Match

Gold Coast Suns vs Essendon

Commentary / 27 Aug 2025

Pre Game

00:00
When Essendon have recorded a stoppage clearance with a kick since Round 19 they have converted 63.4 per cent of those chains into inside 50 entries. This is the best conversion rate for any side when exiting a stoppage by foot in this period.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:54
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jy Farrar)
04:37
Ben King kicks the first goal of the match to get the Suns off to the start they wanted. Only Sam Darcy and Jeremy Cameron (44 each) have been targeted inside 50 on more occasions than King (42 targets) since the start of Round 20.
08:42
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
10:47
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Sam Durham)
11:09
Essendon convert their first set shot of the match into a goal to open their scoring. Only Richmond (116) have kicked fewer set shot goals in 2025 than the Bombers (121).
12:56
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Bailey Humphrey)
14:52
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Ben Long)
18:17
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
20:12
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Ben King)
21:53
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Noah Anderson)
22:09
The Suns kick their fourth goal of the opening term from their 11th mark inside 50 already this quarter. This is the most marks inside 50 the Suns have ever recorded in a single quarter in their history.
24:32
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Noah Anderson)
26:29
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Long)
29:34
The Bombers have recorded nine intercepts in their defensive half, but have generated just one inside 50 from this source for no scores. By comparison, the Suns have generated six inside 50's from 10 defensive half intercepts for 3.2 (20).
29:48
Wil Powell has been the quarterback of the Suns attack in the first term. Six of his 10 disposals have been involved in scoring chains and his four intercept possessions, including three intercept marks) have netted three inside 50s and a goal for the Suns.
30:01
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Matt Rowell)
30:05
The Bombers have been able to match the Suns at the centre bounces, tied at 4-4 for clearances and both sides have converted all their centre clearances to inside 50 entries.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
02:17
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Peter Wright)
04:32
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Isaac Kako)
04:51
Essendon have already recorded 14 marks this quarter, which is as many as they did in the entire first term.
05:37
Bombers Interchange - Matt Guelfi and is possibly out for the game.
05:47
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Rushed)
07:11
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
08:06
The Bombers have already generated three scores, albeit all behinds, from intercepts in the second term after converting just one score from this source in the opening term. Essendon have converted just 17.4 per cent of their intercepts into scores in 2025, the lowest conversion rate of any side.
11:11
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Ben Ainsworth)
12:27
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Bailey Humphrey)
13:20
Gold Coast are outhunting the Bombers around the ground, leading post-clearance contested possessions 40-23 in tonight's match. The Suns average 81.9 contested possessions outside of stoppages, ranked sixth in the ALF in 2025.
14:38
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Connor Budarick)
16:16
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Rushed)
17:39
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ethan Read)
19:09
The pressure factor has completely disappeared from this game as both sides are rating very low in this category, with the Bombers marginally ahead 138-128. The 2025 AFL average pressure rating is 179.
20:12
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Kyle Langford)
21:56
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
24:19
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Liam McMahon)
24:57
The Bombers arrest Gold Coast's momentum by recording the last three scores. The Bombers have retained possession from 63 per cent fo their kicks entering their forward 50, compared to just 50 per cent retention for the Suns in their foward 50 this term.
25:51
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Matt Rowell)
26:30
Bombers Interchange - Todd Goldstein and is possibly out for the game.
27:22
Bombers Interchange - Rhys Unwin off due to an injury.
29:16
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Connor Budarick)
29:19
With a game-high 10 contested possessions in the first half, Matt Rowell has recorded 310 contested possessions for the third season in a row, becoming the only Suns player to achieve this feat.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:10
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Rushed)
02:16
Bombers Interchange - Mason Redman off due to an injury.
02:42
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
03:35
With the first goal of the second half, Ben King kicks his 66th goal of the year and equals the Gold Coast club record for goals in a season, which has been held by Tom Lynch since 2016.
03:52
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Matt Rowell)
05:28
Jarrod Witts has just recorded his 20th hitout of the match, making this the 95th consecutive match that he has reached this figure dating back to Round 7, 2020. Poetically, this equals the record for consecutive matches with 20 or more hitouts which is held by Essendon's Todd Goldstein, recorded when he was a North Melbourne player between 2012-2017.
05:34
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Xavier Duursma)
06:20
The Bombers get themselves on the board in the second half with their first goal of the game from a forward 50 stoppage scored by either side.
08:37
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Wil Powell)
10:22
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
11:00
Despite Jarrod Witts winning a hitout from six of the first seven ruck contests of the term, the Bombers lead clearances this quarter 5-2, and have generated three inside 50's to Gold Coast's one from clearance chains this quarter.
11:37
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jy Farrar)
15:23
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Ethan Read)
16:08
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Daniel Rioli)
16:36
With his 681st disposal of 2025, Noah Anderson sets up Daniel Rioli in his first game back since Round 19 to stretch the lead beyond 10 goals. Anderson's 681 disposals is a new club record for a single season, breaking Sam Flanders record that he set in 2024.
19:21
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Lachie Weller)
19:47
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Brayden Fiorini)
23:33
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
24:01
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
26:30
Essendon are leading groundball gets through the midfield zone 40-32 in tonight's match. However they have been outscored from possession gains in the midfield 56-14 and have just 10 inside 50 entries to show for their efforts in this zone.
27:45
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Bailey Humphrey)
30:20
After Tom Atkins became the first player to ever record 200 tackles in a Home and Away season on Saturday afternoon, Matt Rowell has become the second tonight with his eight tackles taking him to 200.
32:09
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
32:12
Essendon outscored the Suns 13-7 from clearance chains in the third quarter of tonight's match. Their 13 points from this source is their equal-fifth best figure in any quarter since Round 12.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:55
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Alex Davies)
04:45
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
05:02
Ben King kicks his sixth goal of the night, which equals his career-high figure in any match and takes him to 25 against Essendon in his career. This is his best tally of goals against any side in the competition.
08:32
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Jaxon Prior)
10:43
The Suns are not relenting on the Bombers, turning three of their four intercepts in the final term into goals. This takes the lead to 86, which would equal the Suns biggest win at home in their history recorded in Round 3, 2017 against Hawthorn.
12:00
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Ainsworth)
13:02
Gold Coast are marching into the finals in style with another goal taking them to a 92 point lead, which would be the largest win in club history, surpassing their 87 point domination of West Coast in Round 1 this year.
15:26
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Liam McMahon)
17:13
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Noah Anderson)
17:22
Angus Clarke has been a bright spark for the Bombers in a tough match, with his plus-5 intercept to turnover count the equal-best figure of any player on the ground.
19:01
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
20:08
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Isaac Kako)
22:00
Gold Coast have more than doubled their previous best figure for scores from intercepts in a match in their history, recording 94 points from this source in tonight's match. Their previous best was 43 points against Adelaide in Round 14, 2022.
22:02
SCORE GOAL - Bombers (Jye Menzie)
24:03
Noah Anderson has led from the front in tonight's match and recorded the highest-rated game of his career in doing so. He has kicked three goals for the first time in his career, and equalled his career-best figure of 12 clearances, to go with a game-high 34 disposals, 18 contested possessions and 641 metres gained.
24:19
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Rushed)
26:17
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
26:38
Ben King kicks his career-best seventh goal of the match to make it a 33 per cent inside 50 to goal conversion rate. The Suns season average inside 50 to goal conversion rate of 23.7% ranks ninth in the AFL.
28:06
SCORE BEHIND - Bombers (Sam Durham)
29:13
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Ainsworth)
31:31
With Gold Coast sealing their first finals appearance, the Bulldogs will be rueing their wasted season. Their for-against percentage of 137 is the highest figure for a non-finals side since 1963, and the fourth-highest in history.
33:08
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Jarrod Witts)
33:15
Gold Coast seal their fate with their largest win in club history, their second-highest score in club history and fittingly club stalwart Jarrod Witts gets the party started with a goal after the siren. They have a date with Fremantle in Perth in the second Elimination Final, with the Hawks to face GWS in Sydney in the other Elimination Final.