For the first score of the day, Snelling feeds it out of stoppage congestion to Stringer who hastily gets a show away from the pocket that’s off to the near side. (Q1 1:59)
Sam Gray dribbles one from the tightest of angles after crumbing the Dixon contest. While the connection is good, it doesn’t bounce favourably for him, through for a minor score. (Q1 7:45)
The two Grays combine on the flank with Robbie executing his set shot to absolute perfection from 45 on a tight angle. Port Adelaide make the first dent on the scoreboard. (Q1 11:15)
The Bombers’ reply is rapid, with excellent clearance work from Tippa setting up a McGrath running goal from 45. A touched score review overturns it, resulting in a behind only. (Q1 12:00)
A daring Powell-Pepper sends it forward where Rozee crumbs cleanly at the hot spot. He links up with Ryder and then it’s Marshall who finishes with a classy snap on his right boot. (Q1 14:31)
A bleach-blonde Fantasia catches Jonas HTB in the pocket, then runs inboard and snaps truly on his right to notch up Essendon’s first major. (Q1 15:57)
Individual brilliance from both Robbie Gray with a lightning-quick handball and then Sutcliffe with a tight-angle snap chalks up Port’s third goal for the day. (Q1 17:57)
McGrath drops the mark at the 45 but recovers and releases quickly to the adjacent Merrett who sidesteps and shoots off a step for a quality goal. (Q1 21:14)
Outstanding rebound work from Francis allows Shiel to get involved a couple of times forward of centre. He snaps on his left from a standing start at 30, albeit inaccurately. (Q1 24:26)
Redman is penalised for interference on Gray in the marking contest, gifting Robbie a shot on goal. On a moderate angle from 35, he nails his second of the quarter. (Q1 25:38)
Sutcliffe has another opportunity from the same pocket as a few minutes ago, however, this snap doesn’t have the same finesse as the one prior, resulting in a behind. (Q1 27:29)
Langford gives Butters a shove in the back after the fact and the youngster makes him pay, smacking it home from 45. (Q1 28:36)
Langford, Zaharakis, and Brown combine inside the first minute of the second, however, the latter’s left-foot snap is marginally wide. (Q2 1:24)
McDonald-Tipungwuti uses Hartlett as a stepladder to clunch a classic speckie, yet the finish is anticlimactic, always offline to the near side. (Q2 4:26)
Rozee almost crumbs and goals splendidly in one action from the square. A desperate Guelfi won’t be denied, however, getting a hand on it just before the goal line. (Q2 7:09)
Ryder hits Robbie Gray lace-out, marking at 45 in front of Saad. For his third of the match, Robbie strikes it flawlessly. (Q2 9:54)
Amon scoops up the footy from the point of the square, dashes diagonally and winds up from long range, missing by inches from 55. (Q2 13:05)
A stong Snelling tackles on Jonas is rewarded with a HTB free kick. He releases outside to Shiel who thumps it goalward from 50. Umpire’s call is a goal and that’s the way it stays (Q2 15:43)
High contact from Francis allows Marshall to send a kick inside 50 from CHF. It’s smartly to the advantage of Houston who marks at 25m, directly in front, and goals. (Q2 19:26)
Redman’s rebound work from the backline sets up a McKenna forward-50 entry that sails over the fingertips of Dylan Clarke into the lap of Guelfi. From 45, Matt misses narrowly. (Q2 24:27)
Stringer pushes off Bonner on the flank. He centres to Hooker in the square who is able to bring the footy to ground, allowing Snelling the chance to crumb and goal. (Q2 26:43)
Duursma is able to muscle out a handball from within the tackle to a galloping Rozee who snaps from a tight angle in the pocket, but it hits the post. (Q2 28:24)
Shiel gallops through the corridor and loops it over the top to Snelling who nails the running goal from 45m, making it two for the quarter for Will. (Q2 29:43)
With 15 seconds on the clock, Boak marks a short chip kick at the 40. Redman retaliates off the ball on Robbie Gray with a push, giving away a 50 and making it a certain Boak goal. (Half Time)
Gleeson hacks it out of mid-air from his defensive goalsquare OOTF into the tenth row in the crowd. Duursma’s checkside snap is flawless, and so is his archer celebration! (Q3 4:32)
Fantasia sends it to the hot spot where Francis leaps sky-high. The ball comes to ground and Francis good enough to recover, soccering an opportunistic goal off the ground. (Q3 6:50)
Houston marks in the centre square and hits the leading Rozee with a perfect pass. From 45m, Connor’s kick comes face to face with the post. (Q3 9:07)
Dixon sends it to the hot spot where Rozee silkily roves the contest, finally getting his first goal of the day with a high-quality running right-foot snap. (Q3 10:06)
McKenna bursts through the corridor and kicks to Fantasia in the pocket. He can’t hold the mark but recovers with haste, then sidesteps and snaps a supreme goal on his right boot. (Q3 12:05)
McDonald-Tipungwuti swoops on the loose ball on the half forward flank, runs inside 50 and launches a shot from the boundary line that is offline. (Q3 13:51)
Rozee crumbs adjacent to the boundary line and goes for glory with a running checkside. While it was cinematic, it lacked accuracy. (Q3 15:21)
Sutcliffe sends a low ball to the top of the square where Sam Gray marks running back with the flight. He has no issue slotting it through. (Q3 16:51)
Merrett pops a pass into the path of the leading Stringer who goes back and nails the set shot from 45m on a moderate angle. (Q3 18:24)
Flawless roving work from Rozee and then an accurate, bulleting checkside from 25 at full speed is as impressive a goal as we’ve seen all day. (Q3 21:03)
Stringer knocks it into the lap of Guelfi riding shotgun in the pocket, but he lacks the balance to hook his kick back enough, over the line for a minor score. (Q3 22:37)
Rozee marks with plenty of space in the centre circle before releasing to Sutcliffe who hits Marshall on the lead. From 30m, Todd sneaks it home. (Q3 25:07)
Sutcliffe is involved again, this time with a well-weighted pass into the path of a stretching Amon. On a tough angle for the left-footer, he makes it look easy. (Q3 27:47)
Robbie Gray has plenty of time to asses as he trots toward goal from the 50 arc. He steadies and shoots from 40 but it’s never online. (3 Qtr Time)
Broadbent soccers a clearing kick out of mid-air that falls straight into the lap of Zac Clarke. The big man goes back, shoots from 40m, directly in front, and hooks it to the left (3 Qtr Time)
Mitch Brown receives on the outside of Francis but a fumble costs him, making the running wide-angle shot more difficult than it had to be. The result? A minor score. (Q4 4:49)
Great bodywork from Robbie Gray to work Saad the wrong side of the drop allows him to run out the back into an open goal, despite Saad hot on his heels. (Q4 5:18)
Ladhams centres from the flank and Ryder stands tall to mark above Hartley at the 35. From directly in front, he sneaks it home. (Q4 6:03)
Dylan Clarke has a moment to forget, booting the centre clearance completely in the wrong direction. Rozee pounces and snaps from the pocket but can’t convert. (Q4 6:03)
An under-pressure wayward Tippa kick lands with Powell-Pepper, well within range. Sam’s 40m shot scrapes the woodwork. (Q4 9:11)
Clurey outmarks Snelling on the wing then links up with Marshall who finds Powell-Pepper in the pocket. He wheels around on his right and snaps it through. (Q4 13:28)
McDonald-Tipungwuti catches Amon HTB before popping a pass inbound to Stringer. Jake goes back and boots it sweetly though from outside the 50 arc. (Q4 16:43)
Powell-Pepper feeds it out of congestion to Rockliff who lowers his eyes to poke a pass to the leading Marshall. From 40m, he slots his third of the day. (Q4 18:21)
McKenna sends the footy back from where it came. Stringer protects the ball drop to mark but from 50m, Jake misses to the left. (Q4 23:22)
Brown is awarded a shot on goal as the benefactor of a Westhoff hold. His simple shot from 30, however, is wasteful. (Q4 24:34)
Amon bullets a kick to Houston who clunks it on his chest just inside the 50m arc. He goes back and launches it through the big sticks, putting the icing on the cake. (Q4 26:50)
