AFL West Coast v Essendon: Bombers’ victory soured by Sam Draper injury

Essendon will head into their ANZAC Day clash with Collingwood having won three straight games. But it was far from easy — and another big man is under a serious injury cloud.

Essendon will go into next Friday’s Anzac Day clash against Collingwood on the back of three consecutive wins, for the first time since 2019.

But the Bombers big man stocks look to have suffered another significant blow during the narrow two-point win over West Coast on Friday, with ruck Sam Draper appearing to have injured his right Achilles.

A week after Nick Bryan went down for the season with an ACL, Draper limped from Optus Stadium early in the final term, struggling to put weight on his right leg.

He didn’t return.

Sam Draper looks to have suffered a serious injury. Picture: Getty Images

And it is rarely good news when a player falls to the turf, away from any contest, like Draper did early in the fourth term on Friday.

If it turns out to be a long-term injury, it will be the third the Bombers will have suffered in the early stages of the season, with key forward Thomas Edwards also sidelined for the remainder of 2025.

Essendon coach Brad Scott said his side is fortunate to have one of the best rucks of all time, Todd Goldstein, ready to step into the side against Collingwood next Friday.

“If any club loses their two starting rucks, they will be challenged,” he said.

“We’re in a better position than most.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Todd Goldstein.

“This year has been a new challenge for him. One of the best in the game, to sit, effectively, as a ruck coach, and still preparing to play each week.

“He’s accepted it and works with the two ruck; not many could do that.

“He’s a proud man and wants to play.

“He’s been telling me he’ll be ready to play when he’s needed.”

Well now he’s needed.

Scott said there were concerns with Draper at three-quarter-time on Friday, but because of calf soreness.

But he said he was fine and the medical staff cleared him to play.

Early in the final term, the ruck went to ground, with no other player anywhere near him.

Scott said he thought he had injured his calf.

“The medical staff made right call, because his calf is fine,” Scott said.

“It looks like an Achilles. The severity of it… we’re concerned.”

“There was no tightness on that side.

“It’s a classic Achilles, where he thought he was kicked, but no one kicked him.

“It’s the AFL rollercoaster; one minute you’re, then one minute you’re down.

“We look like having three potentially big injuries (including the ACL of Thomas Edwards) in three weeks.”

Xavier Duursma also went to hospital after the win, having copped a knee into the stomach from West Coast ruck Matt Flynn.

But Scott said it was just precautionary and he expected the midfielder to be ok.

“He said he’d never been winded like that before,” Scott said.

Peter Wright is back in a big way. Picture: Getty Images

WRIGHT BACK WHERE HE BELONGS

Wright could not have returned to the Bombers line up at a better time.

His six-goal return was his best since booting the same against Hawthorn in round 8, 2022.

Friday was Wright’s first game for the season since overcoming an ankle ligament injury.

He played mostly forward and kicked the Bombers first three goals.

The two he booted in the second term were after taking the only two marks inside 50 that the Bombers managed for the first half. They finished with 12.

SO CLOSE MINI

So, Andrew McQualter is still searching for his first win as full-time senior coach.

The Eagles looked likely when leading by 29 points in the second term and by 25 points midway through the third term.

And when Jack Williams kicked a goal to bring the margin to two points, there was still 28 seconds left on the clock.

The writing was on the wall at the last break when scores were level though.

West Coast was minus 106 points total over final terms through the first five rounds of the season.

Wright’s fifth goal levelled the score less than two minutes before the three-quarter-time siren went.

Essendon’s clearance dominance was the difference, with Zach Merrett, Will Setterfield and Dylan Shiel dominating in that area.

Jake Waterman is on fire!!
He has THREE goals in the first term 🔥🔥

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✍️ BLOG https://t.co/xXRTUQOV2W
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/nVRMS6cJH2pic.twitter.com/rR5HK5f5l9

— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) April 18, 2025

CELEBRATE SMALL WINS

West Coast didn’t win the game, but can celebrate a small win.

With Jake Waterman kicking four goals in the opening term, the Eagles won just their second quarter for the season.

They had not won a term for more than three games, since leading Brisbane by 24 points at quarter-time in round 2 at the Gabba.

Helping them on Friday was them leading the contested possessions count 35-29 for the quarter.

A week earlier, they had a record low 77 contested possessions for the whole game in a terrible loss to Carlton.

They beat the Bombers 119-117 in that area on Friday, led by Jack Graham and Elijah Hewett.

SCOREBOARD

WEST COAST 5.0 7.3 9.7 11.9 (75)

ESSENDON 1.2 4.3 9.7 11.11 (77)

BEST

Eagles: McGovern, Graham, Waterman, Hough, Hewett, Maric.

Bombers: Wright, Martin, McGrath, Draper, Setterfield, Shiel.

GOALS

Eagles: Waterman 4, J Williams 3, Hunt, Hewett, Cripps, Hewett.

Bombers: Wright 6, Perkins 2, Shiel, Draper, Martin.

INJURIES: Eagles: Nil. Bombers: Draper (leg), Duursma (ribs).

CROWD: 46,080 at Optus Stadium

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: BRAD ELBOROUGH’S VOTES

3 Peter Wright (ESS)

2 Nic Martin (ESS)

1 Jeremy McGovern (WCE)

Originally published as AFL West Coast v Essendon: Bombers’ victory soured by Sam Draper injury