow to the game yet. Wait til they get tired. (Q1 14:32)
Rachele kicks quick from a stoppage at half forward to the top of the square where Redman had given Keays too much room, Pidgeot marks untouched and kicks the first Adelaide goal. (Q1 15:30)
Dawson drops an uncontested intercept mark at half back, Davey roves and feeds Gresham for an opportunist goal from 35m. (Q1 19:01)
Goldstein fumbles a ground ball at half forward, Hamill arrives and pinches it to start a rebound, Fogarty’s link mark sets up Walker who bounces through the goal from 60m! (Q1 26:57)
Cox receives outside a pack in the pocket and centres for Parish 20m out for the first goal of Q2. (Q2 0:58)
Langford punches a low set shot to the narrow right side from 40m on the flank after earning an arm chop free on Worrell. (Q2 3:01)
Keane kicks OOTF off his left at a stoppage 45m out on the back flank. Parish takes the free and hits the square but it’s an easy one for O’Brien to rush. (Q2 6:46)
O’Brien down to Berry forward of a stoppage on the HFF, he reaches 40m but decides on a pass towards Walker who is outnumbered, Redman rushes with ease. (Q2 8:59)
Essendon’s tackling at half forward has been outstanding tonight, Hobbs wins a HTB free on Hamill 45m out on a slight angle and gets reward for hard work with a goal! (Q2 12:22)
Stringer roves a stoppage at half forward and baulks away from Keane to ram through a big goal from 30m in front. Dons now getting scoreboard nourishment. (Q2 16:37)
Dawson gets a free plus 50m at the next bounce for a charity goal from the hotspot. (Q2 17:57)
Draper was the culprit for that goal, can’t be timewasting like that. (Q2 18:57)
Laverde kicks across half back but his man Duursma slips over as Chayce Jones leaps in front to intercept and run into the open goal! (Q2 20:27)
Dawson reaches over Durham to intercept at half forward, while Durham jaws off at the umpire Dawson plays on past him and rams through another one from 55m on a slight angle! (Q2 22:42)
Stringer marks leading in front of Hammill to 45m near the boundary. He has the wild look in his eye, the Package… just narrow to the left. (Q2 25:30)
Stringer flashes through a ball-in and snaps over his shoulder from 20m in front… just too much to the left. (Q2 27:29)
Stringer’s pressure causes Soligo to kick up the pipe at half back, Harrison Jones marks 50m out on a slight angle but misses. (Q2 28:43)
McGrath roves on the HBF but handballs to no one, pinged for insufficient intent. McHenry takes the free 50m out and centres to the hotspot… no score results. (Q2 31:48)
Ah but under the resultant pack, the ump does see a free, it’s a HTB free against a spinning Langford to Fogarty. The Fog lines up from 35m after the HT siren and misses. (Q2 32:43)
Caldwell leaps to pull in a one-handed mark over Soligo from a Martin kick to 45m on the flank. His kick is high and straight but just too short, O’Brien touches it through. (Q3 5:46)
Fogarty clunks a set shot from 45m on a slight angle to level the scores, his trademark play. (Q3 10:13)
Durham is pinged for spinning in a pack after roving and getting claimed by Soligo 40m out on the flank. Soligo puts Adelaide in front for the first time with that goal! (Q3 11:42)
Dawson marks and plays on on the HBF to hit a beautiful infield pass to Walker who sets up Rachele for another one for the Crows, they are an FIYAH! (Q3 13:42)
The Crows take some chances rebounding through the corridor but ride their luck again, Gollant provides a crumb at the hotspot for McHenry to volley home! (Q3 18:42)
Langford volleys a crumb wide from 30m on a slight angle before Hinge gets to him. (Q3 20:15)
Repeat inside 50s for Essendon, another ball falls over the back and this time sits up nicely for Harrison Jones to goal from 15m. (Q3 20:57)
Martin spits through the next bounce, his third touch in the chain is a running shot from 40m in the corridor that skews wide left. (Q3 22:02)
More repeat inside 50s for the Bombers, Harrison Jones gives to Langford who snaps another one! Margin back within a kick. (Q3 22:57)
Merrett misses a flying shot from half forward. (Q3 28:57)
Langford roves at the hotspot and shoots high and a bit ugly but was himself caught high by Chayce Jones while kicking. Free comes back to 30m on a slight angle, he converts. (Q3 31:57)
Hind roves and feeds Parish who snaps to the left from the hotspot off a step. (Q4 3:46)
Hind spins away from Dawson at half forward and lets fly from 45m on a slight angle… fades to the right, Hind holds his hairless head in his hands. (Q4 7:59)
Nankervis roves on the HFF and baulks away from Draper to hits the top of the square where Keays draws a holding free on Kelly and goals. Crows retake the lead. (Q4 9:30)
Rankine has done bugger all so far this evening but he’s dynamite at forward 50 stoppages, he roves a ball up at the hotspot and bounces through a huge goal! (Q4 12:18)
Merrett zooms onto the crumb from a long ball to a pack at the hotspot, he tumbles through another lead-changing goal! (Q4 14:25)
Draper leads out of the square in front of Borlase and clunks the mark from a high Gresham kick from the HFF to the hotspot. For the lead back again… shanks left badly. (Q4 17:43)
Martin receives from Goldstein outside CHF and sails through the go-ahead goal! (Q4 19:33)
Dawson has Rachele on his own in the pocket but misses the pass, burned chance for the Crows! (Q4 22:32)
Or was it just that Rachele dropped a sitter… (Q4 23:02)
Goldstein taps straight to Fogarty at a ball up in the Crows forward pocket but the Fog snaps wide left from 25m. (Q4 23:31)
Davey’s chase forces a running snap by Hinge from the boundary 40m out to skew OOTF. (Q4 24:21)
Walker hits the square with a kick from the HFF, plenty of bodies there and it’s off hands for a point. (Q4 25:25)
Gresham catches Rankine HTB on the HBF to stop another repeat inside 50 for Adelaide. Clock ticks under 3:00. (Q4 26:33)
Keane gathers a Stringer kick to green grass inside forward 50 for Essendon and starts a rebound up the guts that breaks down at CHF… (Q4 27:50)
Stoppage on the Crows HFF, 1:34 to play. (Q4 28:13)
Draper out of ruck kicks to the wing, ball out for a throw in, 1:25. (Q4 28:30)
Soligo clears the HFF, Rachele marks 60m out and surveys a crowded forward 50, long ball to top of square, ball up, 57 seconds left! (Q4 29:17)
Tsatas kicks to grass at half back, ball up 40m out, 47 seconds…. (Q4 29:49)
Walker tackled by McKay, another ball up. Rachele has a lash off the left from 35m… wide right. 29 seconds left. (Q4 30:16)
Redman bombs to members wing, Hinge tumbles back in, ball up 40m out on the flank, 10 seconds to go! (Q4 30:33)
Walker handballs under a tackle, Draper falls on the loose footy, Walker tackles him, whole stadium baying for a HTB free, ump says no, siren sounds, Bombers hold on! (Final Siren)
