Blog log from R9 of 2025: Essendon vs Sydney

Matt Roberts roves at half forward and runs to 45m for a flying snap that flies to the left. (Q1 3:28)
Cleary encroaches to give away 50 in the centre to bring Caddy to 45m out in the corridor for the opening goal of the afternoon. (Q1 7:18)
Matt Roberts’ inboard kick from outer wing is into the body of Duursma who butters up and goes quick to Caddy at 30m, late McCartin contact and 50m penalty to ensure the goal. (Q1 13:33)
Chad Warner is pinged for pushing El-Hawli on a shepherd on outer wing then encroaches to give away 50m, mark set 40m out and he goals. (Q1 16:18)
You’d think Sydney would know how to kick into congestion on a small ground, but they haven’t dealt well with Essendon’s defensive gameplan so far. (Q1 17:32)
McLean marks a low Hayward pass to the hotspot running forward after taking his turn in ruck and restores the Swans’ composure with a goal. (Q1 18:32)
Heeney roves and gives outside to Campbell in the pocket, he tries a running checkside from 20m off the left but catches it fat and sprays it OOTF to the right. (Q1 23:48)
Bice misses a target kicking inside 50 as almost all Sydney players have done today, on the rebound around outer wing El-Hawli passes to Langford 45m out in front who tugs it left. (Q1 25:33)
Merrett wrestles with Bice then dives back to mark a long Redman kick from the centre to the pocket 20m out. He has been very quiet today, but he goals easily. (Q2 5:29)
Day-Wicks roves 40m out, bauilks past traffic outside a pack and rolls through his first senior goal and gets mobbed by teammates in his debut game! (Q2 7:41)
Heeney roves a smothered Duursma kick but snaps to the right from 35m on a slight angle. (Q2 9:44)
Perkins rams through another one from CHF after a rebound through the corridor for the Bombers, who are carpet bombing the Swans under the roof! (Q2 10:56)
Merrett plays on to advantage from a stoppage on outer wing, he receives back from Day-Wicks to snap another goal from 45m in front! (Q2 13:56)
Cleary’s tackle on Prior on outer wing causes a quick slingshot on the counter through Chad Warner, Heeney feeds Grundy to goal from the hotspot. (Q2 16:33)
Francis is fourth in line for a long speculator to a pack 25m out in the pocket but juggles a fine mark… then misses the set shot near side right. No white smoke there. (Q2 19:32)
Hayward misses a set shot from the boundary 25m out. (Q2 20:41)
Kako fumbles under Cleary’s tackle but then catches Cleary HTB 35m out in the corridor, Swan fans hoot at the decision but Kako converts. (Q2 25:12)
Durham runs inside from a stoppage near the hotspot and snaps high off the right for another one for the Dons! (Q2 30:08)
Hayward, who just had a painful shoulder stinger, wins a HTB free on Hayes 40m out on a slight angle and steers through a quality set shot. (Q3 3:30)
Kako gives to Redman who chips a snap from 50m on a slight angle, goalkeeper is Rampe but he is too far forward and can’t get back in time to touch it, goal Bombers! (Q3 6:00)
Heeney roves on the HFF and passes to the pocket for Campbell 15m out who converts. (Q3 7:35)
Wright intercepts a pressured Matt Roberts kick on members wing, pass goes to Caddy to mark against Florent 45m out on a slight angle, but he misses. (Q3 12:05)
Francis keeps his feet after contesting a long Rowbottom kick to the top of the square, gets around Reid but misses from next to the goalpost! (Q3 14:17)
Chad Warner marks the quick repeat inside 50 kick after the kick in, he shoots from 40m on a slight angle but misses to the left. (Q3 15:05)
Martin kicks from the pocket under pressure to the square for Caddy to mark and play on into goal! (Q3 16:12)
Durham leaps on the back of Lloyd to take a specky from a Redman speculator to true CHF, but his kick skews off the side of the boot to fly to the right. (Q3 20:31)
Sydney get a rare rebound with a loose man around outer wing, Grundy feeds Corey Warner who slots the goal on the run from 35m on the flank. (Q3 21:51)
Heeney hits the post from a stoppage deep in the pocket 20m out. (Q3 25:27)
McInerney gives back to Grundy for a snap off a step from 45m on the flank but that flies narrow side right. (Q3 28:06)
Chad Warner roves a Grundy contest and snaps off a step from 50m on the flank but that one is also narrow, this time to the left. (Q3 29:13)
Martin gets a 50m penalty at half back and torpedoes a wobbler to CHF where Setterfield marks in front of Roberts, 3QT siren sounds, Setterfield tugs it left. (Q3 31:36)
Chad Warner bursts inside from a pack on the HFF and bombs long to the pocket where Hamling draws a holding free on McKay 15m out but sprays it across the face. (Q4 4:47)
Campbell marks a short kick by Bice from a stoppage on outer wing to the flank 40m out. His set shot starts aimed at the left goalpost and goes further left for a point. (Q4 7:07)
Sheldrick finally gets a shot on line for Sydney after a stoppage 40m out on a slight angle. (Q4 9:14)
McInerney has no one to aim at inside 50 with the ball in hand 60m out in the centre, he tries his luck with a roller and gets it inside the right post! (Q4 11:02)
Reid just gets back in time to touch through a Lloyd snap from 45m that falls on the line. (Q4 13:32)
McInerney runs to 50m on a slight angle and again has no one to kick to, he blazes right and OOTF this time. (Q4 16:20)
Hamling and Chad Warner try to work a man free with handball inside 50, McInerney arrives to receive but he scrubs a kick into a body and it ricochets for a point. (Q4 18:13)
Blakey flashes in at the last second to spoil a long kick to Merrett to prevent a goal. (Q4 19:26)
Sydney rebounds up the guts, Hayward gets the chance for a long snap and he rams that one through from CHF, Swans still in this! (Q4 20:03)
McInerney kicks inside 50 after the next bounce for McLean to mark 40m out on a slight angle, but his set shot fades to the left. (Q4 21:23)
Redman spoils a long ball to the goal line against Corey Warner then gets a free in the scramble for the crumb afterwards, preventing a score. (Q4 23:18)
Corey Warner flies for a repeat inside 50 kick by Rampe but drops it in a contest with Redman, Bombers clear. (Q4 24:51)
Shiel passes to Perkins 50m out on the flank, he ices the game with a pass back to Shiel 45m out on the boundary, he goes back to Prior, that’s the ball game. (Q4 26:59)