AFL 2024: Live updates, SuperCoach scores for Adelaide v Essendon
Essendon has held off a relentless Adelaide in a thrilling finish, but it hasn’t come without controversy. Relive updates and SuperCoach scores here.
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Essendon has held on in a heartstopper at Adelaide Oval but it hasn’t come without controversy.
In the final seconds of the match, Essendon ruckman Sam Draper dove on the football and a holding the ball free kick was not paid.
Taylor Walker showed anger towards the decision after the final siren and AFL great Luke Hodge agreed with the Crows star.
“That is holding the ball...you’ve got four umpires. One of them should have seen that,” he said on the Channel 7 coverage.
“It looked like he laid down and went to sleep (on the ball).”
Nathan Buckley echoed Hodge on Fox Footy.
“At any time of the game, that is holding the ball,” he said.
Jordan Dawson finished with a mammoth SuperCoach night, scoring 171 points.
Practice makes perfect 🥚 pic.twitter.com/cu7vBxBa2A
— Sam Landsberger (@SamLandsberger) April 19, 2024
THE THREE TAKEAWAYS
DAWSON DELIGHT
The SuperCoaches that pushed through Jordan Dawson’s slower start to 2024 were rewarded tonight with a nuclear performance.
The left-footer was barreling towards another quiet one at quarter time before exploding with a 14-disposal, two-goal second term.
And, despite not being able to drag his side over the line, Dawson’s fourth quarter was arguably just as good.
He finished with 171 SuperCoach points, 41 more than the next best.
The 0.3 per cent of Dawson owners that have him as captain will be jumping for joy tonight.
SOLIGO SURGES
The rise of Jake Soligo has been a shining light in a rather disappointing year for Adelaide and he continued that form tonight.
He scored 97 SuperCoach points tonight and has been a regular in the Crows’ top-end of scorers.
He had a break even of just 12 again tonight and blitzed that by quarter time.
Jake Soligo is becoming a star right in front of our eyes.
— Matt Turner (@mattturner1986) April 19, 2024
Been massive the past three games.#AFLCrowsDons
CALDWELL HAS A CAREER NIGHT
Essendon’s Jye Caldwell had a career-best night for the Bombers with 130 SuperCoach points.
Caldwell scored his seventh career century after gathering 26 disposals and applying 10 tackles.
The former Giant eclipsed his projected score by almost 50.
10:20: 1 MINUTE WARNING
There’s just one minute left in this one and the ball is inside the Crows’ forward 50.
The Crows have had seven of the past eight inside 50s.
10:10: MARTIN MAKES ‘EM PAY
Nic Martin has put the Bombers back in front with a long-range goal late in the fourth term.
Loading up from inside the centre square, Martin issued a stern reminder of how dangerous he is when given time and space.
The Bombers lead by a straight kick with five minutes to go.
10:02: RANKINE!
A pair of quick goals, the second by excitement machine Izak Rankine, has surged the Crows up by seven points.
Rankine weaved through the traffic to snap a clever goal after the Bombers wasted their chances at the other end.
Meanwhile, Essendon has subbed in Elijah Tsatas for Nick Hind.
9:55: DONS MISS CHANCES
Essendon has missed its chances early in the fourth quarter, failing to use its hold on the game to put Adelaide under any real scoreboard pressure.
The Dons lead by four points despite having had nine more scoring shots and 22 more inside 50s than the Crows.
Jordan Dawson still leads the SuperCoach ranks with 134.
9:45: 3QT— LANGFORD PUTS DONS BACK IN FRONT
Kyle Langford has propelled Essendon back in front on the cusp of the three-quarter time siren.
The Bombers were 19 points down during that quarter but have since responded, with three unanswered goals — two of which have come from the previously unsighted Langford.
Crows’ captain Jordan Dawson has 122 SuperCoach points while Jy Caldwell has 117.
Jake Soligo was tremendous in the early stages of that term but, like many of his teammates, fell away in red time.
9:35: BOMBERS RESPOND
Essendon has kicked the last two goals of the match to trim to margin back to four points.
Harrison Jones kicked the first before Kyle Langford kicked the second.
Zach Merrett is now starting the forward 50 and Jake Stringer is in the middle.
Jye Caldwell is leading the Bombers in SuperCoach with 102 points with six minutes left in the third.
9:30: CROW BLITZ
Adelaide has the spun this match on its head with seven straight majors.
The Bombers, after leading by 21 points in the second term, now trail by 19.
37 minutes of footy has passed since the Bombers last kicked a goal.
Jordan Dawson has 124 SuperCoach points while Jack Worrell and Jake Soligo are starting to build.
9:24: CROWS IN FRONT, SUB MADE
Adelaide has activated its sub right as it takes the lead from Essendon.
The Crows have added Lochie Sholl at the expense of Sam Berry.
Jake Soligo has kicked the hosts fifth goal in a row to take the lead for the first time.
Soligo has six touches and a goal already this term for a return of 73 SuperCoach points.
9:20: LANGFORD IN THE NEGATIVES
Essendon’s star forward Kyle Langford isn’t having a great night on Adelaide’s Max Michalanney.
Langford, five minutes into the third term, has -1 SuperCoach points from his six disposals.
He’s given away three free kicks and kicked one behind.
The Bombers will need Langford to lift if they are to leave Adelaide Oval victorious.
8:51: HT — DAWSON LIFTS CROWS
Jordan Dawson clawed his side back from 21 points down to within five at the main break.
The Crows’ captain kicked two second-quarter goals and had the footy on a string around the ground.
Dawson’s resurgence forced Essendon coach Brad Scott to move stopper Sam Durham from Izak Rankine.
He enters the halftime break with 91 SuperCoach points, 22 more than the next best on the ground.
8:42: DAWSON HEATS UP
Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson is starting to heat up.
Dawson’s Crows trailed by 21 points five minutes ago but have fought back within three points through the left-footer’s inspiring second quarter.
He’s kicked two goals and had a pile of the footy.
The Crows have three goals from their last 14 disposals.
Dawson has a whopping 96 SuperCoach points with six minutes left in the half.
Jordan Dawson's had a quieter start to the season but been brilliant so far tonight.
— Matt Turner (@mattturner1986) April 19, 2024
Back to his 2023 best.
Two goals, game-high 7 tackles.
Izak Rankine, who was Adelaide's best last week, has had just 2 touches to half-time. #AFLCrowsDons
Dawson from range! And lets Durham know 👀 #AFLCrowsDonspic.twitter.com/nGHFFc49Ab
— 7AFL (@7AFL) April 19, 2024
8:31: SAM DURHAM!
Sam Durham is not only doing a superb job in shutting down Izak Rankine, but he is showing his worth in attack as well.
He is leading the Dons’ SuperCoach leaderboard with 60 points from his 11 disposals and six tackles.
Rankine, meanwhile, has just seven points.
The Bombers have since moved Durham to Jordan Dawson who has scooted to 59 SuperCoach points.
8:22: THE INSIDE 50 DIFFERENCE
Essendon has had a mountain of inside 50s in comparison to Adelaide in this match.
The Dons have recorded 20 inside 50s whereas the Crows have had just eight.
The difference on the scoreboard however is just nine points after the Bombers’ most recent goal to Darcy Parish.
Zach Merrett (48) and Jordan Dawson (45) are surging towards enormous SuperCoach nights.
813: QT — DONS HOLD SLIM LEAD
Essendon enters the first change with a slim lead that does not reflect its dominance.
The Crows made the most of their chances from few inside 50s while the Bombers failed to capitalise.
Zach Merrett is continuing his sublime season with a 43-point first quarter while livewire Jade Gresham has looked dangerous early.
8:08: DURHAM DOING THE JOB
Essendon’s Sam Durham is at his suffocating best on Adelaide star Izak Rankine.
Rankine, who has been playing predominantly midfield, has had just one kick and is one of six Crows with two or less disposals.
Durham has had four disposals and applied three tackles.
8:01: A GOOD OLD HEAD TO HEAD
It looks like Essendon’s Zach Merrett and Adelaide’s Jordan Dawson are going head to head at stoppages.
At this stage, Merrett easily has the points with 10 disposals, 207 metres gained and 27 SuperCoach points.
In comparison, Dawson has three disposals but has stuck three tackles.
7:55: DONS’ DOMINANCE REAPS NO REWARD
After dominating the most part of this opening quarter, Essendon has very little to show for it.
Adelaide’s Ben Keays was in the right place at the right time to take a mark and kick the goal, putting the Crows within three points.
It’s the fourth time this year Keays has kicked the Crows’ first goal.
7:50: GRESH GETS GOING
Essendon livewire Jade Gresham has looked ominous during the first half of this opening term, collecting six touches already.
He’s had one shot on goal for a minor score but been in all of the Bombers’ best looks inside 50.
He’s got 21 SuperCoach points which is almost halfway to his round 6 projection.
7:44: BOMBERS LAND EARLY BLOW
Essendon has started the match like it finished last week, bringing a strong intensity to the Adelaide Oval.
Harrison Jones kicked the first while Zach Merrett has got his hands on the ball early.
Sam Durham looks to be tracking Izak Rankine in the Crows’ new-look midfield group.
7:00: SMITH UNDERGOES TEST
Adelaide’s Brodie Smith was put through his paces in the minutes before the final teams, required to pass a fitness test just an hour before the bounce.
It follows him leaving the training track yesterday with a sore back.
The 794 SuperCoaches that own Smith will be sweating on his fitness.
Luke Pedlar and Billy Dowling were the emergencies on standby.
6:50: GET YOUR NOTEPAD OUT
Adelaide v Essendon is a clean slate for a large majority of SuperCoaches, with the most commonly owned player in less than a fifth of sides.
All eyes will be on the performances of Nic Martin and Rory Laird but with the lack of similarities in sides, is tonight’s clash between the Crows and Dons the ‘POD Cup’?
6:45: FINAL TEAMS
Elijah Tsatas will start tonight’s clash on the bench as Essendon’s substitute.
The rookie has a break even of just 32 tonight after six scores between 41 and 77 across his short career.
Lachie Sholl is the Crows’ sub.
Tsatas and Sholl are owned by less than 3.3 per cent of SuperCoaches.
Neither team has had a late change.
Originally published as AFL 2024: Live updates, SuperCoach scores for Adelaide v Essendon
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