SYDNEY has locked in 2nd place on the AFL ladder with a solid 36-point win over Essendon at the MCG. 

The Swans dominated from the start and, despite some resistance from the Bombers, easily won 17.10 (112) to 11.10 (76) in the Sunday twilight game at the MCG.

BOMBERS v SWANS Full match coverage and stats

Errol Gulden racked up a career-best 47 possessions, and Charlie Curnow kicked four goals as he closed in on his third Coleman Medal. 

While the Bombers were never going to stage a massive upset, they scrapped hard after a blowout loomed early in the game.

Curnow kicked three of the first four goals and looked set for a night out as the Swans took control from the start.

Sydney's first four inside 50s all resulted in goals, and the last-placed Bombers were their own worst enemies, gifting the Swans with turnovers.

The Swans got out to a 44-point lead, but Essendon rallied to stop a blowout, kicking four goals to two in the second quarter and reducing the margin to 24 points at the long break.

Nate Caddy and Peter Wright were providing targets in attack, and Isaac Kako was frenetic with his work rate for the Bombers.

Fourth-gamer Vigo Visentini was another shining light for the Bombers with 19 disposals, 14 hit-outs, nine marks, six tackles and his first career goal facing off against Brodie Grundy.

The 20-year-old's ferocious tackles against Tom Papley and Chad Warner delighted loyal Bombers fans looking for signs of optimism with one round to go before a potential wooden spoon finish. 

Archer Day-Wicks kicked the first goal of the third quarter, and a couple of minutes later, Will Setterfield launched a bomb from outside 50m. Improbably, the Bombers only trailed by 11 points at 13 minutes.

But that only sparked the Swans.

First, Logan McDonald set up Jai Serong for a goal, and then McDonald kicked his own from 50-plus to stop the rot.

The gulf between the two teams was summed up early in the last quarter when Caddy was running into an open goal, and Sam Wicks came from nowhere to run him down and force the rushed behind.

Seconds later, Sydney had run the ball down the other end of the ground, and Curnow snapped his fourth goal.

McVeigh given plenty to consider 
If Mark McVeigh gets the Essendon senior coaching job, he would have taken plenty from what he saw on Saturday. Dean Cox's No.2 in the coaching box has been linked to the Bombers vacancy and looked on as Essendon clawed back from a deficit that at one stage threatened to reach 100 points. There was plenty for McVeigh to like from Essendon's young guns, with Visentini, Farrow, Sharp and Caddy all showing glimpses of what is to come.

The Bombers have found one in “Big Vig” 
Vigo Visentini has been made to work for senior selection in 2026, and the big man has done nothing to lose fans over the last two weeks. Visentini had 18 disposals and 33 hit-outs against the Cats before backing up against All-Australian fancy Brodie Grundy with xx disposals and xx hit-outs. His two hard tackles on Tom Papley and Chad Warner had the Bombers faithful on their feet and were emblematic of Essendon's gritty fightback after going down early, and his first career goal late in the fourth was the cherry on top of a courageous individual performance.

Chad Warner runs wild 
Since round 12, Warner ranks behind just Nick Daicos in Champion Data's player ratings. The prolific midfielder is 2nd in the league for inside-50s, 1st for goal assists and the top goal-kicking midfielder in the competition with 34 majors. The 25-year-old has posted nine games with 20+ disposals and 2+ goals in 2026, a season that will almost certainly see him return to the All-Australian side for the second time since 2024. His 23 disposals and three-first quarter goals were immense in setting up Sydney’s win. With Errol Gulden (47 disposals) working his way back to elite form, the Swans' midfield is all set for September. 

ESSENDON              3.0    7.4      9.7   11.10  (76)
SYDNEY                   9.1   11.4    13.8  17.10  (112) 

GOALS 
Essendon: Caddy 3, Wright 2, Visentini, Unwin, Setterfield, Prior, Perkins, Day-Wicks 
Sydney: Curnow 4, Warner 3, Heeney 3, McDonald 2, Lloyd 2, Serong, Dattoli, Cootee

BEST 
Essendon: Visentini, Sharp, Setterfield, Prior, Caddy, Sharp 
Sydney: Gulden, Warner, Heeney, Grundy, Curnow, McDonald 

INJURIES 
Essendon: Nil
Sydney: Nil

Crowd: 24,767 at the MCG