Essendon have secured an unconvincing 23-point Dreamtime win over Richmond at the MCG on a night when their injury crisis deepened.
After being smashed by 91 points last week, the Bombers responded by handling the rebuilding Tigers, who were without premiership stars Toby Nankervis, Tom Lynch, and Noah Balta.
In a match filled with turnovers and skill errors, Essendon had enough experience to run out winners 11.15 (81) to 8.10 (58), with 18-year-old debutant Angus Clarke kicking a match-high three goals.
The Bombers kept the Tigers goalless in the last quarter until Hugo Ralphsmith put through a major as the siren sounded.
Versatile Bomber Nic Martin was awarded the Yiooken Medal for his two-goal, 35-possession match.
But the Bombers are counting the cost of losing more key players after forward Kyle Langford (quad) and key defender Zach Reid (hamstring) failed to finish the match.
Langford, a two-time leading goal-kicker at Essendon, has already missed six games this season due to a knee injury.
The 28-year-old went off in the second quarter, while Reid hobbled into the rooms late in the third term.
After enduring an injury-plagued start to his career since being drafted in 2020, Reid has emerged as a key pillar for Essendon in defence this season.
So, Nic Martin just did this 😮#AFLTigersDons | #AFLDeadly pic.twitter.com/e7OGMRbM6g— AFL (@AFL) May 23, 2025
The Bombers have already had four season-ending injuries this season, including ruckmen Sam Draper and Nick Bryan, while important talls Jordan Ridley and Harry Jones are sidelined long-term.
But Essendon were thrilled with the debut of Clarke, who slotted his three goals from a wing.
The hard-running teenager could have finished with four majors but slammed another shot into the post in the final quarter.
Clarke kicked two of Essendon’s first three goals to inject some much-needed spark into a stadium that was lacking energy, despite there being 76,051 fans in the crowd.
Richmond didn’t escape unscathed, either, after No.1 draft pick Sam Lalor was taken off in the last quarter with a hamstring injury.
Playing as a deep forward, Lalor kicked two goals from both of his possessions in the game.
Midfielder Thomson Dow had already been subbed out for the Tigers after damaging his knee in the third term.
Essendon, momentarily, find themselves in the top-eight after moving to a 6-4 record with their sixth win from their past eight matches.
Richmond slump to 3-8, but are better placed than many thought they would be pre-season amid dire predictions of a winless year.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/afl/debutant-fires-in-essendons-scrappy-dreamtime-win-c-18794624
