Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:37pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:37pm<\/p>\n
Recent results between Essendon and SydneyR21, 2025: Sydney by 14 (SCG)R9, 2025: Essendon by 8 (Docklands)R23, 2024: Sydney by 39 (Docklands)R2, 2024: Sydney by 30 (SCG)R20, 2023: Sydney by 2 (Docklands)R16, 2022: Essendon by 9 (MCG)<\/p>\n
The Swans have the edge in this matchup recently, with four wins in the last six encounters.<\/p>\n
But it’s not totally one-sided, with four of those six games decided by 14 points or less.<\/p>\n
The other element to take into account is today’s venue at the MCG. In the last 30 years these teams have played here eight times \u2014 and it’s Essendon 7, Sydney 1.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:27pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:27pm<\/p>\n
Teams are in for Bombers vs Swans![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lcimg-df9f9079-61ee-459f-9a59-a8a566643df4.png\")
(AFL.com.au)<\/p>\n
There are no late changes to either team, and you can find both full line-ups above.<\/p>\n
For the Bombers, Sam Durham is out with that old favourite, general soreness. Also missing are Hussien El Achkar who is managed, and Zak Johnson who is omitted.<\/p>\n
In come Nick Bryan, Harrison Jones and Angus Clarke, who has passed concussion protocols.<\/p>\n
For Sydney, Lewis Melican and Hayden McLean are omitted.<\/p>\n
The ins are important, with Brodie Grundy back in the ruck and Dane Rampe returning to the backline.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:16pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:16pm<\/p>\n
Bulldogs hit the front at Docklands<\/p>\n
Here we go at Docklands!<\/p>\n
The Western Bulldogs have picked up some momentum here late in the half, and a goal from Joel Freijah was followed by a kick from Luke Kennedy, and with six minutes left before the long break, the Bulldogs are ahead by five!<\/p>\n
This has been some comeback, and it’s up to the Blues to respond here.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:12pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:12pm<\/p>\n
Bulldogs close in with goal from Croft<\/p>\n
Well, well, well …<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs are not going away here, and they are closing the gap.<\/p>\n
Jordan Croft has kicked the home side’s fifh goal of the day, and they are within seven points as we come close to time on in the second quarter at Docklands.<\/p>\n
If they can keep in this range or closer by half-time, then you wouldn’t be surprised to see some nerves creep in for the Blues.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:07pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:07pm<\/p>\n
Cody Weightman makes amends for miss with vital goal for Dogs<\/p>\n
It’s still going at Docklands! The Bulldogs have not been great so far today, and their chances have been fewer than for Carlton.<\/p>\n
So when Cody Weightman missed a lay-down-misere shot to get the Bulldogs closer, it was a demoralising moment.<\/p>\n
But he had his chance for redemption less than 60 seconds later, with a ball inside 50 and Weightman channelling Toby Greene’s aerial studs-out, leg-out mark.<\/p>\n
He converted, and the Bulldogs are back within 13 points.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:02pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:02pm<\/p>\n
Carlton stretches the lead with goal to Will Hayward<\/p>\n
At Docklands the Blues are getting to some level of comfort for now.<\/p>\n
A goal on the run from Will Hayward has pushed the margin out to 20 points, with 14 minutes on the clock.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:00pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:00pm<\/p>\n
Goal of the day so far from Jake Stringer!<\/p>\n
Well we didn’t have to wait long for the reply from GWS, and what a reply it was!<\/p>\n
The Giants rolled inside 50 and sent it wide on the right to Jake Stringer, and “The Package” produced an unbelievable finish on the run from the pocket, hooking it around to split the sticks from a crazy angle!<\/p>\n
Stringer wandered to the fence to take in the plaudits from the fans, and that goal was reminiscent of Jason Akermanis or Gary Ablett jr stunners from years past.<\/p>\n
Great stuff from Stringer. We’ll add the video as soon as we have it.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:56pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:56pm<\/p>\n
West Coast break goal drought with major from Brady Hough<\/p>\n
At Sydney Showground, West Coast has been battling away against GWS, but they have finally managed to get a goal.<\/p>\n
A break through the middle saw the ball come to Elliot Yeo, who handballed to the running Brady Hough, and Hough snapped it through for the Eagles’ first goal since quarter time.<\/p>\n
The lead is still 41 points.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:54pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:54pm<\/p>\n
Blues killing it at the clearances<\/p>\n
The key point of that opening term is the clearance work of Carlton.<\/p>\n
The Blues led clearance 13-4, and the centre clearances were even more one-sided, 7-1 to Josh Fraser’s men.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs would be quietly not unhappy being this close to Carlton despite the weight of those clearances.<\/p>\n
But if that figure keeps up, you’d think the Blues’ lead will extend a bit.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:37pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:37pm<\/p>\n
Blues making a break after goal from Cooper Lord<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs are under huge pressure here, and the Blues make them pay.<\/p>\n
They rush it inside 50, and it’s Cooper Lord who gets hold of it and he snaps a goal to give Carlton a seven-point break in time on.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:31pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:31pm<\/p>\n
Blues get back in front through McKay<\/p>\n
The Blues have lifted there, with some nice ball in the middle and George Hewett found Wade Dirksen, whose kick on the run hit a leading Harry McKay in the left forward pocket.<\/p>\n
McKay’s last kick was less than accurate,\u00a0 but this one is laser-sharp, and the Blues lead again by a point!<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:28pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:28pm<\/p>\n
Misses at both ends as nerves kick in<\/p>\n
Both sides are beginning to bring the errors.<\/p>\n
Harry McKay had a free in the right forward pocket, but his kick was wayward.<\/p>\n
Then the Bulldogs had a great chance (again with great ball movement) as Aaron Naughton marked inside 50. But his kick was even worse.<\/p>\n
The target-hitting is not great right now, it’s nearly halfway through the quarter and the Bulldogs lead by five.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:26pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:26pm<\/p>\n
McGovern responds for the Blues<\/p>\n
Carlton are right in this, even with the Bulldogs’ good ball movement.<\/p>\n
The Blues are winning ball out of the middle, not surprising with the Dogs missing Bontempelli and English.<\/p>\n
They earned a 50m penalty for a hold after a quick kick to the point of the arc. Mitch McGovern had the set shot, and he converted.<\/p>\n
Blues are within a kick again.<\/p>\n
Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:23pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 3:23pm<\/p>\n
The Dogs are up and running at Docklands!<\/p>\n
Well this is a decent start for the Bulldogs!<\/p>\n
They are moving the ball well down the wings, connecting with three straight kicks down the left capped by Ed Richards hitting up Sam Davidson on the lead inside 50.<\/p>\n
Davidson converts, and the Bulldogs lead by 11 points.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:37pmSun 16 Aug 2026 at 4:37pm Recent results between Essendon and SydneyR21, 2025:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":857025,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,3925,21452,4026,18597,5126,4125,588,85,21453,4126],"class_list":["post-857024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-blues","tag-bombers","tag-bulldogs","tag-eagles","tag-giants","tag-live","tag-sport","tag-sports","tag-swans","tag-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=857024"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857024\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/857025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=857024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=857024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=857024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lcimg-301479af-2cf3-4d5d-ad09-94c4ed0c1bf4.jpeg\")
R21, 2025: Sydney by 14 (SCG)R9, 2025: Essendon by 8 (Docklands)R23, 2024: Sydney by 39 (Docklands)R2, 2024: Sydney by 30 (SCG)R20, 2023: Sydney by 2 (Docklands)R16, 2022: Essendon by 9 (MCG)<\/p>\n