Caminiti takes a strong mark on the lead 40m out on the flank in front of Heppell, but misses to the right. (Q1 1:17)
Ross roves a stoppage near the hotspot and gives outside to Owens, he feeds Higgins who snaps the first goal. (Q1 2:28)
Steele strips Durham in a tackle on the wing, Higgins finds Sinclair to mark at the hotspot who punches low and straight. (Q1 4:05)
Goldstein delivers a nice pass from the HFF to a hole near the hotspot after a ruck free on Marshall, Jones wins a raffle with Draper to mark and goal. (Q1 9:34)
Byrnes feeds Bonner on a switch to the right of true CHF, he lets fly from 50m but it’s over Sharman’s head for a point. (Q1 11:47)
Hobbs tries to tap a bouncing inside 50 kick near the hotspot to Menzie streaming towards goal but a fumble allows Wanganeen-Milera to smother the kick for a point. (Q1 11:47)
Saints go coast to coast from the kick in, Bonner involved but Phillipou misses from 30m on a slight angle. (Q1 11:47)
Ross snaps very high from a pack 30m out in the pocket but it falls into the near right post. (Q1 15:40)
Chain of handballs through heavy traffic by the Saints, Butler baulks past two Dons at the top of the square, his left-foot dribbler is weak but just long enough. (Q1 19:34)
Caminiti snaps an opportunist goal from the pocket after Martin kicks across the back line to the ankles of McGrath, classic Lyonball total-ground pressure is telling. (Q1 22:19)
The Dons finally get a centre clearance, Duursma snaps a much-needed gaol from 30m after Caldwell roves a chaos ball by Langford with Stringer providing the crumb. (Q1 23:34)
Stringer marks a quick repeat inside 50 kick by McGrath 45m out in front and just sneaks his set shot inside the right goalpost. (Q1 25:19)
Langford passes to the boundary 40m out for Stringer again, tougher angle this time and this one doesn’t score. (Q1 25:34)
Owens marks a Sinclair kick to the hotspot in front of a flat-footed Laverde, his set shot is a dirty mongrel but wobbles through. (Q2 3:17)
Higgins is on target today, he sails through a snap across the body after Membrey has time to butter up from a dropped mark from a Steele pass. (Q2 5:19)
Harrison Jones marks and boots goal number two from the hotspot to keep Essendon in touch, leaping easily in front of a lagging Bonner. (Q2 9:19)
Langford snaps another one from a pack near the hotspot after a ball up, helped by Draper tackling Cordy who was fumbling the crumb. (Q2 10:22)
Sharman takes a pack grab 40m out on a slight angle but shoots wide to the left. (Q2 12:14)
Sharman marks 30m out in the pocket and hits the near left goalpost. (Q2 14:58)
Higgins marks at the hotspot but shanks that one left. (Q2 17:20)
Parish misses a snap from a pack at close range. (Q2 23:53)
Langford marks 40m out near the boundary but misses near side right. (Q2 24:38)
Wilson tries to volley the crumb from a Membrey contest in the square but it’s wide. (Q3 0:47)
Langford is behind Wilkie for a long ball by Caldwell from members wing, he plays on into the open goal. (Q3 2:14)
Duursma fumbles to grass under pressure from Steele in the pocket, Higgins snaps the goal from 15m. (Q3 6:21)
Langford fumbles the mark from a long Draper kick to the square, he puts his head in his hands as he realises too late that the kick would have been a goal. (Q3 8:23)
But the repeat inside 50 comes quickly from the kick in, Battle’s rebound kick is off hands, Hobbs roves on the HFF and feeds McGrath who goals off a step from 45m. (Q3 9:06)
Membrey marks at the front of a four-man pack 30m out on the flank from a long speculator by Byrne from outer wing. The Skunk’s set shot stinks, wide right. (Q3 11:04)
After Stringer gives away a free to Bonner for a push and 50 for playing on into an open goal, sets up Ross to kick the twelve-point play goal from 40m in front! (Q3 12:49)
Wanganeen-Milera misses a flying snap from 50m on a slight angle after a lot of circle work from both sides, this is a wide open game. (Q3 22:09)
Caminiti roves his own contest 30m out in the pocket, stumbles and nicks the post with a grubber. (Q3 23:07)
Gresham finds Langford leading to 35m on a slight angle with Battle out of position, he punches through a nice set shot. (Q3 24:07)
Hind roves on the HFF and pokes a pass over traffic to Langford 30m out, Cordy lagging behind. Langford kicks wide right. (Q4 0:52)
Steele runs his full measure to half forward and bombs long over Kelly to Caminiti to mark near the behind line, he screws through the goal off the left. (Q4 3:52)
Stocker is pinged for a block well off a stoppage in the pocket 30m out. Stringer takes the rather dubious free, and curls the kick over Marshall on the line! (Q4 8:24)
Martin passes short to Langford on the boundary 45m out, whose kick is wide and OOB. (Q4 10:08)
Hind misses a set shot from the HFF. (Q4 11:12)
Perkins snaps wide from the hotspot after a stoppage. (Q4 13:11)
Duursma mows down Marshall to prevent a score from the HFF. (Q4 14:13)
Menzie beats Stocker to mark a very high ball 40m out on the flank but hits the post. (Q4 16:18)
Caldwell passes to Stringer 50m out on the flank, he delivers a sensational drop punt to put Essendon in the lead with 5:47 to play! (Q4 20:09)
Gresham picks up a smothered Wanganeen-Milera kick at the hotspot and snaps on the turn, this would be huge against his old side… skews wide left. (Q4 21:42)
Stringer sprints away from a pack on the HFF, swerves inside and tries a curling snap off the right from 35m… but it doesn’t turn and flies wide right. (Q4 22:56)
St Kilda rebound at pace around outer wing, Byrnes and Duursma one out in the square, Duursma does enough to spoil and the ball eventually is backheeled for a point. (Q4 22:56)
Clock ticks under 3:00 as the Bombers rebound slowly. (Q4 25:16)
Battle intercepts a Stringer kick to the pocket but Steele’s rebound kick is OOTF, clock at 2:01 as Hobbs has the footy. (Q4 25:53)
Menzie roves the long speculator by Hobbs but it’s out of play off the boot of Hobbs OOTF. (Q4 26:17)
Saints again rebound around outer wing, Wilkie and Sinclair involved, Ross to the pocket, Phillipou roves Mombrey’s contest but takes a low-percentage snap option, OOTF. (Q4 27:13)
Parish is pinged for insufficient intent on outer wing, Bonner goes back to the HFF but Draper takes a relieving mark with 51 seconds to go. (Q4 27:44)
Out for a throw in on outer wing, 37 seconds. (Q4 27:57)
Free kick from the out of zone umpire against Zak Jones for a hold kills the contest, Bombers win! (Q4 28:44)
