Match

Gold Coast Suns vs Essendon

Commentary / 12 Aug 2020

Pre Game

00:00
Sam Flanders makes his debut tonight for the Suns. Last season Flanders averaged 22 disposals and 113 ranking points in the U18 Championships and averaged 22 disposals and six clearances in his 12 games for Gippsland Power.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:34
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)
01:44
The opening score of the game to the Suns was sourced from a forward half intercept. Gold Coast averages 19 points per game from this source and a competition-high 16 points from forward half stoppages.
03:11
Gold Coast has already generated five forward half intercepts with the goal to Fiorini coming from this source and these intercepts giving the Suns 89 percent time in forward half to start the game.
05:48
The Suns are ranked last this season for kicking efficiency differential, but have made a good start in this area with Essendon recording a kicking efficiency of only 36 percent compared to Gold Coast 64%.
06:17
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
07:03
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (James Stewart)
07:27
Essendon has won the first three clearances of the game, with two of these won by Andrew McGrath. The consistent McGrath has recorded 16 crumbs this season – ranked No.1 at Essendon.
09:11
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (James Stewart)
09:17
The goal to James Stewart was his first in the AFL since Round 10, 2018. Stewart did not play at all in 2019, and only returned for the Bombers in Round 9 this season.
13:00
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben King)
13:37
An early goal for the impressive Ben King, and it came from a forward 50 stoppage. Gold Coast is the No.1 ranked team in points scored from forward half stoppages.
17:05
The Bombers have an early 3-1 lead in forward 50 marks, but have not been able to convert this on to the scoreboard. Jacob Townsend (who is missing tonight) is the only Essendon player in the top-40 for marks in the forward 50 this season.
19:54
Essendon has averaged 1.3 kicks per handball this season, but tonight has recorded more handballs than kicks with a clear intent to create run and carry.
21:05
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Lachie Weller)
21:17
A smart assist from Swallow for the Weller goal caught the Essendon defenders off guard. Weller has now kicked nine goals this season (equal second at the Suns) and four of these have come from beyond the 50.
22:43
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Darcy Parish)
24:51
A good first quarter from the Suns who were more efficient with the ball in hand. Despite having less disposals, Gold Coast was able to generate more inside 50 entries (15-9) and hold a 8-1 lead in forward half intercepts.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:28
A great start to the second quarter with Izak Rankine punishing an Essendon turnover with a long goal. Three of the four goals for Gold Coast tonight have come from long range. Only Ben King has had more scoring shots for the Suns this year than Rankine.
04:37
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (James Stewart)
07:40
Gold Coast is the most direct side in the competition, with 91 percent of all its kicks directed forward. This has again been the case tonight and is contributing to Gold Coast dominating territory in this game.
08:27
The Suns now lead 9-1 in forward half intercepts and 19-1 in points scored from these intercepts. Essendon is also yet to generate a score from a chain started in its defensive 50, making the territory advantage critical.
10:36
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Hugh Greenwood)
11:03
A strong contested mark and goal from Hugh Greenwood gives the Suns an accurate return of 4.0 from shots at goal beyond 40 metres.
13:13
A rare forward half intercept for the Bombers, on this occasion from Jordan Ridley launched the goal to Tom Bellchambers. Ridley has generated more intercepts than any other Bomber this season.
15:57
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (David Zaharakis)
16:28
A slick piece of play from McDonald-Tipungwuti provided the assist on the goal to David Zaharakis. McDonald-Tipungwuti is the No.1 ranked Bomber for scoreboard impact this season with ten goals and now eight assists.
17:17
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Lachie Weller)
19:48
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Izak Rankine)
20:14
The Bombers have recorded a tackle efficiency of only 50 percent tonight. In their last three losses, Essendon has recorded a tackle efficiency of less than 60 percent, with a season average of 65 percent.
20:52
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Izak Rankine)
21:25
The last two scores of the game to Izak Rankine have both come from forward 50 stoppages. Gold Coast has now won four clearances in its forward 50 and scored 1.2.(8) from these chances.
26:14
The Bombers average eight backwards kicks per game, but have recorded ten such kicks in the first half indicating an increased intent to maintain possession.
27:23
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jack Bowes)
27:39
A handy late goal to the Suns punishes another defensive lapse from the Bombers. Gold Coast leads 31-13 in points scored from intercepts and recorded 4.0 from its set shots at goal.
28:51
Gold Coast was a bit better than Essendon defensively in the first half. The Suns lead 27-19 in tackles, 11-5 in forward half intercepts and have also recorded a higher pressure rating.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:22
Gold Coast leads 22-14 in first possession wins at stoppages, but at this stage has only converted this into an 18-14 advantage in clearances and 15-14 in points scored from stoppages.
03:49
The Suns have had the last five scores in the game now, but returned only 1.4.(10) during this period.
05:11
The important goal for Essendon kick by Kyle Langford was launched from a kick-in. The Bombers are ranked fourth at scoring from this source, while in the past four rounds, the Suns are one of two sides in the competition not to generate a score from kick-in chains.
08:17
A strong contested mark and goal from Sam Day gives the Suns their second goal of the game launched from a defensive 50 intercept. Gold Coast average only five points per game from this source.
10:40
Gold Coast has taken the first five intercept marks of the quarter, and Charlie Ballard has now taken seven such marks. This is the equal most taken by any player in a game this season.
12:38
Essendon has a 8-1 lead in forward half intercepts this quarter, with the last one of these being converted into a goal by Will Snelling.
15:41
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Shaun McKernan)
16:56
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (James Stewart)
17:31
After generating only five forward half intercepts in the first half, Essendon has generated nine such intercepts this quarter with the last two goals coming from this source. Jordan Ridley has now launched four scores from his seven intercepts.
22:40
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Tom Cutler)
22:50
Essendon has struggled this season to keep the ball in its forward line, recording only 18 forward half intercepts per game. The Bombers have 12 such intercepts this quarter which have caused the inside 50 imbalance.
23:53
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Sam Day)
23:57
The Suns average only six points per game from chains started in their defensive 50. Tonight Gold Coast has scored 18 points from these chains. Essendon has conceded an average of 19 points from such chains in the last four rounds (ranked last).

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
02:44
Another defensive lapse from the Bombers, this time an errant tackle attempt, has been punished with a Gold Coast goal. The Suns have now won five forward 50 clearances and scored 2.2.(14) from these. Essendon has not won a forward 50 clearance.
04:27
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Tom Cutler)
05:10
Essendon leads 12-8 in forward 50 ground ball gets, and it was one of these that produced the goal to Tom Cutler.
05:48
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Josh Corbett)
08:12
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
11:08
The last quarter has been quite frantic with both teams recording high pressure ratings above 200, and only five marks in total taken in the early stages of this quarter.
13:11
The Suns lead the clearances 8-2 in the final quarter and look dangerous at their forward half stoppages.
14:30
An accurate kick from David Zaharakis rewards a brilliant piece of play from Conor McKenna who provided his second assist of the night. Essendon has not led in this game since the 13-minute mark of the opening quarter.
17:56
Since half time Essendon leads the inside 50 count 27-12, and has recorded a forward half kicking efficiency of 64 percent compared to Gold Coast 55 percent during this period.
18:13
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (David Zaharakis)
18:39
Bombers Interchange - David Zaharakis off due to an injury.
20:19
Suns Interchange - Wil Powell off due to an injury.
20:56
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
21:21
The Bombers have kicked the last four goals of the game, and since half time lead 25-1 in points scored from forward half intercepts.
22:41
Essendon has an average winning margin of eight points this season, which is the second-lowest of any team, and has lost two games by less than one goal.
22:57
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben King)
23:16
A terrific solo effort from Ben King levels the scores for the second time in the final quarter. King has now kicked 18 goals this season and continues to impress.
24:48
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Dylan Shiel)
25:48
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Ben King)
27:55
A dramatic finish ends in a draw, with Gold Coast again threatening at a forward 50 stoppage, having won clearances 13-6 in the final quarter. It is only the second draw for the Suns in their history.