Match

Essendon vs Richmond

Commentary / 02 Jun 2018

Pre Game

59:30
Welcome to MCG for the Essendon v Richmond Round 11 clash.
59:33
Outs for Bombers: P.Ambrose
59:34
Ins for Bombers: M.Hurley
59:35
Outs for Tigers: B.Houli
59:36
Ins for Tigers: D.Grimes
59:40
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.
00:00
Richmond average three goals per game more than their opponents from shots at goal in general play. No other team in the competition averages over two goals per game more than opposition from this source in 2018.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:36
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)
03:47
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Callum Moore)
05:16
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Trent Cotchin)
08:17
Essendon have recorded 14 uncontested possessions to six for the Tigers, allowing the Bombers to spend 60 per cent of the first part of this quarter in their forward half, but have only managed 0.1.1 so far.
09:28
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Kane Lambert)
11:52
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Josh Caddy)
12:11
Josh Caddy gets the Tigers second goal for the game, both of which have come from Intercept Possessions. David Astbury launched the first of these goals and has four Intercept Possessions in this match, double that of any other player on the ground.
12:49
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)
14:37
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Brandon Ellis)
15:55
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (James Stewart)
17:10
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Josh Caddy)
18:44
Bombers Interchange - David Zaharakis and is possibly out for the game.
18:58
After a crunching tackle from Toby Nankervis and Reece Conca, David Zaharakis looks to have sustained a significant injury to his shoulder.
22:01
Richmond have won just the two hitouts, but they have both been-to-advantage. Their ferocity around the contest has also allowed them to shark five Essendon hitouts, and win just one less clearance than the Bombers (9-10).
22:06
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Connor Menadue)
23:46
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Toby Nankervis)
24:10
Bombers Interchange - Orazio Fantasia off due to an injury.
25:27
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (James Stewart)
27:34
Shane Edwards has a game-high 258 metres gained from seven disposals at 71 per cent efficiency. Jayden Short is not far behind at 253 metres gained from eight disposals at 88 per cent efficiency. Between them they have five inside 50's.
29:01
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)
29:36
Essendon manage to get a goal just before the break through Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti. This goal was launched from their defensive midfield zone, where they have launched 35 goals from this season, ranked equal first in the AFL in this metric in 2018.
30:05
Essendon dominated the ruck contests in the first term, winning 13 hitouts to four, and won five forward half clearances to two for the Tigers, however failed to score any points from this source in the first quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:36
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
01:50
Perfect start for the Bombers. Brendon Goddard wins the opening centre clearance and they turn it into the first goal of the term. Essendon score from 13 per cent of their centre bounce clearances this season, ranked third in the competition.
03:59
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Shane Edwards)
05:33
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Matt Guelfi)
06:59
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Orazio Fantasia)
07:30
Essendon have only allowed Richmond to win one pre-clearance contested possession so far this term. Richmond average five less pre-clearance contested possessions than their opponents in 2018, the lowest differential average in the competition.
08:43
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Callum Moore)
10:05
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jayden Laverde)
11:10
Essendon's last two goals have been launched from defensive half Intercept Possessions. They average just under four goals per game from this source, the sixth-highest average of any side in the competition in 2018.
12:51
Orazio Fantasia has recovered from an apparent ankle injury in the first term to record 16 pressure points this term, double that of any other player on the ground this quarter.
17:11
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
18:05
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Shane Edwards)
19:19
Jake Stringer's been good for the Bombers in the second term. He has eight disposals, five contested possessions and three Intercept Possessions. However his missed set shot allowed the Tigers to launch their last goal from the resulting kick-in.
19:58
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Jack Higgins)
21:44
Shane Edwards has been the standout player of the first half. He leads all players with 16 disposals, 387 metres gained, six inside 50's, five score involvements and two goals to go with seven contested possessions and six pressure acts.
24:31
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Dustin Martin)
25:28
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Josh Caddy)
29:34
Essendon scored all four of their goals in the first half from general play. They average five goals per game from this source since round seven, the seventh-highest average of any side in the competition in this time.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:40
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jack Graham)
03:20
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Dan Butler)
07:10
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Dustin Martin)
08:18
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Josh Caddy)
08:42
Josh Caddy makes it three goals to none early in the third term as he bags his fourth. Only Ben Brown (18) has kicked more goals than Caddy (16) since Round 5.
11:36
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)
15:50
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Callum Moore)
16:06
Essendon are yet to register a score from 12 Intercept Possessions this term. Richmond have just three more Intercepts but have scored 3.0.18 this term from this source.
17:50
Both teams kicking inside 50 has been ordinary this term. Essendon have retained possession from 20 per cent of their kicks entering forward 50, and RIchmond are only marginally better at 30 per cent.
18:11
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Dan Butler)
19:23
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
22:07
A desperate dive by ex-Tiger Matthew Dea smothers a potential Tigers goal and sees the ball go out of play. Essendon average eight smothers a game this season, the sixth-lowest average in this category of any side.
22:48
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Rushed)
23:55
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Callum Moore)
26:02
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Toby Nankervis)
26:23
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti will be the only Essendon player to score a goal at the Yarra River end of the MCG in tonight's match unless another Bomber kicks a goal in the next sixty seconds.
28:15
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Connor Menadue)
29:28
Jack Higgins has 14 forward half pressure acts to three quarter time. Jayden Laverde is the next best player on the ground in this metric with 11.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
03:52
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Trent Cotchin)
07:46
Richmond is yet to record an effective kick in their forward half this term. This has allowed the Bombers to lock the ball in their front half for 71 per cent of the last quarter.
07:54
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Devon Smith)
10:11
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Jack Riewoldt)
10:52
Jack Riewoldt finally gets on the scoreboard with his first goal of the night. He has kicked 36 goals against Essendon in his career, ranked seventh amongst all players active and retired since he debuted.
15:50
SCORE BEHIND - Tigers (Reece Conca)
19:21
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)
20:12
The Bombers average 7.6 kicks long to advantage per game in 2018, the second-highest average in the AFL in the first 10 rounds. They have two kicks long to advantage tonight, and the Richmond defence has taken 23 Intercept Marks tonight.
23:58
SCORE GOAL - Tigers (Callum Moore)
24:22
After he had 26 disposals, six clearances and two goals last week against the Saints, Dustin Martin has 'quietly' recorded another 28 disposals tonight, to go with a team-high 13 contested possessions, seven clearances and nine score involvements.
27:18
Essendon's two big recruits, Devon Smith and Jake Stringer, have been among the best for the Bombers. Stringer has recorded a game-high 16 contested possessions and nine clearances, and Smith recorded 20 pressure acts and 20 uncontested possessions.
28:11
14.5.89 from Intercept Possessions is the Tigers second best return for the year from this source, just behind the 94 points they scored against Carlton in Round 1.