Blog log from R9 of 2022: Sydney vs Essendon
The ball is up for anyone in the middle of the ground and it’s McGrath who burns off everyone and hits up Francis who marks 35m out on an angle. He kicks a behind. (Q1 1:58)
Francis coughs up a free kick on Buddy for high contact 25m out on the 45 degree angle. He hooks his kick to the right as both teams trade blows (Q1 3:59)
Mills sends a kick goalward which gets over everyone, but McDonald tries to pull it in for a mark and spills it for a rushed behind (Q1 4:51)
Franklin marks 45m out but spots Wicks all by himself so passes to him. Wicks kicks from directly in front 30m out and makes no mistake to kick the first of the evening! (Q1 5:48)
Merrett spots Hobbs in space 35m out near the boundary so kicks to him. Hobbs straightens up but his ball stays right and goes for a behind (Q1 7:14)
Essendon get the ball back in the middle of the ground, and it’s thumped high to the square before spilling to Francis on the ground who crumbs simply for their first goal! (Q1 8:58)
Mills receives a free kick in the middle of the ground and he spears it to Heeney who marks 45m out on an angle. His kick looks good, but grazes the post late for a behind (Q1 9:53)
Martin manages to get a kick off and Hind scoops it up before taking a running shot, spraying it right for another behind (Q1 12:59)
Parish floats the ball down to Guelfi in a 1 on 1 who flicks it up to Hobbs who manages to snap a goal as he’s brought down! (Q1 13:58)
Sydney break away through Papley who sends it long to McDonald brushing off Laverde to flick it up to Bell who snaps and goals (Q1 16:59)
Florent sends the ball into the pocket where Hickey is waiting to mark. He splits the middle to edge the Swans ahead! (Q1 19:48)
Papley marks on the 50 but spears it to Hayward after surveying the forwards. Hayward marks 35m out on a slight angle and makes no mistake! (Q1 22:49)
Franklin spies a Papley lead and rewards it, marking 40m out on an angle, but his kick is wayward for a minor score (Q1 24:49)
Franklin outmarks Ridley on the 50 but spots Ladhams in space so gains some ground. Ladhams kicks from 30m out on an angle, but it flies to the right (Q1 28:49)
Sydney surge forward ending with Warner dumping the ball in front of Wicks who runs onto it and goals right before the siren! (Qtr Time)
Franklin rips the ball down and finds the time to take a shot but sprays it wide for a behind (Q2 1:13)
Buddy smoothly handles the ball chipping it up to Papley who marks 45m out in front. He sends the kick left though for another behind (Q2 5:18)
Essendon leave the space open inside 50 again, and it’s Papley who once again clunks the mark, 40m out on the 45 this time, but once again he misses, the ball swinging left (Q2 7:04)
Buddy gets the mismatch on Heppell and pulls one in 45m out on the boundary. He moves quickly, swinging around as he often does and putting it right through the middle (Q2 8:15)
Rowbottom kicks to Hayward but it doesn’t travel the required so Hayward keeps running and launches from range but kicks it wide (Q2 12:50)
Ridley ends up with the ball on the 50 and absolutely blasts it high and long, but also inaccurately for another behind (Q2 13:51)
Warner brushes off Martin before streaming inside 50 and bombing it long, but it fades late for yet another behind (Q2 14:54)
Hickey and Papley combine from the ground to get it up to Gulden, who snaps and where others have been wasteful he has not, kicking a goal! (Q2 17:16)
Lloyd drags the ball in and Perkins gets the HTB free 35m out on a slight angle. He needs to kick this, and does! (Q2 18:37)
Parker thumps it long and high, it bounces off McDonald hands and into Buddy’s lap as though that was always the plan, and he snaps his second of the evening! (Q2 22:51)
It’s Parker moving swiftly again from midfield, this time smashing the ball from 50. It’s high, it’s long, it’s powerful, and it’s a goal! (Q2 23:51)
Hind jumps over the goal line under considerable pressure (Q2 25:07)
Wright marks just inside the centre square with little angle. He sizes it up, before unloading a thumping kick that goes all the way to get one back for Essendon! (Q2 28:11)
Sydney execute the switch to get it up to Rampe on the far wing. He sends one down to Ladhams who marks 35m out on an angle, but his kick starts left and ends the same. (Q2 29:58)
Parish kicks to Martin who marks on the 50 with an angle. He makes the distance but the kick fades late for a behind (Q3 0:51)
McGrath sends a ball inside 50 that bounces off the Swans defence to Guelfi who gets it to Wright for a snap and the first goal of the half! (Q3 5:31)
In an instant response Papley gets the ball to Kennedy who measures the kick to McDonald, but he wastes another chance for Sydney (Q3 6:36)
Essendon mess up the advantage and Sydney move quickly getting it down to the other end finishing with a Papley snap and goal (Q3 10:34)
McInerney slides a ball into Franklin who marks near the boundary 30m out. It’s on his flank, but Buddy misses to the left (Q3 12:16)
The Bombers move the ball across the forward 50 before McGrath marks and dishes off to Ridley who lopes in and takes a shot but misses to the left (Q3 17:57)
Redman pumps the ball long to the square where it pings around before Durham gets a bit of space and takes a wild shot that goes for a behind (Q3 21:56)
Essendon turn the ball over and Sydney rush forward ending with Franklin racing against Ridley in nostalgic fashion, but Buddy messes up the kick for a behind (Q3 23:43)
Heneey tries a shot on goal, but his shot is off-target as well (Q3 23:57)
Hobbs drops a mark and Parker wraps him up on the 50. He gives the kick everything but it flies OOTF (Q3 25:19)
Sydney re-enter the forward 50 and the ball spills around for a while before ending up in Hayward’s hands who is able to snap and goal (Q3 25:47)
Papley leads with the head and draws a high contact free on Cutler 25m out on an angle. He makes no mistake this time as Sydney keep adding the goals (Q3 27:57)
Draper breaks from the centre bounce and Essendon chain the handballs with Waterman passing to Martin who kicks the first goal of the last. (Q4 0:46)
Sydney punch back cleaving through Essendon’s defence again with Lloyd spotting a Heeney lead who marks and goals from 30m out in front (Q4 2:01)
McGrath snaps from the congestion but kicks wide (Q4 10:00)
Wicks kicks long and Heeney juggles the ball over the line for a behind (Q4 13:00)
Parker attempts a snap from the general play, but it’s punched over the line for a behind (Q4 13:57)
Bell tries his hand this time with another snap, but it’s another behind (Q4 13:57)
Guelfi takes a strong contested mark next to the boundary, his run-around kick is hooked too much for a behind (Q4 18:02)
McDonald pulls in a mark 30m out, but there are Swans everywhere so McDonald handballs to Kennedy in the square who adds another (Q4 21:07)
Cutler kicks to the square where Wright is waiting, but he can’t control the ball and it’s rushed over (Q4 24:06)
Hayward tries a snap out of the congestion which bounces through for a goal, but it’s eventually called as touched (Q4 27:02)
Sydney move back inside 50 easily like they’ve done all night, with Hickey monster Reid to pull down the ball 25m out on an angle, but his kick misses to the left (Q4 27:42)