Blog log from R1 of 2026: Essendon vs Hawthorn

Gunston marks a long Amon pass near the boundary 40m out and strokes through a perfect drop punt for the opening goal of the night. (Q1 0:58)
Chol gives behind a stoppage to Newcombe who shoots off a step from 45m in the corridor… just to the right. (Q1 2:43)
Parish kicks long from members wing to Durham running forward to 45m on a slight angle for the first major for the Dons. (Q1 4:05)
Mackenzie to Watson for a clearance from the centre, Moore gathers and feeds Macdonald zipping past to kid through the goal from 45m! (Q1 6:15)
Sicily gets a difficult ground ball in the Bombers goalsquare and is worried off it by Wright who feeds out to Caldwell for a quick snap… to the left. (Q1 8:19)
Weddle is all on his own on the HFF for a short pass by Gunston, Dons sag off him so he plays on and rams through the goal from 45m. (Q1 8:56)
Wright contests in the pocket, crumb falls over the back for Duursma who swerves inside and goals from 20m. (Q1 10:36)
Blakiston throws Reeves to ground at a throw in to 30m, ump pays the holding free and Reeves gets the goal. (Q1 13:14)
Sicily kicks over Reid to Gunston in the pocket 20m out but this time leaves his drop punt narrow to the right. (Q1 14:57)
Ginnivan marks on the boundary 40m out and also kicks near side right. (Q1 16:10)
After a Scrimshaw kick clanger, Sharp wobbles through his debut goal from 40m to bring the Bomber fans to their feet. (Q1 19:06)
Watson delivers a sensational blind handball at half forward with two Bombers on him to release Nash, handball thence to Macdonald for the goal from 40m. (Q1 20:51)
Langford earns an arm chop free on Scrimshaw 35m out on the flank but shoots across the face to the left. (Q1 22:21)
Caddy reefs out a handball after contesting 40m out on a slight angle behind to Durham who goals off his right, just wobbling inside the right goalpost. (Q1 26:51)
Ginnivan kicks high from 50m on a slight angle but too close to the goal line, easily rushed by Blakiston. (Q1 28:52)
Fiorini is all on his own on the HFF on a slingshot play but sprays under no pressure from 30m. (Q1 29:27)
Newcome drills a pass to the lead and leap of Watson to mark in front of McGrath 45m out on a slight angle, but the set shot stays to the right. (Q2 0:58)
Gunston marks another long Amon inside 50 kick over Redman 20m out in front, he steers through his second goal. (Q2 3:00)
D’Ambrosio passes short to Moore near the boundary 40m out, his screwing set shot falls on the line, was it touched? Review shows yes, just a behind. (Q2 4:45)
Merrett chips in front of Moore to intercept an Impey chip kick from half back, he scoots away to 50m on a slight angle to ram through a very popular goal! (Q2 7:32)
Chol takes a link mark, wheels and hits the lead of Lewis 40m out in the corridor, who misses to the right. (Q2 8:52)
Mackenzie misses a mid-range snap. (Q2 9:38)
Sharp marks a pass by Fiorini to the hotspot chipping in front of Wright’s lead and boots his second goal. (Q2 11:03)
Mackenzie feeds Chol who baulks and shoots from a stoppage 20m out in the pocket but it’s narrow to the left. (Q2 14:53)
Chol leaps on a big pack 15m out in front to clunk a screamer from a long Sicily speculator from the HFF, he makes no mistake with the set shot. (Q2 15:48)
Amon receives from D’Ambrosio and misses a flying snap from the HFF. (Q2 21:12)
Ginnivan receives from Moore on a slingshot play, baulks past a man at CHF and chooses a pass to the pocket for Watson who goals from 15m. (Q2 22:18)
Scrimshaw roves a dump rebound kick by Duursma to space at half forward, he gives wide to D’Ambrosio who strokes through the goal from 45m on the flank. (Q2 24:43)
Ward speeds through the centre and hits the hard lead of Gunston 45m out on a slight angle, nothing Redman could do there. Gunstall drills his third goal. (Q2 27:27)
Reeves sends Macdonald out the front of the next centre contest, pass to Chol leading out of the square to 20m on a slight angle, McKay left trailing. Set shot is poor, though. (Q2 28:49)
Hawks getting bulk repeat inside 50s now, on the latest by Impey it’s Reeves who marks with everyone looking at Chol’s leap behind him. Reeves steers through his second goal. (Q2 31:19)
Ruck free against Blakiston to Reeves, long bomb to the hotspot, Chol provides the crumb to Watson who checksides the goal from 25m on a slight angle. (Q2 32:44)
Merrett roves a Caddy drop in a tackle near the hotspot and shoots quickly off the left, ball bounces high in the square for Amon to rush, unluckily. (Q3 1:59)
El Achkar roves and grubbers towards the square from 25m, Fiorini snaps over his left shoulder to beat Weddle’s challenge for the goal. (Q3 4:09)
The Hawks rebound around outer wing using the loose man, Macdonald kicks from the HFF to the goal line where Gunston marks and goals to ensure it. (Q3 5:44)
Moore roves a Gunston contest, jinks onto his right and goals from the hotspot. (Q3 7:44)
Battle drops an intercept mark in the back pocket, crumb to his man Caddy who goals off the left from 20m. (Q3 8:54)
Watson passes from outside CHF to Nash to mark in front of Sharp 45m out on a slight angle and goal. (Q3 10:52)
Ginnivan roves and feeds Macdonald who misses from 40m in the corridor after yet another centre clearance to the Hawks. (Q3 12:11)
Lewis gathers a bounce pass by Macdonald to the pocket and centres to the hotspot where Weddle marks easily in front of Prior, he joins the party with his second goal. (Q3 13:59)
Perkins makes a wrong decision to handball at half back and gets caught in possession, Ginnivan skids through the goal off the turnover from 50m on a slight angle. (Q3 16:29)
Weddle receives from Watson but misses badly on the lope from 40m in front. (Q3 20:57)
Chol takes another contested grab on the HFF and passes quickly to Weddle 25m out on a slight angle, who tugs his set shot to the left this time. (Q3 23:04)
Battle intercepts and tries a quick kick to the centre, comes off for a slingshot play that ends with Sicily going to Newcombe 40m out in front. The Duke punches through a goal. (Q3 24:40)
Scrimshaw kicks into Wright on the mark in the back pocket. gift ricochet falls for El Achkar for his first senior goal. (Q3 27:15)
Barrass intercepts at CHB over Merrett to start another attack from the back half, Ginnivan passes to Watson 40m out on a slight angle who misses near side left. (Q4 2:17)
Sicily intercepts Durham’s rebound kick, quick switch via Moore to Ginnivan on the opposite flank 40m out, where he hits the far left post. (Q4 4:34)
Weddle passes to the lead of Gunston 40m out on the flank on the end of yet another rebound under no pressure. Gunston punches low and straight for his fifth goal. (Q4 6:19)
Chol marks 25m out in the pocket and curls too early off his left to the right. (Q4 7:41)
Ginnivan wins a HTB free on Blakiston 40m out on the flank with Nash also in the tackle, but he tugs the free kick left. (Q4 11:44)
McGrath mops up a kick clanger from Sicily on outer wing and delivers a much better kick to Duursma 45m out on a slight angle. The Archer shoots his arrow straight. (Q4 14:43)
Perkins marks a Parish kick from the centre to 35m on a slight angle, after Sicily left him alone. He converts. (Q4 16:19)
Macdonald receives from Weddle and snaps on the turn from the boundary 30m out under pressure, floats across the face. (Q4 18:03)
Wright also gets some junk from just inside 50m on a slight angle. (Q4 19:20)
Caldwell rolls through another garbage time special to bring the margin under 50. (Q4 21:15)
Watson roves a Reeves contest for another checkside goal from 30m. (Q4 25:17)
Watson marks 30m out just before the final siren and shoots for goal number four… he curls it in. (Q4 28:15)