Match

Essendon vs Sydney Swans

Commentary / 27 Jul 2018

Pre Game

00:00

Sydney have kicked a goal as a result of 21 per cent of their kicks that enter their forward 50 this season, the second best conversion rate of any side.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

00:13

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (David Myers)

00:50

Zak Jones gives away a free kick and is put on report before the first bounce, leading to the first score of the game through David Myers.

01:33

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Luke Parker)

03:13

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Josh P. Kennedy)

06:37

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (David Zaharakis)

08:45

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Will Hayward)

09:27

Dyson Heppell has been important for the Bombers early in this match. His four contested possessions and two inside 50's are twice as much as any player on the ground early in the first term.

11:46

Essendon have won the first five free kicks of this match. Interestingly, both the Bombers (minus 63, 17th) and Swans (minus 30, 15th) are in the bottom four teams for free kick differential this season.

12:52

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)

15:01

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Robbie Fox)

17:15

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Devon Smith)

18:15

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Tom Papley)

19:36

Matthew Dea is being stretchered off the ground after a heavy fall in a marking contest. He had gained three Intercept Possessions in the first half of this term, the most of all players on the ground, including one that launched the Bombers first goal.

19:42

Bombers Interchange - Matt Dea and is possibly out for the game.

24:40

Bombers Interchange - Matt Guelfi off due to an injury.

25:24

Five of Sydney's seven inside 50 marking targets have been successful. By comparison, Essendon have marked just one of their 10 inside 50 targets.

28:32

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Callum Sinclair)

29:37

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)

33:02

Devon Smith lays his AFL-leading 147th tackle of the season to win the ninth free kick of the term for the Bombers, but then plays on as the siren goes to end the first quarter. His 145 tackles after the first 17 games of this season is a new AFL record.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

04:30

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Darcy Parish)

06:05

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Jordan Dawson)

06:09

Swans Interchange - Aliir Aliir off due to an injury.

09:01

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mark Baguley)

09:48

Both of Essendon's two goals this term have been launched from forward half Intercept Possessions. They average 22 points per game from this source in 2018, the fourth-lowest average of any side.

11:28

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Tom Bellchambers)

11:29

Swans Interchange - Harry Cunningham off due to an injury.

14:26

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Isaac Heeney)

15:59

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Mitch Brown)

16:35

Despite missing part of this quarter after copping a knock to the knee, Aliir Aliir has taken five Intercept Marks, three more than any other player on the ground. His career-high is six Intercept Marks taken against West Coast in Round 13 this year.

17:49

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)

19:24

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Nic Newman)

23:06

Essendon have recorded 12 more inside 50's than the Swans in the first half so far (28-16), but have notched just eight shots at goal compared to the Swans' 10. Essendon average a score from 44 per cent of inside 50's, ranked 10th in the AFL in 2018.

25:06

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Jordan Dawson)

27:46

Through the last six quarters of football, Lance Franklin has scored just 0.3.3. That is his lowest scoring output in two consecutive games since Round 6-7 in 2005 against Carlton and West Coast respectively (one behind).

27:48

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Devon Smith)

29:21

Despite a close tag from George Hewett, Zach Merrett has been terrific for the Bombers in the first half. He has a game-high 10 contested possessions, to go with 15 disposals, a team-high three clearances and five Intercept possessions.

29:26

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Conor McKenna)

30:55

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)

30:59

Jake Lloyd has been very solid in the backline for the Swans in the first half. He has a game-high 19 disposals and 363 metres gained, as well as a team-high seven contested possessions to go with four Intercept Possessions.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

02:03

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)

04:20

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Mark Baguley)

04:54

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Zach Merrett)

05:35

Four straight goals to the Bombers from eight straight inside 50 entries. Since the Swans last goal to Jordan Dawson, the Bombers have won both the contested possession count (22-11) and the disposal count (44-22) by double.

07:56

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Lance Franklin)

08:19

Lance Franklin nails a goal from the boundary to stem the tide for the Swans. It is Sydney's first goal from a forward half Intercept Possession in this match. Sydney has averaged 21 forward half intercepts per game this season, ranked 17th.

11:15

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)

13:04

David Zaharakis will want to forget his 4000th career disposal in a hurry. He kicked it straight to Aliir Aliir for his sixth Intercept Mark of the game, an equal career-high record for Aliir.

14:07

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Lance Franklin)

17:57

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Heath Grundy)

18:34

Heath Grundy has been thrown forward to immediate effect, kicking his first goal since Round 4, 2014 against North Melbourne to get the Swans back within a goal.

19:27

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Mitch Brown)

20:15

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)

22:39

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)

25:12

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Ben Ronke)

26:11

SCORE GOAL - Swans (Lance Franklin)

27:09

The Bombers kick away but the Swans answer with two quick goals. That goal to Lance Franklin was the first goal this quarter for the Swans to be launched from a source other than an Intercept Possession, despite leading the clearances 12-8.

28:20

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Orazio Fantasia)

30:19

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Orazio Fantasia)

31:59

Sydney's defence has been critical through the first three quarters. Despite conceding 16 more inside 50's, they have allowed just three more shots at goal and lost just one defensive one-on-one contest.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

01:30

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Orazio Fantasia)

03:16

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mark Baguley)

06:47

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (David Myers)

06:58

All three of Essendon's scores this quarter have also been launched from the Attacking Midfield zone, bringing their scoring efficiency in this zone up to 43 per cent for the match.

07:28

SCORE BEHIND - Swans (Tom McCartin)

11:10

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Devon Smith)

11:54

Both teams have recorded 10 Intercept Possessions this term, however Essendon have outscored their opponents 2.2.14 to 0.0.0. Essendon average five points per game more from this source this season, ranked fifth in the AFL.

12:22

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)

14:14

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (David Myers)

17:01

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (David Myers)

18:05

Despite copping a knock to the knee early in the term, Josh Kennedy has six pressure acts to lead all players on the ground. The Swans captain has been leading from the front all night, with a team-high four inside 50's to go with 23 disposals.

18:29

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Orazio Fantasia)

20:12

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Devon Smith)

23:10

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Adam Saad)

23:29

Bombers Interchange - Kyle Langford off due to an injury.

24:49

As it stands, Essendon has recorded the second-highest inside 50 target differential this season, with 35 more targeted players inside 50 than the Swans in this match. Melbourne owns the season record with plus 37 against Fremantle in Round 16.

25:25

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)

26:28

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Devon Smith)

28:11

Essendon dominated the Swans throughout the match, winning the disposal count by 53, contested possessions by 15, tackles by 19 and inside 50's by 33, which is the third-highest inside 50 differential recorded in any game this season.