The Bombers failed to kick a goal in the first quarter, but kicked nine of the last 10 goals of the match to record a 12.12 (84) to 10.13 (73) victory that keeps them firmly in the finals mix.
The win was Essendon's first at AAMI Stadium since round one, 2007 and only its seventh at the venue in 20 years.
It was just the third time Adelaide has lost after being two or more goals in front at three-quarter time in Neil Craig's seven-year coaching tenure.
The Crows, who were two players down in the second half after losing defenders Graham Johncock (left hip) and Matthew Jaensch (right shoulder) to injury before half-time, had chances to snatch back the lead after the Bombers hit the front for the first time at the 19-minute mark of the final quarter.
Andy Otten, Brad Moran and Rory Sloane all missed gettable shots at goal, while at the other end, David Zaharakis, Travis Colyer and Stewart Crameri kicked accurately to keep Essendon's season alive and deny Adelaide consecutive wins for the first time this year.
The Crows failed to register a goal in the first quarter of their clash with Fremantle the week after having the bye in round three, but the club's attempts at maintaining a 'normal' training regime in its second bye last weekend paid off in the early stages on Friday night.
Adelaide made the fleet-footed Bombers look slow in the opening quarter, displaying a level of intensity that had been lacking for most of the season and applying enormous pressure inside attacking 50.
Sam Jacobs dominated the hit-outs and provided a handy target around the ground, while Johncock, who hadn't kicked a goal this season prior to the clash with the Bombers, ran off Angus Monfries to boot two for the quarter.
The Crows kicked five goals for the term while keeping Essendon to its lowest first-quarter score of the year to lead by 31 points at quarter-time.
It took the Bombers until the eight-minute mark of the second quarter to score their first goal, but it proved to be a rare highlight, with Adelaide kicking three of the next four to stretch its lead to 36 points at the main break.
Adelaide started the third quarter apprehensively and the Bombers gradually gained the momentum, lifting their intensity and finding space for the first time in the match.
Led by Monfries, who was under pressure to perform after admitting to staging for a free kick against Hawthorn in round 14, and livewire David Zaharakis the visitors slammed on three unanswered goals, including two long-range bombs from outside 50, to cut the margin to 16 points at three-quarter time.
In scenes reminiscent of the Bombers’ seven-goal final quarter against Richmond last weekend, the visitors piled on six goals to Adelaide's one in the fourth term to record a remarkable win.
Influential players
Johncock was the best player on the ground until he landed heavily on his back in a marking contest early in the second quarter. The creative defender had gathered nine disposals, five marks and kicked two goals prior to being helped from the ground, and the absence of both he and Jaensch severely limited Adelaide's run from defence in the second half. Sloane battled hard, finishing with a career-high 29 possessions, six tackles and four clearances.
The stats that matter
Adelaide dominated the inside 50s 21-8 in the first quarter and finished the game with 13 more forward line entries for the game, but the home team's inaccuracy was costly. The Crows had six shots at goal in the final quarter for a return of 1.4 and one out of bounds on the full, while the Bombers slotted six goals from seven attempts in the final quarter.
What the coach said
Neil Craig
"We lost our way in terms of our execution. We still had plenty of opportunities even in the last quarter to win the game … but we couldn't take them. Losing Johncock and Jaensch hurt us badly from a rotation point of view and I thought in the first half they were really important players for us. We had trouble covering those."
Toyota AFL Dream Team highlight
Adelaide: Rory Sloane ($271,800) loves the physicality of AFL football and can often produce handy scores for Dream Teamers. The 21-year-old didn't disappoint against the Bombers, amassing 29 possessions (13 contested) and six tackles on his way to 97 DT points.
The next four
Adelaide: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium), Port Adelaide (AAMI Stadium), Brisbane Lions (Gabba), Geelong (AAMI Stadium)
Quarter by quarter
First quarter
Resuming after the bye, the Crows looked energetic and aggressive in the early stages. Graham Johncock drifted forward and slotted Adelaide's third goal at the 11-minute mark, forcing Essendon back into its shell. The Bombers tried to maintain possession and slow the tempo, but Adelaide wouldn’t be denied. Johncock continued to run off Bomber forward Angus Monfries, finishing the term with eight disposals and two goals. The Crows dominated the inside 50 count 21-8 and held Essendon to their lowest first-quarter total for the season to take a 31-point advantage by the first break.
Second quarter
After his outstanding opening term, Johncock was assisted off the ground after landing heavily early in the second quarter. Monfries took immediate advantage, marking a clever checkside kick from Alwyn Davey and converting Essendon's first goal at the eight-minute mark. The Crows' strong forwards were beginning to worry the Bomber defence, with Patty Dangerfield, Kurt Tippett and Brad Moran all snaring contested marks inside Adelaide's attacking 50. James Hird moved Michael Hurley forward to give the visitors a focal point, but it was Davey who looked the most dangerous for Essendon as he booted the Bombers' second goal against the flow at the 21-minute mark.
Third quarter
The Bombers lifted their frontal pressure after the major break to force several errors from the Crows across Adelaide's half-back line. A strong contested mark and goal to Hurley stirred the visitors momentarily, but his effort was undone by an ugly turnover minutes later to hand Adelaide's Matthew Wright his second goal for the evening. Goals were traded at either end for most of the quarter as the heat was injected back into the contest. Two bombs from Stewart Crameri and Patty Ryder put the Bombers back into contention as Adelaide struggled to muster a response late in the term.
Fourth quarter
With the game on the line, it only took 17 seconds for Essendon's Kyle Reimers to give the Bombers a real sniff of victory. Reimers' goal cut the margin to just 10 points as the match became an intense struggle, with players from both teams visibly fatigued. A steadying goal to Dangerfield midway through the term gave the Crows some much-needed breathing space, but the Bombers would not go away, with goals to Hurley, David Zaharakis and Travis Colyer giving the visitors the lead for the first time in the match with just six minutes to play. Crameri then sealed the deal with a match-winning mark and goal to give the Bombers their first win at AAMI Stadium in four years.
Essendon 0.2 2.7 6.11 12.12 (84)
Adelaide 5.3 8.7 9.9 10.13 (73)
GOALS
Essendon: Hurley 2, Crameri 2, Monfries, Davey, Ryder, McVeigh. Reimers, Zaharakis, Colyer
Adelaide: Dangerfield 3, Johncock 2, Wright 2, Petrenko, Jaensch, Moran
BEST
Essendon: Monfries, Zaharakis, Melksham, Davey, Stanton, Hocking
Adelaide: Sloane, Jacobs, Wright, S. Thompson, Dangerfield, Petrenko
INJURIES
Essendon: Howlett (side strain)
Adelaide: Jaensch (right shoulder), Johncock (left hip), Jacobs (left leg)
SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Ben Howlett (side strain) replaced by Henry Slattery at half time.
Adelaide: Graham Johncock (left hip) replaced by Brodie Smith at half time.
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stevic, Ryan, Mollison
Official crowd: 38,118 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
