Australian Football

Match Report

Essendon's finals chances hang by a thread after the Bombers were put to the sword by ladder leader Adelaide at Docklands on Saturday night. The Crows set up a solid lead in the first term before the Bombers fought back to hit the front early in the second term. The Crows then blew the game open with seven consecutive majors before the Bombers kicked four in a row of their own to close the margin to 19 points late in the third quarter. Adelaide settled again from there, however, drawing away in the final term to win by 43 points.

The match got off to quite a slow start with the only score of the first four minutes a behind to Crow captain Taylor Walker. Teammate Mitch McGovern got the goals flowing with his first after he was paid a mark that was clearly touched by Bomber defender Martin Gleeson. Conor McKenna got on the end of a chain of handballs to kick the Bombers' first two minutes later, but the next two majors went Adelaide's way, one each to Hugh Greenwood and Walker as the Crows edged 13 points clear. James Stewart cut the margin back to eight points with his first goal, but majors in time on to Brodie Smith and Richard Douglas had Adelaide ahead by 19 points at quarter time.

A sharp swing in momentum accompanied the start of the second quarter, the Bombers taking complete control, with three goals in 10 minutes from Joe Daniher along with a brace of behinds to Stewart seeing Essendon ahead by a point. The loss of the lead seemed to reignite Adelaide, and majors to Richard Douglas, Tom Lynch, McGovern, Walker and Riley Knight saw the Crows open up a break of 32 points at the half.

An early third-quarter goal to Rory Atkins followed by another to David Mackay extended Adelaide's lead to 44 points but the match made an unexpected U-turn after that, with two goals to Cale Hooker, followed by further majors to Jobe Watson and Hooker again closed the gap to just 19 points at the 24-minute mark. But the Crows settled again, with goals to Brodie Smith and Josh Jenkins seeing the margin back out to 32 points at the last change of ends.

Neither side could land a major blow in the first seven minutes of the last quarter, the Crows adding two behinds to one, but two goals in two minutes to Hooker and Stewart had Essendon back within 21 points after eight minutes and once again threatening a comeback. But a juggled mark and resultant goal to Jenkins settled Adelaide once more, and although Travis Colyer goaled again for the Bombers at the 19-minute mark, three final goals to the Crows - one each to Jenkins, McGovern and Crouch, saw them to a very comfortable win in the end.

Atkins (27 disposals, seven marks), Matt Crouch (13 kicks, 22 handballs) and Jenkins (11 marks, three goals) all played important roles in the Crows' win, while Essendon's best included Andrew McGrath (25 possessions, eight marks), David Zaharakis (26 disposals, eight tackles) and Brendon Goddard (27 touches, seven marks).

The win virtually sews up top spot for the Crows. A win in either of their last two matches, against Sydney at home on Friday night, or West Coast in Perth in round 23, will guarantee them the minor premiership. For the Bombers, two winnable games - Gold Coast at Carrara and Fremantle at Docklands - could see them edge back into the top eight, but they will need a combination of other results to go their way for that to come to fruition.

GOALS
Essendon: Hooker 4; Daniher 3; Stewart 2; McKenna, Watson, Colyer
Adelaide: Jenkins, McGovern 3; Douglas, Walker, Smith 2; Greenwood, Lynch, Knight, Atkins, Mackay, B Crouch

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Essendon: Zaharakis, Hurley, McGrath, Hooker, Daniher, Leuenberger
Adelaide: Atkins, M Crouch, Douglas, Smith, Sloane, Laird

BEST - THE AGE
Essendon: McGrath, Hurley, McKenna, Goddard, Daniher, Heppell
Adelaide: M Crouch, Douglas, Atkins Smith, Lynch, Jenkins

INJURIES
Essendon: Daniher (finger)
Adelaide: Walker (ankle), Sloane (left leg)

UMPIRES: Dalgleish, Williamson, Pannell

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Luke Darcy, Basil Zempilas, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling