Match

West Coast Eagles vs Essendon

Commentary / 21 Jun 2018

Pre Game

00:00
The Bombers have averaged 26 points per game from their defensive half intercepts, ranked fourth in the competition.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:43
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
02:35
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
03:43
Mitch Brown has two marks inside forward 50 already. The Bombers average 12 marks per game inside 50, ranked fifth in the competition.
04:57
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
07:25
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
07:41
The Bombers have four scores from four inside 50 entries, a strike rate of 100 per cent. This season, Essendon ranks just 11th in this area, averaging a score from 43 per cent of forward 50 entries.
10:14
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Tom Bellchambers)
10:57
This has been a fantastic start for Essendon against the best first quarter side in the competition. The Eagles have won 10 out of 12 first quarters this year, more than any other side. Prior to tonight, the Bombers had won seven of 12 first quarters.
13:03
Essendon has eight of the first 10 inside 50s of the match and have enjoyed 80 per cent time in forward half.
15:45
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Liam Ryan)
16:38
The Bombers are well on top in uncontested possession, leading 44 to 22 and are also using the ball far better by foot, kicking at an efficiency of 76 per cent to West Coast's 65 per cent.
16:58
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
21:07
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
22:01
Jake Stringer has three of Essendon's five goals, marking just the second time that a Bomber has kicked three goals in a quarter this season. Shaun McKernan was the other Bomber to achieve this feat in the 1st quarter against Geelong in Round 9.
29:08
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Devon Smith)
29:59
Five of Essendon's six goals came via intercepts. The Bombers had 12 midfield intercepts in total, resulting in six inside 50s and three goals.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
02:08
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Devon Smith)
07:03
The Bombers have picked up where they left off in the opening quarter, leading West Coast 12 to six in contested possession, six to one in clearances and five to one in inside 50s for the term.
08:37
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)
11:27
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Nic Naitanui)
13:44
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Fraser McInnes)
13:54
West Coast ranks fourth in the AFL for clearance differential and scores seven points per game more than its opposition from stoppages, ranked third, but are being outpointed 22 to 10 in clearances for the match tonight.
15:35
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Fraser McInnes)
16:31
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Scott Lycett)
19:43
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
20:13
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Mark LeCras)
20:57
West Coast has had 12 of the last 14 inside 50s for the match over the last 10 minutes of game time, but have scored 1.5.11 to 0.1.1 over the time period.
26:09
Essendon has accumulated 65 more disposals for the match and have enjoyed four and a half more minutes time in possession than the Eagles.
28:10
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Tom Bellchambers)
29:51
Essendon has comprehensively won contested possession 78 to 62 in the first half. It has been a team effort across the ground with 10 players having won five or more contested possessions for the match.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:45
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)
05:06
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
06:58
West Coast is using the ball better by foot this quarter going at 75 per cent by foot, compared to Essendon's 67 per cent. Unfortunately two of the Eagles' three ineffective kicks for the term have been its two scoring shots.
07:15
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jackson Nelson)
10:13
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mark Baguley)
10:53
Essendon averages 47 points per game from intercepts this season, ranked 13th in the competition. Tonight they have outscored the Eagles 7.2.44 to 0.6.6 from this score source.
14:37
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)
14:59
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Fraser McInnes)
15:21
West Coast and Essendon are deadlocked at 34 inside 50s apiece, but the Bombers have been far more effective kicking nine goals to one from its forward 50 entries.
16:18
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jake Waterman)
17:15
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)
18:00
From Rounds 1 to 11 with Jack Darling in the side, the Eagles kicked a goal from 28 per cent of its forward 50 entries. Last week and this week has seen West Coast kick nine goals from 99 entries, a strike rate of just nine per cent.
22:05
West Coast will be disappointed that they haven't kicked more than just 1.5.11 to 1.1.7 from a 17 to six advantage in inside 50s this quarter. The Eagles have enjoyed 72 per cent time in forward half this quarter.
23:51
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Josh Green)
25:02
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
27:25
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)
29:14
West Coast has failed to kick a goal from an intercept tonight, kicking 0.9.9 for the match. The Eagles average 63 points per game from this source, ranked third in the competition, with their previous low this season being 41 points from this source.
29:26
Essendon has outscored West Coast 5.6.36 to 2.8.20 from forward half chains.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:20
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Scott Lycett)
02:24
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Matt Guelfi)
04:31
Essendon has had the advantage in contested possession all night, leading 116 to 99 in this area. Zach Merrett has had a fantastic game for the Bombers with 24 disposals, 10 contested possessions, four clearances and four tackles.
06:09
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Mark LeCras)
07:25
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)
08:49
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Willie Rioli)
10:16
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Devon Smith)
12:07
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
13:38
In the last two weeks, West Coast has kicked 10 goals and 26 behinds, a scoring accuracy of just 28 per cent.
14:53
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Mark LeCras)
16:58
Essendon has kicked 6.6.42 from chains originating in the midfield zone, where as West Coast has kicked just 1.7.13 from midfield chains.
18:00
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Luke Shuey)
20:29
Adam Saad has had 25 disposals at 92 per cent efficiency, his highest disposal tally as a Bomber. Saad's 25 disposals is also just one away from his career best 26 disposals recorded on two occasions in 2015 when he played for Gold Coast.
23:48
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Nic Naitanui)
24:42
Essendon will be pleased that they have won the clearances 37 to 31 and have broken even in scores from stoppages with West Coast, kicking 2.5.17 to 2.4.16 from this source.
25:40
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)
27:26
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
28:00
In the second half, West Coast has dominated the inside 50s 36 to 17 and the tackles 30 to 16, but it was too little, too late unfortunately. The Eagles will be disappointed that they only outscored Essendon 5.10.40 to 4.4.28 from this dominance.
29:06
Devon Smith continued his outstanding season for the Bombers with 23 disposals, 10 contested possessions, five tackles, six clearances and three goals.