Match

Port Adelaide vs Essendon

Commentary / 05 Apr 2024

Pre Game

00:00
Port Adelaide has won its last seven games against Essendon, with its last two wins by a combined nine points.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
02:11
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jade Gresham)
03:13
Jade Gresham has scored the opening goal of the game for the Bombers following an intercept won in their defensive midfield zone. Gresham ranks No. 1 at Essendon for Inside 50s and score launches this season.
03:24
SCORE GOAL - Power (Willie Rioli)
06:23
SCORE GOAL - Power (Connor Rozee)
06:48
Port Adelaide’s first two goals of the game have both been sourced from stoppages. The Power have won four of the last five clearances.
12:52
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jade Gresham)
13:08
Essendon has now scored their first goal of the game from a stoppage following a boundary throw-in inside their forward 50. Essendon has scored 23.3 points per game from forward half clearances – ranked No.1.
17:47
Essendon has restricted Port Adelaide's ability to chain together uncontested marks in the opening half of this first quarter. Port Adelaide averages 29 more marks than their opponents this season – the largest differential in the league. Essendon currently leads uncontested marks 13 to five.
18:40
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
20:20
SCORE GOAL - Power (Mitch Georgiades)
21:03
Mitch Georgiades has scored a goal in his 50th career match - his first AFL match since Round 2 last season. Georgiades has now scored eight career goals against the Bombers - his best result against any team.
23:34
SCORE GOAL - Power (Todd Marshall)
23:44
Port Adelaide has been very damaging from centre bounces tonight, generating three shots at goals from five centre clearances. Essendon did not concede a goal from centre bounces in their win last round.
26:47
Bombers Interchange - Jye Caldwell off due to the blood rule.
27:08
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
30:03
Essendon has won five forward half intercepts in the last 10 minutes, resulting in 70% of the play being held in their attacking half of the ground in this time.
31:54
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Sam Draper)
32:38
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
34:02
Despite generating five fewer inside 50s and only recording one inside 50 in the last 11 minutes of the quarter, Port Adelaide enters quarter time with a three-point advantage. They have been strong starters consistently this year, winning all four of their opening terms this season.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:53
SCORE GOAL - Power (Darcy Byrne-Jones)
04:03
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
04:14
Connor Rozee was everywhere in the opening term, accumulating a game-high 13 disposals as well as leading the quarter for metres gained (211), contested possessions (six), and clearances (three). Rozee was involved in a game-high 11 scoring chains in Round 3, also having 26 disposals and five clearances.
06:17
Essendon has finally been able to capitalise on their forward-half pressure, scoring their first goal of the game from a turnover won in their forward half of the ground - their 10th forward-half intercept of the game.
07:33
SCORE GOAL - Power (Connor Rozee)
09:00
Port Adelaide has showed significant improvement in their goalkicking tonight, scoring an accurate 6.0 (36) from their seven shots at goal. The Power have recorded a shot at accuracy of 43.5% this season.
09:11
Power Interchange - Todd Marshall off due to an injury.
12:32
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
13:42
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Rushed)
13:47
Port Adelaide has scored their first goal of the game from a defensive half launch, transitioning the ball from a defensive 50 chain. Port Adelaide has been the fifth-highest scoring team from defensive 50 chains this season, averaging 22.7 points per game from this zone.
15:04
Power Interchange - Zak Butters off due to an injury.
16:44
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Mitch Georgiades)
17:10
Port Adelaide has responded well after quarter-time in the territory contest, leading inside 50s for the term 10 to four. This territory dominance has resulted in a three-goal to one lead for the quarter for the Power. Essendon and West Coast are the only two clubs who have not won a second quarter yet this season.
19:54
Power Interchange - Travis Boak off due to an injury.
20:40
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Connor Rozee)
21:42
Bombers Interchange - Jayden Laverde off due to an injury.
22:41
Jason Horne-Francis has been prolific in the second quarter for Port Adelaide. He has won 12 disposals, three clearances, six contested possessions and generated 234 metres gained - leading these stats for all players this term.
24:34
Essendon has been wasteful by foot tonight, recording a kicking efficiency of 54% - well below their season average of 66%.
26:20
SCORE GOAL - Power (Willie Rioli)
27:36
SCORE GOAL - Power (Connor Rozee)
29:38
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
29:43
Port Adelaide outscored the Bombers by 32 points in the second quarter in a dominant display. The Power won nine more contested possessions than the Bombers and three more clearances. The Power won 11 forward half intercepts in the second term after only winning two in the opening quarter.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:43
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
02:50
Port Adelaide won 15 more clearances than the Demons in their match last round but were unable to impact the scoreboard from this source, with the Demons outscoring them by 20 points from stoppages. They lead clearances by five tonight and have outscored the Bombers by four goals from this source.
04:54
Power Interchange - Miles Bergman off due to an injury.
05:28
Port Adelaide has won six offensive one-on-one contests tonight compared to Essendon's one. The Power have won 44.4% of their offensive one-on-ones – ranked No.1.
06:20
SCORE GOAL - Power (Ivan Soldo)
09:24
Port Adelaide is in complete control at centre bounces, leading these clearances 12 to four. Port Adelaide has scored from 34.7% of its clearances this season – the best percentage in the league.
13:58
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Zak Butters)
14:10
Port Adelaide has taken five intercept marks this quarter after only managing six in the first half. The Bombers have conceded 13 intercept marks per game – ranked second defensively.
15:42
SCORE GOAL - Power (Willie Rioli)
16:10
Port Adelaide's efficiency inside 50 tonight has been outstanding, converting 32% of their inside 50s into a goal - well above their season average of 25%. Conversely, the Bombers' efficiency has been poor with a conversion of 13%.
17:06
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jade Gresham)
18:20
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jeremy Finlayson)
19:36
Bombers Interchange - Archie Perkins and is possibly out for the game.
20:20
Ivan Soldo has comfortably won the ruck battle tonight against Todd Goldstein and Sam Draper. Soldo has won 12 hitouts to advantage compared to Goldstein's four whilst Draper has not won a hitout to advantage tonight.
23:16
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Mitch Georgiades)
24:10
Port Adelaide has taken five more marks inside 50s than the Bombers tonight. Port Adelaide averages 18.7 marks inside 50 per game this season – ranked No.1.
25:38
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
27:27
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nick Hind)
29:08
Port Adelaide controlled the third quarter, dictating the speed of play through uncontested marks. The Power recorded 36 uncontested marks to 13 in the third term after only being allowed to take 28 of these mark types in the entire first half.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:39
Ben McKay has battled hard tonight for the Bombers in defence, holding spearhead Charlie Dixon goalless so far tonight. McKay finished an equal game-high 13 intercept possessions last round – his most intercept possessions since he won a career-high 14 in 2023 against Essendon.
02:27
SCORE GOAL - Power (Jed McEntee)
07:46
SCORE GOAL - Power (Darcy Byrne-Jones)
07:57
Essendon has been unable to sustain their pressure on Port Adelaide in the second half. The Bombers recorded a pressure factor of 200 in the first half which has dropped to 168 after halftime.
09:14
Nic Martin has won a team-high 31 disposals as well as 10 intercept possessions in a positive performance. Martin equaled Essendon’s all-time disposal record with 44 last round, also gaining a team and career-high 782 metres.
13:17
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Charlie Dixon)
13:30
Jason Horne-Francis has won a career-high 30 disposals tonight. He has also won seven centre clearances which is more than the entire Essendon team who collectively have won six of these clearances tonight.
14:00
SCORE GOAL - Power (Darcy Byrne-Jones)
16:54
Power Interchange - Esava Ratugolea off due to an injury.
17:23
SCORE GOAL - Power (Mitch Georgiades)
18:38
SCORE BEHIND - Power (Connor Rozee)
20:17
Since quarter-time, Port Adelaide leads inside 50s 48 to 25 and have outscored the Bombers by 59 points from turnovers.
21:40
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
24:53
Port Adelaide's transition out of defensive 50 has been a highlight tonight, with 33% of their possession chains originating in this zone resulting in an inside 50. This is nearly double Essendon's respective conversion of 17%.
27:08
The Power dominated after quarter-time, outscoring the Bombers by 66 points in this time. Connor Rozee was outstanding tonight, with the captain setting career highs for disposals (36) and contested possessions (16) to go with his three goals and eight score involvements in a well-rounded performance.