Australian Football

Match Report

With Essendon and Brisbane having gone having 14 games and 12 games respectively without a win, Sunday's match between the two at Docklands was always going to break a drought one way or another, and it did. The drought broke in Brisbane's favour with the Lions getting away to a fast start and never being threatened by an Essendon team that was hard to reconcile with one that had pushed Richmond, St Kilda and even GWS in recent weeks. In the end, the Lions prevailed by 37 points, easing the huge pressure on coach Justin Leppitsch, for a short while at least.

It became apparent very early in the match that Brisbane was 'on' and that Essendon was anything but. The Lions ran in waves, attacking consistently, leaving the Dons looking shellshocked. After eight minutes Brisbane already had three goals on the board, one each to Tom Cutler, Sam Mayes and Rhys Mathieson, and led 3.1 to nil. The Bombers finally got on the board with a lovely snapped goal from Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and were at least competitive for the remainder of the term but it was Brisbane ahead by 17 points at quarter time.

A seemingly much more committed Essendon came out after the first break and did well to hold the Lions scoreless for the first 10 minutes. Joe Daniher added a goal in that period, cutting the margin to nine points, but Josh Walker's second goal took Brisbane back out to a margin of 15 and when Eric Hipwood kicked truly at the 16-minute mark, it was Brisbane by 21 points. Ryan Bastinac made it 26 points with a major seven minutes later, but goals to Daniher and Kyle Langford had Essendon back with 13 points at half time.

It took nearly eight minutes for the crucial first goal of the third quarter to come, and when it did it went Brisbane's way to Cutler. That appeared to break the Bombers' spirit, and Mathieson Stefan Martin and Daniel Rich all added majors over the next 12 minutes to blow the margin out to 36 points and effectively kill the contest. Daniher's third goal clawed one back for the Dons but further majors to Josh Green and Liam Dawson had the Lions ahead by 40 points and heading towards their first win since round four at the last end-change.

Goals to Pearce Hanley and Rohan Bewick extended the Lions' lead to 52 points within two minutes of the final term, but the Bombers responded with majors to Daniher and Courtenay Dempsey. Brisbane then kicked three in a row - one to Dawson and two to Walker - taking the margin out to 60 points and the Lions looked they were in for the kill. To the Dons' credit, though, they fought out the match as Brisbane eased up, controlling the last 15 minutes to add 3.5 to nil to cut the final margin to 37 points, although the damage had long been done.

Tom Rockliff was a fine contributor for the victors, picking up 38 touches and 12 marks, while Brendon Goddard's 11 marks and 31 disposals put him amongst the Bombers' best.

The Lions will return home to the Gabba next Saturday night to try and make it two in a row against Port Adelaide. Essendon, meanwhile, will travel to the Adelaide Oval to take on the Crows on Sunday, a second win for the season for the Bombers looking as far away as it ever has.

GOALS
Essendon: Daniher 4; Fantasia 3; Langford, Hams, Dempsey, Brown, McDonald-Tipungwuti
Brisbane: Walker 4; Mathieson, Cutler, Green, Dawson 2; Bewick, Martin, Hipwood, Bastinac, Mayes, Hanley, Rockliff, Rich

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Essendon: Goddard, Parish, Daniher, Merrett
Brisbane: Rockliff, Zorko, Robinson, Hanley, Martin, Walker

BEST - THE AGE
Essendon: Merrett, Daniher, Langford, Goddard, Hartley, Francis, Parish. Leuenberger
Brisbane: Rockliff, Rich, Robinson, Martin, Zorko, Bastinac, Hanley, Walker

INJURIES
Essendon: Daniher (teeth)
Brisbane: Nil

UMPIRES: Donlon, Fisher, O'Gorman

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTAORS: Anthony Hudson, Jason Dunstall, Gerard Healy, Sarah Jones