1. Ryder delivers against former friends
This was Port Adelaide ruckman Paddy Ryder's first game against his former side and the Bombers fans had not forgotten the circumstances around his departure in last year's trade period. Contracted to the Bombers at the time, Ryder headed to the Power just hours before the deadline. The pro-Essendon at Etihad Stadium crowd were quick to let him know what they thought of his defection, booing Ryder loudly every time he went near the ball. Despite the chorus of disapproval, Ryder kicked four majors in the second half, including three crunch goals in the final term to haul his side over the line. Given the build up to the game, and his admission of serious nerves, it would surely go down as Ryder's best game in the silver and teal to date.

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2. 'Baby Bombers' stand up
Essendon fans got an exciting glimpse into their future at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night. With some key personnel out through injury, it was the performances of Alex Browne, Nick O'Brien, Jayden Laverde and Kyle Langford that would have had supporters in a buoyant mood. Browne (17 disposals) and O'Brien (32 disposals) won plenty of the footy through the middle of the ground, while Langford and Laverde provided a spark up forward. Langford, pick No.17 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, booted two majors and showed real ability overhead. Laverde, taken three picks later, kicked two goals himself and displayed impressive speed to burst free from congestion and finish his work in front of goal.


3. Port keep its head above water
It wasn't pretty but this was exactly the result the Power was after. Languishing in 12th position and having lost four of its past five games, Port dug deep to keep its season alive against the Bombers. The Power still have plenty of ground to make up and will remain in 12th position at the end of round 17. However, the win could help breathe life into their spluttering season. With games against St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn, Gold Coast and Fremantle to come, the challenge is there in front of them.


4. Bombers brave, but not quite polished enough
With such a young side in, Essendon could ill afford not to take its chances. The Bombers had two more scoring shots than their opponents and tried with all their might to bring home a sixth victory of the season. But they will look back to the end of second quarter as a missed opportunity. The Bombers could have flipped the game on its head at that point, but squandered six opportunities in a row off the boots of Brent Stanton, Zach Merrett, Shaun McKernan, Nick O'Brien, Cale Hooker and Kyle Langford in a six-minute period. While they hit back hard in the second half, those crucial few minutes may have been enough to put the Power to bed before the long break.

5. Umpire Nicholls' one-percenter
In one of the more comical scenes of this year, Port Adelaide's Sam Coloqhoun's attempted switch in the third term hit umpire Mathew Nicholls in the back and squirted out to Bomber Alex Browne. Browne waltzed around a Port opponent and spotted first-year forward Jayden Laverde who delivered a crucial goal to keep the Dons in the contest. There was no way Nicholls could have avoided the ball, but it's rare to see an umpire involvement like that lead to a goal.