Australian Football

Match Report

The 2017 season has brought with it no shortage of amazing climaxes to games but the finish to the Sydney-Essendon game at the SCG on Friday night will surely rank as one of the most incredible. Essendon, having come from as far behind as 24 points in the third quarter, looked to have sealed a great win when it led by as much 19 points itself with under five minutes on the clock in the final term.

But the Swans, having conceded seven consecutive majors to the Bombers from late in the third quarter, somehow managed to conjure three goals and two behinds in the final frantic minutes of the match, the last of the majors coming after the final siren, with Gary Rohan giving Sydney victory after he had taken a mark under huge pressure in the goal square with just seconds left. 

Rohan's goal gave the Swans a one-point win, one which brings them to within a game of the top eight, an almost unbelievable scenario given the fact that they started the season with six losses. The Bombers could rue the loss come season's end, and questions will be ask about how they gave up a seemingly unassailable lead in the space of a few final mad minutes at the end of the game.

Sydney started the game as warm favourites and were first on the board with Luke Parker goaling at the three-minute mark. Joe Daniher gave the Bombers their first goal with a long bomb at the nine-minute mark, and when James Stewart followed up with his first a minute later, the Dons were five points ahead. The two sides then traded in behinds only until the 23-minute mark, when Tom Papley took a mark and kicked truly to give the home side a one-point advantage at quarter time. 

Poor kicking for goal continued to plague both sides early in the second quarter, with the Swans kicking three behinds and the Bombers one before Stewart found the target at the eight-minute mark, his second goal giving Essendon a three-point lead. Sydney took control from there, though, and Sam Reid, Nic Newman and Isaac Heeney added three majors for the home side as Sydney jumped 16 points clear midway through the term. Both sides then suffered more inaccuracy, the Dons adding four behinds to two before a late goal to David Zaharakis saw the Dons back with eight points at the half.

Essendon cut the margin to three points early in the their quarter when Tom Bellchambers took a strong mark and converted but Sydney took control from there, Dan Hannebery Heeney and Will Hayward adding majors to take the home side's lead out to a game-high 24 points early in time on. However, there was a late swing in fortunes, with Shaun McKernan and Connor McKenna kicking goals not long before the three-quarter time siren, bring the Bombers to within just two goals at the final break.

The momentum the Bombers took into the last change carried into the final term. McKernan goaled to bring them to within a goal, and after Kieran Jack added a behind for the Swans, Essendon took charge, with majors to Orazio Fantasia and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti giving it the lead, and two more through Travis Colyer and Michael Hurley extending the margin to 19 points at the 23-minute mark.

At that stage the Dons had kicked seven consecutive goals and the game looked as good as over. But a major to Oliver Florent reignited the Swans. Lance Franklin looked to have kicked another but a score review deemed his kick to have been a touched behind. Nic Newman then snapped a goal to cut the margin to six points. Joe Daniher then appeared to save the match for Essendon with a great defensive mark but his kick was marked and sent back forward. Soon after Franklin marked and kicked long in an attempt to level the scores but his kick missed and the Bombers looked safe, leading by five points.

However, Brendon Goddard's kick-in was brilliantly smothered and the ball went out of bounds. The ensuing passage of play after the throw-in saw the ball picked up by Swan Dane Rampe whose kick under pressure landed in the arms of Gary Rohan in the goal square with 14 seconds left on the clock. The siren sounded as he prepared to kick, and he did not miss from point blank range, Sydney home by a point in an incredible finish. 

For the winners, Heeney (nine tackles, 21 disposals) and Josh Kennedy (36 possessions, five marks) made huge contributions, while the Bombers' best included Zach Merrett (33 touches and six tackles) and Hurley (30 disposals, eight marks).

Having now won six of its last seven matches, Sydney (10th, 6-7) is only a game outside the top eight, with a crucial match against Melbourne (fifth, 8-5) awaiting them at the MCG on Friday night. The Bombers are precariously placed, 11th on the ladder with a 6-7 record, but will start strong favourites when they take on Brisbane at Docklands on Sunday. 

GOALS
Sydney: Heeney, Newman 2; Parker, Papley, Reid, Hannebery, Hayward, Florent, Rohan
Essendon: Stewart, McKernan 2; Daniher, Zaharakis, Bellchambers, McKenna, Fantasia, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Colyer, Hurley

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Sydney: Kennedy, Grundy, Mills, Heeney, Lloyd, Parker
Essendon: Hurley, Merrett, Hartley, Zaharakis, Heppell, Gleeson

BEST - THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Sydney: Heeney, Kennedy, Smith, Hannebery, Lloyd, Rampe, Rohan Essendon
Essendon: Merrett, Hurley, Colyer, Baguley, Howlett, Zaharakis

INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Essendon: Nil

UMPIRES: Schmitt, Fleer, Mollison

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Brian Taylor, Wayne Carey, Cameron Ling, Daisy Pearce