Essendon's season hasn't gone exactly to plan thus far and during the third quarter of Sunday's 22-point win over the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba you sensed there may have been another torrid chapter to come.

The Bombers have endured a series of disastrous third quarters in 2018 and that trait came back to haunt them in the third stanza as they scored a wasteful 1.7 to Brisbane's 2.2. That scoreboard return came from Essendon's 23 inside 50s to Brisbane's six. Jake Stringer, who had a handy game for the Bombers, missed an easy set shot, while Devon Smith missed two of his own. Put simply, they had let Brisbane stay in the game and their 20-point lead at three-quarter-time was by no means safe.

But the Bombers managed to win despite Brisbane looking threatening, the victory coming thanks in no small part to the Lions' own goalkicking woes in the final term, which compounded their inaccuracy in the first quarter.

And while the game was sloppy and frustrating at times in the second half Essendon fans should take great encouragement from the win given they did it mostly without their captain Dyson Heppell.

Heppell, after kicking two goals, setting up another and collecting nine disposals, was ruled out from early in the second quarter. Brisbane's veteran and long time Bomber nemesis Luke Hodge had collected Heppell high, fairly, in a 50-50 contest on the Lions' half-back line.