How did they lose? The stats that should have stopped a Bombers’ nightmare

Essendon coach Brad Scott has labelled the Bombers’ after-the-siren loss to Gold Coast as “extremely frustrating” as he rattled off last-quarter statistics that should have won them the game

In a wasteful final term Essendon kicked just one goal nine from a flood of opportunities and set themselves up for a heartbreaking defeat.

After failing to bury the game from continual forward entries, they then watched on in horror as Gold Coast star Mac Andrew marked in the dying seconds and then goaled after the siren to give the Suns a one-point victory at Marvel Stadium.

Mac Andrew silences the Essendon crowd after a clutch match-winning goal.Credit: Getty Images

A win would have seen Essendon move into seventh spot on the live ladder with the Western Bulldogs and Carlton playing matches on Sunday. Now they sit precariously in ninth.

“You don’t need me to necessarily recite the statistics to you, but in the last quarter, when you know the ball’s in your front half for 84 per cent of the quarter, and you have 19 inside 50s to eight, you have 11 scoring shots to two, you’re giving yourself opportunities aren’t you?” Scott said.

“So that’s the hardest thing in footy. The execution comes with practice, and we need to drill that better, but it’s just extremely frustrating because the hardest thing is giving yourself opportunity. In the last quarter, we certainly did that.”

Scott said it was the nature of the competition that sides could lose to teams below them on the ladder on any given weekend.

Indeed, on Saturday, the Bombers lost by a point, Port Adelaide defeated Melbourne by two points, Geelong scored an 11-point victory against Fremantle in Perth, the Lions went down by 18 points against the Giants at home and the Kangaroos lost by five points to the Eagles in Hobart. They were all tight games that could have swung either way.

“We’re not a team that is good enough at the moment to come out and expect to just blow teams off the park,” Scott said.

“Every game that we have played this year has been a tight tussle at most stages. Outside probably two games, every game has been tight. So that’s just the nature of the competition and where we sit within it.”

It was a devastating loss for the Bombers considering they are fighting to make the eight and win an elusive final.

“I think it’s pretty obvious how everyone’s feeling,” Scott said. “For all of our supporters and the club, it is just extremely frustrating.

“You can come up with all sorts of words to describe it, but you’re obviously disappointed, but that doesn’t help anything.”

Gold Coast 13.9 (87) d Essendon 12.14 (86)

Mac Andrew after sinking the nail in Essendon’s coffin at Marvel Stadium.Credit: Getty Images

END-OF-THE-WORLD STUFF: The doomsday scenario for Essendon played out in the most dramatic fashion.

Not only did Gold Coast end their 16-game losing streak on the road, they did it with a kick after the siren to Mac Andrew.

Just when it appeared the Dons had done enough to secure victory, with about 25 seconds left Andrew hauled in a pack mark from Sam Collins’ scrambled kick inside 50.

The siren sounded as he was made to wait to take his kick by a player exiting with the blood rule, but Andrew had ice in his veins, converting from 40 metres out to break Essendon hearts.

He was off and gone to celebrate with his teammates almost as soon as the ball left the boot.

Mac Andrew silences the Essendon crowd after a clutch match-winning goal.Credit: Getty Images

“I thought it was going to hit the post,” Andrew told Fox Footy after the game. “I was like, ‘aahhh’, but then it curved back. It was an unreal feeling.

“It was a good win for the boys. We are out of finals contention, but we are still playing for a lot of pride. The boys want to have a winning season for the first time ever and this is definitely a big step towards it.”

The Bombers can blame only themselves for the heartbreaking defeat. They kicked one goal nine in the last term, including four misses from very gettable set shots.

Jake Stringer and Zach Merrett also squandered snaps on the run they would usually kick. The Bombers would have been in the eight tonight with victory, instead they are ninth with their own destiny out of their hands.

Essendon and Gold Coast players fight for the ball in a tense Marvel Stadium battle.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

BRYAN’S PROMISE: There will be temptation for Brad Scott to turn to the tried and true Todd Goldstein in the final two games. He should resist it.

Nick Bryan is the future. In only his 17th game and third for the season, the 22-year-old impressed in the ruck.

Able to hold his own against Jarrod Witts at stoppage, Bryan’s value was his follow-up work after the clearance. He also kicks the ball well for a big man.

Bryan’s toil allowed the Dons to play Sam Draper for longer periods in attack. Draper booted three goals and, just as importantly, prevented Sam Collins from controlling the skies in defence.

INSPIRATIONAL ROWELL: Matt Rowell is one of those footballers you get a better appreciation of when you watch him live.

The Suns midfielder attacks the ball with the ferocity of a dog chasing the ball at fetch. He attacks the ball at speed and if he doesn’t get it, he makes sure the player who does pays a physical price for it.

Rowell was magnificent with his 33 possessions, 21 of which were contested. His passion embodied the Suns’ attitude all night. It was not a milestone game, but the Suns should carry him off because he had had carried them.

It was the Suns’ first away win for the season, and could be a catalyst for a finals run next year.

Tempers frayed during a half-time melee between Essendon and Gold Coast players.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

PREPARE TO PAY UP, BOYS: Ch-ching! The AFL bean counters are going to have a busy time counting the cash this week.

There were two separate melees at half-time just in front of the bench at Marvel Stadium. This was a decent dust-up with almost all 46 players involved from Gold Coast and Essendon.

The first flare-up took place off the ball on the siren. It’s hard to tell from the vision but Ben King and Jye Menzie appeared to be at the centre of the first blue.

Just as it seemed to have settled, Mac Andrew threw a jumper punch on Archie Roberts, which reignited the blue.

With the siren having sounded, there was nothing the umpires could do, though one tried to stop Jake Stringer from entering the fray. He was ignored.

Flying the flag is an important, but a costly part of the game.

Port Adelaide 7.11 (53) d Melbourne 7.9 (51) at the MCG

Port Adelaide’s Esava Ratugolea and Darcy Byrne-Jones celebrate a goal in Port’s thrilling win. Credit: via Getty Images

LIGHTS OUT FOR THE DEMONS: As with a lot of games this time of year, this one had some major repercussions on the ladder.

Andrew Dillion put it well earlier this week, no side is mathematically safe inside the eight. But for Melbourne, that’s almost impossible after the loss tonight. They currently sit at 12th and two games and percentage outside of the eight - and a lot of sides still have to play this weekend. Their year is cooked.

At the President’s function ahead of the game, Melbourne president Kate Roffey made a point that usually at this time of year, the Demons are battling for a top one, two or four spot.

But this year - after being hit hard by injuries, including to star Christian Petracca - they have lost the fight just to make finals.

KYSAIAH PICKETT LEADS THE CHARGE: When Melbourne need a spark, Kysaish Pickett often holds the match. And then he lights it.

More than once tonight at the MCG, the 23-year-old kept the Demons buoyed and their heads just above water, either with a crafty snap from the boundary, a chase down tackle or as an option in the forward arc to put through another major (he finished with four).

He’s not always the most reliable but when he’s on, he’s on. And tonight, he was on - and arguably the best player on ground. He looked almost to have the match winner before the Power’s Quinton Narkle took that accolade. Narkle was the sub, coming on after Todd Marshall suffered concussion in a marking contest. He will miss Port’s game next week’s Showdown against Adelaide.

PORT NEEDS TO FIND IN-GAME CONSISTENCY: Just weeks after Port Adelaide fans booed their coach Ken Hinkley off the ground, they were bowing at his feet last weekend after a 112-point win against Sydne. And they will hail him again after a narrow win against Melbourne.

Tonight, they went in as heavy favourites but trailed from the first goal - 12 minutes in from Melbourne’s Bayley Fritsch - and didn’t take the lead until late in the final quarter.

Still, a win’s a win. They jump into second spot on a volatile ladder. But come September, they’re going to need to find some four-quarter consistency, and a way of showing up and showing up big at the MCG.

In saying that, Brownlow contender Zak Butters did all he could tonight, finishing with 30, followed by Travis Boak with 20.

Mac Andrew has taken a mark and kicked a goal after the siren to give Gold Coast a one-point win over the Bombers at Marvel Stadium. Amazing scenes.

Essendon are doing their best to throw this game away.

They keep scoring behinds. There are two minutes remaining and they lead by five points.

Their last five scoring shots, and the last five scoring shots of the game, have been behinds. They have been dominating play. They have kicked 12.14, the Suns 12.9.

Port Adelaide have dragged themselves off the canvas to score an incredible win at the MCG.

They trailed for most of the night. They have won by two points and it is huge in the context of the year. They are now second on the live ladder. Incredible.

It was a brave effort by Melbourne.

The Bombers are clinging to a three-point lead, and they are far from home.

Jake Stringer has just missed a shot at goal that would have given them an eight-point lead. It could be a costly miss.

Five minutes remaining.

What a nail biter at the MCG. Three minutes remaining, Port Adelaide lead by two points.

Power hit the front after a goal to sub Quinton Narkle, and then followed up with a rushed behind.

Melbourne are fighting like mad to get a winning goal.

A Sam Flanders goal to the Gold Coast has levelled the score in a tense final term at Marvel Stadium.

Both sides sit on 81 points, with 12 minutes remaining in this match.

That is Flanders’ second goal of the night, and it followed three straight behinds from the Bombers. Jake Stringer, Sam Durham and Sam Draper all missed gettable shots.

Bad kicking is bad footy, especially with a finals berth at stake.

Over at the MCG, Port Adelaide have hit the front at the 25-minute mark of the final term. But they only lead by a point. The game is up for grabs.

The game has ticked over the 20-minute mark of the final term at the MCG and Melbourne are clinging on to their narrow lead.

Both sides have managed just one goal each in the last quarter. Kysaiah Picket has four for the night, while Port’s major came from Charlie Dixon, who has two.

The Demons lead by five points.