Match

Fremantle vs Essendon

Commentary / 17 Aug 2019

Pre Game

00:00
The Bombers lost the disposal count by 125 against the Bulldogs last round, their worst differential recorded since Round 14, 2015.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:23
Bombers Interchange - David Zaharakis off due to the blood rule.
01:54
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
02:48
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (David Mundy)
03:02
Dockers Interchange - Hayden Ballantyne off due to the blood rule.
05:00
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
05:01
First goalscorer Zach Merrett kicks his seventh major of the season in his 21st game of 2019.
08:00
Despite trailing on the scoreboard, Fremantle is controlling time in possession for the opening eight minutes of play, 61 percent to 26.
10:26
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Michael Walters)
11:34
After Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe won the opening clearance of the game, the Bombers have responded with the next four.
11:53
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
14:41
The Bombers are kicking the ball in their forward half with 83 percent efficiency. In comparison, the Dockers forward half kicking efficiency is just 42 percent.
16:57
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
19:04
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
19:42
Averaging 2.5 tackles per game over ten previous matches this season, Fremantle's Sean Darcy has already exceeded this benchmark with four tackles in the first quarter.
20:13
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
22:23
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
24:39
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Darcy Parish)
25:50
Essendon's Michael Hurley has taken a match-leading three intercept marks, with all three coming in the Docker's forward 50 zone.
27:31
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)
29:22
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Sean Darcy)
31:07
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Michael Walters)
32:35
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
32:36
Despite dominating the disposal count (114 to 72), the Dockers trail by nine points at quarter time. This is largely due to poor kicking efficiency inside forward 50, 31 percent compared to 83 percent for Essendon.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:28
Bombers Interchange - David Zaharakis and is possibly out for the game.
01:31
The Bombers have won only two clearances since the 16th minute of the opening term. During the same period, the Dockers have won 11 clearances.
04:19
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
04:20
Cam McCarthy has been targeted four times inside forward 50 for Fremantle, taking a mark on each occasion.
06:52
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Shaun McKernan)
06:53
Essendon has averaged 12 points from its clearances won in the forward half this season, the worst return in the AFL. They have remedied this concern in the first half today, already kicking three goals from forward half stoppages
10:34
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Orazio Fantasia)
12:19
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zac Clarke)
13:56
Of the seven free kicks that Essendon has conceded, the most common indiscretion has been for holding the man on three occasions.
15:29
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Ed Langdon)
17:37
Ed Langdon has generated an incredible 485 metres gained for Fremantle, more than double any other man on the ground.
18:12
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Dylan Shiel)
19:47
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mitch Brown)
25:43
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
25:44
The Bombers have produced seven of the last eight inside 50 entries, but have managed to kick just 1.2 during this period of dominance.
29:47
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Mitchell Crowden)
30:18
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
30:19
A key contributor to the Bombers' 22 point half time lead has been the scores from turnovers. Essendon has kicked 5.3 from this source, compared to just the four behinds for the Dockers.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
03:54
The Dockers have commenced the second half with the first five clearances and first three inside 50 entries, but have yet to hit the scoreboard.
06:41
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Michael Walters)
06:47
Michael Walters has kicked at least two goals in 11 of 21 games for Fremantle this season.
10:09
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
10:10
Jake Stringer has contributed a match-leading six score involvements for Essendon, including kicking 2.2 himself.
12:44
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Brandon Matera)
16:17
Jake Stringer has won 41 percent of his offensive one-on-one contests this season, ranked second of the top-50 players to be targeted in a contest. He has been consistent in this area again tonight, winning two of his five (40 percent) offensive one-on-one contests.
18:04
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (David Mundy)
19:30
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
19:31
Both of Essendon's third quarter goals have been the end result of a disposal chain that began with a Fremantle turnover.
21:54
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Dylan Shiel)
25:06
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Martin Gleeson)
25:51
Approaching the last break, the only player on the ground with 100 percent game time is Fremantle key forward Cam McCarthy.
29:15
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
30:25
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Aaron Sandilands)
31:03
Essendon's superior efficiency continued in the third term. By kicking three goals from 12 inside 50 entries, compared to one goal from 15 entries for Fremantle, the Bombers enter the final term with a 31 point lead.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:50
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
01:37
The leading tackler on the ground is Fremantle's Sam Switkowski with ten. This tally represents a career-high for the second-year Docker.
02:40
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Nat Fyfe)
06:42
Just one of Essendon's 11 goals has been kicked from beyond a distance of 40 metres. In contrast, three of Fremantle's six majors have been kicked from more than 40 metres from goal.
10:16
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Hayden Ballantyne)
10:46
Fremantle is controlling time in possession for the final term, 59 percent to 23, but has only been able to kick 1.2 during this period of dominance.
10:54
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
13:11
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
15:02
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
15:45
The Dockers have won just 25 percent of their offensive one-on-one contests this season, the poorest in the AFL. Tonight they have won just 22 percent of their offensive one-on-ones, inferior to 28 percent for Essendon.
16:11
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
17:53
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
18:52
Essendon has won the last four clearances, including three to Dyson Heppell.
23:15
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Michael Walters)
25:03
Forward 50 disposal efficiency heavily favours Essendon, 71 percent to 48.
27:00
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Brayden Ham)
28:15
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Dylan Shiel)
28:59
Essendon runs out convincing 32 point winners. Victory was set up by a far superior conversion rate of inside 50 entries into goals, 27.1 percent for Essendon, compared to 11.9 percent for Fremantle.