Match

Gold Coast Suns vs Essendon

Commentary / 02 Jun 2024

Pre Game

00:00
The Suns have won 15 of their last 20 home games but have won only three of their last 20 away games. The Bombers have won only two of their last 20 games outside of Victoria against non-Victorian teams, not including West Coast.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:21
Both of these teams are ranked in the top-4 at winning centre bounce clearances this season and the Suns have won the opening centre bounce today but have not scored from this chain.
01:28
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nic Martin)
01:36
The first score of the game for the Bombers followed a forward half intercept. Essendon has scored from only 30.2 percent of such chains this season (ranked 15th).
02:09
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
03:22
The second score for Essendon came from a forward 50 stoppage. The Bombers have won the second-most forward 50 clearances this season and average 8.8 points per game from this source.
03:44
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
04:30
Essendon has generated the first four inside 50 entries of the game and scored from three of these entries. The Bombers have scored from only 40.7 percent of their entries this season (ranked 17th).
05:04
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Peter Wright)
05:29
The first goal of the game for Essendon followed a defensive half intercept. The Bombers average 23.2 points per game from this source while Gold Coast averages 27.4 points from such chains (ranked third).
06:34
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Ben Ainsworth)
09:04
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
09:54
Essendon has an early 10-5 lead in post-clearance ground balls with this helping the Bombers to an 8-4 lead in midfield intercepts from which both of their goals have come.
10:08
Gold Coast has not started its games well this season and has been outscored in the opening ten minutes of games by an average of 4.5 points (ranked last) and has again conceded a start to its opposition today.
12:32
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Long)
12:39
The Suns have scored 227 points from intercept possessions over their last three matches, which is the second-best three-match stretch in their history. Gold Coast has scored its first goal of the game today following an intercept possession in the defensive 50.
13:56
Essendon has undone some of its good early contest work with a forward half kicking efficiency of only 40 percent. The Bombers average kicking efficiency of only 55 percent in this zone (ranked 15th).
17:48
Peter Wright has been involved in three of the five scores for the Bombers against his former team including two assists and one goal. Wright has averaged just under five score involvements per game this season.
19:27
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Kelly)
19:35
All three goals for the Bombers have come from defensive half intercepts, with both teams moving the ball fluently from their defensive half in the opening quarter.
21:16
Essendon has an early 29-12 lead in uncontested marks and leads 3-0 in both forward 50 marks and marks on the lead.
21:38
SUNS Interchange - Sam Flanders off due to an injury.
21:54
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
24:20
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Bailey Humphrey)
24:30
Both goals for the Suns have come from an intercept in the defensive 50. Essendon is ranked in the bottom-4 at preventing the opposition from generating an inside 50 entry from a defensive 50 chain and scoring from such chains.
26:46
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
28:26
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Ben King)
28:29
The Bombers had the edge in the opening quarter in contested possessions (35-28), inside 50 entries (16-11) and pressure rating (180-170). Essendon has won all five games this season when it has won both the contested possession count and pressure rating.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:13
The Suns are the No.1 ranked team in the second quarter this season and have outscored their opposition by an average of 11.8 points during this period.
01:49
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jed Walter)
02:55
Gold Coast has stuck only 52 percent of its tackle attempts today while Essendon has recorded a tackle efficiency of 78 percent.
04:11
The Suns have an early 8-4 lead in ground balls this quarter after the Bombers won this measure 25-18 in the opening quarter.
05:10
The Suns now lead forward half intercepts 10-5 and the last goal from Ben King was the first goal of the game for either team to come from a forward half chain.
07:30
Gold Coast leads 5-0 in contested marks and 5-3 in intercept marks. The Suns average only 8.3 contested marks per game.
10:50
Essendon ranked second for clearance differential from Rounds 1-7 but has dropped to last from Rounds 8-11. The Bombers have a 9-6 edge in this measure today including 4-1 in this quarter.
12:29
Mason Redman took five intercept marks in the second quarter in Round 11, becoming just the fourth Bomber to take five or more intercept marks in a quarter. Redman has won an equal game-high six intercepts today with all of these won at ground level.
14:45
Essendon won the uncontested possession count 79-60 in the opening quarter, but Gold Coast leads 51-34 in this measure during the second quarter and has denied the Bombers ball control.
15:31
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Long)
16:06
Gold Coast leads forward half intercepts 8-1 this quarter and both of its goals this quarter have come from this source.
16:57
Four goals in a row to the Suns with another forward half intercept featuring in the last goal from Ben King. The Suns average 24.1 forward half intercepts per game this season (ranked second) and lead 15-6 in this count today.
19:25
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nick Hind)
19:44
Essendon has now scored 2.4 from shots 15-40 metres from goal with another attempt failing to score. Gold Coast has scored 3.2 from shots more than 40 metres from goal.
22:00
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nik Cox)
22:06
The Bombers have recorded kicking efficiency in their forward half of only 25 percent this quarter and only 39 percent overall. The suns have posted an efficiency of 56 percent for this measure.
24:15
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Peter Wright)
25:09
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Ainsworth)
25:46
The entire score for Gold Coast has come from turnovers. The Suns average 32.8 points per game from stoppages and 2.3 points per game from kick-ins.
27:02
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Rushed)
27:59
Nick Bryan has had 13 disposals for the Bombers today in his first game of the season as a replacement in the ruck. Todd Goldstein and Sam Draper have not had more than 13 disposals in any game this season.
28:36
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Matt Guelfi)
29:20
Gold Coast is the No.1 ranked team in second quarters this season and has again been strong in this period today outscoring Essendon 26-9. The Suns recorded kicking efficiency of 71 percent in the second term and restricted the Bombers to just 54 percent.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:15
Essendon has received great service this season from its bookends Kyle Langford and Ben McKay. However, in the first half today, Langford had just one kick (ineffective) and McKay had only two disposals and conceded four shots at goal to opponent Ben King.
01:37
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
01:47
A great start to the third quarter for Gold Coast with another goal from Ben King launched by a defensive half intercept. Mac Andrew provided the intercept and has won an equal game-high seven such intercepts.
03:50
Gold Coast has won the first two clearances and generated the first three inside 50 entries of the quarter. The Suns have also kicked six of the last seven goals in this game.
06:44
Gold Coast has now kicked seven of the last eight goals and is continuing to punish Essendon on turnover, leading 52-29 in points scored from this source. Ben Long has now kicked a career-high three goals in game No.100.
09:23
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Bailey Humphrey)
10:47
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
10:53
Gold Coast is also ranked No.1 at preventing the opposition from scoring from a centre bounce clearance this season and has again been strong defensively with Essendon leading centre bounce clearances 7-4 but only scoring one behind from this source.
13:40
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Rushed)
14:00
Dyson Heppell averages 26.8 disposals and 6.2 score involvements at this venue which are his highest averages at any venue. Heppell has had 14 disposals today and made some important defensive contributions.
14:23
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nic Martin)
15:47
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Caldwell)
16:13
The last goal from Jye Caldwell was launched by a forward half intercept from Dyson Heppell. Both teams have now recorded 18 forward half intercepts, but in line with the overall trend Essendon has scored 2.4 and Gold Coast 4.2 from these chains.
18:37
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
18:43
Gold Coast has scored 5.2 from its set shots at goal, while Essendon has scored 3.5 from its set shots. The Suns have also scored 4.2 from beyond 40 metres while the Bombers have scored 1.6 from the same range.
19:08
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
21:33
Essendon has generated seven of the last eight inside 50 entries and also had the last five scores in the game, but with inaccuracy have not been able to take full advantage of this ascendancy.
21:39
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nick Hind)
24:10
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Jack Lukosius)
24:28
An excellent goal from the Suns again on counterattack with a classy finish from Jack Lukosius who has been involved in a team-high six scores including a pair of assists. Gold Coast leads 34-22 in points scored from the back half.
27:18
Ben King is the most targeted player inside forward 50 this season, averaging 8.4 targets per match. King has been the target of six such kicks today, but Ben Long has been the primary target (seven times).
28:16
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
29:44
Forward half kicking efficiency continues to be a problem for Essendon. In the third term, the Bombers went at just 36 percent in this measure, while the Suns posted 71 percent.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:07
Nic Martin, Zach Merrett, Kyle Langford, and Jake Stringer (four key offensive players) have had ten shots at goal tonight between them for a return of 0.10.
02:55
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nik Cox)
03:15
Essendon now leads 21-0 in points scored from forward 50 chains following the goal from Nik Cox. Gold Coast has conceded the second-most points from opposition clearances and turnovers in the forward 50 this season.
05:31
Bombers Interchange - Kyle Langford off due to an injury.
05:51
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Nick Holman)
06:08
Gold Coast is still yet to score from a stoppage tonight. The lowest return from this source in any game this season is three points.
07:21
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Sam Durham)
08:59
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Long)
09:11
The Suns have again answered an Essendon goal with a quick answer of their own and it came from a centre bounce clearance. Gold Coast averages 13.3 points per game from this source (ranked third).
10:38
Gold Coast recorded just 270 disposals against Carlton last week, which is their third-lowest total ever. The Suns have already had 323 disposals tonight.
11:19
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
11:51
Essendon now leads forward half intercepts 24-18 and points scored from this source 30-26 following the last goal from Jye Menzie. Gold Coast led 15-6 in forward half intercepts during the second quarter.
12:56
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
13:11
A pair of centre bounce goals to the Suns in the final quarter have been crucial. Ben King has now kicked three or more goals in six consecutive games and multiple goals in each of his last ten games.
15:37
The last time Gold Coast hosted Essendon at this venue, the match ended in a draw in Round 11, 2020.
16:00
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Jack Lukosius)
16:51
Ben Long has paired a career-high four goals tonight with an equal career-high three assists which accounts for all of his seven score involvements.
17:16
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
18:37
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Thomas Berry)
18:51
Three goals in a row to the Suns with the last coming from a kick-in chain. Gold Coast now leads 41-28 in points scored from defensive half chains.
20:29
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nik Cox)
20:51
Nik Cox had only once kicked multiple goals in a game before tonight, but has chipped in with three goals tonight and has been switched forward in the final quarter.
23:09
Essendon averages a competition-high 10.2 marks on lead per game. Tonight the Bombers lead 12-3 in this measure but have not been able to take full advantage with errant kicking both into the forward 50 and at goal.
25:26
Matt Rowell averages just 16.3 disposals against Essendon over three career matches, which is his lowest disposal average against any opponent. Rowell has had 15 disposals in the second half and had a major impact with five score involvements in this period.
28:51
An excellent set shot from Matt Guelfi has set up a dramatic finish. This was a rare finish from the Bombers who have scored 3.9 from beyond 30 metres compared to 9.3 for the Suns from the same range.
31:20
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Touk Miller)
31:32
Another error by the Bombers has been heavily punished by the Suns. Gold Coast leads 73-62 in points scored from turnovers which keeps up their recent form of scoring heavily from this source.
35:00
Another home victory for the Suns (seven wins from seven games this season) with the Bombers left to rue some sloppy work in the forward half of the ground. Essendon finished with forward half kicking efficiency of only 46 percent compared to 62 percent for Gold Coast.