Match

Melbourne vs Essendon

Commentary / 12 Apr 2025

Pre Game

00:00
Melbourne had just three tackles in the fourth quarter last round - its fewest in a game since 2019.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
03:29
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Harrison Jones)
03:57
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
03:59
Neither team has been able to gain forward ascendancy as of yet, with each team managing just one inside 50 and one behind each so far.
06:27
The Bombers kick the first goal of the match through Harrison Jones. Essendon have looked the stronger team without the ball, amassing five tackles so far to Melbourne's zero.
08:58
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
09:34
After managing a season-low nine disposals last week, Andrew McGrath has started this match in a positive fashion, leading all players on the ground for disposals with seven so far.
11:02
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
11:34
Kysaiah Pickett converts the Demons' first goal, from a forward half stoppage chain. Melbourne averages just 28 points from clearances in 2025, ranked 15th overall.
11:46
Bombers Interchange - Nick Bryan off due to an injury.
13:07
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Ben Hobbs)
15:10
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
16:34
The Bombers have amassed four marks inside 50 so far, compared to the Demons' zero. The Bombers average just 8.3 marks inside 50 in 2025, ranked 17th in the competition.
16:54
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Ben Hobbs)
18:27
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
20:01
The Bombers have spread well to start this match, already amassing 21 uncontested marks. Essendon averages 74.3 per game this season, ranked 13th overall.
21:39
Demons Interchange - Steven May off due to an injury.
24:11
The Demons have not been able to make the most of their entries inside 50, managing an inside 50 retention rate of just 50% - a far cry from the Bombers' effective rate of 82%.
24:13
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
25:50
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jack Viney)
27:22
While the Bombers have so amassed 31 more disposals than the Demons, they also have a clear lead in the pressure gauge, amassing a pressure factor of 185 - significantly higher than the Demons' 147.
27:43
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Xavier Lindsay)
30:02
The Bombers take a solid lead into quarter time, led by their dominance with and without the ball. Not only have they amassed 131 disposals for the quarter, they have also registered 18 tackles - 10 more than the Demons have managed.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:36
Melbourne captain Max Gawn has been a pillar of strength so far, leading all players on the ground for contested possessions, with seven so far. Gawn also has amassed an equal-game-high three score involvements.
03:31
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ed Langdon)
05:54
The Demons have looked to move the ball with speed so far, playing on from a mark 38% of the time. They average just 19.1% in 2025, ranked 16th overall.
08:18
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
08:25
Jye Menzie slots his second goal of the match to keep the Bombers ahead by 12. Menzie has looked especially effective inside forward 50, registering a game-high four disposals in that zone so far.
11:19
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nate Caddy)
11:40
In his first game since Round 14 last season, Will Setterfield has made an immediate impact, leading all players on the ground for tackles with four so far. Setterfield is also one of four players to have registered a contested mark.
16:18
Dylan Shiel has amassed a game-high 17 disposals so far this game. It is the fifth time since 2022 that Shiel has managed 17 disposals or higher in the first half of a match. Shiel also leads all players for clearances, with six so far.
20:47
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Dylan Shiel)
21:26
The Bombers have now scored five goals from forward half ball movement chains, with three coming from stoppage chains and two from forward-half intercepts. The Bombers managed 6.7 (43) from these sources in their last match against the Power.
23:37
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
25:58
The Bombers have been considered with their ball movement, playing on from marks just 24.6% of the time. This has contributed to the Bombers' defensive midfield to inside 50 rate of 53.8%, vastly outmatching the Demons' lowly 10%.
29:23
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Caleb Windsor)
32:05
The Demons's defence has held up as best it can so far, with Melbourne amassing six intercept marks in their defensive 50 - double the amount the Bombers have managed.
33:14
The Demons have not been left wanting for attacking moments, managing one more inside 50 than the Bombers for the match (27-26). However, their inside 50 retention rate still sits at a lowly 44%, and their forward 50 kicking efficiency sits at an even worse 25%.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:29
Max Gawn has had the better of Sam Draper so far, amassing 24 hitouts to Draper's 10. While Gawn has not been able to capitalise fully, only managing four hitouts to advantage so far, he leads all players on the ground for stoppage first possessions, with nine.
01:18
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Archie Perkins)
03:50
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
04:27
The Demons are still unable to capitalise on forward 50 entries, managing just one goal from their three set shots. Conversely, the Bombers have put through five goals from their seven set shots.
05:51
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Zach Merrett)
07:54
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harrison Petty)
08:05
Harrison Petty kicks the Demons' first goal since the three-minute mark of the second term. Petty's mark is just the Demons' fourth mark inside 50 for the match.
11:58
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
12:15
After seven consecutive behinds over his last three matches, Bayley Fritsch puts through his first goal of the night. Before tonight, he has averaged a career-low shot-at-goal accuracy of just 9.1%.
16:57
Essendon captain Zach Merrett continues to be unstoppable at Adelaide Oval, leading all players on the ground for disposals with 24 so far. Merrett averaged 30.1 disposals from 15 games at Adelaide Oval - his highest average at any AFL venue.
17:34
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
21:27
The shift in momentum towards Melbourne has been assisted by the Demons' increase in ball usage forward of centre. They have managed a kicking efficiency of 74% in the forward half this term - significantly higher than the 55% they managed in the first half.
22:15
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
23:23
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
25:48
Essendon kicks a settling goal through Xavier Duursma - their first goal in 24 minutes of game time. Over the last 10 minutes, the Bombers have regained contested possession ascendancy, managing three more than the Demons in this period.
29:19
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harry Sharp)
29:46
A fifth goal for the term for the Demons brings the margin back down to just 10 points. The Demons have now scored two goals this term from stoppage clearances; the Demons average just 28 points from this source in 2025, ranked 15th.
31:13
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nic Martin)
35:10
The Bombers were unable to transfer their high disposal game into solid ball movement in the third term as the momentum shifted away from them. From 18 defensive half ball movement chains, the Bombers could only manage two forward 50 entries - a paltry conversion rate of just 11.1%.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:32
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Trent Rivers)
02:23
Since half time, Sam Draper has registered four stoppage first possessions and three clearances - leading the way in both statistical measures.
04:08
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jade Gresham)
04:18
Jye Menzie sets up Essendon's first goal of the final term, this time through Jade Gresham. Menzie has a game-high seven disposals, three marks, three goals and five score involvements in the forward 50 zone.
06:22
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
09:11
The Demons continue to push hard at stoppage, registering five of the first six clearances this term. Clayton Oliver leads the way with two clearances, as well as a team-high three contested possessions this term.
14:34
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Ben Hobbs)
15:06
The Bombers have reverted to an effective kick-mark game style in the last five minutes, amassing 18 uncontested marks to one in this time and converting them into a goal through Ben Hobbs. The Demons have managed just one kick during this period.
17:30
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom Sparrow)
19:19
The Demons have won centre bounce clearances 10 to four tonight, however have only scored a single point from this source. They have been outscored by eight points per game from this source, ranked 16th in the competition.
20:34
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
22:02
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Nate Caddy)
22:34
The Bombers have now scored all three of their goals this term from midfield intercept possessions. They have outscored the Demons from turnover by 19 points for the match.
30:53
The Bombers have now passed 438 disposals - this is the second-highest disposal count of any team this year, and the Bombers' second-highest total in the last five seasons.
31:06
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Mason Redman)
32:19
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
32:24
The Demons remain winless in 2025 and continue to lack cohesion on the field. From 11 centre bounce clearances, Melbourne could only manage a single point; when they did manage to get the ball inside 50 - eight more times than the Bombers - their kicking efficiency of just 38% inside 50 made scoring a significant challenge.