Match

Essendon vs Collingwood

Commentary / 25 Apr 2024

Pre Game

00:00
Essendon scored only 31 points when these teams met in Round 24 last season, which was its lowest score at the MCG since 1908.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:43
Essendon has won the first two clearances of the game to set up the first scoring opportunity. The Bombers are ranked second for clearance differential this season.
01:10
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
02:07
The Bombers scored the first goal of the game from a forward half stoppage. Last season, Essendon was ranked last in points scored from this source but has improved this season to sixth with 17.5 points per game from such a source.
04:00
Essendon has an early 12-0 lead in uncontested possessions including 6-0 marks displaying controlled ball movement.
04:09
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
04:55
An excellent long-range goal from Jake Stringer capped a chain started with a defensive 50 intercept. Both of these teams are ranked in the bottom-3 for generating an inside 50 entry from a defensive 50 chain.
05:48
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
06:15
A fast start for the Bombers with a goal from the impressive Harrison Jones. Essendon has kicked three goals while Collingwood has had just three disposals and won four of the first five clearances.
07:27
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Darcy Parish)
07:35
Essendon kicked only three goals against Collingwood when these teams last met, but has already eclipsed that in the first seven minutes today. The Bombers have four goals from four inside 50 entries and have won nine of the first 11 contested possessions.
09:55
An error in the defensive 50 from Essendon has assisted Collingwood to its first goal of the game. The Magpies average 36 points per game from forward half intercepts (ranked second).
13:07
Essendon has won first possession at eight of the nine stoppages to start this game which has aided the Bombers into an 8-4 lead in inside 50 entries.
13:49
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Jamie Elliott)
15:02
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Brody Mihocek)
15:10
The last four scores have all gone to the Magpies who have settled after the initial rush from the Bombers. Collingwood has a 14-12 edge in post-clearance contested possessions but has recorded a kicking efficiency of only 39 per cent.
17:18
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Peter Wright)
17:25
Essendon has an early 5-2 lead in contested marks and a 19-4 advantage in total marks following the last mark and goal from Peter Wright. The Bombers have averaged only 8.2 contested marks per game this season.
19:29
Collingwood is ranked No.1 in centre bounce clearance differential this season but trails 1-5 in this measure today.
21:05
Essendon leads the clearances 10-3 and has converted this into an 18-0 advantage in points scored from stoppages.
23:34
Scott Pendlebury has just become the first player to record 10,000 career disposals fittingly against Essendon. Pendlebury has polled 111 AFLCA votes in games against the Bombers. No other player has polled more than 90 such votes against one opponent.
26:31
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Rushed)
26:36
Collingwood has recorded a kicking efficiency of only 33 percent in its forward half resulting in several chances not being converted.
27:54
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Bobby Hill)
29:32
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
29:54
Some excellent ball movement from a kick-in has led to the second goal of the game for the Magpies. Bobby Hill recorded a career-high five score assists last week and has produced a clever kick and assist on the goal from Jamie Elliott.
31:32
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Brody Mihocek)
32:02
Essendon was able to make the most of early dominance at stoppages (clearances now 13-7) and accuracy in front of goal in the opening quarter. The Bombers have scored 4.1 from shots beyond 30 metres from the goal while the Magpies have scored 0.4 from shots in the same range.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:08
Scott Pendlebury was the No.1 ranked player on the ground in the opening quarter with seven disposals at 100 percent efficiency, a team-high four contested possessions, and all three of his intercept possessions launched scores for the Magpies.
01:21
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
02:55
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Rushed)
03:22
Since the start of last season, Essendon has won nine of the 11 games when it has recorded a pressure rating of least 180 and won only six of the 18 games when it has not reached this mark. In the opening quarter the Bombers had a pressure rating of 184 (Collingwood was 168).
04:56
Both teams have missed an early set shot at goal following a 50-metre penalty. The Magpies have scored 0.3.3 from set shots while the Bombers have scored 4.2.26 from its set shots at goal.
07:09
While Essendon has the edge at the stoppages, Collingwood leads post-clearance contested possessions 29-23 including ground balls 20-12.
08:17
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
09:26
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Brody Mihocek)
09:37
A second goal from a kick-in chain for the Magpies. Collingwood had kicked just one goal this season from a kick-in chain before today.
11:07
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Bobby Hill)
11:43
Collingwood continues to look dangerous on the counterattack against Essendon and leads 14-6 in points scored from defensive 50 chains. The Magpies average just 8.7 points per game from such chains (ranked last).
12:23
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jade Gresham)
14:10
The Magpies lead the inside 50 count 8-5 this term due to a 5-1 advantage in forward half intercepts. Collingwood leads 12-6 overall in such intercepts.
15:11
Three goals in a row to the Magpies who have trapped the Bombers in their defensive half. Collingwood has had the ball in its forward half 63 percent of this quarter with the last goal coming from a forward half intercept.
17:01
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Lachie Schultz)
17:19
The last two times that Essendon has kicked six goals in an opening quarter against Collingwood it has gone on to lose the game.
17:35
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Brody Mihocek)
18:13
Collingwood leads forward half intercepts 8-1 this quarter and has converted this into 14-1 points from this source following the last goal from Brody Mihocek who has already been involved in eight scores.
20:31
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Nick Daicos)
20:43
Collingwood is now scoring at will with Essendon unable to clear the ball from its defensive 50. The Magpies have scored 4.6.30 intercepting defensive 50 chains for the Bombers. Essendon has scored only 1.1.7 intercepting such chains from Collingwood.
23:48
Sam Draper has ended a run of five goals to the Magpies with an accurate snap. The Bombers lead 25-3 in points scored from stoppages with the goal from Draper launched with a defensive 50 clearance.
26:06
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
26:48
The Magpies lead the tackle count 25-12 this quarter with their pressure preventing the Bombers from generating the uncontested possession chains that resulted in scores during the first quarter.
27:43
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
28:35
Collingwood leads 13-0 in forward 50 tackles with this contributing to the problems Essendon has had in moving the ball from its defensive 50.
30:08
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Billy Frampton)
31:11
A powerful second quarter from the Magpies who applied terrific pressure (rating 213-172) and generated 10-1 forward half intercepts. Essendon has relied heavily on clearances (25-11) and points scored from stoppages (27-3) with Collingwood dominant in general play.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:15
Jake Stringer attended 12 centre bounces in the first half and won five clearances. Stringer had not attended more than six centre bounces or won more than three clearances in a game this season before today.
01:27
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Peter Wright)
01:41
Essendon converted its first four set shots at goal today but has missed its last five such shots at goal. Collingwood has scored 2.6.18 from its sets shots at goal.
03:27
Since Round 3, Collingwood has outscored its opposition by 14 points per game from clearances (ranked No.1). The Magpies trail 3-27 in points scored from this source today.
04:19
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Alwyn Davey Jnr)
04:29
The last goal from Alwyn Davey Junior was launched from the defensive 50. This was the third such goal today for the Bombers and they average just 13 points per game from such chains.
06:13
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
08:19
Essendon has a 6-2 lead in inside 50 entries this quarter on the back of a 14-9 edge in contested possessions and a 31-17 advantage in uncontested possessions.
08:45
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
09:59
A third goal from a kick-in chain for the Magpies with a spectacular mark and goal from Jamie Elliott has form against Essendon in that forward pocket.
11:26
Essendon had not conceded a goal from a kick-in chain this season before this game but has already conceded three such goals today.
12:34
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
14:25
Collingwood now leads forward half intercepts 19-9 and has converted this into 28-14 points scored from this source.
16:46
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Bobby Hill)
17:10
The Magpies have generated an inside 50 from only 35.2 percent of their defensive midfield chains this season (ranked last) and down from a ranking of third in 2023. Collingwood has converted 46 percent of such chains today but scored just one behind from this source.
19:24
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Patrick Lipinski)
19:30
Patrick Lipinski finished with three score assists, nine score involvements, and a career-high four goals last week against the Power and has added a goal today following another forward half intercept by Collingwood.
20:37
Collingwood is ranked in the top-4 this season for scores per inside 50 entries (48 percent), while Essendon is ranked in the bottom-4 at defending such entries. The Magpies have 20 scores from 40 entries today continuing this trend.
23:02
In the last four weeks, Collingwood has been the No.1 ranked team for the differential in pressure applied and the Magpies are again ahead in this measure (187-180).
24:00
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Lachie Schultz)
25:10
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
27:47
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
27:49
Essendon has now missed its last eight set shots at goal following the miss after the siren from Harrison Jones. Collingwood has scored 5.7.37 intercepting defensive 50 chains from Essendon, while the Bombers have still only scored 1.1.7 from this source.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:09
The Magpies won the contested possession count by 41 last week against the Power, which is their second-best differential since 2018 but trails 90-105 in this measure today.
01:51
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Josh Daicos)
02:00
Josh Daicos had 30 disposals, 22 uncontested possessions, and 10 score involvements on ANZAC Day last season and has kicked the opening goal of the final quarter today. Only Nick Daicos (464) has gained more metres than Josh today (357).
03:25
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
03:54
Bombers Interchange - Harrison Jones off due to the blood rule.
05:19
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
05:35
Kyle Langford had a team-high 25 scoreboard-impact points against the Magpies on ANZAC Day last season, finishing with 17 disposals, four marks inside 50, and three goals. Langford has broken the run of missed set shots at goal for Essendon with his third goal of the game.
06:44
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nic Martin)
07:00
Essendon has won the first three centre bounce clearances of the final quarter with the last goal from Nic Martin coming from this source. The Bombers lead 15-8 in centre bounce clearances and 15-2 in points scored from this source.
08:49
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
08:55
Another centre bounce goal for the Bombers and the move of Nic Martin forward of the ball has been rewarded with Martin assisting on the last goal from Kyle Langford. Essendon now leads 43-3 in points scored from stoppages.
10:20
SCORE BEHIND - Magpies (Jordan De Goey)
11:02
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Harvey Harrison)
11:10
While Essendon continues to threaten from stoppages, Collingwood now leads 58-41 in points scored from turnovers with the Bombers again failing to move the ball effectively from their defensive 50 leading to the last goal from Harvey Harrison.
13:11
SCORE GOAL - Magpies (Beau McCreery)
13:40
All four scores this quarter by the Magpies have come from defensive half chains with Collingwood able to find holes in the Essendon defence.
15:05
Essendon has won all seven centre bounce clearances this term helping the Bombers to a 9-4 lead in inside 50 entries. Collingwood has scored from all of its entries.
20:22
Brody Mihocek has had an equal career-high eight shots at goal today but scored 3.3 with two shots out on the full from his chances so far. Mihocek has been involved in a team-high nine scores.
24:17
Essendon has generated an inside 50 entry from only 72 percent of its attacking midfield chains this season (ranked last) has again had issues with these chains today and has not scored from six opportunities in the final quarter.
26:23
Bombers Interchange - Nik Cox off due to an injury.
26:49
Zach Merrett has now recorded at least 30 disposals in each of his last six ANZAC day games and today has been the No.1 ranked Bomber for pressure.
28:11
It has been 15 minutes since either team has scored as Kyle Langford takes a mark in the forward 50.
28:25
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
30:02
A second draw on ANZAC day with Essendon having the advantage at clearances (40-23) and points scored from stoppages (43-9) and Collingwood the better at winning forward half intercepts (24-16) and points scored from this source (35-15).