Blog log from R15 of 2024: Essendon vs West Coast

Durham releases Merrett to streak away from a stoppage on members wing and pass to Langford 40m out on a slight angle for the first goal of the day. (Q1 1:49)
Wright marks on the lead 30m out on the boundary and threads the set shot for his first major. (Q1 5:23)
Darling taps the crumb from the next centre clearance to Hunt, his snap is short but Waterman gathers and jinks past Ridley to goal from the top of the square. (Q1 6:59)
Hind passes to Wright at exactly the same spot as his last set shot, Two Metre Peter repeats the dose! (Q1 8:44)
McGovern spoils Wright very late on members wing, ump didn’t pay the mark so the Bomber fans boo as McGovern finds Waterman at the hotspot for his second goal. (Q1 11:43)
Hunt breaks up a Heppell handball at the hotspot to set up Cripps for a checkside from 20m to level the scores. It’s a shoot out on the docks! (Q1 14:12)
Ginbey releases Ryan to exit the front of the next bounce, he reaches 45m in front but blazes wide right. (Q1 15:16)
McKay intercepts in a big pack on the HBF and plays on to start a quick rebound through the middle, Merrett goes long to Stringer 40m out on a slight angle, who goals. (Q1 17:59)
Cripps snaps across the face from the pocket 25m out after Yeo tapped him the crumb from a ball up. (Q1 19:27)
McGrath turns the ball over by foot on members wing to start a quick counter, Allen has Cripps running forward to mark 40m out on a slight angle for his second goal. (Q1 21:29)
Witherden turns the ball over on the rebound with Redman intercepting 50m out on a slight angle, Red Dog’s kick falls in the square to be rushed. (Q1 27:22)
Yeo scrubs a clearance from a stoppage on the HFF to the pocket, Waterman leaps in front of McKay to take the grab with strong hands just before the QT siren, he hits the post. (Q1 32:34)
Wright flies to take a strong grab over Barrass from a McGrath pass over CHF to 30m on a slight angle, but tugs the set shot left. (Q2 1:52)
Merrett breaks up a Witherden rebound kick to Ryan on members wing, Stringer marks 50m out near the boundary and misses near side left with a drop punt. (Q2 5:41)
Guelfi passes to Langford in the pocket on the end of a switch around outer wing, Martin involved. Langford goes inside to Merrett 40m out on the flank who converts. (Q2 7:37)
Caldwell starts a rebound from the back pocket that goes fast, Guelfi juggles and can’t mark in a pack at the hotspot but he feeds Hind to wobble through the goal. (Q2 10:48)
Ryan roves the next centre clearance and tries to feed Allen but Ridley sharks it… then gives straight to Chesser for an easy goal! (Q2 12:13)
Guelfi delivers a lovely pass on the turn at half forward to Stringer in the pocket for another one from 20m. (Q2 14:48)
McGovern smothers a Durham snap at CHB to prevent what looked another certain score. (Q2 16:33)
McKay tries to corral Ryan on members wing but Ryan passes over him to Darling 40m out on a slight angle, who converts. (Q2 19:03)
Cripps roves the next centre clearance and snaps rather too quickly, the ball tumbles wide right. (Q2 20:06)
Draper feeds Caddy who has two Eagles converging at the top of the square and tries to snap over his shoulder… but skews it OOTF. (Q2 21:47)
Durham intercepts in front of Cole on the HFF and centres for Stringer, who marks despite a spoil attempt by Brockman 40m out on a slight angle and boots goal number three. (Q2 23:38)
Essendon surged forward to the pocket from the next bounce with Draper involved, Caddy snaps off a step from the boundary 25m out and curls in his first senior goal! (Q2 25:23)
Martin passes to Stringer to mark untouched 40m out on the flank. This for three goals for the quarter and four overall… it’s good! (Q2 27:03)
Cripps snaps a point from a pack 30m out in the pocket. (Q3 1:43)
A review reverses the goal umpire’s call, ruled OOTF. (Q3 2:24)
Cripps kicks from the HFF to hit the lead by Darling in front of McKay 40m out on a slight angle. Darling punches through the drop punt for the goal. (Q3 3:14)
Allen snaps high and just across the face from 35m on a slight angle. (Q3 6:25)
Jamaine Jones passes from the centre to the flank where Allen leads well in front of Ridley to mark over Duursma 30m out for his first goal for a long time. (Q3 8:22)
Durham surges the ball forward from the next bounce, Barrass spoils Langford at the top of the square but the crumb falls for Guelfi to snap the goal. (Q3 9:40)
Caddy takes a pack mark at the hotspot from a long, high speculator from members wing by Perkins. Caddy steers through his second goal. (Q3 12:44)
Brockman release Yeo from the next centre bounce, Waterman marks 40m out on the flank, his kick starts rightish but fades left and inside for his third goal. (Q3 14:55)
Langford gives to Perkins for a snap from half forward, wayward but Duursma marks next to the behind post and pokes a very short kick inside to Martin for the goal. (Q3 17:15)
Ah, but the mandatory goal review shows a big nick on Edge, brought back for a behind. (Q3 18:14)
Witherden kicks to a pack in the pocket 30m out, Yeo marks over Harrison Jones and curls through a screwing set shot. (Q3 20:46)
Replay shows Heppell touched that ball in flight before the mark but the ump didn’t see it, mark and goal stands. (Q3 21:15)
West Coast rebounds around outer wing through heavy traffic, not pretty but the surge ends with Ryan feeding Petrucelle for the goal from the top of the square. Kick in it! (Q3 23:22)
Duursma roves in the pocket and snaps a lovely finish from the hotspot after putting a left-foot step on the lunging Witherden. (Q3 25:43)
Petruccelle snaps across his body under pressure from the pocket 20m out but leaves it to the narrow side on the right. (Q3 27:43)
Martin has had Jamaine Jones on his ginger all day but he evades long enough in the centre to find Stringer with a kick up the guts to 40m. The Package goes for five… it’s good. (Q3 30:25)
Ryan bombs high and long from the next centre bounce, Allen marks strongly in front of Ridley 40m out in front but his set shot swerves to the left in ugly fashion. (Q3 32:27)
Repeat inside 50 for hte Eagles after Yeo beats Cox to intercept on outer wing, Darling juggles the mark 20m out on the flank but misses near side right. (Q3 33:15)
Durham releases Martin for two bounces around outer wing, he spots up Stringer who marks 40m out on a slight angle and shanks for no score. (Q4 2:13)
Caldwell drops the knees to draw a high contact free on Yeo on the boundary 25m out, the footy gods push his screwing set shot narrow to the left. (Q4 3:18)
Guelfi roves a throw-in to 20m with McGovern not paying much attention to him, he curls in his second goal of the afternoon. (Q4 8:55)
Cripps curls a snap from a stoppage 40m out on the flank, it floats and just nicks the right goalpost. That might have been the last chance for the Eagles. (Q4 15:38)
It’s not as if West Coast have played badly at all today, but they are undermanned and it’s really tough for interstate sides to win under the roof at Docklands. (Q4 16:32)
Hind bounces a handball inside to Caddy who snaps off a step from 40m in front… pressure from behind forces it to float wide right. (Q4 18:17)
Hutchinson kicks to the square from CHF on a fast break, all three tall Eagle forwards congregate with their markers, Allen roves Darling’s contest… misses under Ridley’s tackle. (Q4 20:18)
Duursma plays on past the mark from the back pocket but the ump calls OOB, series of stoppages inside 50 for West Coast ends with a snap goal by Petruccelle. (Q4 22:34)
Caldwell has had a ding-dong battle with Yeo in the middle, from the latest bounce he receives a fair dinkum rugby pass from Merrett and snaps the goal from CHF. (Q4 23:34)
The Dons handball through the centre on a fast rebound, Langford marks a Merrett pass in front of Hough 40m out on a slight angle. Game already shot by now, that’s the sealer. (Q4 27:37)
Allen marks the next centre clearance kick by Ryan to the pocket 25m out and curls in the goal. (Q4 28:53)
Draper to Stringer to Durham from a stoppage on the wing, Durham wobbles through an ugly garbage time goal from 45m. (Q4 30:52)
Merrett gives Heppell a Joe the Goose special in the last minute, that goal stinks like week-old socks. (Q4 32:55)