FOR THE second year in a row, Essendon was sunk by the season's only match-winning goal after the siren following Mac Andrew's heroics for Gold Coast in round 22.
Andrew's goal lifted the Suns to a drought-breaking away win at Marvel Stadium as they edged the wasteful Bombers by one point.
With that, Essendon was beaten by a goal after the siren for the third straight year, adding to its pain from 2022 (Collingwood's Jamie Elliott) and 2023 (Port Adelaide's Dan Houston).
The Bombers became just the second club in history to lose to a goal after the siren in three straight years.
The only other club to suffer such a fate is Carlton, between 2000 and 2002.
And for the second straight year, the Bombers were on the wrong end of the only after-the-siren match-winning goal after Houston's bomb in 2023.
The Bombers last had such a win in 1913, when Jimmy Gordon saw Essendon past University.
The club with the most goals to win after the siren is Geelong, which has seen eight such successes.
Andrew joined Karmichael Hunt (against Richmond in 2012) and Noah Anderson (against the Tigers in 2022) as Suns with after-the-siren goals to win.
Most goals to win after the siren
8 – Geelong
6 – Sydney/South Melbourne
5 – Richmond
4 – Carlton, Fremantle, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide
3 – Gold Coast, Hawthorn, St Kilda, West Coast
2 – Adelaide, Brisbane, Collingwood, Western Bulldogs/Footscray
1 – Essendon, Melbourne
0 – Greater Western Sydney
Most recent win
Jordan Dawson v Port Adelaide, round 3, 2022
Most recent loss
Chris Tarrant v Collingwood, round 7, 2003
Most recent win
Zac Bailey v Collingwood, round 3, 2021
Most recent loss
Barry Hall v Sydney, round 3, 2005
Most recent win
Jack Newnes v Fremantle, round 12, 2020
Most recent loss
Robbie Gray v Port Adelaide, round 7, 2020
Most recent win
Jamie Elliott v Essendon, round 19, 2022
Most recent loss
Zac Bailey v Brisbane, round 3, 2021
Most recent win
Jimmy Gordon v University, round 16, 1913
Most recent loss
Mac Andrew v Gold Coast, round 22, 2024
Most recent win
David Mundy v Richmond, round 8, 2017
Most recent loss
Jack Newnes v Carlton, round 12, 2020
Most recent win
Gary Rohan v Western Bulldogs, round 14, 2021
Most recent loss
Max Gawn v Melbourne, round 23, 2021
Most recent win
Mac Andrew v Essendon, round 22, 2024
Most recent loss
Nil
Yet to have a game decided by a goal after the siren
Most recent win
Ben Dixon v Carlton, round 17, 2001
Most recent loss
Tom Hawkins v Geelong, round 19, 2012
Most recent win
Max Gawn v Geelong, round 23, 2021
Most recent loss
Zach Tuohy v Geelong, round 18, 2018
Most recent win
Alastair Clarkson v Melbourne, round 15, 1987
Most recent loss
Nic Naitanui v West Coast, round 8, 2013
Most recent win
Dan Houston v Essendon, round 16, 2023
Most recent loss
Jordan Dawson v Adelaide, round 3, 2022
Most recent win
Sam Lloyd v Sydney, round 8, 2016
Most recent loss
Noah Anderson v Gold Coast, round 17, 2022
Most recent win
Barry Hall v Hawthorn, round 22, 2001
Most recent loss
Justin Longmuir v Fremantle, round 21, 2005
Most recent win
Gary Rohan v Essendon, round 14, 2017
Most recent loss
Sam Lloyd v Richmond, round 8, 2016
Most recent win
Jeremy McGovern v Port Adelaide, round 21, 2018
Most recent loss
Nil
Most recent win
Alan Stoneham v Fitzroy, round 21, 1976
Most recent loss
Gary Rohan v Geelong, round 14, 2021
