Essendon has broken a nine-year Dreamtime and 13-game drought against Richmond in the most thrilling of circumstances, with Sam Durham kicking a match-winning goal in the dying seconds to seal a thrilling victory.

In an arm-wrestle contest, the Tigers skipped out to an 18-point lead early in the last quarter before the Bombers mounted an extraordinary Dreamtime comeback.

Essendon kicked four of the last five goals of the game – including Durham‘s set-shot from the top of the goalsquare with seven seconds left – to win by one point. 10.11 (71) to 10.10 (70).

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QUARTER-BY-QUARTER MATCH REPORT

The Bombers were forced to make a late change, with Dylan Shiel ruled out due to injury and replaced by Will Snelling. Massimo D’Ambrosio (Bombers) and Judson Clarke (Tigers) were named the subs.

The Tigers jumped the Bombers early, dominating the contested possession and inside 50 counts as Rhyan Mansell kicked the first goal of the game.

Tigers superstar Dustin Martin was looking ominous early.

“He’s looking dynamic,” Channel 7’s Jobe Watson said of Martin. “He looks like he’s got his feet under him, he’s powerful when he’s getting near the ball.”

But for all of Richmond’s territory dominance, the Bombers made the most of their rare opportunities, with Sam Weideman converting two set-shots for Essendon’s first two goals, before Alwyn Davey Junior snapped a ripper to give his side a 10-point lead.

Essendon defenders — and fans — were then left flabbergasted when Samson Ryan was paid a mark, despite the ball clearly hitting the ground. Ryan converted the set-shot before Mansell snapped his second goal to reduce the Bombers’ lead to two points at the first change.

The Tigers then took the lead at the start of the second term, with Tim Taranto nailing a set-shot from a tough angle.

Essendon was wasteful in the second term, kicking just 1.6 from its seven shots at goal for the quarter.

Conversely, the Tigers scored 3.1 from their four shots at goal, including a brilliant goal from Dustin Martin on the run as the Tigers took a five-point lead at half-time.

The arm-wrestle continued after half-time, with Kyle Langford’s goal for Essendon prompting an immediate response from Tigers star Shai Bolton.

Bolton then pulled off a stunning second goal, executing a perfect dribble kick from the boundary to give Richmond a nine-point lead.

Martin could’ve given Richmond a 17-point lead at the final change, only for a desperate lunging defensive effort from Bomber Nick Hind to deny the superstar a goal.

But Martin hit back at the start of the fourth term, taking a strong contested mark in front of direct opponent Andrew McGrath and nailing a goal from well beyond 50.

But the Bombers remained within striking distance, with Sam Durham converting his set-shot before Jake Stringer nailed a brilliant running goal out of a centre bounce stoppage to bring it back to a one-goal game.

Mason Redman had thought he’d done enough to stop another Martin goal near the goalline, only for the ball to stay in play and Judson Clarke getting boot to ball at the right time to give Richmond some breathing space.

But Essendon came again, moving the ball through the corridor at pace, leading to a Jye Menzie goal and a five-point margin.

With 45 seconds left on the clock, Stringer pounced on a ground ball deep in the Bombers’ forward line and found Durham with a centring kick off his left boot, with the 21-year-old holding firm in a one-on-one contest against Daniel Rioli.

The goal was Durham’s second for the quarter as the Bombers overcame an 18-point deficit early in the final term.

“The Bombers find some Dreatime magic,” Channel 7’s Hamish McLachlan said.

THE 3-2-1 …

3. BOMBERS SKIPPER’S ‘INSPIRATIONAL’ MOMENT AS MEDAL VOTES REVEALED

Sam Durham might’ve kicked the match-winning goal, but Zach Merrett was Essendon’s match-winner. And officially, he was the best player on the ground.

And one moment late in the chaotic finish personified the Bombers captain’s brilliant performance.

Richmond superstar Dustin Martin got free across half-forward and was about to send the ball inside 50 for the Tigers.

Enter Merrett, who laid his seventh and most important tackle of the night, bringing down Martin and affecting his kick.

It led to a turnover, a coupe of repeat inside 50s for Essendon at the other end and a shot at goal for Durham. The rest is history.

Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown said Merrett’s tackle was “inspirational”.

“That’s what captains do. That’s where you elevate yourself from being an average captain in the competition to a great captain,” Brown told Fox Footy.

“Great captains sense the moments in games and they do something special. It doesn’t have to be the highest mark, but it can be a tackle like that.”

Merrett said he didn’t realise the significance of his tackle on Martin, but added he wanted to lead from the front considering the Bombers were without Will Setterfield, Darcy Parish and Dylan Shiel in the midfield.

“We had a really young midfield around me and I tried to give them as much confidence as I could and allow them to play on instinct,” Merrett told Fox Footy post-game.

“That last chase, it’s a scary prospect when you look up and the best player of the last 10 years has got the ball and is running inside 50. But chasing is non-negotiable with the footy club and it starts with me and goes down to every other player on the list. I was just playing my role in that moment.”

Merrett produced one of his finest games in Bombers colours, finishing with 39 disposals, 12 contested possessions, nine score involvements, eight marks, seven tackles, six inside 50s and five clearances.

The four judges on the voting panel for Yiooken Trophy all gave Merrett three votes.

1. Zach Merrett (Essendon) – 12 votes (3,3,3,3)

2. Tim Taranto (Richmond) – 4 votes (2,2)

=3. Shai Bolton (Richmond) – 3 votes (1,2)

=3. Jordan Ridley (Essendon) – 3 votes (1,1,1)

5. Daniel Rioli (Richmond) – 2 votes (2)

2. DRAMATIC DONS TACTICS BRING TIGERS UNDONE

It wasn’t the prettiest game of all time on Saturday night, but it was an arm-wrestle on the field and in the coaches’ box.

There were times when the Bombers had the game on their own terms. Other times it looked like a Richmond game, with the Tigers having ample forward-half territory early in the game and scoring off forward-half turnovers.

But a radical Essendon approach ensured the Tigers didn’t have it all their own way for too long.

Instead of allowing the Tigers to put speed on the ball and get their forward handball game going, the Bombers controlled possession, taking 154 marks for the game.

It was frustrating to watch at times, but it was effective as they were able to break even with Essendon in inside 50s and scoring shots.

“The ability to stay composed. We know their philosophy is the uncontested possessions, so they don’t want to rush themselves and bomb it in willy-nilly. But they can compose themselves and build from the back,” ex-Hawks sharpshooter Ben Dixon told Fox Footy.

But the number that pleased triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown the most was the score Essendon conceded, with Richmond managing just 70 points for the match – the second-lowest score the Bombers had conceded all season.

“They’ve been much better tonight,” Brown told Fox Footy. “It’s been a much-improved Essendon team defence.

“They’re the easiest team to move the ball against. I know they won games earlier in the season, but It was unsustainable to keep retreating back and trying to turn the ball over in your defensive 50.

“Tonight they’ve been able to turn it over a little bit more up the field.”

The Bombers had lost their past four games — and as Brad Scott said post-match: “It’s hard to keep selling belief if you don’t keep getting the results.”

So to pull off a win after trailing by three goals late and off the back of four straight losses would build ample belief, especially because nine of their 23 players had played 50 or less games.

“They’re on their knees at the moment Essendon in terms of their injuries. This is an enormous moment for them … This could be a turning point in their season,” Dixon said.

Brown added: “When you can handle yourself in environments like that and in those scenarios, it bodes well for the future.”

1. ‘SPINE-TINGLING’ DREAMTIME CEREMONY

Richmond star Jack Riewoldt on Thursday night hinted there would be a special element about the pre-game ceremony for Dreamtime at the ‘G.

He wasn’t wrong.

There have been an array of memorable moments from Dreamtime ceremonies over the years, including when Matt Parker, Marlion Pickett and other Richmond teammates player feature roles in a powerful War Cry.

Saturday night’s edition was moving again.

First Nations dancers lined up alongside players from both teams then stepped forward to perform in front of a jam-packed MCG.

Then as the dancers moved into the second part of their dance, Richmond and Essendon players broke from their respective lines and formed an arch on the wing of the MCG.

The First Nations players of both teams stepped forward arm-in-arm in a powerful display. Essendon had Alwyn Davey Junior and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, while Richmond had Marlion Pickett, Daniel Rioli, Rhyan Mansell, Shai Bolton and Maurice Rioli Junior — the latter taking part in the ceremony in Tigers colours despite not being named to play.

Triple All-Australian and legendary Indigenous forward Eddie Betts was blown away by the ceremony.

“That’s just spine-tingling, watching that,” Betts told Fox Footy. “The dancers, the two teams come in and then others step forward – watching the brothers step forward, it made me a little bit emotional.

“We’re celebrating our culture and everyone’s learning along the way. Seeing the dance, the way we come together, we bring people together within this ceremony.

“Watching it makes me want to do it. I feel like I’m missing out, I want to be out there with the boys.”

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