Match

GWS Giants vs Essendon

Commentary / 08 May 2021

Pre Game

00:00
GWS Giants have conceded a goal from 19.7% of their opposition's inside 50s – ranked third defensively.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:43
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Peter Wright)
02:04
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
04:31
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)
05:03
Toby Greene kicks the third goal of the match from a long set shot. He has been involved in 9.1 scoring chains per game – ranked third in the competition.
09:24
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
10:04
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
12:25
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Harry Himmelberg)
15:45
Early in the match, the Giants lead disposals 53-41. In the past four rounds, they have won the disposal count by 28.8 per game – ranked second. Tim Taranto leads the way with seven.
16:05
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Zach Sproule)
18:12
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Zach Sproule)
21:11
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tanner Bruhn)
25:03
The Bombers are leading clearances 9-6, but have scored just six points from these - equal with the Giants. Andrew McGrath and Darcy Parish lead the count with three each.
25:18
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
28:56
GWS are out to a big lead but aren't dominating any key stats. The biggest difference seems to be their ball movement, leading kicking efficiency 71 per cent to 57. Ten of the Giants players are going at 100 per cent kicking efficiency.
29:26
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
31:12
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Will Snelling)
31:15
Essendon heads to quarter time with one more inside 50 than GWS but has little to show for it, recording half as many scores and trailing by 24 points.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:16
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Cale Hooker)
02:40
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Peter Wright)
04:28
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
04:57
Jake Stringer misses a long set shot at goal after the Bombers have had the early play this quarter. Stringer has recorded a career-high shot at goal accuracy of 63.2% this season.
05:10
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Brayden Ham)
07:02
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nik Cox)
08:54
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Cale Hooker)
10:00
The Bombers have now recorded the last eight scores of the match and all six scores for this quarter. The Giants seem to have lost their foot skills from the first quarter, going at 43 per cent this quarter.
11:20
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
12:06
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Bobby Hill)
15:34
GWS has gained the ascendancy at the stoppages, leading clearances 6-1 this quarter. It won the clearance count by 24 last week against Adelaide – the biggest differential by any team in 2021.
18:07
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)
21:34
Essendon has been able to control the play this quarter, leading inside 50s 15-9 and marks 29-8. Kyle Langford tops the list with three marks this quarter.
22:42
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Zach Sproule)
23:31
Zac Sproule breaks a run of four consecutive Essendon goals with his second major. He leads score involvements for the match with six.
24:44
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
27:18
The Bombers dominated that quarter on the outside, recording big differentials for disposals ( 17), marks ( 21) and uncontested possessions ( 17). Zach Merrett led the way with 11 disposals and eight uncontested possessions.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:02
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
02:49
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
04:56
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
06:12
The Giants kick their first goal of this half from an Essendon turnover. 40 of their 53 points have come from this source.
06:52
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
08:13
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tanner Bruhn)
09:03
That was the Giants' second goal from a centre clearance today. They recorded 33 points from centre clearances last week – ranked No.1 in the AFL and their most in any game in 2021.
10:28
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Greene)
11:41
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Harry Himmelberg)
12:09
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)
13:31
The Giants have been on a blitz, recording the last six inside 50s and booting the last four goals. Two of them have been off the boot of Jeremy Finlayson, he now leads the match with three goals.
14:53
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
19:13
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nik Cox)
19:34
Bombers Interchange - Jake Stringer off due to an injury.
21:38
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Josh Kelly)
24:48
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti)
25:09
The goal from Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti makes it four goals straight from just seven inside 50s for the Bombers this quarter.
27:17
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mason Redman)
27:59
Mason Redman kicks a massive goal from inside the centre square after taking an intercept mark. In the past four rounds, the Giants have conceded 38 points per game from intercept possessions – ranked second defensively.
29:37
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Harry Himmelberg)
30:47
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tim Taranto)
31:39
The Giants have dominated contested possessions this quarter, leading 38-23. Josh Kelly and Harry Himmelberg both have six each.
32:32
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Bobby Hill)
34:48
GWS was extremely efficient going inside 50 that quarter, recording 11 scores from just 13 entries. They spread the scoring load, with six different goalkickers and Harry Himmelberg kicking two behinds.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:46
Josh Kelly had a huge third quarter, leading dispoals (10), contested possessions (6), clearances (3) and score involvements (7) for the Giants.
01:04
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
02:44
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
03:07
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Matt Guelfi)
03:56
Matt Guelfi has an instant impact as the injury sub, kicking a goal with his first disposal of the match. It was the first goal from a kick-in by either side for the match.
05:59
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
09:57
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Josh Kelly)
12:05
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
13:29
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
14:26
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Will Snelling)
15:54
Essendon has created another momentum swing, booting four of the last five goals. Matt Guelfi leads disposals (5) and score involvements (3) this quarter.
16:05
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Greene)
22:42
Sam Taylor has excelled at cutting off Essendon's movements forward, recording a game-high five intercept marks.
22:56
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Darcy Parish)
24:52
Matt Guelfi wins the ball back for the Bombers with a desperate tackle, his sixth for the quarter - five more than any other player on the ground.
27:15
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
30:19
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jacob Hopper)
31:36
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
32:42
Zach Merrett was prolific in a losing side, collecting game-highs for disposals (36), score assists (4) and inside 50s (12), along with nine score involvements.