AFL 2024: Live updates, SuperCoach scores for Super Sunday of round 10
Essendon was chasing percentage late against North Melbourne as it gets the job done at Marvel. Catch all the major moments and SuperCoach updates as they happened.
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Essendon have franked their status as the Cinderella story of the first half of the season by grabbing second spot on the ladder after a devastating third quarter helped them breeze past struggling North Melbourne by 40 points at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
The Bombers haven’t been this high on the ladder after Round 10, or later, in a season since Round 17, 2013, and only red-hot premiership favourites Sydney are now above them.
To the Kangaroos’ credit, they were quite competitive for large parts of the match and kicked the last three goals of the first half to trail by seven points at the main break.
However, they couldn’t maintain their intensity and that paved the way for the far classier Bombers to take complete control of the game with eight goals to two in the third term to kill off the contest before running out 16.10 (106) to 10.6 (66) winners.
In the third period, the Bombers thumped North in contested possessions (47-23) and the Kangaroos’ undersized defence couldn’t cope with the barrage of Essendon’s forward entries (20-9).
Essendon averaged 11 marks inside 50 heading into this game and they ended up doubling North in that stat 18-9. The Bombers’ first 10 goals came from marks.
Peter Wright was the main beneficiary, playing his best game of the year against North debutant Wil Dawson, and finished with four goals from 15 disposals and nine marks (two contested), while Matt Guelfi was also influential in attack in his 100th game and booted three goals from 14 touches and five marks.
Jye Caldwell was Essendon’s best midfielder with 25 possessions (10 contested) and nine clearances.
Former Kangaroos Todd Goldstein and Ben McKay played their first games against their old club and while Goldstein was beaten by former apprentice Tristan Xerri, who had 15 disposals (12 contested), eight clearances, 38 hitouts and a goal, McKay claimed yet another big scalp in keeping star forward Nick Larkey to one goal.
After being part of just eight wins in 71 games at North Melbourne, McKay has already experienced seven wins and a draw in 10 matches with the Bombers and has enhanced his status as one of the recruits of the year.
Luke Davies-Uniacke was fantastic for North with 27 touches (10 contested), seven clearances and two goals, Liam Shiels restricted Zach Merrett’s influence and Aidan Corr kept in-form Essendon forward Kyle Langford to one goal.
Adding salt to the wound for North was the fact that they activated their sub in the third quarter just minutes before Miller Bergman injured his hamstring.
IS THE LID OFF?
Having made their best start to a campaign since 2012, it’s becoming increasingly harder to keep the lid on The Hangar as Essendon fans begin to dare to dream about finally breaking their 20-year finals win drought.
Conversely, things couldn’t be much worse for the Kangaroos who have started a season with 10 consecutive losses for the first time in 52 years. Their average losing margin for 2024 is now 51 points and they have lost 81 of their last 94 matches.
Essendon have now beaten North Melbourne 11 times in a row for the first time, and that streak dates back to 2017.
COMBEN COUGHS IT UP
Late in the first quarter with North on top by seven points, they suffered a disastrous momentum killer when Charlie Comben tried to pass it to Zac fisher in defence, but the telegraphed chip kick was easily chopped off by Merrett who slotted the set shot. The Dons would kick six of the next seven goals from that point to wrench the ascendancy from North’s grasp.
See live scores and SuperCoach points in the match centre above and re-live the major moments from the game as it happened below.
4pm: DONS GET JOB DONE
3:44pm: MCG CROWD IN SHOCK
3.30pm: DONS NEED PERCENTAGE
3.30pm: HAWKS’ FAST START
3.07pm: DEAD-EYE PETE KICKS HIS FOURTH
3.03pm: SUB KERFUFFLE FROM NORTH
3.00pm: DAVIES-UNIACKE!
In SuperCoach news, Matt Guelfi was the first to the ton with 103, with LDU kicking a goal at the end of a turnover from the Dons’ backline. He’s raced to 106 after that goal after a slow start to the season.
Is he back?
Likewise, Zach Merrett has has the clamps put back on him, with just 10 touches for the game and 59 points. Sheezel is up to 70.
2.50pm: DONS CREATE BREATHING ROOM
2.40pm: BACK UNDER WAY
We’re back. Can the Roos overpower the Dons? Nic Martin appears to be starting forward for the Dons in the second half, and has delivered the ball on a platter to Matt Guelfi, who kicks his third.
2.25pm: SHINING SUPERCOACH LIGHTS
Cameron Zurhaar nearly took mark of the year, but spilt the ball, got it at ground level, dragged it in and got pinged for holding the ball.
If the Roos can fix up a few skill errors - particularly coming from half-back to half-forward, then they’re well and truly in this which is a worry for Dons fans, who are witnessing their backline become flooded by North’s runners, while there’s little pressure from the Dons around the ball. Luke Davies-Uniacke leads all-comers on the SuperCoach front, with known SuperCoach premium *checks notes* Matt Guelfi right behind him on 77.Harry Sheezel has just been scaled to 52 after a strong finish to that second quarter, and Charlie Comben (33) and Toby Pink (31) are rewarding those who still have them.
2.15pm: NORTH RESISTENCE CONTINUES
To their credit, the Roos have refused to let this game go despite the Dons threatening to tear it open a few times.
George Wardlaw sunk a goal after an impressive string of play involving most of the Roos’ next generation, although the diehard Bombers fan in me does have to mention we were robbed of a holding the ball free on the outer side in the lead up to it but anyway... back to the neutral reporting.
Tom Powell (36 SuperCoach points) has been fantastic out of the middle with six clearances, and Luke Davies-Uniacke has regained form (75 points), while Tristian Xerri (52 points) is showing why Al Clarkson decided to go with him instead of Todd Goldstein.
2.10pm: TAG? WHAT TAG?
Zach Merrett has blown off the Liam Shiels tag, with the Dons’ skipper up to 58 SuperCoach points halfway through the second.
Peter Wright is making his presence felt, lining up on first-gamer Wil Dawson and coming up against defender-turned-forward-turned-backup ruckman Toby Pink when he goes into the middle.
Mason Redman also appear on kickout duties, which is good for Essendon but not for Nic Martin owners in SuperCoach.
1.55pm: ROOS, DONS TRADE BLOWS
Bombers with a 13-point lead, and the Roos putting up a fight.
1.50pm: DONS MAKE LATE CHARGE
Two goals in two minutes – and the last three goals of the game – have given them a 12-point buffer at the first change.
Elijah Tsatas kicked a goal after taking a mark in the goalsquare in a two-on-one, kicking it through after the siren, just after Peter Wright had a bullet come into him with two minutes to go, with debutant Wil Dawson no chance of getting anywhere near it.
Zac Fisher rewarding those who took the SuperCoach risk on the mid-pricer with 36 points at the first break, and LDU might be back with a mammoth 48-point quarter. Toby Pink also has 31 after his goal and a stint in the ruck.
Jake Kelly bizzarely leads the Bombers’ SuperCoach scoring with 31, ahead of Andy McGrath (30) and Jye Caldwell and Todd Goldstein (29 apiece). Nic Martin has 27, Zach Merrett 28 and Harry Sheezel and Tom Powell both just 13 points.
1.40pm: MERRETT COPPING AN INTERCEPT MARK, GOAL
Just as I finished writing about the tag on Zach Merrett, he’s cut off a North Melbourne chip kick 40 metres out and gone back to slot it. You’re welcome, everyone.
1.35pm: MERRETT COPPING A TAG
The soft signal was for a behind, with the ball appearing to come off Wright’s hand after the boot of Pink, but the ARC deciding footage showed the ball going through cleanly.
It’s Pink’s first goal at any level of football since 2021.
He’s missed a set shot two minutes later in a true “defender’s kick”.
Meanwhile Liam Shiels has been given the assignment on Essendon skipper Zach Merrett today, coming off half forward to follow him around during general play.
Shiels gone to Zerrett after starting HF https://t.co/opeCjInA9r
— Tim Michell (@tim_michell) May 19, 2024
1.20pm: DONS HIT BACK THROUGH CENTURION
Matt Guelfi has responded to the Dons, converting from 25 metres out on a slight angle in what’s turned into a tough and tight opening.
Guelfi’s marking his 100th game this afternoon.
The Roos have lined up with Aidan Corr, Wil Dawson and Charlie Comben down back, with Toby Pink playing as a spearhead alongside Nick Larkey up forward.
Tristian Xerri is also looking the goods over the man he placed in Todd Goldstein in the ruck.
Harry Sheezel has been denied a goal, playing on after pushing Andy McGrath. Thinking he’d won a free for holding the ball, Sheezel ran into the goalsquare and fired the ball into the bottom corner only to find the call had gone McGrath’s way for an in the back.
Sheezel robbed of a goal and cops a 50 against...
— Tim Michell (@tim_michell) May 19, 2024
RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME#supercoach
From a SuperCoach standpoint, Nic Martin and LDU both don’t know about you, but they’re scoring 22 nine minutes gone in the first term.
1.10pm: OFF AND RUNNING
We’re away in the first game on Sunday, with Luke Davies-Uniacke kicking the first goal out of a throw-in deep inside forward 50.
Wil Dawson on debut has started on Peter Wright, which hopefully isn’t the young fella being thrown to the wolves. Toby Pink has started forward.
North Melbourne has started with strong pressure, with Tom Powell starting next to Zac Merrett and Harry Sheezel also starting in the middle.
12:40pm: RIDLEY ON THE WAY BACK
Essendon coach Brad Scott says the Bombers are taking no risks with players in its handling of Darcy Parish and Jordan Ridley.
Scott told Fox Footy that Parish had been withdrawn after feeling tightness over the weekend.
“He trained this week and was fine but overnight his calf tightened enough to suggest there’s a risk there and his game’s too touch to be bringing players in underdone,” he said.
“The temptation with Jordan is to play him, because he makes our team look so much better on paper, but we’re taking every precaution.
“He’s ready to play, he’s playing VFL today.”
Scott said he wasn’t taking his old club lightly despite the Roos’ winless star to the season.
“North has incredible talent, particularly in the midfield, and they’ve shown they can match it all teams in the competition but they might not have been able to do it for a whole a game, so we’re not taking them lightly.”
12:20pm: LATE BOMBERS BLOW, SUBS CONFIRMED
The Bombers had already pulled Nik Cox from their side to face the Kangaroos, but will now also be without star on-baller Darcy Parish today.
Parish has been pulled from the game with calf tightness with Elijah Tsatas coming into the side.
Dylan Shiel will be the sub, while Eddie Ford will play that role as the Kangaroos hunt their first win of 2024.
Zach Merrett (season average 121) and Nic Martin (108) are two players who could dine out against the Roos at Marvel Stadium, while there is a watch on Harry Sheezel’s role with Colby McKercher (foot) out of the side.
After the Bombers and Roos kick off Sunday action, Port Adelaide hosts Adelaide before West Coast takes on Melbourne in the last game of the round.
Follow live updates and SuperCoach analysis all day here.
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