Match

Port Adelaide vs Essendon

Commentary / 29 May 2022

Pre Game

00:00

Essendon has taken a mark from 22 percent of its kicks into the forward 50 this season, ranked second in the AFL.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

01:01

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Todd Marshall)

02:16

The Bombers have recorded the opening three clearances of the game, including two to ruckman Andrew Phillips.

04:39

SCORE GOAL - Power (Connor Rozee)

04:40

Connor Rozee opens the goalscoring with just his fourth major from 11 games for the Power this season.

06:41

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nic Martin)

07:53

SCORE GOAL - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)

10:00

The Power are controlling time in possession after ten minutes of play, 59 percent to 27.

10:25

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Ben Hobbs)

11:22

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)

12:30

Essendon has actually generated more inside 50 entries than Port Adelaide (six to five), but inaccurate kicking inside the forward 50 zone (83 percent to 0) sees the Bombers trailing on the scoreboard.

15:23

SCORE GOAL - Power (Charlie Dixon)

15:24

Despite what the scoreboard may suggest, the ball has actually been in Essendon's forward half of the ground for 55 percent of the game.

16:49

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Devon Smith)

18:41

SCORE GOAL - Power (Zak Butters)

18:42

Three of the Power's four goals have been the end result of a disposal chain that began with an Essendon turnover.

23:16

Incredibly, Essendon has won 12 of 14 clearances, including all five centre bounce clearances.

25:19

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Zak Butters)

26:41

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Harrison Jones)

27:36

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jye Caldwell)

28:06

The siren has sounded to end Q1.

28:07

The Power have conceded just 54.4 points per game across the last five rounds to lead the AFL over that period of time. This trend continued in the first quarter today, where they were able to restrict the Bombers to six behinds, while kicking 4.2 at the other end.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

01:55

SCORE GOAL - Power (Charlie Dixon)

02:43

The Bombers have targeted key forward Peter Wright a match-high three times inside forward 50, but he is yet to take a mark in the game.

03:31

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Archie Perkins)

04:35

SCORE GOAL - Power (Todd Marshall)

07:16

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Darcy Parish)

09:35

SCORE GOAL - Power (Steven Motlop)

09:36

Port Adelaide has kicked 6.2 from set shots, compared to 0.4 for the Bombers.

11:46

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Andrew Phillips)

13:04

Entering today's game, the Power had booted a goal from just 20.2 percent of their inside 50s this season, ranked 17th. They have remedied this issue thus far today, recording 14 goals from seven inside 50 entries (50 percent).

14:59

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)

16:10

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)

17:35

Sam Durham recorded Essendon's first contested mark during the 17th minute of the second term, after the Power took the first seven contested marks of the game.

17:45

SCORE GOAL - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)

21:20

The leading tackler on the ground is Essendon's Jye Caldwell with four, exceeding his 2022 per-game average of 3.4 prior to halftime.

22:40

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Andrew McGrath)

26:20

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Tex Wanganeen)

26:21

Both of the Bombers' majors have been kicked from beyond 40 metres from goal. They have scored 0.5 from attempts from less than 40 metres.

29:40

The siren has sounded to end Q2.

29:41

Essendon enters the long break leading in several categories, including clearances (17 to 14) and inside 50s (26 to 20), yet trails by 31 points at the main break due to the Power's superior ability to convert inside 50 entries into goals (40 percent versus 7.7 percent).

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

01:11

The Power lost the contested possession count by 29 against Geelong last round, their worst result this season. Today they are winning this battle, and lead the contested possessions, 62 to 60.

01:39

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Harrison Jones)

04:27

Of the eight free kicks that Port Adelaide has conceded, the most common indiscretion has been for high contact on four occasions.

07:26

The Bombers have recorded the last eight inside 50 entries, but have kicked just 1.0 during this period of dominance.

10:50

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nic Martin)

12:31

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Alec Waterman)

13:08

The ball has been in Essendon's forward half of the ground for 87 percent of the third quarter.

13:38

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Connor Rozee)

14:22

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)

16:45

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Devon Smith)

17:21

SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Sam Durham)

18:37

Port Adelaide's kick-to-handball ratio in the third term is 5.25. This is significantly different from the 1.43 it recorded in the first half, suggesting a change in strategy as the conditions on the ground become wetter, and clean disposal becomes more difficult.

22:09

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Trent Dumont)

23:19

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)

24:35

SCORE GOAL - Power (Trent Dumont)

25:06

Essendon has won just 19 percent of its offensive one-on-one contests this season, ranked last in the AFL. It has improved in this area today, winning 27 percent, yet has still been inferior to Port Adelaide in this measure, with the Power winning 38 percent of its offensive one-on-ones.

28:09

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Darcy Parish)

28:48

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nic Martin)

30:17

The siren has sounded to end Q3.

30:18

After losing the first-half contested possessions 55 to 61, Essendon won this measure in the third term, 43 to 26, and outscored the Power 4.3 to 1.4 to reduce the margin to 14 points at the final break.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

00:40

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)

01:06

Early in the final term the only men on the ground to have recorded 100 percent game time are Jake Kelly and Peter Wright of Essendon, and Port Adelaide's Aliir Aliir.

04:03

Aliir Aliir does the little things to help Port Adelaide. His tally of ten one percenters leads all players on the ground, and includes three spoils gaining possession.

07:50

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Trent Dumont)

09:42

The Bombers' fourth quarter disposal efficiency of 78 percent is far superior to the 45 percent of the Power, yet this has not influenced the scoreboard, with both sides recording 0.1 for the term.

10:01

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Darcy Byrne-Jones)

12:22

SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Alec Waterman)

13:21

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Ollie Wines)

14:35

Sam Durham kicked Essendon's last goal during the 18th minute of the third term. Since then, the Bombers have recorded nine inside 50 entries, but added just 0.4 to the scoreboard.

14:41

SCORE BEHIND - Power (Sam Powell-Pepper)

18:37

Essendon recorded 16 fewer hitouts than Richmond last round, the first time this season the Bombers lost that differential. They are back on top in this area today, recording 34 hitouts to the Power's 25. However, the Power have produced nine hitouts to advantage, compared to Essendon's eight.

24:17

Essendon's disposal retention across the first three quarters was 54 percent, bettering the 45 percent of the Power. However, in the final term, the teams appear to be tiring in the difficult conditions, with both sides only retaining possession from 31 percent of disposals.

26:51

The siren has sounded to end Q4.

26:52

Port Adelaide holds off a spirited but inaccurate Essendon to run out 16-point winners. A key for the Power was Dan Houston, contributing 22 disposals at 82 percent efficiency, eight contested possessions, seven marks, and three tackles.