Match

Essendon vs Carlton

Commentary / 09 Jun 2024

Pre Game

00:00
Essendon enjoyed a 34-point win over Carlton when these teams last met in Round 13 last season – Essendon’s first win over Carlton since 2019.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:21
The starting centre bounce midfield combination of Sam Durham, Zach Merrett and Jake Stringer wins the first centre clearance of the game. Of the 50 most frequent centre bounce midfield combinations in the league, this combination ranks 44th for centre bounce clearance differential percentage.
00:55
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
02:02
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Rushed)
02:51
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Sam Walsh)
04:04
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
05:23
The Bombers have had three of the first five inside 50s of the match. They rank fourth this season for inside 50 differential - averaging 5.5 more than their opponents.
07:49
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Mitch McGovern)
08:02
Mitch McGovern slots through the first goal of the game, with it coming from a turnover. The Blues rank equal-second for turnover score differential this season - averaging 10 more points from this source compared to their opponents.
09:52
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Harry McKay)
10:12
Harry McKay converts another goal for Carlton in quick succession, with this goal being launched from Carlton's defensive 50. Only 13.6% of the Blues' scores are launched from this zone - the fourth lowest portion in the league.
12:01
The Blues have had a clear motive to control the ball early. They have taken 14 marks in the first 10 minutes of the game. They normally take 6.2 marks inside the first 10 minutes on average - ranked 16th.
12:25
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Charlie Curnow)
16:21
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nik Cox)
16:42
Will Setterfield has already racked up a team-high five disposals against his former side - with all of those being disposed of effectively. Additionally, he has gained a team-high 119 metres.
18:05
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Charlie Curnow)
18:25
Charlie Curnow slots through Carlton's third goal in a row for the game, with his goal being scored in open play. Of the top 10 players with the most goals in the league, he has scored the second most goals from open play.
22:36
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nik Cox)
22:38
Nik Cox opens the scoring for Essendon with a goal launched from a stoppage. Essendon scored just 11 points from stoppage chains against Gold Coast in Round 12 – their fewest points from that source this season. Tonight, they have already scored eight points from this source.
24:02
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Will Setterfield)
24:19
The inside 50 count is even at nine a piece so far, yet Essendon has been able to lock the ball inside their forward half for 63% of game time thus far. The Bombers rank six for time in forward half percentage this season.
25:51
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Lachie Fogarty)
27:56
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Matt Guelfi)
29:46
Carlton's turnover game has been a weapon for them thus far. In the first 20 minutes of the quarter, they were able to gain 53 metres on average from turnover chains compared to Essendon's 22 and generated four scores from this source.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:24
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jye Caldwell)
01:58
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Elijah Hollands)
02:13
Elijah Hollands is enjoying a change of position today, already having six centre bounce attendances after averaging 5.9 for the season. He has collected six disposals, of which three were won in a contested manner as well as three score involvements.
04:58
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Matt Guelfi)
05:51
A goal from Matt Guelfi after great pressure at a stoppage. The Bombers have a pre-clearance pressure factor of 260 tonight - 22 higher than Carlton's 248.
06:36
SCORE GOAL - Blues (George Hewett)
08:56
Alex Cincotta spent 24 minutes on Zach Merrett in the first term and kept him to just three disposals - the equal-fewest Merrett has had in a first term this season. Merrett has already collected four disposals nine minutes into the second term.
10:53
Carlton's ball movement from their back half has been elite. They have generated 10 inside 50s from 30 chains and launched 5.0 (30) from chains launched in their defensive half. In comparison, Essendon has launched four inside 50s from 17 chains and scored 0.3 (3).
14:44
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Zac Williams)
14:46
Since being moved forward in Round 10, Zac Williams has had 69 scoreboard impact points – booting 8.3 with three goal assists – the most for Carlton over that period. Tonight he has already scored a goal and registered a goal assist.
16:39
The Bombers have had a clear motive to move the ball by hand and with pace, having a kick-to-handball ratio of 1.26 in comparison to Carlton's 2.57. They have had 20 more handball receives and have played on from 7% more of their marks in comparison to the Blues.
17:01
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Elijah Hollands)
20:52
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jake Stringer)
20:59
Jake Stringer converts from a tight angle to strike Essendon's first goal since the five-minute mark of the term. He has been targeted an equal-team-high three times inside 50 tonight and has taken a lead mark from one of those. Stringer has been the third most targeted Bomber inside 50 this season and scores a goal 21.4% of the time he is targeted - the third most out of the top 10 Essendon players with the most inside 50 targets.
22:43
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Matthew Owies)
26:24
The Bombers are leading the inside 50 count by six for the quarter, yet have retained the ball 40% worse upon their inside 50 entries. They have only registered a score from 23% of their inside 50s in comparison to Carlton's 71% goal per inside 50 percentage this quarter.
30:06
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jye Caldwell)
30:52
The Bombers have lacked synergy between their lines as they haven't been able to effectively move the ball into their forward 50, as they have turned over 27% of their entries for the game. In comparison, the Blues are only turning over 13%. Even though the Bombers have had 15 more disposals than the Blues, they have still been able to bring the pressure, having nine more tackles and a pressure factor that is 10 better than their average of 182.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:01
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Matt Guelfi)
01:18
A goal from defensive 50 kicks of the second half for the Bombers. Only 14.1% of Essendon's scores have come from this zone this season - the fifth-lowest portion in the AFL this season.
03:22
Since the 19-minute mark of the second term, the Bombers have had 13 inside 50s, (seven repeat entries) and have scored two goals, whereas the Blues have had three inside 50s (one repeat entry) and have scored one goal.
04:44
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Elijah Hollands)
04:58
Elijah Hollands scores a career-high three goals, making him the only multiple goal scorer for the Blues tonight. The Blues average 7.7 goal scorers - tonight they have already had eight.
06:32
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nic Martin)
09:18
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nic Martin)
09:49
Todd Goldstein has been on top in the ruck battle against Tom De Koning, leading the hitouts by eight and the hitouts-to-advantage by four, as well as the Bombers leading the clearances by two whilst these two have been ruck opponents.
12:44
Nic Martin has had a game-high 17 disposals, yet has disposed of the ball by 33% by foot and has a game-high seven turnovers. On the positive side, he has gained 318 metres and has scored a goal.
13:48
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
16:18
It's the turnover game that has put the Bombers on the front foot in the third term. They are gaining 74 metres on average from their intercepts in comparison to Carlton's 41, as well as six of their nine inside 50s for the term being generated from turnover chains.
21:00
The Bombers average 7.2 hitouts sharked for the season, yet have already had seven of their hitouts sharked tonight. Patrick Cripps has sharked a game-high three hitouts, with two of those coming from throw-ins and one from a centre bounce.
21:52
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
24:10
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Nic Martin)
25:04
Jordan Ridley has been solid in the third term, collecting six disposals (83% efficiency), of which four were won from intercepts, as well as two intercept marks and two spoils.
26:18
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Nic Newman)
29:45
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nic Martin)
30:24
The Bombers finally capitalise on their forward-half dominance with a goal launched from a forward-half chain. They have had 14 forward-half chains this quarter, but have only been able to convert those to 1.4 (10) on the scoreboard.
31:24
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
31:50
The Bombers with a dominant quarter as they claw the margin down to 15 points at the final change. Their forward half dominance put them into great positions, as they were able to have nine more inside 50s in comparison to the Blues, as well as being able to generate 11 shots on goal. Despite these great metrics, they weren't able to reap the full benefits of this dominance, scoring only 3.6 (24) from those 11 shots.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:03
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Alex Cincotta)
02:17
The Blues started the quarter with two centre clearances after having the midfield combination of Sam Walsh, Patrick Cripps and George Hewett. This midfield combination has the second-best clearance differential percentage out of the top 50 centre bounce midfield combinations in the league.
04:42
Bombers Interchange - Will Setterfield off due to an injury.
04:46
Carlton has won six of the seven games when they have had the lead at three-quarter-time. On the flip side, Essendon has only won one game out of five when they have been trailing at the final change.
04:54
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Zac Williams)
06:18
SCORE BEHIND - Blues (Lachie Fogarty)
07:02
Blues Interchange - Harry McKay off due to an injury.
07:45
Carlton has applied a pressure factor of 182 in its forward 50 on average this season – ranked No.1. Tonight they have registered a pressure factor of 185 in their forward 50.
09:09
Tom De Koning has already had four clearances in the final term. He has been immense tonight, collecting 21 disposals, of which 15 were won in a contested manner, as well as 467 metres gained - all team-highs.
10:25
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Corey Durdin)
11:37
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Sam Durham)
11:46
Sam Durham strikes back to give the Bombers a glimmer of hope with a goal from a centre bounce. From Rounds 1-7, the Bombers ranked third for points from centre clearances but have dropped to 12th for the season after not scoring a goal from this source over the last two weeks.
14:24
Blues Interchange - Mitch McGovern and is possibly out for the game.
16:25
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jade Gresham)
18:32
In one on one contests, the Blues have been stronger, winning 43% of all one on one contests in contrast to Essendon's 13%. Carlton rank sixth and Essendon rank 18th for one on one contest win percentage this season.
21:03
Both of Essendon's goals for the term have been launched from Jake Stringer's kicks inside 50. Archie Perkins is the only other Bomber to have more than one inside 50 kick result in a goal for the match.
22:24
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
24:02
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
25:33
SCORE GOAL - Blues (Alex Cincotta)
26:58
Alex Cincotta strikes again with a goal launched from a corridor entry. Despite the Blues having 18 fewer entries for the game, both teams have had 17 inside 50s come from the corridor.
28:16
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
30:52
When the Blues have launched inside 50s from less than 70 metres out, they have been able to find a target and capitalise, scoring 7.2 (44), whilst the Bombers have only scored 3.8 (26) from inside 50s launched within 70 metres from goal.
32:25
The Bombers weren't able to capitalise on their territory dominance for the night. The ball was in their forward half for 61% of the game, as well as them being able to have 20 more inside 50s than the Blues (60 inside 50s with 24 of those being repeat entries). They couldn't convert their front-half dominance into scoreboard pressure, having 34 intercepts in their attacking midfield zone, yet were only able to score 1.3 (9) from those chains.