Match

Essendon vs Gold Coast Suns

Commentary / 17 Jul 2022

Pre Game

00:00
Before its bye this season, Essendon was ranked 16th for contested possession differential. Since the bye, the Bombers are ranked fourth in this measure and have won this count in each of their past four games.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:40
With Jarrod Witts absent for most of last season, the Suns were ranked last in hitout to advantage differential. Gold Coast is ranked No.1 in this measure in 2022, and Witts has won 50 more hitouts to advantage than any other player.
00:51
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Mabior Chol)
01:00
The first score of the game to the Suns was sourced from a forward half intercept. Gold Coast is ranked fourth at generating such intercepts and averages 25.5 points per game from this source.
02:25
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nic Martin)
02:35
The first goal of the game to the Bombers and Nic Martin came from a kick-in chain. Essendon has scored five goals in the last three weeks from kick-ins, after only scoring five goals in Rounds 1-14 from this source.
05:30
Essendon has managed to control the ball in the early stages of this game. The Bombers lead 23-4 in uncontested possessions and since the bye are ranked third in this measure.
07:17
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Peter Wright)
07:35
All three goals for the Bombers have come from defensive half chains. Essendon averages 28.8 points per game from such chains.
09:04
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Peter Wright)
09:30
After Gold Coast won the first three centre bounce clearances of the game, Essendon has kicked a goal from its first such clearance. Last week the Bombers scored a season-high 38 points from this source.
11:11
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nic Martin)
11:34
Bombers Interchange - Ben Hobbs off due to an injury.
11:43
Essendon has five scores from its first five inside 50 entries to start the game. The Bombers average a score from 43.3 percent of its entries this season (ranked ninth).
13:24
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Mabior Chol)
13:45
Gold Coast leads 5-1 in hardball gets and it was such a possession by Matt Rowell which launched the last goal for the Suns. Only Clayton Oliver has recorded more hardball gets than Rowell this season.
15:06
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Levi Casboult)
15:25
The Suns now lead 4-1 in centre bounce clearances and the goal to Levi Casboult came from this source. Gold Coast averages 10.4 points per game from this source.
17:16
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Mabior Chol)
17:30
Three goals from their last three inside 50 entries for the Suns who have fought back quickly. The last goal was launched from a defensive 50 chain, and Essendon is ranked last at conceding scores from this source.
18:57
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Levi Casboult)
19:26
Both teams have now kicked 3.0 from set shots at goal following the last accurate kick from Levi Casboult, which was also another centre bounce goal to the Suns.
22:43
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Peter Wright)
22:51
Peter Wright has kicked 27 goals in his last seven games at Docklands and has been prominent early today with three shots at goal including two from set shots. Wright has scored 92.5 percent of his goals from set shots this season, which is the highest percentage of the top-25 goalkickers in the league.
26:06
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
26:48
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Mason Redman)
28:13
Since the ten-minute mark of the quarter, Gold Coast leads 24-11 in uncontested marks after Essendon dominated this count in the early stages of the game. The Suns are ranked 17th for marks this season.
30:28
Essendon games have averaged the lowest number of around-the-ground stoppages this season (13 per quarter), and it was a Bomber style of game in the first quarter with only eight such stoppages, a low tackle count (9-8), and five goals scored from defensive half chains.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:26
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Mabior Chol)
00:49
The Suns continue to look dangerous at centre bounces. They now lead 6-3 in centre bounce clearances and 13-6 in points scored from this source.
01:38
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
01:46
Both of the kick-ins for Essendon have now launched goals. The AFL average score from kick-ins per game is only 3.1 points.
05:01
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
06:21
Touk Miller has won a total of 73 first possessions at throw-ins this season, which is 20 more than any other player in the AFL. Miller has won four first possessions today, but all have been at centre bounces.
06:57
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)
08:13
Gold Coast has taken 70.3 uncontested marks per game this season, which is the fewest of any team. The Suns have already taken 35 such marks with this game being played in a more open manner than normal for Gold Coast.
08:57
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Andrew Phillips)
09:22
Both of the goals to Essendon this quarter have come from defensive 50 chains. The Bombers now lead 20-6 in points scored from these chains, and average 14.8 points per game from this source.
12:00
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
12:07
The opportunistic goal from Jake Stringer was the first goal of the game to come from a forward half chain. This season more than half of the average score for teams has come from such chains.
13:39
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Sam Draper)
13:52
Essendon leads the contested possession count 18-11 this quarter and has also had the ball in its forward half for 64 percent of the quarter.
15:11
Gold Coast leads 8-5 in intercept marks with the last of these to Sam Day resulting in a goal following an errant Bomber kick. Essendon ranks fourth for kicking efficiency differential, but trails the Suns in this measure today.
17:22
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nick Hind)
20:11
Essendon now has a 9-3 edge in forward 50 marks and a 28-11 lead in forward 50 disposals despite the Suns having more inside 50 entries.
21:51
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Sam Draper)
22:07
Essendon now leads 39-13 in points scored from defensive half chains and averages 28.8 points per game from such chains.
23:04
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Brayden Fiorini)
23:32
In the opening quarter Essendon recorded five scores from its first five inside 50 entries, and this quarter it has eight scores from its first ten such entries.
25:09
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
26:06
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
26:27
Zach Merrett has averaged 6.6 score involvements from 29 disposals this season. Merrett has recorded nine score involvements from his first 14 disposals today.
27:44
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Ben Hobbs)
29:42
Today is the first time that the Bombers have had 11 scores in a quarter this season, and the first time since the second quarter of Round 22 last season (also against Gold Coast).
31:35
A strong second quarter from the Bombers who dominated contested possession (39-22), uncontested possession (61-27), handball receives (37-7), and forward 50 marks (8-1).

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:50
Essendon averages 7.1 running bounces per game, but in the first half led 13-4 in this measure, with Nick Hind contributing five.
03:13
While Essendon has a narrow 18-16 lead in clearances it has a major 18-9 advantage in effective clearances.
06:18
Essendon now leads 37-13 in forward 50 disposals and 14-3 in forward 50 marks despite the inside 50 count being relatively close (33-27).
06:40
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
07:59
The first goal of the third quarter again came from a defensive 50 chain. Essendon now leads 27-6 in points scored from such chains and averages 14.8 points per game from this source.
09:03
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
10:00
Essendon has now had 17 of the last 22 scores in the game after the Suns had a run of four goals in the opening quarter. During this period the Bombers lead 12-1 in forward 50 marks
12:43
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
13:50
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Izak Rankine)
14:02
Essendon has generated seven forward half intercepts this quarter but not scored a goal from any of these chances. Overall, the Bombers lead 19-14 in such intercepts and 12-8 in points scored from this source.
15:57
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
18:39
Gold Coast has averaged a pressure rating of 1.83 this season (ranked sixth) with a season-low of 1.65. The Suns currently have a pressure rating of 1.63.
19:19
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
20:33
Essendon has now scored 2.2.14 from forward 50 stoppages, while Gold Coast has not scored from this source. The Bombers average 5.3 points per game from forward 50 stoppages (ranked last).
21:06
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
23:09
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Ben Hobbs)
23:58
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)
24:59
Essendon has managed to edge Gold Coast in hitouts to advantage 9-8 despite the Suns being ranked No.1 in this measure. The Bombers also lead 30-15 in points scored from stoppages.
28:26
Another strong, if wasteful, quarter from the Bombers, who again controlled the ball (uncontested possession 68-37) and territory (inside 50 entries 18-7). Essendon also led 25-4 in forward 50 disposals, but only returned 2.6.18.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:35
Matt Geulfi has recorded a career-high six forward 50 tackles today, with all of these coming in the third quarter. Gold Coast averages 11.1 such tackles, but trails 7-13 in this count.
01:18
Suns Interchange - Levi Casboult off due to an injury.
01:51
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Touk Miller)
03:30
Essendon has scored 54.8 percent of its goals from marks this season, which is the highest percentage in the league. The Bombers have kicked six of their 11 goals today following a mark.
04:53
The Bombers have conceded a score from 47.1 percent of opposition inside 50 entries this season (ranked 17th). Today the Suns have 12 scores from 35 entries.
05:58
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
07:50
Jordan Ridley has recorded a disposal efficiency of 87.9 percent this season, which is the third-best percentage of the top-50 ball-winning defenders in the league. Ridley has contributed 14 disposals at 100 percent efficiency today.
08:37
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Peter Wright)
09:06
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
10:33
Essendon has now scored 5.14 from its last 21 shots at goal (including misses). Gold Coast has scored 1.4 from five shots at goal during this period.
11:54
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jack Lukosius)
12:03
The first goal of the final quarter to Jack Lukosius and Gold Coast came from a forward half intercept. The Suns have now outscored the Bombers from this source 2.3.15 to 1.8.14 despite trailing 16-26 in such intercepts.
13:43
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Sam Day)
13:53
Consecutive goals to the Suns, with the second from a centre bounce clearance. Gold Coast now leads 20-9 in points scored from this source.
14:50
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Sam Draper)
15:18
A goal of the year contender from Sam Draper gives him his second goal of the game. Draper has contributed five clearances, seven hitouts to advantage, and been involved in seven scores today.
17:38
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Izak Rankine)
18:18
The goal to Izak Rankine was the first score of the game to the Suns to come from a forward half stoppage. Gold Coast averages 16.1 points per game from this source.
20:14
Mason Redman has continued his strong season today. Redman has recorded game-highs for metres gained (625) and intercepts (11) from his 30 disposals.
23:23
Kyle Langford kicked a career-high four goals last round against the Lions and has recorded an equal career-high four score assists today, but missed all three shots at goal.
26:05
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nic Martin)
26:19
Following the goal to Nic Martin, Essendon now leads 52-14 in points scored from defensive half chains in an indication of the difference in ball movement today. Martin has again been an offensive contributor with 25 disposals and two goals.
27:59
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
28:19
The Bombers now lead 19-6 in forward 50 marks, 77-32 in forward 50 disposals, and 37-14 in shots at goal (including misses).
30:36
Zach Merrett has recorded a career-high 14 score involvements from his game-high 36 disposals today.
31:08
A big win for the Bombers who matched the Suns at clearances and then moved the ball better. Essendon led in handball receives (135-69), uncontested possessions (265-164), and points scored from defensive half chains (52-14).