2025 AFL Season Round 20: Essendon v Greater Western Sydney

This is the match report for the match played on 17 July 2025 between Essendon and Greater Western Sydney during round twenty of the 2025 season of the Australian Football League. Essendon hosted Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium. Zach Merrett captained the hosts with Andrew McGrath as vice-captain. Toby Greene captained the visitors. The hosts were coached by Brad Scott and the visitors were coached by Adam Kingsley.

Essendon (7.14.56) were defeated by Greater Western Sydney (16.8.104).

Match Details

Season: 2025 AFL Season
Round: Round 20
Teams: Essendon v Greater Western Sydney
Date: Thursday 17 July 2025
Time: 7:30 PM
Venue: Marvel Stadium
Attendance: 20,347

Match Results

Outcome: Essendon def. by Greater Western Sydney
Score: 7.14.56 - 16.8.104

Quarter Breakdown

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Essendon 0 . 5 1 . 8 5 . 10 7 . 14 7 . 14 (56)
Greater Western Sydney 2 . 0 8 . 3 13 . 5 16 . 8 16 . 8 (104)
Margin GWSY by 7 GWSY by 37 GWSY by 43 GWSY by 48 GWSY by 48
Duration 27:21 33:37 31:17 29:58 2:02:13

Score Worm

This chart is oriented such that the margin is positive when the hosts (Essendon) are in the lead and is negative when the visitors (Greater Western Sydney) are in the lead.

Honour Roll

Essendon

Captain: Zach Merrett
Vice-Captain: Andrew McGrath
Coach: Brad Scott

Greater Western Sydney

Captain: Toby Greene
Coach: Adam Kingsley

Brownlow Votes

Player Team # Votes
Finn Callaghan GWSY 17 3
Tom Green GWSY 12 2
Lachie Ash GWSY 7 1

AFLCA Champion Votes

Player Team # Votes 5 4 3 2 1

Player Statistics

Essendon

# Player Pos. ToG% GL BH DI KI HB MK HO TA CL CR FF FA RF IF
46 Blakiston, Lachlan HFFR 100% 0 0 15 9 6 6 1 2 0 2 4 0 5 1
36 Clarke, Angus HBFR 88% 0 1 17 10 7 3 0 1 0 3 2 2 4 4
22 Durham, Sam RO 81% 0 1 11 6 5 0 0 6 4 4 1 1 0 5
28 Duursma, Xavier WL 90% 1 0 20 9 11 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 2 3
11 Gresham, Jade INT 76% 0 0 17 10 7 1 0 4 9 1 2 0 0 6
35 Guelfi, Matt RR 77% 0 1 14 6 8 3 0 2 1 4 2 1 0 2
40 Johnson, Zak SUB↑ 25% 0 0 5 2 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1
10 Kako, Isaac FPR 86% 1 0 8 4 4 1 0 1 3 0 1 0 0 4
15 Laverde, Jayden FB 100% 0 0 13 5 8 4 0 3 0 5 0 2 2 1
34 Lual, Luamon WR 83% 0 0 4 2 2 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
26 May, Archie FPL 75% 0 1 7 4 3 1 0 5 0 2 2 1 0 2
1 McGrath, Andrew (vc) BPL 83% 0 0 20 7 13 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1
48 McMahon, Liam FF 80% 2 0 5 4 1 1 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 1
7 Merrett, Zach (c) C 83% 0 0 29 14 15 3 0 4 4 4 2 0 2 5
16 Perkins, Archie HFFL 76% 1 2 16 9 7 4 0 4 1 3 0 0 0 2
25 Prior, Jaxon INT 71% 0 0 10 10 0 5 0 2 0 1 1 0 4 3
27 Redman, Mason HBFL 80% 0 0 22 18 4 9 0 1 0 2 1 0 7 2
14 Ridley, Jordan CHB 83% 0 1 23 16 7 8 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2
21 Roberts, Archie BPR 93% 0 0 17 9 8 5 0 2 0 4 0 0 5 1
9 Shiel, Dylan INT 61% 0 0 21 14 7 3 0 1 5 3 1 0 3 6
47 Smartt, Oskar INT 66% 0 3 9 8 1 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1
39 Visentini, Vigo RU↓ 57% 0 0 10 3 7 1 8 1 1 3 1 1 1 2
20 Wright, Peter CHF 86% 2 3 11 9 2 7 16 1 0 2 2 2 0 1
Rushed 1
Total (23 players) 7 14 324 188 136 76 25 49 31 46 25 11 36 57

Z. Johnson replaced V. Visentini.

Greater Western Sydney

# Player Pos. ToG% GL BH DI KI HB MK HO TA CL CR FF FA RF IF
21 Aleer, Leek CHB 93% 0 0 8 3 5 2 0 2 0 3 1 3 2 0
9 Angwin, Ryan WL 79% 0 0 15 10 5 6 0 4 1 1 0 0 1 4
7 Ash, Lachie HBFR 82% 0 0 27 23 4 7 0 2 1 3 1 0 7 1
14 Bedford, Toby HFFL 83% 0 1 8 5 3 4 0 6 0 4 0 3 0 3
32 Briggs, Kieren RU 58% 1 0 11 7 4 3 29 3 3 3 1 1 0 6
46 Brown, Callum INT 83% 2 1 12 10 2 7 0 1 0 7 0 1 1 1
44 Buckley, Jack FB↓ 61% 0 0 10 7 3 3 0 1 0 1 1 0 4 0
5 Cadman, Aaron CHF 85% 1 1 9 8 1 5 0 1 0 3 1 1 0 3
17 Callaghan, Finn RR 81% 0 0 33 19 14 8 0 2 2 8 0 5 4 4
3 Coniglio, Stephen INT 77% 0 0 18 14 4 4 0 2 3 6 0 1 2 1
37 Fonti, Joe INT 85% 0 0 12 8 4 6 0 1 0 2 0 1 3 1
12 Green, Tom RO 79% 1 0 30 19 11 4 0 3 16 3 1 0 3 6
4 Greene, Toby (c) FPR 89% 2 1 17 11 6 7 0 2 2 3 1 1 1 3
35 Gruzewski, Max INT 73% 2 0 7 3 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
27 Himmelberg, Harry BPR 92% 0 0 23 16 7 11 0 1 0 2 0 0 3 1
39 Idun, Connor BPL 85% 0 0 21 11 10 6 0 2 1 3 0 1 5 1
2 Jones, Darcy HFFR 83% 1 0 13 7 6 1 0 2 1 3 1 0 0 5
31 McMullin, Toby WR 83% 0 0 15 10 5 4 0 1 2 1 2 1 5 1
33 O'Halloran, Xavier C 87% 1 1 19 13 6 4 0 3 5 4 0 1 1 6
26 Riccardi, Jake FF 79% 2 1 17 8 9 6 13 0 2 7 0 3 0 1
24 Rowston, Harry SUB↑ 22% 0 0 6 4 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 1
20 Stringer, Jake FPL 78% 3 1 18 10 8 6 0 0 2 3 1 0 0 2
6 Whitfield, Lachie HBFL 83% 0 0 29 19 10 9 0 2 0 4 0 1 6 2
Rushed 1
Total (23 players) 16 8 378 245 133 115 42 41 41 77 11 25 48 53

H. Rowston replaced J. Buckley.

Legend

ToG%: Time-on-Ground Percentage, GL: Goals, BH: Behinds, DI: Disposals, KI: Kicks, HB: Handballs, MK: Marks, HO: Hitouts, TA: Tackles, CL: Clearances, CR: Clangers, FF: Free Kicks For, FA: Free Kicks Against, RF: Rebounds Inside 50, IF: Inside 50s

Player Line-Up

Essendon Coach: Brad Scott
BACK FOLLOWER INTERCHANGE
39 C. Idun 44 J. Buckley 27 H. Himmelberg 39 V. Visentini 11 J. Gresham
10 I. Kako 48 L. McMahon 26 A. May 35 M. Guelfi 25 J. Prior
FORWARD 22 S. Durham 9 D. Shiel
HALF-BACK

47 O. Smartt
6 L. Whitfield 21 L. Aleer 7 L. Ash

40 Z. Johnson
46 L. Blakiston 20 P. Wright 16 A. Perkins



HALF-FORWARD



CENTRE



9 R. Angwin 33 X. O'Halloran 31 T. McMullin



34 L. Lual 7 Z. Merrett (c) 28 X. Duursma FOLLOWER INTERCHANGE
CENTRE 32 K. Briggs 46 C. Brown
HALF-FORWARD 17 F. Callaghan 3 S. Coniglio
14 T. Bedford 5 A. Cadman 2 D. Jones 12 T. Green 37 J. Fonti
36 A. Clarke 14 J. Ridley 27 M. Redman

35 M. Gruzewski
HALF-BACK

24 H. Rowston
FORWARD



20 J. Stringer 26 J. Riccardi 4 T. Greene (c)



21 A. Roberts 15 J. Laverde 1 A. McGrath (vc)



BACK



Greater Western Sydney Coach: Adam Kingsley

Score Timeline

Quarter Team Scoring Event Score Time
Q1 ESSE Angus Clarke behind 0.1.1 - 0.0.0 01:32
ESSE Rushed behind 0.2.2 - 0.0.0 09:01
GWSY Toby Greene goal 0.2.2 - 1.0.6 11:35
ESSE Oskar Smartt behind 0.3.3 - 1.0.6 13:53
GWSY Aaron Cadman goal 0.3.3 - 2.0.12 18:34
ESSE Matt Guelfi behind 0.4.4 - 2.0.12 21:30
ESSE Peter Wright behind 0.5.5 - 2.0.12 27:17
Q2 GWSY Jake Riccardi goal 0.5.5 - 3.0.18 01:28
ESSE Peter Wright behind 0.6.6 - 3.0.18 06:33
ESSE Sam Durham behind 0.7.7 - 3.0.18 10:11
ESSE Jordan Ridley behind 0.8.8 - 3.0.18 11:35
GWSY Max Gruzewski goal 0.8.8 - 4.0.24 12:47
GWSY Max Gruzewski goal 0.8.8 - 5.0.30 15:33
GWSY Jake Stringer goal 0.8.8 - 6.0.36 17:22
GWSY Jake Riccardi goal 0.8.8 - 7.0.42 19:53
GWSY Toby Greene behind 0.8.8 - 7.1.43 21:52
GWSY Kieren Briggs goal 0.8.8 - 8.1.49 24:03
ESSE Liam McMahon goal 1.8.14 - 8.1.49 25:45
GWSY Aaron Cadman behind 1.8.14 - 8.2.50 27:24
GWSY Jake Riccardi behind 1.8.14 - 8.3.51 33:31
Q3 ESSE Liam McMahon goal 2.8.20 - 8.3.51 01:11
GWSY Tom Green goal 2.8.20 - 9.3.57 03:54
GWSY Callum Brown behind 2.8.20 - 9.4.58 06:20
ESSE Isaac Kako goal 3.8.26 - 9.4.58 07:42
GWSY Jake Stringer goal 3.8.26 - 10.4.64 11:03
GWSY Callum Brown goal 3.8.26 - 11.4.70 13:30
ESSE Archie May behind 3.9.27 - 11.4.70 15:25
ESSE Archie Perkins behind 3.10.28 - 11.4.70 16:44
GWSY Jake Stringer behind 3.10.28 - 11.5.71 18:33
ESSE Archie Perkins goal 4.10.34 - 11.5.71 19:15
GWSY Callum Brown goal 4.10.34 - 12.5.77 24:35
GWSY Jake Stringer goal 4.10.34 - 13.5.83 27:49
ESSE Peter Wright goal 5.10.40 - 13.5.83 30:09
Q4 GWSY Xavier O'Halloran goal 5.10.40 - 14.5.89 06:12
ESSE Xavier Duursma goal 6.10.46 - 14.5.89 08:35
GWSY Toby Greene goal 6.10.46 - 15.5.95 09:52
ESSE Peter Wright goal 7.10.52 - 15.5.95 12:19
ESSE Peter Wright behind 7.11.53 - 15.5.95 17:05
GWSY Xavier O'Halloran behind 7.11.53 - 15.6.96 19:26
ESSE Oskar Smartt behind 7.12.54 - 15.6.96 20:36
GWSY Rushed behind 7.12.54 - 15.7.97 22:01
ESSE Oskar Smartt behind 7.13.55 - 15.7.97 23:00
GWSY Toby Bedford behind 7.13.55 - 15.8.98 24:56
ESSE Archie Perkins behind 7.14.56 - 15.8.98 26:49
GWSY Darcy Jones goal 7.14.56 - 16.8.104 28:23