First quarter: Essendon 2.2 (14) to Melbourne 1.4 (10)
Essendon controlled the play early in the match and landed the first major via Zach Merrett.
Angus Brayshaw, who was back in the side after suffering a knee injury in the opening seconds of Melbourne’s first NAB Challenge game in February, made a fine start when he snapped a beautiful goal from outside 50, off just a couple of steps.
But when Merrett bobbed up for his – and Essendon’s – second, the Dons took a four-point lead into the first break.
Jesse Hogan had the chance to put Melbourne in front at quarter-time, but his set-shot after the siren missed for a behind.
It proved to be a frustrating term for the red and blue, as it had one more scoring shot than the Bombers, but booted 1.4.
Second quarter: Essendon 7.7 (49) to Melbourne 6.4 (40)
The Dons extended their lead to 10 points, when Mathew Stokes kicked a goal within the opening minute.
Melbourne soon found some form, stringing together four in a row to claim a 12-point lead. Jeff Garlett got the ball rolling with a dazzling, three-bounce running goal, before Ben Kennedy chipped in with a couple and James Harmes kicked truly.
Still, Essendon kept at it and although it wasted several opportunities in front of goal, it regained the lead when it booted the next three in a row.
Garlett broke the run with his second major, but when Joe Daniher snapped his first for the day, the Bombers took a nine-point lead into half-time.
Merrett had the most disposals by the long change with 19 disposals, while Nathan Jones and Bernie Vince had the most for Melbourne with 16 touches each.
Third quarter: Essendon 8.10 (58) to Melbourne 7.7 (49)
Like the first two quarters, Essendon again kicked off proceedings, when Brown booted his second just two minutes in.
His effort gave the Dons a 16-point lead.
Dom Tyson had the chance to kick Melbourne’s opening goal for the second half when he had consecutive shots at goal. Instead, he registered two behinds.
It wasn’t until the 11-minute mark, when Kennedy slotted through his third, that Melbourne had its first for the quarter.
Just three more scores were added for the rest of the term – two behinds to the Dons and one to Melbourne – resulting in a nine-point advantage to Essendon at three quarter-time.
Final quarter: Essendon 11.14 (80) d Melbourne 10.7 (67)
Melbourne got off to exactly the start it needed when round one NAB AFL Rising Star nominee Clayton Oliver kicked his first AFL goal, just 18 seconds into the term.
The red and blue made it two in a row when Jack Watts followed up soon after, putting Melbourne back in front by two points.
But Daniher’s fourth behind and a rushed point to Essendon leveled the scores midway during the term.
If the game hadn’t entered nail-biting territory by then, it went to another level when Jesse Hogan put Melbourne back in front, before Daniher’s second made it 67 points each.
However, when Kyle Langford and Darcy Parish made it three in succession for the Dons, they inflicted Melbourne’s first loss of 2016 by 13 points.
