AFL 2021: Port Adelaide v Essendon – live!

4.00am EDT 04:00

Q4: 8.00 mins remaining: Power 18.10 (118) v 9.9 (63) Bombers -Fantasia has two, picking up the pieces at the top of the square after good attack on the ball form Georgiades. The move began, as so many have today, way back in Port Adelaide’s half. The ball progressed neatly along the right flank, by hand, and foot, until the centring ball caused havoc.

3.55am EDT 03:55

Q4: 12.00 mins remaining: Power 17.10 (112) v 9.9 (63) Bombers -Shiel is back up and on the bench – carrying crutches – a sight you never want to see. Fingers crossed he’s not too badly hurt.

3.53am EDT 03:53

Q4: 13.00 mins remaining: Power 17.10 (112) v 9.9 (63) Bombers – Lycett makes amends for his error by holding onto a one-handed mark on the run then drilling home the angled set shot across his body.

3.52am EDT 03:52

Q4: 14.00 mins remaining: Power 16.10 (106) v 9.9 (63) Bombers – McDonald-Tipungwuti gets coathangered on the run by Lycett. The livewire Don gets up, goes back, and kicks his third. The Bombers are digging in late on here.

3.49am EDT 03:49

Q4: 15.30 mins remaining: Power 16.10 (106) v 8.9 (57) Bombers – Houston slots a superb strike from range out of nowhere. He was hanging out the back of a stoppage and slapped home a pure belter from 48m on an angle from a standing start.

Now Cale Hooker’s hurt a finger. He’s playing on, but it looked like he might have done some damage to a fingertip after he failed to hold onto a tumbling ball over his head.

3.47am EDT 03:47

Q4: 16.30 mins remaining: Power 15.10 (100) v 8.9 (57) Bombers – Now it’s Shiel’s turn to limp off in the hands of trainers. The former Giant’s left knee took some punishment in a Jonas tackle and he’s been helped down to the rooms. What a day this is turning into for Essendon.

3.45am EDT 03:45

Q4: 17.00 mins remaining: Power 15.10 (100) v 8.9 (57) Bombers – Port Adelaide have yet to get going since three-quarter-time, and they almost cough up another goal but Smith hits the post.

3.44am EDT 03:44

Q4: 18.00 mins remaining: Power 15.10 (100) v 8.8 (56) Bombers – The Dons have their second of the quarter before Port Adelaide have even touched the footy! How important are centre clearances these days? The lucky Bomber to snag the sausage roll is young Cox, who gets his maiden goal in first grade footy.

3.42am EDT 03:42

Q4: 19.00 mins remaining: Power 15.10 (100) v 7.8 (50) Bombers -Snelling, who began his career with Port Adelaide, lays a tackle 30m from goal, then goes back and slots home the free-kick.

Draper is done for the day. He’s got his left ankle iced. At least two Bombers now awaiting the result of scans early next week.

3.35am EDT 03:35

3QT: Power 15.10 (100) v 6.8 (44) Bombers

The 56-point margin feels unders at three-quarter-time for a thrilling Port Adelaide outfit. Essendon have yet to give up, but they were ineffective in that third quarter and have lost Caldwell to injury while Draper looks proppy too.

3.30am EDT 03:30

Q3: 3.30 mins remaining: Power 15.10 (100) v 6.8 (44) Bombers – Terrific chase-down tackle from Motlop sets up attacking field position for the Power. They can’t find clean footy but eventually Dixon brings the ball to ground at the top of the square and an off-balance Fantasia snaps a point to bring up the century.

3.29am EDT 03:29

Q3: 4.00 mins remaining: Power 15.9 (99) v 6.8 (44) Bombers – Tom Cutler is on as Essendon’s medical sub for Caldwell.

3.28am EDT 03:28

Q3: 5.00 mins remaining: Power 15.9 (99) v 6.8 (44) Bombers – Another razor sharp entry into 50, another one-on-one monstering by Dixon, but this time he fluffs his lines with the set-shot.

3.27am EDT 03:27

Q3: 5.30 mins remaining: Power 15.8 (98) v 6.8 (44) Bombers – Caldwell is on the pine with ice on his hamstring and a very sour look on his face. Today is going from bad to worse for the Dons.

3.26am EDT 03:26

Q3: 6.30 mins remaining: Power 15.8 (98) v 6.8 (44) Bombers – Some more industrious work from Hartlett, and another huge handball, sets up the Power again. This time Motlop makes the right call and the chain of possession is glorious. Flowing, at pace, with multiple options, Wines picks out Georgiades to slam home his fourth.

3.24am EDT 03:24

Q3: 7.00 mins remaining: Power 14.8 (92) v 6.8 (44) Bombers -One long bomb, one long Hartlett handball, and the Power have stormed from defence to attack. Motlop then burns them all with a poor decision despite runners left right and centre.

3.23am EDT 03:23

Q3: 8.30 mins remaining: Power 14.8 (92) v 6.8 (44) Bombers – Dixon floats to the ball and grabs it at its highest point in classic Dennis “like a cork bobbing on the ocean” vibe. The big lad caresses the six-point kick.

3.21am EDT 03:21

Q3: 10.00 mins remaining: Power 13.8 (86) v 6.8 (44) Bombers – Essendon are stiff, conceding a free for a high tackle when it looked holding the ball. Port Adelaide rebound but Amon’s finish is off target. The Bombers have their tails up though and punch their way up the guts. Caldwell is instrumental, linking midfield and attack, but it’s McDonald-Tipungwuti who is crucial at ground level, darting to the ball first and doing enough to smuggle the ball through for his second.

3.18am EDT 03:18

Q3: 11.30 mins remaining: Power 13.7 (85) v 5.8 (38) Bombers – First soft turnover coming out of defence for Port Adelaide, and Essendon pounce. Merrett has the tricky job of picking the final pass, but he does superbly, timing the kick over the top to Hooker’s advantage. The big forward holds onto the mark and runs home for his third.

3.15am EDT 03:15

Q3: 12.30 mins remaining: Power 13.7 (85) v 4.8 (32) Bombers -Fantasia runs down McGrath 25m from goal, shortly after the pair clashed in a melee following Georgiades’ set shot. The former Don then threads the needle to bring the roof off Adelaide Oval. That’s the moment that will be replayed on highlights reels all week.

3.13am EDT 03:13

Q3: 14.00 mins remaining: Power 12.7 (79) v 4.8 (32) Bombers – Port Adelaide show Hooker how it’s done. The latest in a long line of daring, dashing attacks ends with Georgiades kicking his third. The commentators coo over the simple repetitive set shot kicking technique.

3.12am EDT 03:12

Q3: 15.00 mins remaining: Power 11.7 (73) v 4.8 (32) Bombers – The ball eventually works its way into open field and McDonald-Tipungwuti is on hand to show some quick thinking and free Hooker over the top. The big forward is pursued by Jonas and the pair shadow box for a step or two until Hooker snaps on his left, just wide.

3.10am EDT 03:10

Q3: 16.00 mins remaining: Power 11.7 (73) v 4.7 (31) Bombers – A scrappy couple of minutes with the ball in dispute on right centre-wing. Incredible how few of these passages we’ve seen this season.

3.08am EDT 03:08

Q3: 18.00 mins remaining: Power 11.7 (73) v 4.7 (31) Bombers – Essendon do get their hands on it on a few occasions but can’t penetrate. The first time is good work from the superb Butters, the second a free for hands in the back against Wright, then Aliir takes another intercept mark. Eventually Port Adelaide regroup and bounce from one to the other rapidly but Hartlett cannot finish accurately.

3.05am EDT 03:05

“Get our hands on it,” is Ben Rutten’s message to his troops at half-time, reflective of a 22-11 clearance disparity.

2.52am EDT 02:52

Some half-time analysis from Jason Dunstall really stands out. The era of scoring from forward-half turnovers appears to have been replaced by goals from coast-to-coast. This means more structured, open attacking footy, more marks for leading forwards, and higher scores. Everyone’s happy with that, right?

Updated at 3.09am EDT

2.50am EDT 02:50

Aliir has been impressive in the air defensively for the Power, and everybody ahead of him has looked hot going forward.

2.46am EDT 02:46

Half-time: Power 11.6 (72) v 4.7 (31) Bombers

41-point for the Power at half-time. On occasion it threatened to be much more, but Essendon have dug in and fought hard, despite the gulf in class.

2.44am EDT 02:44

Q2: 0.30 mins remaining: Power 11.6 (72) v 4.7 (31) Bombers – Long bomb to the hot-spot following a free-kick, a pack forms, and Ham comes down with the Sherrin. He can’t convert though.

2.43am EDT 02:43

Q2: 1.00 mins remaining: Power 11.6 (72) v 4.6 (30) Bombers – Port Adelaide have kicked 8.0 from their defensive half, in one half of footy!

2.41am EDT 02:41

Q2: 2.00 mins remaining: Power 11.6 (72) v 4.6 (30) Bombers – Terrific tough tackling defence from Essendon, followed by their most attractive series of kick-marks for the afternoon, with Redman involved in multiple phases. They can only winkle out a rushed behind for their troubles though.

The Power slam back the other way and go coast to coast in no time, a move ending with Motlop kicking his second.

2.38am EDT 02:38

Q2: 4.00 mins remaining: Power 10.6 (66) v 4.5 (29) Bombers – Good tackle in midfield from Cox sets up Essendon for a slow build. The first phase is rebuffed but the ball comes back quickly and a nice entry to a 2-on-1 ends in Langford’s hands. He kicks truly from 45m to trim the lead.

2.35am EDT 02:35

Q2: 7.30 mins remaining: Power 10.6 (66) v 3.5 (23) Bombers – Hooker kicks his second after Clurey is pinged for interfering in a marking contest. The free-kick isn’t easy but the big Bomber strokes it home with ease from 40m out on an angle.

2.33am EDT 02:33

Q2: 8.30 mins remaining: Power 10.6 (66) v 2.5 (17) Bombers – The pressure keeps coming and coming from the home side and another hopeful punt forward comes up trumps. Aliir takes another towering intercept mark before belting it forward. The Power clean up after the ball comes to ground, another hopeful hack forward finds Motlop, and the former Cat keeps the scoreboard purring.

2.30am EDT 02:30

Q2: 9.30 mins remaining: Power 9.6 (60) v 2.5 (17) Bombers – Fantasia misses his second soda of the afternoon after another decisive centre clearance. Port Adelaide look like they’re playing in a different weight category than Essendon.

2.29am EDT 02:29

Q2: 10.30 mins remaining: Power 9.4 (58) v 2.5 (17) Bombers – Port Adelaide have so many willing runners and so many leading forwards they are a many-headed beast to try to stop. The latest sortie is down the right where Butters takes a couple of bounces before hitting Ladhams lace out. The resulting goal was a formality.