GWSÂ 2.7Â Â Â Â 7.8 Â Â Â 11.13 Â Â Â 17.15Â Â Â (117)
ESSENDONÂ 4.5Â Â Â Â 9.8 Â Â Â 10.11Â Â Â Â 12.18 Â Â Â (90)
GOALS Giants: Greene 4, Kennedy 3, Cameron 2, Williams 2, Hopper, Kelly, Patton, Griffen, Coniglio, Reid. Essendon:  Fantasia 4, Daniher 2, Brown 2, Jamar 2, Leuenberger 2.
BEST Giants: Williams, Wilson, Green, Coniglio, Shaw, Scully, Kennedy, Kelly. Essendon: Fantasia, Z Merrett, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Zaharakis, Leuenberger, Kelly, Ambrose.
UMPIRES: Pannell, Findlay, Nicholls, Fleer.
CROWD: 14,643 at Etihad Stadium.
This was a game of two teams of the most radically contrasting construction. It was the team that was crafted as a lab experiment against the team that finds themselves in this situation because of a science experiment.
More AFL Real Footy Videos
- Video duration
- 01:37
AFL plays of round 13
AFL plays of round 13
Lindsay Thomas v the umpires continues, Josh Kennedy closing in on Buddy, Pavlich lays down on the job to great effect, Dangerfield unstoppable and GWS unearth yet another star.
Up Next
James Hird's father speaks out
- Video duration
- 03:51
- Video duration
- 03:51
James Hird's father speaks out
James Hird's father speaks out
James Hird's father Allan talks to 3AW about his view on his son's overdose and the Essendon doping saga.
- Video duration
- 00:00
James Hird pushed out of Essendon
James Hird pushed out of Essendon
LIVE: Essendon is expected to announce they have parted company with senior coach James Hird, effective immediately.
Up Next
Essendon offers support following Hird health scare
- Video duration
- 01:32
- Video duration
- 01:32
Essendon offers support following Hird ...
Essendon offers support following Hird health scare
Following a suspected overdose, players showed up to training and kept mum about their distressed coach. Vision courtesy Seven News, Melbourne.
Up Next
Heeney wants midfield spot
- Video duration
- 00:47
- Video duration
- 00:47
Heeney wants midfield spot
Heeney wants midfield spot
Isaac Heeney makes his message clear about where he wants to play in 2017.
Up Next
Mitchell and Cotchin get their 2012 Brownlows
- Video duration
- 00:48
- Video duration
- 00:48
Mitchell and Cotchin get their 2012 ...
Mitchell and Cotchin get their 2012 Brownlows
Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin are presented with their Brownlow Medals after more than four years in a special ceremony in Melbourne.
Up Next
Dangerfield: No players, no game
- Video duration
- 00:20
- Video duration
- 00:20
Dangerfield: No players, no game
Dangerfield: No players, no game
Players Association representative and reigning Brownlow medalist Patrick Dangerfield talks tough on the AFL's discussions with the PA over contract talks.
Up Next
Roughead reveals he's been given all-clear
- Video duration
- 00:47
- Video duration
- 00:47
Roughead reveals he's been given all-clear
Roughead reveals he's been given all-clear
Jarryd Roughead has been told his treatment was successful and he is 'cancer-free'.
AFL plays of round 13
Lindsay Thomas v the umpires continues, Josh Kennedy closing in on Buddy, Pavlich lays down on the job to great effect, Dangerfield unstoppable and GWS unearth yet another star.
A team of patch-ups against a team of prime picks. The patch-ups scared the prime picks, but with ten goals to three in the second half the picks ended up prevailing.
It was played before a pifflingly small crowd of just 14,463 which was the smallest Essendon home crowd in 25 years. Not since round 21, 1991, against the Brisbane Bears at Windy Hill have the Bombers hosted such a small crowd.
Expectations even among the Essendon faithful were not high, yet they were misplaced for this was a fast and entertaining game which as a contest was not reflective of the final margin.
Orazio Fantasia was a third round draft pick. Zach Merrett a second round pick. They proved for a period against a team bursting with first round picks that where you are selected can be incidental to what you can do and where you can get to.
Fantasia aroused the Bombers into the contest with two goals in the first quarter and he should have had four. The first goal started things rolling for Essendon as his frenetic desperation to worry a player into a fumble and then sweep it into space to run out of the pack to soccer the ball gave Essendon their first goal.
Until then the Bombers had booted one goal but that was against the steady flow of the ball into the Giants forward line. The Giants had enjoyed all the play and none of the return. They kicked two goals seven and began to play contentedly that the goals would come. They didn't.
The Fantasia goal shifted the momentum and part of the reason for that was the absolute absence of pressure around the ball from the Giants. GWS laid just nine tackles for the first quarter (Essendon only laid 14).
The Giants had no forward line, Jeremy Cameron was thoroughly beaten by Paddy Ambrose, Jon Patton quiet and Rory Lobb only later worked his way into the game but that was in the ruck.
The Bombers were drawing runs from McDonald-Tipungwuti behind the ball and the craftiness of James Kelly, David Zaharakis and Zach Merrett around the packs. They booted five goals in the second term and should have kicked more. Just as the Giants wasted chances the first term, Essendon failed to capitalise in the second.
Joe Daniher and Mitch Brown both missed set shots at goal to start the second half and with it missed the chance to stretch the Bombers out to a troubling three to four goal lead. Possibly consequently Essendon's pressure dropped just for a period, their disposal became loose and the Giants drive immediately lifted.
They had run from behind the ball with the pacy Zach Williams and Nathan Wilson and Stephen Coniglio and Tom Scully through the middle.
In the absence of a tall forward able to offer them anything, Leon Cameron dragged his key targets up the ground and isolated Toby Green deep with McDonald-Tipungwuti. He missed one shot and booted anther but finished the game with four which made for an odd one on one contest as McDonald Tipungwuti was so impressive for much of the day but his opponent finished with four.
Debutant Matthew Kennedy booted two goals in a minute – the first from a free kickbut the second when he got the ball to his boot as he was being tackled and snapped over his shoulder.
Essendon was playing with a confidence in this game that has not been seen much at all really, but definitely not in recent weeks, and they refused to be cowed. Fantasia was able to get space behind a long ball into the forward line and snapped a sharp chance over his shoulder to keep the Dons in the contest.
Fantasia and Nick Heyne clattered into one another in a brutal marking contest that left both prone on the ground then limping to the bench.Â
Mitch Brown who was playing deep to goal while Daniher played high up the ground and drew Joel Patful with him, squeezed a quick kick through for a goal to start the last quarter and bring the Bombers back to two points.
The Giants lifted from there as if waiting for the moment to ratchet up their game. Patton goaled from long range after a free kick was overlooked for too high for McDonald-Tipungwuti.
Green got on the end of a fast chain of play through the middle then Kennedy, an academy product, booted his third goal on debut and the contest was over.