2025 AFL Round 23: Geelong v Essendon

This is the match report for the match played on 8 August 2025 between Geelong and Essendon during round 23 of the 2025 AFL season. Geelong hosted Essendon at GMHBA Stadium. Zach Merrett captained the visitors with Andrew McGrath as vice-captain. The hosts were coached by Chris Scott and the visitors were coached by Brad Scott.

Geelong
Back: J. Henry, S. De Koning, C. O'Sullivan
Half-back: O. Mullin, T. Stewart, Z. Guthrie
Centre: L. Humphries, M. Holmes, M. Blicavs
Half-forward: J. Bowes, S. Mannagh, B. Close
Forward: T. Stengle, J. Cameron, S. Neale
Follower: R. Stanley, B. Smith, T. Atkins
Int.: O. Dempsey, M. Knevitt, G. Miers, M. O'Connor
Sub.: J. Clark

Essendon
Back: A. McGrath (vice-capt.), J. Laverde, J. Nguyen
Half-back: M. Redman, L. Blakiston, A. Roberts
Centre: M. Guelfi, Z. Merrett (capt.), J. Prior
Half-forward: A. Perkins, P. Wright, J. Gresham
Forward: A. Clarke, L. McMahon, I. Kako
Follower: T. Goldstein, D. Shiel, S. Durham
Int.: X. Duursma, B. Hobbs, L. Lual, A. May
Sub.: J. Menzie

Geelong (15.19.109) defeated Essendon (10.5.65).

Goalkickers
Geelong: J. Cameron (4), S. Mannagh (3), S. Neale (3), M. Blicavs (2), B. Close, O. Dempsey, G. Miers
Essendon: L. McMahon (4), X. Duursma, J. Gresham, M. Guelfi, A. McGrath, Z. Merrett, P. Wright

As a result of this match, Geelong were then 2nd on the ladder (up from 4th) and Essendon remained 15th on the ladder by the end of the day.

Match Details

Season: 2025 AFL Season
Round: Round 23
Teams: Geelong v Essendon
Date: Friday 8 August 2025
Time: 7:40 PM
Venue: GMHBA Stadium
Attendance: 30,289

Match Results

Outcome: Geelong def. Essendon
Score: 15.19.109 - 10.5.65

Quarter Breakdown

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Geelong 4 . 5 7 . 10 11 . 13 15 . 19 15 . 19 (109)
Essendon 1 . 2 2 . 3 7 . 5 10 . 5 10 . 5 (65)
Margin GEEL by 21 GEEL by 37 GEEL by 32 GEEL by 44 GEEL by 44
Duration 29:38 28:10 33:19 34:06 2:05:13

Honour Roll

Coaches: Chris Scott (Geelong), Brad Scott (Essendon)
Captains: unknown (Geelong), Zach Merrett (Essendon)
Vice-Captains: unknown (Geelong), Andrew McGrath (Essendon)

Brownlow Votes

Player Team # Votes
Mark Blicavs GEEL 46 3
Bailey Smith GEEL 3 2
Zach Merrett ESSE 7 1

Player Statistics

Geelong

# Player Pos. ToG% GL BH DI KI HB MK HO TA CL CR FF FA RF IF
30 Atkins, Tom RO 75% 0 1 20 5 15 1 0 6 5 0 2 0 0 1
46 Blicavs, Mark WR 84% 2 0 22 8 14 6 17 0 2 5 0 2 0 4
12 Bowes, Jack HFFL 78% 0 1 24 10 14 4 0 4 1 4 1 1 2 5
5 Cameron, Jeremy FF 93% 4 5 15 13 2 7 0 2 0 2 3 0 1 1
13 Clark, Jhye SUB↑ 49% 0 0 6 2 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
45 Close, Brad HFFR 81% 1 3 15 10 5 4 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 2
16 De Koning, Sam FB 91% 0 0 8 5 3 3 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 0
28 Dempsey, Oliver INT 80% 1 1 12 6 6 2 0 6 1 1 0 0 0 2
39 Guthrie, Zach HBFR 86% 0 0 16 13 3 10 0 3 0 1 1 0 4 4
38 Henry, Jack BPL 37% 0 0 6 6 0 5 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 0
9 Holmes, Max C 84% 0 0 29 12 17 4 0 3 2 5 0 3 2 8
17 Humphries, Lawson WL 88% 0 0 11 11 0 5 0 3 0 2 0 1 4 0
10 Knevitt, Mitch INT 65% 0 1 17 8 9 6 0 1 3 3 0 0 4 2
7 Mannagh, Shaun CHF 83% 3 0 20 12 8 4 0 5 2 5 0 1 2 6
32 Miers, Gryan INT 74% 1 2 22 16 6 6 0 3 4 2 1 1 0 5
34 Mullin, Oisin HBFL 85% 0 0 9 5 4 3 0 2 1 4 0 2 0 2
33 Neale, Shannon FPR 80% 3 0 7 5 2 5 3 4 0 1 0 1 0 0
42 O'Connor, Mark INT 78% 0 0 16 11 5 5 0 2 0 2 2 0 2 3
14 O'Sullivan, Connor BPR 86% 0 0 11 7 4 10 0 2 0 1 1 0 2 0
3 Smith, Bailey RR 79% 0 1 31 25 6 6 0 4 9 3 1 1 4 6
1 Stanley, Rhys RU 78% 0 0 6 6 0 2 24 1 1 3 2 2 0 1
18 Stengle, Tyson FPL 81% 0 3 10 7 3 3 0 3 2 1 0 0 0 0
44 Stewart, Tom CHB 86% 0 0 18 14 4 6 0 2 1 4 0 1 6 0
Rushed 1
Total (23 players) 15 19 351 217 134 108 44 58 35 56 17 18 35 52

Essendon

# Player Pos. ToG% GL BH DI KI HB MK HO TA CL CR FF FA RF IF
46 Blakiston, Lachlan CHB 97% 0 0 6 4 2 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
36 Clarke, Angus FPL 86% 0 0 17 10 7 7 0 1 0 4 0 1 2 2
22 Durham, Sam RO 79% 0 0 18 8 10 2 0 7 6 3 0 2 0 4
28 Duursma, Xavier INT 81% 1 0 14 10 4 8 0 0 1 2 1 0 2 1
17 Goldstein, Todd RU 79% 0 0 17 5 12 3 23 1 3 5 2 3 1 3
11 Gresham, Jade HFFR 87% 1 0 19 12 7 4 0 5 2 4 2 1 0 5
35 Guelfi, Matt WL 85% 1 0 9 5 4 3 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 1
8 Hobbs, Ben INT 64% 0 0 10 5 5 3 0 2 2 4 0 2 1 1
10 Kako, Isaac FPR 81% 0 1 11 6 5 1 0 5 3 1 0 1 0 2
15 Laverde, Jayden FB 95% 0 0 15 11 4 9 0 2 0 3 2 1 5 0
34 Lual, Luamon INT↓ 53% 0 0 3 2 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1
26 May, Archie INT 75% 0 0 7 6 1 4 1 2 0 3 1 0 0 2
1 McGrath, Andrew (vc) BPL 82% 1 0 23 8 15 7 0 5 2 3 0 0 1 2
48 McMahon, Liam FF 76% 4 1 11 8 3 3 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 1
29 Menzie, Jye SUB↑ 27% 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1
7 Merrett, Zach (c) C 82% 1 1 27 18 9 3 0 10 6 5 4 0 4 4
42 Nguyen, Jayden BPR 83% 0 0 5 2 3 1 0 7 0 1 1 0 2 0
16 Perkins, Archie HFFL 74% 0 0 15 5 10 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2
25 Prior, Jaxon WR 76% 0 0 14 11 3 5 0 2 0 2 0 0 3 2
27 Redman, Mason HBFL 96% 0 1 24 22 2 7 0 2 0 6 0 3 9 4
21 Roberts, Archie HBFR 87% 0 0 33 18 15 7 0 1 1 7 1 1 3 3
9 Shiel, Dylan RR 72% 0 0 23 13 10 6 0 2 0 7 0 1 2 4
20 Wright, Peter CHF 85% 1 1 10 6 4 4 7 2 0 2 1 0 0 2
Rushed 0
Total (23 players) 10 5 333 197 136 92 31 66 26 69 18 17 36 47

J. Menzie replaced L. Lual.

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

Geelong Coach: Chris Scott
BACK FOLLOWER INTERCHANGE
1 A. McGrath (vc) 15 J. Laverde 42 J. Nguyen 1 R. Stanley 28 O. Dempsey
33 S. Neale 5 J. Cameron 18 T. Stengle 3 B. Smith 10 M. Knevitt
FORWARD 30 T. Atkins 32 G. Miers
HALF-BACK

42 M. O'Connor
27 M. Redman 46 L. Blakiston 21 A. Roberts

13 J. Clark
45 B. Close 7 S. Mannagh 12 J. Bowes



HALF-FORWARD



CENTRE



35 M. Guelfi 7 Z. Merrett (c) 25 J. Prior



46 M. Blicavs 9 M. Holmes 17 L. Humphries FOLLOWER INTERCHANGE
CENTRE 17 T. Goldstein 28 X. Duursma
HALF-FORWARD 9 D. Shiel 8 B. Hobbs
16 A. Perkins 20 P. Wright 11 J. Gresham 22 S. Durham 34 L. Lual
39 Z. Guthrie 44 T. Stewart 34 O. Mullin

26 A. May
HALF-BACK

29 J. Menzie
FORWARD



36 A. Clarke 48 L. McMahon 10 I. Kako



14 C. O'Sullivan 16 S. De Koning 38 J. Henry



BACK



Essendon Coach: Brad Scott

Score Timeline

Quarter Team Scoring Event Score Time
Q1 GEEL Bailey Smith behind 0.1.1 - 0.0.0 02:38
ESSE Mason Redman behind 0.1.1 - 0.1.1 03:56
GEEL Shannon Neale goal 1.1.7 - 0.1.1 08:03
GEEL Shannon Neale goal 2.1.13 - 0.1.1 09:53
GEEL Tyson Stengle behind 2.2.14 - 0.1.1 11:10
GEEL Shannon Neale goal 3.2.20 - 0.1.1 12:19
GEEL Oliver Dempsey goal 4.2.26 - 0.1.1 15:44
GEEL Jack Bowes behind 4.3.27 - 0.1.1 18:00
ESSE Isaac Kako behind 4.3.27 - 0.2.2 20:18
GEEL Tyson Stengle behind 4.4.28 - 0.2.2 23:21
ESSE Liam McMahon goal 4.4.28 - 1.2.8 24:27
GEEL Tyson Stengle behind 4.5.29 - 1.2.8 26:37
Q2 ESSE Liam McMahon goal 4.5.29 - 2.2.14 03:11
GEEL Jeremy Cameron goal 5.5.35 - 2.2.14 05:28
GEEL Jeremy Cameron goal 6.5.41 - 2.2.14 09:58
GEEL Mitch Knevitt behind 6.6.42 - 2.2.14 12:47
GEEL Jeremy Cameron behind 6.7.43 - 2.2.14 16:06
ESSE Liam McMahon behind 6.7.43 - 2.3.15 17:33
GEEL Brad Close behind 6.8.44 - 2.3.15 20:52
GEEL Jeremy Cameron behind 6.9.45 - 2.3.15 22:29
GEEL Brad Close goal 7.9.51 - 2.3.15 23:37
GEEL Oliver Dempsey behind 7.10.52 - 2.3.15 27:54
Q3 GEEL Mark Blicavs goal 8.10.58 - 2.3.15 03:20
ESSE Liam McMahon goal 8.10.58 - 3.3.21 06:16
ESSE Zach Merrett behind 8.10.58 - 3.4.22 08:16
GEEL Gryan Miers behind 8.11.59 - 3.4.22 09:30
GEEL Brad Close behind 8.12.60 - 3.4.22 12:40
GEEL Shaun Mannagh goal 9.12.66 - 3.4.22 13:39
ESSE Peter Wright behind 9.12.66 - 3.5.23 16:10
GEEL Gryan Miers behind 9.13.67 - 3.5.23 16:47
ESSE Zach Merrett goal 9.13.67 - 4.5.29 18:25
ESSE Matt Guelfi goal 9.13.67 - 5.5.35 21:59
ESSE Liam McMahon goal 9.13.67 - 6.5.41 23:19
ESSE Jade Gresham goal 9.13.67 - 7.5.47 27:07
GEEL Gryan Miers goal 10.13.73 - 7.5.47 29:45
GEEL Shaun Mannagh goal 11.13.79 - 7.5.47 31:56
Q4 ESSE Andrew McGrath goal 11.13.79 - 8.5.53 04:31
GEEL Rushed behind 11.14.80 - 8.5.53 06:23
ESSE Xavier Duursma goal 11.14.80 - 9.5.59 08:04
GEEL Shaun Mannagh goal 12.14.86 - 9.5.59 09:23
GEEL Mark Blicavs goal 13.14.92 - 9.5.59 11:47
ESSE Peter Wright goal 13.14.92 - 10.5.65 14:25
GEEL Brad Close behind 13.15.93 - 10.5.65 17:42
GEEL Jeremy Cameron goal 14.15.99 - 10.5.65 20:47
GEEL Jeremy Cameron behind 14.16.100 - 10.5.65 22:34
GEEL Jeremy Cameron goal 15.16.106 - 10.5.65 24:41
GEEL Tom Atkins behind 15.17.107 - 10.5.65 27:10
GEEL Jeremy Cameron behind 15.18.108 - 10.5.65 29:47
GEEL Jeremy Cameron behind 15.19.109 - 10.5.65 32:07