In a contest seen as likely to either prolong or end the finals hopes of the evenly placed clubs, the Bombers put in one of their better showings of recent times to win 15.11 (101) to 14.8 (92).
It left them equal on points with eighth-placed North Melbourne (who play Melbourne on Sunday), and was extra important given it faces top-four contenders Geelong, Port Adelaide and Collingwood over the next three weeks.
But the Bombers' win wasn't without a scare, after their 36-point lead midway through the third term was cut to nine points in the opening minute of the last quarter.
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The Crows' chances looked done when the Travis Colyer snapped the third Bombers goal in succession minutes later to extend their lead back to 27 points, but the Crows kept coming and got back within nine points with less than five minutes remaining.
They continued to trade goals there after, first a Michael Hurley long-bomb and then an Eddie Betts crumb, but Essendon clung on – to the game, and perhaps its season.
Still adjusting to life without captain Jobe Watson as he recovers from hip surgery, it was an even display from the Bombers midfield and an efficient one from their forwards, which earned them the spoils.
Dyson Heppell gathered 27 disposals, Brendon Goddard had 32 and Jake Melksham returned to form with 24, while Michael Hibberd was typically attacking with 30 touches from half-back and the wing.
The Bombers had 12 goalkickers – led by Jason Winderlich, Patrick Ryder and Brent Stanton with two each – but this week, unlike most this season, their forwards appeared in sync with play up the ground.
It was a former Essendon key forward, Josh Jenkins, who lifted the Crows into contention with four goals.
The athletic big man combined with a match-conditioned Taylor Walker (17 disposals, two goals) and a strong-marking James Podsiadly (two goals) to drag the Crows back into the contest after a slow start.
Small forward Betts was also important for the Crows, kicking three goals from 21 disposals and always presenting.
Scott Thompson collected 41 disposals and Matthew Wright finished with 26, and while Brodie Smith had 21 disposals, his influence was limited by a tight-checking Heath Hocking.
After its wasteful display against Melbourne last week – and an inability to convert chances to goals for much of the season – ironically it was Essendon's early efficiency that gave it the advantage for much of the night.
At the 22-minute mark of the opening term, after Melksham fended off an opponent and bounced through a goal, the Bombers had seven majors on the board without a blemish.
Against Melbourne, it took them 69 inside-50s to kick 10 goals. By quarter-time against the Crows, they had seven goals from 17 entries; the first time since mid-2012 they had kicked seven in an opening quarter.
ESSENDON 7.0 9.2 11.10 15.11 (101)
ADELAIDE 2.6 5.7 9.7 14.8 (92)
GOALS
Essendon: Stanton 2, Ryder 2, Winderlich 2, Hocking, Ambrose, Goddard, Daniher, Zaharakis, Melksham, Howlett, Colyer, Hurley
Adelaide: Jenkins 4, Betts 3, Walker 2, Podsiadly 2, Dangerfield, Smith, Martin
BEST
Essendon: Hibberd, Goddard, Heppell, Melksham, Hooker, Hocking
Adelaide: Thompson, Jenkins, Wright, Jacobs, Betts, Walker
INJURIES
Essendon: Hibberd (left leg)
Adelaide: Mackay (concussion), Dangerfield (corked quad)
SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Zach Merrett replaced Tom Bellchambers in the third quarter
Adelaide: Jarryd Lyons replaced David Mackay (concussion) in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Chamberlain, McInerney, O'Gorman
Official crowd: 30,948 at Etihad Stadiumcomments powered by Disqus
