Pre Game
00:00
Reilly O'Brien leads the league with 99 hitouts through the first three rounds of the 2022 season. In addition, with one in every three of those hitouts finding a teammate, he ranks fourth for hitout-to-advantage rate among the Top 15 ruckmen for total hitouts.
Quarter 1
00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:07
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Sam Durham)
01:08
Essendon get the first goal of the game following a mark to Sam Durham from their first inside 50 entry. Essendon average a mark from just over 27 per cent of their kicks into their forward 50 in the first three rounds, and are the best side in the AFL with that figure.
06:40
SCORE
BEHIND - Crows (Lachlan Gollant)
08:25
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Peter Wright)
10:23
Both of Essendon's goals early in the first term have been scored from attacking midfield possession chains. Essendon have only recorded 11 scoring chains from this zone in the first three rounds, the lowest total in this category of any side.
10:37
SCORE
BEHIND - Crows (Lachlan Gollant)
14:01
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (James Rowe)
15:20
Adelaide manage to get their first goal of the game after winning the territory battle to this point in the first term. The Crows have kept the ball in their forward half for 59 per cent of time elapsed in this quarter.
19:09
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Taylor Walker)
21:02
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Alec Waterman)
21:19
Three marks inside 50 for three goals now for the Bombers in the first term. In the first three rounds, despite their goalkicking accuracy placing them 13th in the AFL from marks at 43 per cent, Essendon have scored 57 per cent of their total goals in 2022 from this source, the largest goal share of any side from marks.
22:58
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Dylan Shiel)
24:29
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Peter Wright)
26:17
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Josh Rachele)
27:15
Adelaide have played on immediately from 47 per cent of their marks taken in the first term, compared to just 11 per cent play-on rate by Essendon. Adelaide rank 14th in 2022 in this metric before today, with the Bulldogs leading the league after three rounds at just under 36 per cent play-on rate.
28:00
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Peter Wright)
29:17
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
30:12
Nic Martin is proving to be quite a pickup for the Bombers in 2022. Of his six disposals in the first term four have been involved in scoring chains, including three score assists, the most of any player on the field in both of those figures.
30:21
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
31:18
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Lachlan Sholl)
32:30
Adelaide won four of their eight offensive one-on-one contests, however that translated to just one mark inside 50 from 10 targets. Adelaide are the only side in the AFL to average 20 or more offensive one-on-one contests per game through the first three rounds in 2022.
Quarter 2
00:00
Q2 is now underway.
04:24
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
05:16
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Josh Rachele)
05:17
Adelaide have now outscored Essendon by 3.1.19 to 0.0.0 from forward 50 chains in today's match. Essendon have been outscored by over 16 points per game from this zone in the first three rounds, almost double the differential margin of any side in this zone.
08:28
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Mason Redman)
09:58
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Taylor Walker)
10:33
All six of Adelaide's goals have been scored from within 40 metres of the goal line. By comparison, five of Essendon's six goals have come from 40-plus metres out from goal. Adelaide rank second last in the AFL in 2022 with 19 goals from within 40 metres, but equal-first with 16 goals from beyond 40 metres in the first three rounds.
12:07
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
13:22
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
14:45
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Peter Wright)
15:49
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Jye Caldwell)
16:13
Essendon have recorded a kicking efficiency of 78 per cent, compared to just 58 per cent for Adelaide, in the second term. This has allowed them to jump out to a 37-24 lead in the uncontested possession count, including 15-7 in uncontested marks, for this quarter.
19:37
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (James Rowe)
21:49
Darcy Parish (11 disposals) and Rory Laird (nine disposals) have only gained 11 metres between them, six to Parish and five to Laird, from these disposals in this term. By comparison, the next players on each side with the highest disposal count this quarter (Nick Hind and Jordan Dawson) have gained 350 metres from 13 combined disposals.
25:25
SCORE
BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)
25:35
Bombers Interchange - Will Snelling and is possibly out for the game.
26:16
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Elliott Himmelberg)
29:19
SCORE
BEHIND - Crows (Lachlan Murphy)
30:53
After combining for 32 tackles in the first term, Essendon and Adelaide only just got to double figure in the second term, with six and four tackles for the term respectively. However, Essendon were able to break out of five Adelaide tackle attempts, where Adelaide did not break any tackles in the second term.
31:32
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Alec Waterman)
31:37
Will Snelling has been substituted out of today's match, replaced by Devon Smith.
Quarter 3
00:00
Q3 is now underway.
02:52
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Nic Martin)
03:05
First goal of the second half to the Bombers through Nic Martin, who kicks Essendon's third goal from a clearance after a boundary throw-in. Adelaide have scored just one goal from this source in today's match. Essendon average one goal per game from this source in 2022, ranked equal-17th in the AFL.
04:43
SCORE
BEHIND - Crows (Rory Sloane)
06:33
SCORE
BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)
08:14
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Ben Keays)
11:33
Adelaide have created seven midfield intercept possessions in the first half of this quarter, compared to Essendon recording just two intercepts in this zone. This has allowed them to get four repeat inside 50 entries and spend two thirds of this term in their forward half to this point.
12:37
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Andrew Phillips)
14:35
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Ned McHenry)
15:57
Both goals for Adelaide this term have come from shots at goal in general play, making it six in total for the game and double that of Essendon's goal tally from general play. In the first three rounds Adelaide scored 48.6 per cent of their total goals from general play, the equal fourth-highest ratio of any side from this source.
17:22
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Josh Rachele)
20:00
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Taylor Walker)
22:02
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Matt Guelfi)
22:49
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Alec Waterman)
24:27
A clear contrast in game styles in the third term, with Essendon leading the mark count 27-13 from 75 per cent kicking efficiency to 55 per cent for Adelaide. However the Crows lead the handball receive count 26-17 and have played on immediately from 46 per cent of their marks taken to just 19 per cent to Essendon.
25:27
Crows Interchange - Mitchell Hinge off due to an injury.
25:59
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
27:23
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Matt Guelfi)
28:32
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Devon Smith)
30:20
After kicking at 69 per cent accuracy when shooting for goal in the first half, Essendon's accuracy in front of goal dropped to just 33 per cent in the third term. Particularly in general play, where they scored 2.4.16 from 11 scoring shots in the third term.
31:42
Ben Keays (10) and Rory Sloane (six) have combined for Adelaide's 38 total tackles. No other Crow has more than three tackles in today's match.
Quarter 4
00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:36
Mitch Hinge has been substituted out of today's match, replaced by Brayden Cook.
01:59
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Peter Wright)
04:38
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Sam Durham)
06:00
Since their last goal, Essendon have managed just 0.4.4 from nine inside 50 entries to two for Adelaide. Prior to that, the Bombers had kicked a goal from just over one in every four inside 50 entries.
08:04
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Elliott Himmelberg)
10:11
Nine disposals for Alec Waterman so far in today's match, but he leads all Bombers with eight of those disposals being involved in scoring chains. By comparison, Rory Laird also has eight score involvements, but has done so from 20 more disposals than Waterman.
12:19
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Devon Smith)
13:01
Devon Smith takes the Bombers 14th mark inside 50 for the match and converts to make it seven goals from a mark in today's match. That is more goals than Adelaide have marks inside 50 (six).
13:39
SCORE
BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)
14:38
SCORE
BEHIND - Crows (Harry Schoenberg)
15:25
SCORE
BEHIND - Crows (Josh Rachele)
18:11
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
19:46
Essendon have converted eight of nine midfield intercept possessions into forward 50 entries to put the pressure on Adelaide to keep defending, but have been able to score both their goals in this term from chains of this type to create a 10 point buffer.
23:18
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Taylor Walker)
24:06
Adelaide have won 10 of the 14 clearances in the final term, and scored both of their goals from clearances in their forward half this quarter. Adelaide has scored 22.3 points per game from forward half clearances in 2022, ranked second in the AFL.
26:06
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Sam Draper)
28:36
Bombers Interchange - Jordan Ridley off due to an injury.
28:46
SCORE
GOAL - Crows (Lachlan Gollant)
30:57
Two outstanding performances from Rory Laird and Darcy Parish in today's match, with both players notching up 38 disposals, eight clearances and three tackles each, with Parish edging Laird in contested possessions 17-15, but Laird outmarking Parish 8-3.
32:52
Essendon record their first win of 2022 after being the most outscored team in the AFL in the first three rounds. It was a nailbiting finish, but the Bombers 10.8.68 to 7.4.46 from forward half scoring chains got them home in the end.