2026 AFL Season Round 9: Essendon v Brisbane Lions

This is the match report for the match played on 2 May 2026 between Essendon and the Brisbane Lions during round nine of the 2026 season of the Australian Football League. Essendon hosted the Brisbane Lions at Marvel Stadium. Andrew McGrath captained the hosts. With the presence of multiple Brisbane Lions co-captains, namely Harris Andrews, Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage, playing for the side, it is not yet known who specifically captained the visitors. The hosts were coached by Brad Scott and the visitors were coached by Chris Fagan.

Essendon (11.13.79) were defeated by the Brisbane Lions (22.11.143).

Match Details

Season: 2026 AFL Season
Round: Round 9
Teams: Essendon v Brisbane Lions
Date: Saturday 2 May 2026
Time: 12:35 PM
Venue: Marvel Stadium
Attendance: 31,595

Match Results

Outcome: Essendon def. by Brisbane Lions
Score: 11.13.79 - 22.11.143

Quarter Breakdown

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Essendon 1 . 3 4 . 8 5 . 11 11 . 13 11 . 13 (79)
Brisbane Lions 6 . 2 10 . 5 17 . 8 22 . 11 22 . 11 (143)
Margin BRIL by 29 BRIL by 33 BRIL by 69 BRIL by 64 BRIL by 64
Duration 29:35 30:06 30:44 33:32 2:03:57

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 (Brisbane Lions) are in the lead.

Honour Roll

Essendon

Captain: Andrew McGrath
Coach: Brad Scott

Brisbane Lions

Captain: unknown
Coach: Chris Fagan

Brownlow Votes

Player Team # Votes
Darcy Wilmot BRIL 44 3
Hugh McCluggage BRIL 6 2
Kai Lohmann BRIL 1 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 CHB 83% 1 0 10 3 7 0 4 1 1 1 0 0 3 0
30 Caddy, Nate CHF 87% 3 5 14 13 1 9 0 2 0 2 2 0 0 4
6 Caldwell, Jye C 48% 0 0 15 5 10 0 0 2 6 2 1 1 0 2
13 Cox, Nik HFFL 97% 1 0 9 4 5 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2
44 Day-Wicks, Archer INT 76% 0 0 14 7 7 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 5
22 Durham, Sam RO 81% 0 0 27 12 15 4 0 4 9 6 3 2 0 7
28 Duursma, Xavier WL 79% 0 0 16 6 10 2 0 3 2 2 0 0 1 4
45 Edwards, Thomas INT 75% 1 0 9 5 4 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 3
41 El-Hawli, Saad WR 60% 0 0 17 11 6 4 0 2 0 3 1 0 5 2
2 Farrow, Jacob HBFR 83% 0 0 17 6 11 4 0 0 0 1 1 0 3 0
11 Gresham, Jade FPL 77% 0 0 7 2 5 1 0 3 1 1 0 1 0 0
29 Kondogiannis, Max INT 71% 0 0 13 4 9 3 0 2 0 2 0 1 4 0
4 Langford, Kyle FF 86% 1 2 11 8 3 6 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 3
1 McGrath, Andrew (c) BPR 76% 0 0 15 10 5 4 0 0 0 3 0 1 8 0
32 McKay, Ben FB 83% 0 0 5 2 3 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1
7 Merrett, Zach RR 83% 1 1 28 13 15 4 0 6 4 6 2 1 1 5
42 Nguyen, Jayden FPR 75% 0 1 10 4 6 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1
25 Prior, Jaxon BPL 79% 0 0 12 9 3 1 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1
31 Reid, Zach INT 72% 0 0 12 7 5 5 0 0 0 1 1 0 5 0
21 Roberts, Archie HBFL 83% 0 0 27 20 7 4 0 1 1 4 1 2 5 4
9 Robey, Sullivan HFFR 86% 1 0 17 8 9 3 0 3 6 7 1 1 0 3
15 Sharp, Dyson INT 76% 0 0 19 9 10 6 0 2 2 3 1 1 0 3
20 Wright, Peter RU 84% 2 1 26 14 12 5 27 1 4 3 2 2 4 3
Rushed 3
Total (23 players) 11 13 350 182 168 78 31 40 37 53 20 15 42 53

Brisbane Lions

# Player Pos. ToG% GL BH DI KI HB MK HO TA CL CR FF FA RF IF
31 Andrews, Harris FB 95% 0 0 16 11 5 11 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0
10 Ashcroft, Levi WR 80% 0 0 18 10 8 3 0 3 2 3 1 1 1 2
8 Ashcroft, Will INT 82% 0 0 28 18 10 9 0 5 1 3 0 0 1 5
33 Bailey, Zac C 85% 4 0 21 15 6 7 0 4 3 2 2 1 2 6
23 Cameron, Charlie HFFL 72% 2 1 14 12 2 6 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3
18 Coleman, Keidean BPL 82% 0 0 24 21 3 11 0 1 1 1 0 1 5 3
37 Curtin, Cody FF 69% 0 2 7 3 4 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
2 Draper, Sam RU 69% 0 0 9 4 5 2 22 0 1 3 0 1 1 4
5 Dunkley, Josh RR 84% 0 0 17 9 8 6 0 8 4 3 0 1 3 3
3 Fletcher, Jaspa CHB 76% 0 0 19 8 11 8 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 0
32 Fort, Darcy INT 62% 0 0 12 8 4 6 11 2 3 1 3 1 0 2
22 Gallop, Ty CHF 68% 0 0 9 8 1 5 0 1 0 4 0 2 1 3
35 Lester, Ryan BPR 96% 0 0 23 14 9 10 0 3 2 2 2 0 3 0
1 Lohmann, Kai FPL 86% 4 2 16 12 4 8 0 2 0 5 0 4 0 2
11 McCarthy, Lincoln INT 77% 0 0 11 8 3 3 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 0
6 McCluggage, Hugh WL 74% 1 2 25 17 8 8 0 3 9 4 1 1 2 7
26 McKenna, Conor INT 66% 2 0 12 11 1 3 0 2 0 5 1 2 0 6
13 Morris, Logan FPR 80% 4 3 11 11 0 7 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
9 Neale, Lachie RO 83% 1 0 27 18 9 7 0 3 3 5 1 1 3 7
16 Rayner, Cam HFFR 82% 2 0 19 8 11 8 0 3 0 6 2 2 0 3
38 Reville, Bruce INT 73% 1 0 17 14 3 7 0 0 1 4 0 1 2 4
44 Wilmot, Darcy HBFL 86% 1 0 32 24 8 12 0 1 0 1 0 0 5 3
15 Zorko, Dayne HBFR 74% 0 0 27 21 6 13 0 2 1 2 1 0 7 0
Rushed 1
Total (23 players) 22 11 414 285 129 163 33 48 33 63 15 20 40 63

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
18 K. Coleman 31 H. Andrews 35 R. Lester 20 P. Wright 44 A. Day-Wicks
42 J. Nguyen 4 K. Langford 11 J. Gresham 7 Z. Merrett 45 T. Edwards
FORWARD 22 S. Durham 29 M. Kondogiannis
HALF-BACK

31 Z. Reid
44 D. Wilmot 3 J. Fletcher 15 D. Zorko

15 D. Sharp
9 S. Robey 30 N. Caddy 13 N. Cox



HALF-FORWARD



CENTRE



6 H. McCluggage 33 Z. Bailey 10 L. Ashcroft



41 S. El-Hawli 6 J. Caldwell 28 X. Duursma FOLLOWER INTERCHANGE
CENTRE 2 S. Draper 8 W. Ashcroft
HALF-FORWARD 5 J. Dunkley 32 D. Fort
23 C. Cameron 22 T. Gallop 16 C. Rayner 9 L. Neale 11 L. McCarthy
2 J. Farrow 46 L. Blakiston 21 A. Roberts

26 C. McKenna
HALF-BACK

38 B. Reville
FORWARD



1 K. Lohmann 37 C. Curtin 13 L. Morris



1 A. McGrath (c) 32 B. McKay 25 J. Prior



BACK



Brisbane Lions Coach: Chris Fagan

Score Timeline

Quarter Team Scoring Event Score Time
Q1 BRIL Zac Bailey goal 0.0.0 - 1.0.6 00:57
BRIL Charlie Cameron goal 0.0.0 - 2.0.12 03:36
BRIL Logan Morris behind 0.0.0 - 2.1.13 04:55
ESSE Nate Caddy behind 0.1.1 - 2.1.13 05:55
ESSE Peter Wright goal 1.1.7 - 2.1.13 08:02
BRIL Zac Bailey goal 1.1.7 - 3.1.19 10:35
BRIL Conor McKenna goal 1.1.7 - 4.1.25 13:20
BRIL Cam Rayner goal 1.1.7 - 5.1.31 16:04
BRIL Logan Morris goal 1.1.7 - 6.1.37 18:55
ESSE Rushed behind 1.2.8 - 6.1.37 25:52
ESSE Kyle Langford behind 1.3.9 - 6.1.37 28:07
BRIL Kai Lohmann behind 1.3.9 - 6.2.38 29:31
Q2 ESSE Nate Caddy goal 2.3.15 - 6.2.38 00:53
ESSE Rushed behind 2.4.16 - 6.2.38 02:09
BRIL Logan Morris behind 2.4.16 - 6.3.39 02:45
ESSE Nate Caddy behind 2.5.17 - 6.3.39 04:26
BRIL Logan Morris goal 2.5.17 - 7.3.45 07:22
ESSE Kyle Langford behind 2.6.18 - 7.3.45 11:04
BRIL Hugh McCluggage behind 2.6.18 - 7.4.46 13:57
BRIL Kai Lohmann behind 2.6.18 - 7.5.47 14:56
BRIL Logan Morris goal 2.6.18 - 8.5.53 15:34
ESSE Lachlan Blakiston goal 3.6.24 - 8.5.53 17:40
BRIL Lachie Neale goal 3.6.24 - 9.5.59 19:23
ESSE Peter Wright behind 3.7.25 - 9.5.59 21:45
ESSE Nate Caddy goal 4.7.31 - 9.5.59 22:42
BRIL Darcy Wilmot goal 4.7.31 - 10.5.65 25:22
ESSE Jayden Nguyen behind 4.8.32 - 10.5.65 27:21
Q3 BRIL Hugh McCluggage behind 4.8.32 - 10.6.66 00:14
BRIL Rushed behind 4.8.32 - 10.7.67 01:00
BRIL Zac Bailey goal 4.8.32 - 11.7.73 03:06
BRIL Cam Rayner goal 4.8.32 - 12.7.79 04:23
BRIL Kai Lohmann goal 4.8.32 - 13.7.85 05:37
ESSE Nate Caddy behind 4.9.33 - 13.7.85 07:49
ESSE Nate Caddy behind 4.10.34 - 13.7.85 09:41
BRIL Hugh McCluggage goal 4.10.34 - 14.7.91 11:16
BRIL Kai Lohmann goal 4.10.34 - 15.7.97 15:21
BRIL Kai Lohmann goal 4.10.34 - 16.7.103 18:35
BRIL Charlie Cameron behind 4.10.34 - 16.8.104 21:10
ESSE Thomas Edwards goal 5.10.40 - 16.8.104 23:58
BRIL Zac Bailey goal 5.10.40 - 17.8.110 25:39
ESSE Zach Merrett behind 5.11.41 - 17.8.110 28:16
Q4 ESSE Nate Caddy behind 5.12.42 - 17.8.110 00:48
ESSE Zach Merrett goal 6.12.48 - 17.8.110 01:14
ESSE Rushed behind 6.13.49 - 17.8.110 03:32
ESSE Sullivan Robey goal 7.13.55 - 17.8.110 07:09
ESSE Peter Wright goal 8.13.61 - 17.8.110 10:28
BRIL Cody Curtin behind 8.13.61 - 17.9.111 11:40
BRIL Bruce Reville goal 8.13.61 - 18.9.117 13:39
BRIL Logan Morris behind 8.13.61 - 18.10.118 15:09
ESSE Nate Caddy goal 9.13.67 - 18.10.118 17:11
BRIL Conor McKenna goal 9.13.67 - 19.10.124 18:31
ESSE Kyle Langford goal 10.13.73 - 19.10.124 20:32
BRIL Logan Morris goal 10.13.73 - 20.10.130 22:09
BRIL Kai Lohmann goal 10.13.73 - 21.10.136 23:56
BRIL Charlie Cameron goal 10.13.73 - 22.10.142 25:06
ESSE Nik Cox goal 11.13.79 - 22.10.142 27:31
BRIL Cody Curtin behind 11.13.79 - 22.11.143 31:40