Live: Dons look to end nightmare streak against Saints as Port hosts Roos

ABC News

SportsABC News·Jul 5, 2026·8 min read

Live: Dons look to end nightmare streak against Saints as Port hosts Roos

Essendon looks to register just its second win of the season as it takes on St Kilda, while North Melbourne travels interstate to take on Port Adelaide.

Follow the live blog below, keep up to date with all the latest stats in our ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage.

Pinned

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 2:50pm

AFL Sunday Scoreboard

Collapse all posts

Filter Posts

All

Key Events

Bombers vs Saints

Highlights

Key Event

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:46pm

QT: St Kilda 5.4 (34) leads Essendon 2.1 (13)

By Andrew McGarry

The siren sounds at Docklands, and the scoreboard just about tells the tale.

Nine scoring shots to three is about right, but St Kilda hasn't taken full toll yet.

The Bombers have managed to get a couple of goals on the board, but they haven't converted everything either. Jaxon Prior hit the post in the final minute, and then Rowan Marshall nailed a kick from the pocket after the siren.

All up, St Kilda is in control, but they will want to put the foot down even more in the second term to break this game open.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:41pm

Jack Higgins restores Saints' margin

By Andrew McGarry

That's frustrating for the Bombers.

A point to Saints led to a kick-in which went nowhere near a Bomber, and was picked up by Marcus Windhager. It went through a couple of Saints, before Jack Higgins was caught high.

Higgins kicked from just inside the arc, and the kick was long enough - and good enough!

The lead is back out to 15 points, deep in time on.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:38pm

Bombers work hard for answering goal for Peter Wright

By Andrew McGarry

Well that came against the run of play!

The Bombers have had to work extremely hard to set up a chance there.

With a string of players around the contest on the wing, Darcy Parish got the ball out to Andrew McGrath, and his low-hit ball found Peter Wright inside 50.

"Two-metre Peter" gets his kick straight, and the Bombers fans have something to cheer for.

They're back to eight points in time on.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:36pm

Bombers under siege

By Andrew McGarry

St Kilda are definitely in control of this one early. They are holding the ball in the front half — they don't have too many inside 50s compared to Essendon, but the Bombers are finding it hard to clear their lines.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:30pm

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera on fire early at Docklands

By Andrew McGarry

There are a few warning bells going off at the moment for Essendon, and most of them surround Nasiah Wangaeen-Mileras.

The Saints star just took a lovely one-handed mark inside 50 after a virtual coast-to-coast move from his team.

Wanganeen-Milera steered his kick through. The Saints have three goals, and Nas has nine touches and a goal already.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:27pm

Saints extend their lead through Rowan Marshall

By Andrew McGarry

The Saints are raising the pressure at Docklands.

They shift it forward and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera chips inside 50 towards Rowan Marshall.

The ball is already touched so it wouldn't be a mark, but Nick Bryan grabs Marshall's jumper, and gives away the free.

Marshall kicks the goal, and the Saints lead by seven with 13 minutes left in the first term.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:24pm

Bombers moving it, but last pass missing

By Andrew McGarry

Essendon's ball movement is looking good early.

They are clearly looking to use the corridor, and they just set up the handballs to set players free.

But a couple of chances have no gone begging - one attack chopped off thanks to a poor kick, and the other hitting the point post for nothing with a shot on the run.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:21pm

Archer Day-Wicks answers for Essendon

By Andrew McGarry

Now the Bombers are on the board!

Zach Merrett takes a nice intercept mark on the wing, and centres the ball to the corridor. It gets fed inside 50, and Archer Day-Wicks marks it and then kicks round the corner for the Bombers' first goal of the day.

It's a decent start under the roof, with three goals already.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:18pm

Chance missed for Saints by Caminiti

By Andrew McGarry

This is an electric start by the Saints.

They have won two centre clearances and gone inside 50 twice.

This time they kick to a contest and Anthony Caminiti clunks one.

But he misses the kick to the right! That could (and should) have been two goals inside 90 seconds.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:17pm

Saints on the board in 25 seconds!

By Andrew McGarry

Well that was a frantic start!

The Saints won the centre clearance with Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Darcy Wilson doing a give-and-go.

Nas raced to 50 but was legged and gave the ball up, but Wilson pounced and ran in to snap a goal after 25 seconds!

Key Event

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:15pm

We are underway at Docklands

By Andrew McGarry

Here we go under the roof!

The Saints will be set on getting the points to keep their hopes of making the wild card round alive.

For the Bombers it's a case of getting that second win of the year, and trying to generate some momentum going into the final section of the season.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:13pm

Recent results between Essendon and St Kilda

By Andrew McGarry

R23, 2025: St Kilda by 2 (Docklands)

R20, 2024: St Kilda by 53 (Docklands)

R3, 2024: Essendon by 4 (Docklands)

R3, 2023: St Kilda by 18 (MCG)

R14, 2022: Essendon by 35 (Docklands)

R3, 2021: Essendon by 75 (Docklands)

The Bombers and Saints have split the last six encounters between the two sides.

Taking the last 10 meetings, the teams have won five games each. This is a close matchup.

There have been a couple of close ones — indeed two out of the last three games have been decided by less than a goal.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:05pm

Teams are in for Bombers vs Saints

By Andrew McGarry

There are no late changes for either side, and you can check out the line-ups above.

For Essendon, there are three omissions — Lachie Blakiston, Harrison Jones and Hussien El Achkar.

Into the side come forward Peter Wright, Nik Cox and Saad El-Hawli.

The Saints have a couple of big injury outs.

Tom De Koning will miss several weeks after suffering two fractured ribs and a punctured lung against the Western Bulldogs.

Running defender Jack Sinclair is out for the season with a severe calf tear in the same game.

In addition, Dan Butler is omitted and Jack Macrae is being managed.

The ins are Liam Henry, Liam O'Connell, Mattaes Philippou and Tobie Travaglia, who will play his first AFL game of the season.

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 3:02pm

Club song shenanigans at Windy Hill as Bombers beat Saints in VFL

By Andrew McGarry

There are many things to get right in a game of football.

Make sure the goals and points add up, make sure the timing of the quarters is correct - and oh, yes, make sure the winning club song is played AFTER the game is over.

At Windy Hill, Essendon took care of the Saints, but with minutes still to go and the action still going on, the strains of "See the Bombers fly up!" blared out of the speakers, prompting a few odd looks in the crowd.

Stern talking to for the person in the booth!

Key Event

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 2:55pm

'Razor' Ray Chamberlain weighs in on the Brayden Maynard umpire incident

By Andrew McGarry

Former AFL umpire 'Razor' Ray Chamberlain brings an interesting perspective to the footy these days on ABC Sport's game broadcasts.

He was asked to comment on yesterday's Gold Coast - Collingwood game, where the Suns' Ben Long hit Magpie Brayden Maynard with a cheap shot, sparking not one but two melees and has Maynard and others facing possible charges of making contact with an umpire.

Here is the original incident, plus what happened after the siren.

Chamberlain has spoken about the incident on air.

"I didn't like what Ben did to Brayden Maynard. I understand why Brayden Maynard was absolutely seething.

"And I think that needs to get a heap of attention.

"That act from behind, open, vulnerable. Smashes him in the ribs. I can totally understand why Brayden Maynard is seething.

"The problem Brayden is going to have, apart from the fact that he does make contact with the umpire who is in bright green, is in front of him for 25m, is that he's had a minute and a half, two minutes to have a think about what's going on and recalibrate.

"The siren then sounds, and he has no care for anything else other than his own want and need.

"He runs 30m to go after Ben Long and go and makes contact with an umpire in the process.

"He's going to have a lot of trouble explaining why that's okay."

To be fair, from the looks of that last video, Gold Coast's Touk Miller may have a case to answer as well for making contact with an umpire. But the bottom line everyone is waiting carefully for the match review panel's report to land, so we can find out what happens from here.

Key Event

Sun 5 Jul 2026 at 2:40pm

Welcome to Sunday footy

By Andrew McGarry

Hello, good afternoon and welcome to ABC's live online coverage of round 17 of the AFL.

We have two games left to complete the round.

First-up we go to Docklands, where Essendon takes on St Kilda with the Bombers still seeking a second win of the season, and the Saints desperate for a win to keep vaguely in touch with the top 10.

From just before half-time in the opening game, it's off to Adelaide where Port Adelaide will host North Melbourne as the Kangaroos need the four premiership points to make it back into the wild card spots after wins to Collingwood and Carlton.

My name is Andrew McGarry and I will be bringing you all today's action.

Let's jump in!

Email address

View original source — ABC News ↗

ShareShare on X Share on Facebook