Pre Game
00:00
Melbourne has won five of its last six matches against Essendon by 27 points per game.
Quarter 1
00:00
Q1 is now underway.
02:26
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
04:17
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Will Snelling)
04:24
Essendon has won 31 of the first 40 disposals in the match, scoring twice from their three inside 50s. Essendon has been outscored by 39 points in first quarters this season – the worst differential in the league.
06:01
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Andrew Phillips)
06:14
Andrew Phillips has scored Essendon's second goal of the match in a fast start for the Bombers. Phillips provided a strong aerial presence for the Bombers last round, winning a team-high four contested marks against the Giants.
08:06
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
08:45
Bombers Interchange - Brandon Zerk-Thatcher off due to an injury.
10:01
Melbourne is winning the ball at stoppages, leading clearances five to one. Christian Petracca and Ed Langdon have both won multiple clearances whilst Darcy Parish is the sole clearance winner for the Bombers.
11:22
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
12:41
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
12:52
Kysaiah Pickett has scored the first goal for the Demons after their fifth inside 50. Pickett has laid more tackles in the forward 50 this season (nine) than any other Demon player – despite missing two weeks due to suspension.
14:03
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
16:27
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
16:44
Bailey Fritsch, who leads Melbourne for marks inside 50 this season, has taken his first mark in this zone today and has converted his second goal of the match. Fritsch has now scored 11 goals in his fourth game of the season - statistically his best start to a season in his career.
18:37
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Sam Draper)
19:54
Sam Durham has won a game-high 10 disposals at 90% efficiency lined up on the wing against Lachie Hunter. This is an equal career-best result for Durham in a single quarter since debuting in 2021.
24:48
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Will Snelling)
26:48
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Sam Draper)
27:15
Essendon has taken five marks inside 50 - their equal second-best result in a quarter this season. Kyle Langford has taken two of these marks, taking his season tally to nine. This is more than any other Essendon player this season – despite having played 48% of his time on ground this year in defence.
28:04
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
29:21
Demons Interchange - Harrison Petty off due to an injury.
30:16
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
31:41
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Jake Melksham)
31:44
Essendon won 28 more disposals in the opening term. This is their best differential in any quarter this season, whilst it is Melbourne's worst disposal differential in any quarter this season.
Quarter 2
00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:16
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
01:31
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Jake Melksham)
02:26
Melbourne has scored an accurate 4.0 (24) from their set shots tonight. The Demons have recorded a set shot scoring accuracy of 73.6% this season – ranked No.1.
04:31
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
05:17
Essendon has won six centre clearances, with four of these clearances resulting in a score. The Bombers have outscored the Demons by 17 points from centre bounces today.
06:36
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Jacob van Rooyen)
08:10
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Mason Redman)
08:39
Darcy Parish has won a game-high 14 disposals whilst also leading the match in contested possessions (seven), inside 50s (four), metres gained (258) and score involvements (five). Only one player has averaged more disposals than Darcy Parish’s 33 per game this season (Nick Daicos - 34.5 disposals per game).
10:04
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
13:29
In his last two matches against Essendon, Clayton Oliver accumulated a combined 72 disposals, 23 inside 50s, 15 clearances, and 33 contested possessions. Today, Oliver has only managed four disposals and one clearance lined up against Will Setterfield.
14:15
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
15:42
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
17:46
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Andrew Phillips)
19:13
Five of Melbourne's seven goals today have been launched from their defensive half - including two goals from kick-ins. Melbourne is the highest scoring side from defensive 50 this season, averaging 25 points per game from this zone.
19:51
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
22:20
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
23:38
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
24:22
After scoring a wasteful 11.22 (88) from 36 shots at goal last round, Essendon’s accuracy has regressed positively today. Essendon has had 17 shots at goal today resulting in eight goals.
27:10
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Sam Draper)
27:54
Essendon's ruckmen have provided a consistent avenue to goal tonight. Sam Draper has scored a career-high three goals, whilst Andrew Phillips has scored two goals. Essendon is leading hitouts 19 to nine, and hitouts-to-advantage nine to four.
30:04
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Jye Caldwell)
30:27
Melbourne entered today's contest ranked second for pressure applied, averaging a pressure factor of 184. Essendon ranks 17th for pressure applied, averaging a pressure factor of 168 per game. The Bombers lead this stat 186 to 168 today.
31:15
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Will Setterfield)
33:09
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Dylan Shiel)
33:32
Demons Interchange - Charlie Spargo off due to an injury.
34:26
Essendon's 9.10 (64) is their highest-scoring first half of the season, and their highest-scoring first half against Melbourne since 2013. 64 points is the most points that Melbourne has conceded in a first-half since their 2018 Preliminary Final loss to the Eagles.
Quarter 3
00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:30
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
03:42
Melbourne has scored seven goals from 28 inside 50s tonight, converting 25% of their inside 50s into goals. Essendon has conceded a goal from 21.6% of its opponents inside 50s – ranked fifth and up from 17th last year.
04:17
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Jye Caldwell)
05:07
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
06:06
Jake Stringer has scored a crumbing goal off the pack, his second groundball won in the forward 50 tonight. In his two matches this season, Jake Stringer won more groundballs inside 50 (nine) than any other Essendon player has managed this season.
08:43
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
10:07
Despite trailing in clearances by three, Essendon is well on top in scoring from this source - currently doubling Melbourne in scores from stoppages. Their most recent goal to Kyle Langford was Essendon's first stoppage goal not coming from a centre bounce.
12:16
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
13:52
Bombers Interchange - Harrison Jones off due to an injury.
14:39
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
15:02
As the wet conditions blanket Adelaide Oval, the disposal efficiency of both sides has understandably reduced. Essendon and Melbourne recorded a kicking efficiency of 79% and 76% respectively in the first half. In the third quarter, neither side is over 60% kicking efficiency.
16:39
Essendon has won nine of the last 12 clearances in the match as they begin to take control of the stoppages. The Bombers have laid 17 tackles in this third quarter, compared to eight by the Demons.
18:19
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
20:17
Returning to the defensive half tonight after playing the last two matches as a forward, Harrison Petty has grabbed five intercept marks this quarter. This is the most intercept marks taken by any player in a single quarter this season.
23:14
After amassing just 11 disposals in the first half, Clayton Oliver has responded strongly in this third term. He has won nine disposals and has won all four of Melbourne’s clearances this quarter.
25:16
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Jake Melksham)
27:00
Essendon enters the final break with a 36-point lead having generated 27 shots at goal compared to Melbourne's 15. Melbourne has never won a match in their history when trailing by 36 points or more at three-quarter time.
Quarter 4
00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:59
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)
02:32
Melbourne and Essendon are the only two teams who are yet to lose a final quarter this season. The Demons have outscored their opponents by 22 points per game in the final term – the best differential in the league.
05:24
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Nick Hind)
06:31
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Kade Chandler)
07:38
Melbourne has been the No. 1 side at outscoring their opponents from intercepts this season, averaging 32.8 points more than their opposition from this source. Essendon has been dominant from this source tonight, generating 10 more scoring shots and outscoring the Demons by 30 from this source.
09:55
Andrew McGrath has been the top interceptor for the Bombers tonight, winning nine intercept possessions. McGrath is typically a run-and-carry defender, taking more running bounces than any other player in the competition with 15. He has taken more running bounces this year than Melbourne has for the entire season (11).
10:31
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Nick Hind)
12:12
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
13:16
SCORE
GOAL - Bombers (Nic Martin)
13:48
Essendon has won nine more contested possessions than Melbourne tonight, an area Melbourne has been dominating in recent weeks. In their last two matches, Melbourne has won the contested possession count by 34 and 21.
16:18
SCORE
BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
17:28
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
18:38
Essendon has retained possession from 52% of their kicks inside 50 tonight, well above Melbourne's 34% retention rate. The Bombers have allowed their opponents to retain possession from 39.8% of their kicks into the forward 50 this season – ranked No.1 defensively.
19:02
SCORE
GOAL - Demons (James Jordon)
21:49
Essendon has won 20 more post-clearance contested possessions than the Demons tonight. This is the worst differential for the Demons since Round 10, 2019.
24:14
Essendon has 19 scoring chains sourced from their 72 intercept possessions (26.4% conversion). They have generated a score from 24.2% of its intercept possessions this season – the highest percentage in the AFL.
26:02
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
28:48
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Trent Rivers)
30:41
SCORE
BEHIND - Demons (Jack Viney)
30:50
In tricky conditions, Essendon has four players that have won 15 or more disposals and have a disposal efficiency of 90% or above (Sam Durham, Jordan Ridley, Jayden Laverde, and Dyson Heppell). Melbourne has no players satisfying these criteria tonight.
35:08
Melbourne came into tonight’s match as the hardest team to score against from turnover. Essendon dominated this area of the game tonight, generating eight more scoring shots from intercept possessions and outscoring the Demons by 33 points from this source.