ESSENDON'S edge in class was enough to pull it over the line against a spirited Richmond, recording a 19-point win in a frantic finish at the MCG on Saturday night.

The Bombers looked set for a comfortable night when they led by 42 points early in the third term.

Five talking points: Essendon v Richmond

But the Tigers then turned the game on its head, dominating general play to hit the front by two points at the 10-minute mark of the final quarter.

However, just when the Bombers looked headed for their second loss of the season, substitute Nathan Lovett Murray, who came on for Dustin Fletcher late in the third term, regained the lead for them with a clever snap at the 13-minute mark.

When Alwyn Davey kicked a goal at the 25-minute mark, Essendon could rest easy, running out 19.14 (128) to 15.19 (109) winners.

Essendon coach James Hird was a relieved man after the game.

"We're going to look back at that game and think there's a lot we didn't do right in the second half, but I think the pleasing thing is the way the guys just fought back," Hird said.

"I think everyone in the ground thought that we were gone when Richmond hit the lead, [but] the boys didn't die."

Brett Deledio starred for the Tigers, racking up 35 possessions to win the Yiooken Award as the best player on the ground.

Essendon skipper Jobe Watson (30 possessions) was outstanding, providing the steadying influence his team desperately needed when their night was veering off course.

Teammate Brent Stanton continued his outstanding form with 29 possessions while Stewart Crameri worked tirelessly as a lead-up option, taking a game-high 11 marks. Patrick Ryder (four goals) provided a strong target in attack and Leroy Jetta and Alwyn Davey (two goals each) were dangerous at his feet.

As disappointing as the result was for the Tigers, they could take some comfort that they gave the Bombers one hell of a scare. Coach Damien Hardwick said the effort of pegging back the Bombers' big lead had ultimately told on his players.

"When you come from that far back … it's always going to be an enormous struggle," Hardwick said.

"To hit the front in the last quarter you're always going to expend a certain amount of energy to try and get over the top and we just ran out of legs in the end.

"Essendon played it very well that's whey they're up where they are."

However, Hardwick was left rueing his team's inaccurate third term, when it kicked 5.8. This meant that despite pumping the ball inside their forward 50 19 times to the Bombers' nine, they only cut the Bombers' 35-point half-time lead by 12 points.

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The Tigers maintained that momentum at the start of the final term, kicking the first four goals to hit the front for the first time at the 10-minute mark - the first time they had led since the two-minute mark of the first quarter.

Trent Cotchin (29 possessions and three goals) provided the Tigers with much of their drive through the middle and kicked the goal that put Richmond in front. Ruckman Ivan Maric was also instrumental in the Tigers' fight back, wrestling the ascendancy around the ground from Bombers counterpart Tom Bellchambers after a quiet first half.

Shane Edwards also gave the Tigers a spark on their forward line with three second-half goals.


ESSENDON             6.2     12.7    16.9    19.14  (128)
RICHMOND            4.2       6.8    11.16    15.1   (109)

GOALS
Essendon: Ryder 4, Stanton 3, Monfries 3, Watson 2, Jetta 2, Davey 2, Crameri, Howlett, Lovett-Murray
Richmond: Cotchin 3, Edwards 3, Grigg 2, Martin 2, Deledio, Jackson, Miller, Nahas, Riewoldt

BEST
Essendon: Watson, Stanton, Crameri, Ryder, Jetta, Bellchambers, Heppell, Zaharakis
Richmond: Deledio, Cotchin, Grigg, Foley, Maric, Tuck, Jackson


INJURIES
Essendon: Fletcher (groin), Hardingham (calf)
Richmond: Grimes (hamstring)

 
SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Nathan Lovett-Murray replaced Dustin Fletcher (thigh) in the third quarter.
Richmond: Brandon Ellis replaced Dylan Grimes (hamstring) in the second quarter.
 
Reports: Nil
 
Umpires: Rosebury, Stewart, Bannister
 
Official crowd: 80,900 at the MCG

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs