Blog log from R12 of 2024: Gold Coast vs Essendon

Martin misses from the HFF to kick off the scoring. (Q1 2:09)
Merrett roves a stoppage in the pocket ahead of Anderson but snaps wide left from 20m. (Q1 2:19)
Stringer bounces a snap from the HFF across the face. (Q1 3:05)
Menzie gives wide to Wright on the flank 25m out after a rebound around members wing, the ex-Sun curls in the first goal off the right boot! (Q1 5:04)
Ainsworth roves a King contest but snaps across the body across the face from 40m on a slight angle from the left boot. (Q1 6:49)
Essendon exits out of a scrum in the centre with both sides wanting to own the corridor, Redman breaks lines then sets up Wright to centre for Jones at the hotspot for the goal. (Q1 8:18)
Lukosius marks on outer wing in front of Cox and kicks long to Long who earns an arm chop free on McKay 45m out on the flank for the first major for Gold Coast. (Q1 12:32)
Essendon have completely bossed the first ten minutes but are only a goal up. (Q1 13:04)
The Suns are trying hard but their forward structure has been horrible, shallow entries to smalls. Meanwhile, Kelly marks a Jones pass up the guts to 45m for a rare goal. (Q1 19:27)
Perkins leaves Flanders sprawled on the turf after marking at half forward, he passes to Jones in the pocket 30m out who misses. (Q1 21:50)
Collins intercepts a Martin rebound kick over Kelly just inside 50m out near the boundary. He wisely chooses a set up pass, but Merrett chops it off. (Q1 23:05)
Humphrey marks untouched on a rebound through the centre, he lines up from 45m in front, his kick has questionable technique but it swerves in right to left for six points. (Q1 24:20)
Langford bounces through a snap from a pack at the hotspot but the ump called touched off the boot, review confirms Collins did indeed prevent the goal if not the behind. (Q1 26:20)
Sexton baulks two Dons on outer wing to kick inside 50 to the fat side, King marks in front of McKay 35m out on a slight angle but misses after the QT siren. (Q1 28:26)
The Suns handball through heavy traffic on outer wing ending with Anderson popping up a pass for Walter 45m out in front, who leaves his set shot left. (Q2 1:30)
Miller roves on the wing and goes inside, Sexton places a nice pass to King 40m out on a slight angle who kicks truly. (Q2 4:33)
Essendon really should be dominating the scoreboard based on general play, Gold Coast’s forward six is not really working, but the margin is only a kick. (Q2 6:05)
Wright marks a Kelly pass on the boundary 35m out but shoots across the face and OOTF. (Q2 6:58)
Long puts the Gold Coast in front with a snap playing on to advantage from near the hotspot after a rather obvious holding free against McKay to King. (Q2 15:51)
Centre clearance Gold Coast, Long gives inside from near the behind post to King who jinks away from Heppell and McKay to goal on his left! (Q2 17:06)
Menzie feeds Hind for a snap across the body from the hotspot that hits the post, disappointingly. (Q2 19:31)
Collins has time to rush near the behind line but decides on a blind dump kick that turns over, Hind centres for Cox 20m out on a slight angle for the goal. (Q2 21:31)
Bryan hoofs it long from a stoppage at half forward towards the pocket for Wright to mark in front of Andrew 20m out, but the screwing set shot is just narrow. (Q2 24:21)
The Suns rebound around outer wing, Ainsworth gathers a bounce pass by Humphrey and gets a moment to measure a right-foot snap around the corner from 20m, he nails it! (Q2 25:26)
Rowell wins a hard footy at half back and kicks blind up the guts, luck sends it to Lukosius who hits King leading to 50m on a slight angle… but the set shot is a behind. (Q2 27:20)
Ainsworth turns over by hand on members wing, Hind passes to Guelfi 30m out on the flank who misses deep in red time before HT. (Q2 28:34)
Ainsworth passes to King in the pocket 25m out on the end of a flowing diagonal move through the centre with Graham and Rowell involved. King kicks truly. (Q3 1:37)
Fiorini gets a set shot at much the same spot but tugs it narrow to the right and OOTF. (Q3 4:00)
Rowell strips Merrett in a tackle in midfield, Suns everywhere for the crumb, Long marks 40m out on a slight angle for another one for the Suns. (Q3 6:44)
Lukosius roves his own contest in the pocket and gives outside to Humphrey who snaps high off the right, starts on line but floats across the face for a point. (Q3 9:42)
Merrett misses a set shot from 40m in the corridor. Things getting fairly hairy for the Bombers now, too many Suns goals in a row. (Q3 11:08)
Guelfi sets Martin away to goal from 15m out, no one in front of him but he tries to belt the leather off it and only succeeds in nicking the post! Oh dear! (Q3 14:42)
Repeat inside 50s eventually tell for Essendon, Perkins roves on the HFF and gives inside to Caldwell who checksides the goal from 30m in front. (Q3 16:13)
Andrew turns the ball over from the back pocket to Langford 40m out on the flank, not long enough to get to Sexton. Langford leaves his set shot narrow to the left. (Q3 18:06)
Merrett has a ping from 45m on a slight angle, another miss. (Q3 19:08)
Hind roves a throw-in and snaps straight from 30m on the flank, Moyle claims a touch off the boot, reviewed… score confirmed! (Q3 22:58)
Rowell busts through a Merrett tackle in the centre with power to set up a handball chain that ends with Lukosius in the pocket, he curls in the goal from 25m. (Q3 24:10)
Fiorini has an acre to run ahead of a pack on members wing through the HFF with two bounces but chooses a centring ball that doesn’t work, opportunity lost. (Q3 26:13)
Fiorini turns the ball over on the rebound at half back, crumb falls for Stringer who of courses shoots off a step from 45m on a slight angle… across the face. (Q3 28:16)
Laverde misses a kick target going backwards on the HBF, Walter looks to have caught Ridley HTB cold but the ump doesn’t pay it! Huge non-decision! (Q4 2:10)
Uwland looks to have caught Langford HTB 20m out from the Dons goals but Langford just got a toe on it, crumb falls for Cox who goals! (Q4 3:15)
Ballard intercepts on members wing and gives to Rowell who sets up Long to pass to Holman on the boundary 25m out, he misses near side right. (Q4 5:51)
Durham marks at half forward and looks to play on over the mark, Anderson tackles but is pinged for some rule the umpire just made up, 50m penalty and charity goal Essendon. (Q4 7:21)
Rowell to Miller for the next centre clearance to the top of the square, King marks over Laverde to restore Gold Coast’s lead after the scores had been levelled. (Q4 8:36)
The Suns handball one too many times at half back, McGrath monsters Miller to cause a turnover from Sexton’s pressured give. Quick kick to Menzie over the back for the goal. (Q4 11:19)
Anderson runs away from the next bounce and goes long for King to mark 20m out on a slight angle, Suns lead again. It’s a Sunday evening shoot out! (Q4 12:55)
The old rule is never handball to a ruckman, Bryan proves it with a crucial fumble on members wing, Walter sets up Long to kick to the square where Lukosius is on his own, goal! (Q4 16:26)
Hind marks the next Wright centre clearance on the HFF and jinks away for a kick to the square but it misses the target and is off Collins’ hands for a point. (Q4 17:55)
Berry was a bit lucky to have survived the subs vest decision a few minutes ago but he takes a big mark from an Ainsworth speculator 40m out and converts, Suns almost home! (Q4 18:51)
Gresham flashes through traffic at half forward, rides a Flanders tackle and gives off to Guelfi who chooses a handball to Cox in the square, he beats Andrew to goal! (Q4 21:11)
Berry is pinged for some rather soft contact on Heppell at half back, pass to Stringer on the boundary 45m out. Classic Package areas, this set shot… but he kicks OOTF. (Q4 23:09)
3:21 to go and the Suns defence is holding firm for now, under a lot of pressure. (Q4 27:46)
Caldwell bullets a pass to the lead of Guelfi 35m out on the flank, Uwland spoils but is pinged for an arm chop. Guelfi threads the tough set shot, 2:32 to go, kick in it! (Q4 28:51)
Miller clears from the bounce, Long gets a holding free on Redman, Suns stuff around but turn it over… then Miller catches Caldwell HTB and Laverde is pinged for timewasting! (Q4 30:26)
Touk goals from the top of the goalsquare, the umpiring has been questionable at times and that one was technical, but it always gets paid that way, even at times like this. Goal. (Q4 31:07)
1:22 left and the Dons are going to have to find a Darcy Byrne-Jones to pull them out of this one. (Q4 31:52)
Berry gets a holding free in the pocket 15m out for a kick after the siren, which is a behind. (Q4 34:54)