Australian Football

Match Report

Essendon and Hawthorn met at the MCG on Sunday and the pre-match function saw Bombers players from 30 years ago celebrate the anniversary of the Dons' 1984 and 1985 Grand Final victories over the Hawks. They were then treated to a titanic struggle between the two fierce rivals which saw a goal in the last minute of the match to defender Cale Hooker give Essendon a thrilling two-point win against the reigning premiers.

The Dons started the match as underdogs but, after a couple of early Hawthorn behinds, they took the initiative with goals to Paul Chapman and Jake Carlisle. The Hawks then turned up the defensive pressure, not allowing the Bombers another goal for the quarter. However, they could only manage one of their own through Paul Puopolo at the 14-minute mark, and the Bombers held sway by five points at the first change of ends. 

When the second term began, Essendon took complete control of the match against all odds. Goals to Joe Daniher (two), Tom Bellchambers, Paul Chapman and Zach Merrett saw the Bombers' lead stretch to 35 points before late majors to Puopolo and Cyril Rioli kept the Hawks just within striking distance at half time.

The Bombers got the first go the third quarter through Travis Colyer but Jack Gunston answered for Hawthorn at the four-minute mark. He followed up with two more at the 18- and 19-minute marks and Essendon's lead was back to just nine points. Youngster James Sicily chipped in with his first AFL goal to make the difference less than a goal but Daniher kicked his third just before three-quarter time to see the Dons to an eight-point lead at the last change.

An interrupted pre-season for many Essendon players saw most pundits predict that Hawthorn would overrun the Bombers in the last quarter, as Sydney had done a week earlier. And for much of the term, that's exactly how it panned out, goals to Bradley Hill, Luke Breust, Jarryd Roughead and Breust again giving the Hawks a 16-point buffer as the final quarter was about to enter time on. But the momentum shifted suddenly and completely in the final 10 minutes of the match. Carlisle goaled at the 20-minute mark and then Travis Colyer kicked a major six minutes later and the Bombers were suddenly back within four points. 

A minute later, Cale Hooker followed his opponent into Essendon's forward line, pounced on a loose ball and kicked a goal that put the Bombers two points ahead and sent their fans into raptures. With under a minute remaining, the Hawks mounted one final challenge and it looked as though they would steal the game back when Breust gathered the ball from a marking contest and streamed into an open goal. But before he could get boot to ball, the siren sounded given the Dons a memorable two-point victory, the perfect celebration for the players of 1984 and 1985 who were there to witness it.

Dyson Heppell (34 disposals, eight marks) was magnificent for the victors, as were Jobe Watson (33 possessions and six tackles) and Hooker (10 marks and 23 touches). For the Hawks, Jack Gunston (11 marks and three goals) and Luke Hodge (30 possessions, seven marks) were fantastic all day.

The Dons will take on winless Carlton at the MCG next Saturday, while the Hawks will look to bounce back with a win against the Western Bulldogs at York Park next Sunday.

GOALS
Essendon: Daniher 3; Chapman, Colyer 2; Bellchambers, Carlisle, Merrett, Hooker
Hawthorn: Gunston 3; Puopolo, Breust 2; Rioli, Sicily, Hill, Roughead

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Essendon: Watson, Hurley, Hooker, Daniher, Heppell, Colyer
Hawthorn: Gunston, Puopolo, Rioli, Hodge, Lewis, Burgoyne

INJURIES
Essendon: Merrett (knee), Goddard (knee)
Hawthorn: Sam Mitchell (corked calf) replaced in selected side by James Sicily, Burgoyne (cheek), Frawley (pectoral), Suckling (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Jason Ashby replaced Ben Howlett in the third quarter
Hawthorn: James Sicily replaced James Frawley in the first quarter

UMPIRES: Foot, Margetts, Meredith

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Dennis Cometti, Hamish McLachlan, Leigh Matthews, Nick Maxwell