Essendon has come from 30 points down to pull off a famous win over Adelaide in a proverbial eight-point game.
The Bombers’ stars fired when it mattered, while the Crows were found wanting in the fourth term.
Here’s everything you need to know!
The Moment: Bombers win the 50-50 battles late
Whether it was one of three Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti goal assists in the second half, Jake Stringer standing up or Mitch Brown kicking big set shots, it was Essendon who took advantage when it mattered.
Zach Merrett and Dyson Heppell were ghosts in the first half, but were dominant from then on, while the Crouch brothers went in the opposite direction.
It would be Mitch Brown who kicked the winner, bagging his fourth in a dominant day. With Joe Daniher gone for the season and Shaun McKernan playing in the ruck, it was his forward line and Brown delivered.
Bulldogs forward Billy Gowers was a big fan of his work.
The blokes a magician pic.twitter.com/bCdxs26AgF
— billy gowers (@billgowers) July 19, 2019
The Talking Point: Crows’ finals hopes take a hit
This game will be one of the few come September that we look back on and know that it shaped the final ladder.
Essendon now sits sixth and could jump up to fifth if the Tigers lose to Port Adelaide. Adelaide meanwhile slumps to eighth and could be out of the eight should things fall against them.
Given how tight the race to September is, the Crows losing winnable games at home could come back to hurt them big time.
Malcolm Blight was full of praise for Essendon.
"That win puts them in line to play finals. It was a famous win," Blight told AFL Nation.
What’s next?
Adelaide travels to the MCG to take on Carlton next Saturday afternoon. The two teams were involved in a heavily discussed pick swap trade on draft night and it will be their first meeting since then.
The Bombers meanwhile face the struggling Gold Coast up at Metricon Stadium. Wins and percentage are both vital for Essendon and they’ll be looking to do some damage.
MCKENNA 🤩
— 7AFL (@7AFL) July 19, 2019
(watch #AFLCrowsDons on 7) pic.twitter.com/VoT1cm0Kqn
Full Score
Adelaide: 2.5, 7.10, 8.11, 10.15. (75)
Essendon: 1.2, 5.3, 9.5, 15.6. (96)
BEST
Adelaide: Smith, O’Brien, Jenkins, M.Crouch, B.Crouch
Essendon: Merrett, Brown, Shiel, Stringer, Hooker, McDonald-Tipungwuti
Reports: Nil
Injuries: Nil