Essendon remains winless after five rounds after falling to Richmond by 34 points in the Dreamtime Match at Punt Road Oval.

After dominating the third quarter for no reward, the Bombers were within touch at three quarter time but needed to play their best football in the last quarter.

However, a quick pair of Tiger goals snuffed out their hopes of bringing home the four points for the first time and Essendon fell 3.2 (20) to 8.6 (54).

Following a Welcome to Country Ceremony in the centre of Punt Road Oval in celebration of Dreamtime Round, the Bombers drew first blood when midfielder Hayley Bullas seized the ball from a stoppage to goal from 30.

However, it was to be their last for the quarter as Richmond’s tall forward set-up began to stretch Essendon’s backline. Courtney Wakefield roosted through her side’s fourth on the trot to give the Tigers a 21-point lead early in the second quarter, but it was at that point that the Bombers steeled themselves.

Winning the clearances turned the momentum, but it was the new-found poise and patience moving the ball forward that made the Bombers dangerous. Simone Nalder and Tash Hardy slammed on goals to draw the margin to single figures before half time.

Essendon then swamped Richmond in the third quarter with Courtney Ugle, Irena Malliaras and Natalie MacDonald winning the ball around half-forward and Nalder gaining the upper hand against a ruck division that included North Melbourne AFLW superstar Emma King.

However, for the second match in a row the Bombers couldn’t make their third quarter dominance talk on the scoreboard and trailed by 16 points going into the fourth quarter.

Richmond’s Ella Ross landed the knockout blow after the Tigers had soaked up 13 minutes.

“As always, the effort was a positive but the ball movement was good as well,” coach Brendan Major said after the match.

“We still need to work on not giving away inside-50s, that was an area that cost us.”

MacDonald continued her improvement with her best game yet in the red and black, while Bunbury-born winger Ugle capped off her Dreamtime Match with an excellent four-quarter performance.

The VFL Women’s competition has a bye round next weekend and the Bombers will have their first bye of the season in round six.

ESSENDON    1.0       3.1       3.1       3.2 (20)
RICHMOND    2.2       5.5       5.5       8.6 (54)

Goals – Bullas, Hardy, Nalder.

Best – Malliaras, MacDonald, Morcom, Ugle, Bullas, Nalder.