Match

St Kilda vs Essendon

Commentary / 01 Apr 2023

Pre Game

00:00
St. Kilda has conceded just two points from centre bounce clearances this season – the fewest in the AFL.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:52
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Ryan Byrnes)
01:39
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Mason Wood)
01:48
The Saints have registered two scores from their first inside 50, with Mason Wood kicking his 100th career goal.
04:48
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Mattaes Phillipou)
07:06
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Anthony Caminiti)
07:13
Both St Kilda goals have come from 50m penalties, with Anthony Caminiti the beneficiary of the latest. Caminiti kicked two goals last week in what was his second AFL game.
09:22
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rowan Marshall)
10:12
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Mitch Owens)
12:02
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Mitch Owens)
12:34
The Saints have scored from all seven inside 50s in the opening term. They also lead the contested possession count 20-7.
13:59
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Dan Butler)
14:13
Bombers Interchange - Jayden Laverde off due to the blood rule.
16:07
Essendon has failed to register a score from their five inside 50s and has only registered one effective disposal inside 50.
17:47
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Higgins)
18:09
St Kilda's turnover game is in full swing - scoring 4.3 (27) from that source. It has outscored its opponents by 25 points per game from turnovers in its first two games - ranked fourth.
19:10
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
21:32
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
24:59
The Saints have relied on set shots for almost its entire score in the first term - with 5.3 (33) coming from that source alone. Its solitary point was score from general play.
28:19
Callum Wilkie leads all-comers with four intercept marks this game. He also has a game-high five intercept possessions - also having three spoils and one tackle.
28:34
The Bombers have been wasteful with their forward 50 entries - generating just two scores from 12 inside 50s. The Saints on the other hand have posted nine scores from 13 entries.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:44
Defensively, St Kilda has been difficult to score against in the opening term this season - conceding just 21 points across these games - the fewest in the competition.
03:58
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Dylan Shiel)
07:19
Darcy Parish has started brightly this quarter with a game-high six disposals in the second term at 83% disposal efficiency.
07:28
Essendon has fought back in the second term - leading disposals 35-22, uncontested possessions 29-14, and inside 50s 5-1. It also has the only scores for the term with seven points - with its goal coming from a stoppage.
11:41
Mason Wood has made a terrific start to the season and has an equal game-high 12 disposals. He also has a game-high 327 metres gained and 10 uncontested possessions to go with one goal.
14:32
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nic Martin)
15:32
Jack Higgins takes St Kilda's sixth mark inside the forward 50. He converts with his second goal of the game - having three of his eight disposals for the match in this second term. He has also been involved in an equal game-high five scoring chains.
15:45
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Higgins)
17:37
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Mitch Owens)
18:22
After booting a career-high five goals in Round 2, Kyle Langford has been deployed in defence tonight. He has nine disposals to his name - hitting the target with all seven kicks. He has also won all four of his contested possessions at ground level.
18:56
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
19:27
The Bombers have now kicked three of the last four goals with their only two goals this quarter coming from forward 50 chains.
22:39
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Higgins)
24:34
St Kilda's ball movement from the defensive midfield has been far superior - generating an inside 50 from 75% of its intercepts in that zone compared to Essendon's 30%.
26:00
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
26:54
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
27:59
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nic Martin)
28:23
Nine of the last 12 scores for the match have been recorded by the Bombers. They have stemmed the flow after a slow start to the match - having seven scoring shots to three in the second term.
29:27
Dylan Shiel leads the way with 206 metres gained this quarter along with three inside 50s and a goal.
31:32
The ruck battle between Rowan Marshall and Sam Draper has been a close one - with Marshall leading the hitouts-to-advantage narrowly 9-8. The Bombers have scored 2.3 from Draper's score launches compared to Marshall's one behind when the two have been opposed.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
05:54
Six minutes into the third quarter, St. Kilda has had the first four inside 50s of the term but has yet to score.
06:26
Will Setterfield has been busy after quarter-time - winning 12 disposals since the first break. He has also been influential at stoppages - generating five clearances - the most of any player on the ground.
09:06
Jordan Ridley has been involved in a lot of the Bombers' chains with a team-high seven disposals this quarter at 86% disposal efficiency along with four uncontested marks - one of them being an intercept mark.
09:50
Bombers Interchange - Jake Kelly off due to an injury.
11:43
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Anthony Caminiti)
12:49
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
13:08
Archie Perkins kicks the first goal of the third term. The Bombers have controlled the tempo in this term - leading the disposals 60-46 and uncontested marks 32-11.
15:05
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Rushed)
16:49
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
17:58
Nick Martin makes it back-to-back goals for Essendon - booting six of the last eight goals of the match. Since quarter-time, the Bombers lead on the scoreboard 5.5 (35) to just 2.3 (15).
19:38
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Dan Butler)
22:27
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Dan Butler)
22:38
After finishing goalless in each of the first two rounds, Dan Butler has hit the scoreboard for the first time in 2023 booting back-to-back goals. He has had 11 disposals for the match along with two score assists.
25:27
Rowan Marshall has been dominant in the air - grabbing a game-high four contested marks. It is also the sixth time in his career he has taken at least four contested marks - with a career-high of five in Round 6, 2021.
28:40
The Bombers led the effective clearances 8-5 in the third term with substitute Nick Hind having a team-high two effective clearances. Neither team impacted the scoreboard from stoppages - generating one point apiece.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:20
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Caldwell)
03:04
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
03:14
Kyle Langford has been shifted back into attack for the final term and has kicked the Bombers' second goal this quarter. Langford kicked 5.2 last week against the Suns.
05:44
Essendon's pressure has lifted early in the final term - posting a pressure factor of 204 which is its highest for the match. St Kilda's pressure is at 164.
07:11
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jye Caldwell)
08:30
Both sides have been able to hit the scoreboard from forward 50 chains - generating 26 points apiece from that source. That's well up on their season average after two games.
08:44
Saints Interchange - Jimmy Webster and is possibly out for the game.
09:32
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Caldwell)
09:40
Jye Caldwell has been immense this final term and has kicked two goals to level scores. He has a team-high three contested possessions this term along with one inside 50.
11:24
Since the Saints booted the first five goals of the game, the Bombers have dominated the scoreboard - scoring 9.7 (61) to 4.3 (27). They have outscored the Saints 29 points to 7 from stoppages - leading the clearance count by 12.
12:45
The Essendon midfield has stepped up this term. Sam Draper leads the hitouts-to-advantage 3-1 and the Bombers lead the effective clearances 6-1 - generating seven points to none from stoppages.
13:41
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jack Higgins)
16:25
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Jade Gresham)
16:45
St Kilda is plus 27 points from turnovers kicking 8.5 (53) to 4.2 (26), while Essendon is plus 15 points from stoppages kicking 4.5 (29) to 2.2 (14).
19:44
Saints Interchange - Mason Wood and is possibly out for the game.
20:15
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Marcus Windhager)
21:35
SCORE BEHIND - Saints (Jade Gresham)
21:40
Mason Wood has a game-high 166 metres gained this quarter to go along with seven disposals, two intercept marks, and two score involvements.
22:07
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Dan Butler)
22:30
St. Kilda has regained the momentum and had nine of the last 10 inside 50s for the match - botting four goals in the process.
24:52
SCORE GOAL - Saints (Bradley Hill)
25:05
The Saints have dominated from turnovers this quarter with all five of their goals coming from that source. They are plus 18 points this quarter from this metric and have scored from 60% of attacking midfield interceptions this term.
26:27
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
28:41
Bombers Interchange - Alwyn Davey Jnr off due to an injury.
30:08
Saints Interchange - Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera off due to an injury.
30:24
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Darcy Parish)
32:43
Bombers Interchange - Will Setterfield off due to an injury.
34:01
Saints Interchange - Sebastian Ross off due to the blood rule.
35:05
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Dylan Shiel)
36:24
Essendon was on top of the midfield battle with Sam Draper leading the hitouts-to-advantage 9-5 against Rowan Marshall and was plus 14 in scores from stoppages. They also led the effective clearances 35-21.