ESSENDON'S comeback kid Scott Gumbleton kicked three goals to help the Bombers steamroll Port Adelaide by 50 points at AAMI Stadium on Saturday.
Essendon moved into the top four with the 19.14 (127) to 11.11 (77) win, its first against Port in Adelaide in 12 years.
Five talking points: Port Adelaide v Essendon
The Bombers could still lose their place in the top four depending on other results over the the round.
The injury-prone Gumbleton, in his first match since late 2010, was influential as Essendon stunned the Power with a late surge.
The Bombers trailed by one point 24 minutes into the third quarter, but then kicked the final eight goals of the match.
Gumbleton and livewire Leroy Jetta (three goals) were prominent, while captain Jobe Watson and Dyson Heppell basked in the ruck dominance of Tom Bellchambers.
Port's Brett Ebert and Justin Westhoff each kicked three goals but the South Australian club remain in the mire with only four wins this season.
While Gumbleton was busy, his teammate Jake Carlisle will be scrutinised for a behind play bump on Port's Paul Stewart.
Carlisle floored an unsuspecting Stewart with a hip and shoulder 30m off the ball, forcing the Power forward from the field.
Stewart soon returned as both sides failed to steal momentum, with Port taking a two point lead into half-time, 8.6 to 8.4.
Essendon remained unable to shrug Port in the third term until ex-skipper David Hille booted two late goals.
Hille snapped across his body and then converted after a strong overhead mark to give the Bombers an 11-point break at three-quarter time.
Essendon, despite losing Michael Hibberd to a quad injury, then killed off Port with a final term flourish.
The Power were rendered helpless as the Bombers booted 6.5 to 0.2 for the quarter as Port crashed to its fifth consecutive defeat.
Hibberd's injury puts him in doubt for Essendon's meeting with reigning premiers Geelong on Friday night, Port plays fellow strugglers Melbourne next Saturday night in Darwin.
Despite soft-tissue injuries continuing to climb at the club, and questions arising about the players' workload, Essendon coach James Hird said he would not change the way his team trains.
"It's an ongoing debate with how hard you work your players, but the one thing we want to do with this group is get them to a point that when we get a chance ... in finals, we can beat the best teams," Hird said.
"If you're not fit enough and if you're not strong enough you can't do it.
"Will it be this year or next year or the year after? I'm not sure. But we're going to continue to work hard and our players are going to continue to work hard so that when the opportunity comes we can take it."
Following the game Port coach Matthew Primus lamented his team's inability to get the job done.
"There are too many games this year that we thought we could have won," Primus said.
"This group (of players), they have improved - but they haven't improved enough.
"And we're going to keep demanding a higher level ... until we get there.
"But we're as frustrated as hell, as our supporters would be - it would be killing them and killing us right now, letting that game slip."
PORT ADELAIDE 4.3 8.6 11.9 11.11 (77)?
ESSENDON 4.2 8.4 13.8 19.13 (127)??
GOALS?
Port Adelaide: Westhoff, Ebert 3, D Stewart 2, McCarthy, P Stewart, Thomas
Essendon: Gumbleton, Jetta 3, Dell'Olio, Bellchambers, Hille 2, Davey, Dyson, Melksham, Reimers, Howlett, Myers, Watson
??BEST?
Port Adelaide: Brad Ebert, Brett Ebert, Moore, Broadbent, Boak, Westhoff ?Essendon: Bellchambers, Howlett, Jetta, Gumbleton, Heppell, Watson
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: ?Nil
Essendon: Michael Hibberd (quad)?
SUBS:
Port Adelaide: Matthew Lobbe replaced by Chad Wingard in the third quarter.
?Essendon: Michael Hibberd (quad) replaced by Nathan Lovett-Murray in the third quarter.
?Reports: Nil
Umpires: Farmer, Ritchie, Fila
??Official crowd: 17, 344 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
