Match Recap
Round 5·Sun, 5-Apr-2026 7:20 PM·Docklands·38,786 att.
Western Bulldogs
14.15 (99)
vs
Essendon
9.11 (65)
Western Bulldogs won by 34

Western Bulldogs defeated Essendon 99–65, by 34 points. The match turned in the first quarter, when Western Bulldogs outscored Essendon 44–9; Western Bulldogs won disposals 402–342 and contested possessions 129–110.

Quarter scores

TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
Western Bulldogs7.2 (44)10.7 (67)10.14 (74)14.15 (99)14.15 (99)
Essendon1.3 (9)1.7 (13)5.9 (39)9.11 (65)9.11 (65)

Best on Ground

Top six by KICK Game Score — our 0–100 rating of the game each player had.

What is KICK? A 0-100 rating for every player, every game. 85+ elite · 70-84 top tier · 50-69 best-22 · <50 fringe. How it works →

1
Marcus Bontempelli
Western Bulldogs
35 disposals, 1 goals, 3 tackles
KICK 86
2
Zach Merrett
Essendon
30 disposals, 7 tackles, 7 clearances
KICK 82
3
Matthew Kennedy
Western Bulldogs
36 disposals, 1 goals, 1 tackles
KICK 76
4
Archie Roberts
Essendon
37 disposals, 3 I50s
KICK 76
5
Ryley Sanders
Western Bulldogs
34 disposals, 5 tackles, 5 clearances
KICK 69
6
Sam Darcy
Western Bulldogs
15 disposals, 3 goals, 3 tackles
KICK 69

Western Bulldogs — full stats

What do K, HB, I50, CP mean?
KKicks
HBHandballs
DDisposals (kicks + handballs)
MMarks
TTackles
GGoals
BBehinds
HOHit-outs (rucks tapping the ball from a bounce)
I50Inside-50s (ball moved into attacking zone)
CLClearances (first possession from a stoppage)
CPContested possessions
CGClangers (errors: bad kicks, turnovers, frees against)
BRBrownlow votes (3-2-1 best-on-ground, one match)
R50Rebound 50s (ball cleared from defensive zone)
TOG%Time on ground percentage

Full glossary: AFL stats & terms →

PlayerKHBDMTGBHOI50CLCPCGBRTOG%KICK
#4 Marcus Bontempelli1520358311671038486
#8 Matthew Kennedy1422365114111867876
#9 Ryley Sanders10243465351358469
#10 Sam Darcy1051553332211028869
#27 Joel Freijah1313263663869159
#34 Bailey Williams1192082121638151
#13 Oskar Baker1113249241638050
#19 Connor Budarick165216252447749
#29 Lachlan Bramble1071742114328145
#7 Rory Lobb132151031338943
#33 Aaron Naughton73106331329142
#26 Josh Dolan791631114317738
#31 Bailey Dale1752231218038
#11 Lachie Jaques1071743111438538
#32 Arthur Jones641041312315538
#24 Buku Khamis9312421419535
#44 Tim English62831164335335
#14 Rhylee West6131931212617434
#18 James ODonnell56114214310030
#42 Sam Davidson8311511217526
#16 Jordan Croft3582611526624
#37 Michael Sellwood25741347113
#30 Lachlan McNeil2681624512

Essendon — full stats

What do K, HB, I50, CP mean?
KKicks
HBHandballs
DDisposals (kicks + handballs)
MMarks
TTackles
GGoals
BBehinds
HOHit-outs (rucks tapping the ball from a bounce)
I50Inside-50s (ball moved into attacking zone)
CLClearances (first possession from a stoppage)
CPContested possessions
CGClangers (errors: bad kicks, turnovers, frees against)
BRBrownlow votes (3-2-1 best-on-ground, one match)
R50Rebound 50s (ball cleared from defensive zone)
TOG%Time on ground percentage

Full glossary: AFL stats & terms →

PlayerKHBDMTGBHOI50CLCPCGBRTOG%KICK
#7 Zach Merrett15153057371128182
#21 Archie Roberts29837123428676
#2 Jacob Farrow156211222318053
#6 Jye Caldwell6131935117988051
#31 Zach Reid14519114637350
#1 Andrew McGrath101323621938047
#25 Jaxon Prior16622713338445
#20 Peter Wright7310511221668443
#40 Zak Johnson11122391417042
#26 Archie May5164214257536
#11 Jade Gresham74111232317836
#45 Tom Edwards82103221738136
#4 Kyle Langford75123232617935
#3 Darcy Parish811192152616635
#22 Sam Durham57122611658433
#44 Archer Day-Wicks641036131368531
#41 Saad El-Hawli1031341236529
#28 Xavier Duursma87153111237824
#46 Lachlan Blakiston2462131327322
#16 Archie Perkins538321216920
#32 Ben McKay224322310013
#10 Isaac Kako437222437312
#35 Matt Guelfi325111317812