ESSENDON'S finals dream is in tatters after a Daniel Bradshaw goal after the final siren stole a draw for the Brisbane Lions in an MCG heart stopper.

Having wrested back the lead in a see-sawing affair with two late goals, Bradshaw, who had been well held by Dustin Fletcher all night, marked a quick kick from a boundary throw-in and kicked the goal to level scores at 13.9 (87) to 12.15 (87).

The loss leaves the Bombers potentially a game-and-a half out of the eight depending on other results, while the Lions all but secure their place inside the top six.

After Brisbane kicked the opening three goals of the final term to quickly erase a 15-point three-quarter time deficit, the Bombers hit back with goals to young Irishman Michael Quinn and an opportunistic snap from Angus Monfries to steal back the lead in the shadows of full time.

When Adam McPhee took what appeared to be a game-saving contested mark deep in defence with 50 seconds remaining, Essendon appeared home.

But Jonathan Brown, who went goalless for one of the few times in his career, spoiled a short pass which set up the boundary throw-in.

Again it was the Brisbane Lions' skipper who won a quick kick out of the pack at the base of the resultant clearance. His kick scrambled to the goalsquare where Bradshaw marked and converted after the bell.

Despite the sides sharing the points, the loser on the night was Essendon who desperately needed all four points to keep their noses in the finals race.

In front of 41,636 fans Essendon got off the flyer it so desperately needed with early goals to Jay Neagle and Monfries sparking the side on every line.

With intensity up, run in the legs and tackling pressure right on, the Bombers, thanks to Sam Lonergan, Jobe Watson and two goals to McPhee, looked a rejuvenated outfit from the one that capitulated so meekly last week to West Coast.

Its six-point quarter-time lead was well deserved, although Brisbane Lions did steady with goals to Luke Power and a freak snap from Rising Star favourite Daniel Rich from hard-up on the boundary.

With Tayte Pears containing Brown and Fletcher doing likewise on Bradshaw – the pair kicked 0.3 between them in the first half - the Lions were forced to find other avenues to goal.

They found them early in the second term when Rich drilled what is sure to be a trademark running goal from 50, Scott Harding dribbled through another and Michael Rischitelli unloaded from 50 to put the Lions 14 points clear midway through the
second term.

Having wrested control of the midfield through Jared Brennan, a dominant Mitch Clark and the ground work of Power and Simon Black, the Lions appeared to have weathered the worst of the Essendon storm.

Brown had the opportunity to make it a three-goal margin when he marked inside 50, but after playing on had his scoring attempt smothered by a desperate Jarrod Atkinson.

The sacrificial act lifted the Bombers, who, from nowhere kicked two goals in the final two minutes, the second a set shot effort from Michael Hurley after the half-time siren, to reduce the margin to a solitary point.

Brisbane did all it could to get the ascendancy back early in the third term but could only muster 1.4 from six unanswered forward entries.

With the door ajar Essendon kicked it wide open with four goals in an 11-minute burst of football that had the Lions reeling. Against the trend, the run, intensity and pressure lifted to first quarter levels.

Nathan Lovett-Murray got the ball rolling with his first of the night, set up another for Brent Prismall while Neagle added two more to push his side 15 points clear at the final change.

The last quarter was as tense as the Bombers have played all season.

In the wake of a Brisbane charge Essendon stood resolute.

To have the lead with seconds remaining only to see it wiped clean with a set shot from the goal-square was heartbreaking for a group that had produced a fine effort given its recent form.

Clark, Just Sherman, Power, Black and Brennan were superb for the Lions while Jobe Watson’s 32 possessions had him clearly the Bomber’s best.

Brown had four score assists and Bradshaw three to show their value isn't only on the scoreboard.

DETAILS

Essendon             4.3    6.5    11.7    13.9 (87)
Brisbane Lions     3.3    6.6    8.10    12.15 (87)

GOALS
Essendon: Neagle 3, McPhee 2, Monfries 2, Hurley, Lonergan, Lovett-Murray, Prismall, Quinn, Watson
Brisbane Lions: Bradshaw 2, Harding 2, Rich 2, Rischitelli 2, Brennan, Polkinghorne, Power, Sherman

BEST
Essendon: Fletcher, Watson, Pears, Prismall, Reimers, Houli
Brisbane Lions: Clark, Sherman, Black, Power, Brennan, Rich, Brown

INJURIES
Essendon: Nil
Brisbane Lions: Nil

REPORTS
Nil

Umpires: McBurney, Schmitt, Hendrie
Official crowd: 41,636 at MCG


The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs.

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