Shiel passes from the HFF to the lead of Langford ahead of Aliir 40m out on a slight angle, who steers through the first goal of the afternoon. (Q1 1:57)
Langford links up 70m from goal, turns and passes to the lead of Weideman in front of McKenzie 30m out in the pocket… the set shot drop punt is a peach, Dons have the jump! (Q1 4:16)
Rioli strips Zerk-Thatcher in a tackle after a stoppage in the pocket, Rozee roves and tumbles a kick to the behind line where Byrne-Jones is Johnny on the spot, mark and goal. (Q1 7:22)
Stringer engineers the next centre clearance, Setterfield goes long to a pack 30m out, Shiel roves and feeds Perkins for a rather simple snap goal. (Q1 8:51)
Perkins’ man Bergman went to the contest and left his man alone, classic defender mistake there. (Q1 9:32)
Martin drops an intercept mark at the Port hotspot, crumb falls for McEntee who gets tackled but gets a hard-won snap off that bounces through. (Q1 11:09)
Caldwell chips in front of Weideman’s lead to mark a Langford pass to the pocket 20m out, his screwing set shot is another goal. It’s a bit of a shoot out at Adelaide! (Q1 15:29)
McDonald-Tipungwuti coughs the ball up by hand on the wing, Byrne-Jones goes to Horne-Francis on his own in the pocket 30m out. The triple dash play is completed with a miss. (Q1 18:21)
The Bombers cough the pill up again behind centre on the wing to Rioli, Butters passes to Byrne-Jones who marks over McGrath 20m out in the pocket, he misses across the face. (Q1 19:27)
Marshall baulks clear in the pocket and centres for Rioli 20k out in front for his first goal. (Q1 20:47)
Perkins puts a right-foot step on Williams and dances to 45m on a slight angle, but misses to the left. (Q1 23:27)
Langford roves two Port defenders spoiling Phillips in the pocket, he gives McDonald-Tipungwuti a Joe the Goose special. (Q1 24:28)
Port’s defence has the tendency to look terrible when they don’t have the balance right, and Essendon’s matchups are suiting them today. Doesn’t help that supply is high. (Q1 24:58)
The Dons are bossing centre clearance, the next one sees Draper setting up Hobbs for a running snap from 45m on a slight angle, that flies through for another goal! (Q1 25:28)
Rioli runs behind a stoppage on the HFF ahead of Hind and spots up Finlayson 45m out on a slight angle, who shanks to the left. (Q1 27:48)
Rioli snaps wide from 40m in front after everyone took three seconds to realise a pass was touched off the boot. (Q1 30:23)
Stringer sprints away from the first centre bounce of Q2 and kicks to Langford who marks a bit too easily in front of McKenzie, he shoots from 40m on a slight angle… reviewed. (Q2 0:51)
Williams jumped on the line but too late she cried, that’s the fourth Bomber goal from centre bounce and the second from Langford. (Q2 1:21)
Marshall marks a Bonner pass on the boundary 45m out and slots a difficult set shot. (Q2 4:51)
Butters runs up the wing around Stringer and passes to Powell-Pepper near the boundary 30m out, who misses with a drop punt. (Q2 7:46)
Finlayson hits the post after marking 45m out on a slight angle. (Q2 10:41)
Weideman marks 40m out on the flank and delivers a lovely set shot. The Dons are losing the quarter badly in general play but are now ahead on the scoreboard. (Q2 13:22)
Byrne-Jones gets slung around the neck in a tackle by Hind 45m out on the flank, melee ensues and a 50m penalty against Martin for late contact ensures the goal. (Q2 19:37)
Dixon marks 45m out on the flank but misses across the face. (Q2 20:56)
Caldwell’s link mark at half forward leads to a give off to Merrett whose snap is a dirty floater, but swerves through! (Q2 22:33)
Rozee marks on the lead in front of McGrath 45m out on the flank, his set shot is narrow. (Q2 23:52)
Caldwell roves at CHB, Houston flies in to tackle and the ump pays HTB even though he didn’t have much prior opportunity. The free goes wide, footy gods smile. (Q2 25:52)
Boak misses a flying snap from the HFF. (Q2 30:23)
Dixon takes a pack mark in the pocket 25m out but misses across the face. (Q3 0:35)
Horne-Francis feeds Bonner who runs to the flank 40m out and sprays a snap across the face. (Q3 3:31)
Houston runs around congestion at half forward and passes to the pocket where Powell-Pepper picks the pocket of Marshall to mark 10m out for the goal. Peck that! (Q3 5:35)
Menzie feeds Stringer who screws through a sensational snap from 40m on the flank, the Package has been quiet but that’s a classic from him! (Q3 9:20)
Finlayson bursts away from the next centre bounce and lets fly from CHF, but the kick drifts right. (Q3 10:37)
Boak snaps from near CHF after receiving outside a pack from Rozee, the former captain finally gets some finishing quality for Port to reward their field position. (Q3 12:31)
Marshall hits the near right goalpost from a set shot 30m out in the pocket. (Q3 16:39)
Dixon juggles a mark over Zerk-Thatcher at the hotspot, he rams Port in front with his first goal. That was a long time coming, the Dons have been gallant but overrun. (Q3 20:56)
Dixon again marks in front of Zerk-Thatcher near the hotspot, Horne-Francis the provider. He boots his second goal, Port’s momentum is irresistible at this point. (Q3 22:51)
Merrett misses a 40m snap, Port fans are unforgiving and give him a Bronxie. (Q3 24:17)
Weideman gathers a pass to his bootlaces and gives over the top for Menzie to run into the open goal. (Q3 27:12)
Wedieman takes a contested grab against Aliir 40m out on a slight angle from a Perkins inside 50 kick. He lines up to give Essendon the lead back after the 3QT siren… wide right. (Q3 29:11)
Port is only a point in front but they have been all over the Bombers since QT, only goalkicking has stopped them putting this game away. (3 Qtr Time)
Setterfield gives Perkins a chance to run to 50m near the boundary and try his luck.. the snap sails through, Dons put their nose in front again! (Q4 2:40)
Davey gives to Stringer who tries an outrageous checkside off a step from the boundary 20m, that can’t go through surely… nup, Aliir kills it. (Q4 3:38)
Finlayson levels the scores with his second goal from a snap from 35m on the flank after catching a poor toepoke kick by McGrath under pressure. (Q4 6:45)
Draper runs from a pack at half forward, baulks clear of an onrushing Burton and tries a running checkside from 35m… evades Aliir but hits the base of the right goalpost. (Q4 7:58)
Wines passes to the lead of Finlayson ahead of a tired-looking Heppell 35m out, but the set shot is wide. Port leads by that point. (Q4 12:45)
Redman turns the ball over on the rebound, Dixon provides the contest for the repeat inside 50 kick by Drew, Butters is front and centre for the crumb and goal off the right! (Q4 13:41)
Powell-Pepper sets up Rioli to baulk to 20m and checkside the goal. Looks like that’s just about it for the plucky Dons. (Q4 16:11)
Aliir just gets back in time to rush a bouncing Caldwell snap from the HFF. (Q4 19:29)
Stringer checksides his second goal after roving a McDonald-Tipungwuti contest near the hotspot and turning to snap off a step. (Q4 21:46)
Parish’s centre clearance to CHF goes to Caldwell, he goes to the pocket but no score results. (Q4 21:46)
Hind passes to Langford who misses from the HFF. (Q4 23:41)
Butters roves a Butters inside 50 kick 40m out on the flank, his snap screws too far left for a point. (Q4 26:43)
Rioli intercepts the Zerk-Thatcher kick in up the guts to 50m, he hooks that one left as well. (Q4 27:26)
The Dons again go up the corridor on the kick in, this time they get through with Hind passing to Langford on the HFF< he plays on and hits the square… Burton rushes. (Q4 28:01)
A goal the diff, 2:18 on the clock. (Q4 28:01)
Butters kicks inside 50 to the pocket, out for a throw in, 1:38 to go. (Q4 28:38)
Zerk-Thatcher roves and dumps a kick to the wing blind, Draper gets a contact free on Wines, he bombs to half forward… Phillips marks in front of Aliir 45m out! (Q4 29:40)
Phillips kicks to level the scores… straight but short, rushed, 33 seconds left! (Q4 30:21)
Dixon gets a free on the wing from the kick in and that’s it, siren goes, Power holds on for win number five on the trot! But they really shouldn’t have kept it this close. (Full Time)
