Port Melbourne has succumbed Essendon to a ninth consecutive VFL defeat at ETU Stadium on Sunday.
The 13.13 (91) to 5.8 (38) scoreline was skewed by the Borough’s last quarter, which saw them take full advantage of a heavy breeze to boot seven of the final eight goals.
It was a frustrating finish for the Dons, who looked competitive early, but ultimately couldn’t provide enough scoreboard pressure to last out the tough conditions.
The inclusions of Nick Hind and Massimo D’Ambrosio provided some dare coming out of the back half for Essendon, with their run standing out in a scrappy and contested ball-heavy first half.
Rhett Montgomerie and Kaine Baldwin provided some strength in Essendon’s back six, combining for 13 marks and holding the fort against a Borough outfit that went inside 50 on 61 occasions.
Pat Voss was a significant presence for the Dons going forward, clunking eight marks from his 18 disposals and arguably unlucky to finish with 2.4 on the scoreboard during a challenging day.
Elijah Tsatas continues to build on his successful return from injury, fighting through some heavy opposition attention early to finish with 21 disposals and six tackles in the centre.
The Bombers will return to Windy Hill on Sunday, facing off with the ladder-leading Gold Coast Suns at 1:05pm.
PORT MELBOURNE 3.3 4.5 6.9 13.13 (91)
ESSENDON 3.1 3.1 4.5 5.8 (38)
Goals: Voss 2, Munkara, Cootee, Archard
Best: Hind, Tsatas, D’Ambrosio, Voss, Baldwin, Montgomerie
Image: Mallia Shots.
