Essendon produced a hard-fought win over Port Adelaide, using a mix of defensive pressure, ball control, and a final-quarter surge to break a six-year drought against the Power.

Team performance: A statement in pressure and possession

Pressure & defensive effort

  • 57 tackles – Relentless pressure across the ground.
  • 10 tackles inside 50 – Effective forward-half pressure to keep the ball locked in.
  • 57% of scores from intercepts – Defensive structure led to strong transition play.

Midfield & contested ball

  • 83-65 ground ball gets – Winning the contest at ground level.
  • 122-94 contested possessions – A +18 advantage, highlighting midfield dominance.
  • 43% of scores from stoppages – Midfield control turned into scoring opportunities.

Ball control & attacking play

  • 59 inside 50s – Consistently generating forward entries.
  • 399 disposals – A high-possession game plan to dictate tempo.

Fourth-quarter surge seals the deal

With the game in the balance, Essendon stepped up late, outscoring Port Adelaide 4.4 to 1.4 in the final term.

08:08

Rd 3 | Match highlights

The Bombers and Power clash in round three of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.

Individual standouts:

Midfield leaders

Zach Merrett – 34 disposals, a game-high, leading front the front as Captain.

Xavier Duursma – 29 disposals at 83% efficiency, providing clean ball use and drive across the wing.

Dylan Shiel – 25 disposals, eight inside 50s, 709 metres gained, breaking lines with speed, a noticeable inclusion to the midfield this week.

Archie Roberts – one goal, 21 disposals, 10 score involvements, poised and composed in his 7th game of AFL football.

Defensive standouts

Zach Reid – 16 disposals at 88% efficiency, 10 marks, commanding in the air, a strong performance in only his 11th game.

Impact Forwards & Ruck

Jade Gresham – one goal, 20 disposals at 85% efficiency, 15 pressure acts, seven tackles, contributing across multiple areas and impacting the game at multiple levels.

Sam Draper – two goals, nine disposals, 10 hitouts while playing 100% game time, continuing his strong form with six goals for the season.

00:45

Draper’s unorthodox routine stirs up crowd

Sam Draper doubles down on his unconventional set-shot style, drilling his side’s first to rev up the Bombers faithful

Late-game impact

Saad El-Hawli – seven disposals in just the fourth quarter, making an immediate impact after being subbed in.

The Dons now enter a bye-week with their next clash 15 days away in Adelaide for Gather Round against Melbourne.