Essendon Secures Season’s First Victory with Final-Quarter Surge in Thrilling ‘Shootout’ Against Power

Essendon secured their first victory of the 2025 season, edging past the Power by 12 points at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

Key players Sam Draper and Nate Caddy, along with Port Adelaide’s Mitch Georgiades and Darcy Byrne-Jones, each contributed two goals as the Bombers claimed a narrow win with a scoreline of 9.18 (72) to 8.12 (60) in a match marked by inaccuracy and mistakes.

Essendon finished strongly, netting the last four goals of the game to stave off a disappointing 0-3 start, while Port Adelaide couldn’t respond to the Bombers’ late surge.

Byrne-Jones netted his second goal, giving the Power a six-point advantage by three-quarter time, followed by Jason Horne-Francis who opened the final term to extend Port’s lead.

However, the Bombers fought back, with Nic Martin and Mason Redman scoring to level the game before Caddy found the target, putting Essendon ahead.

Draper then capped the match with his second goal, a stunning around-the-body snap that turned heads.

The Bombers’ Zach Merrett and Jordan Ridley managed just a couple of behinds in the early stages, while Georgiades opened the scoring for Port Adelaide.

This sparked a tit-for-tat tussle, with neither side able to establish a solid lead.

During the second quarter, Georgiades showcased his skills with a spectacular mark, earning a ‘mark of the year’ nomination.

“The man is doing it all tonight,” remarked Mark Howard during Fox Footy’s commentary.

In addition to his brace of first-quarter goals, Georgiades concluded the match with one goal assist, 13 disposals, and two behinds, though his influence waned after half-time.

In this low-scoring clash, both teams struggled to convert opportunities into points.

The midfield battle saw neither team adopting a defensive approach, with the ball flowing from one end to the other.

“It’s almost as if there’re 18 players refusing to pick up a man, instead opting to say, You go your way, I’ll go mine, and let’s see who wins the shootout,” David King commented on Fox Footy.

“It’s an open game, anyone can score.”

Both sides introduced debutants in Saad El-Hawli (Essendon) and Tom Cochrane (Port Adelaide), facing criticism for naming them as substitutes.

Nevertheless, both players made their debuts in the fourth quarter, with El-Hawli, in particular, seizing his chance to impress.