Essendon’s comeback kid Scott Gumbleton kicked three goals to help the Bombers steamroll Port Adelaide by 50 points in Saturday’s AFL match at AAMI Stadium.

Essendon held their top six ladder position, winning 19.13 (127) to 11.11 (77) – their first victory against Port in Adelaide in a dozen years.

The injury-prone Gumbleton, in his first match since late 2010, was influential as Essendon stunned the Power with a late surge.

The Bombers trailed by one point some 24 minutes into the third quarter, but then kicked the final eight goals of the match.

Gumbleton and livewire Leroy Jetta (three goals) were prominent, while captain Jobe Watson and Dyson Heppell basked in the ruck dominance of Tom Bellchambers.

Port’s Brett Ebert and Justin Westhoff each kicked three goals but the South Australian club remain in the mire with only four wins this season.

Gumbleton, 23, kicked a goal in the opening quarter of his first match since round 18, 2010.

But while Gumbleton was busy, his teammate Jake Carlisle will be scrutinised for a behind play bump on Port’s Paul Stewart.

Carlisle floored an unsuspecting Stewart with a hip and shoulder some 30 metres off the ball, forcing the Power forward from the field.

Stewart soon returned as both sides failed to steal momentum, with Port taking a two point lead into halftime, 8.6 to 8.4.

Essendon remained unable to shrug Port in the third term until a ex-skipper David Hille booted two late goals.

Hille snapped across his body and then converted after a strong overhead mark to give the Bombers an 11-point break at three-quarter time.

Essendon, despite losing Michael Hibberd to an apparent thigh injury, then killed off Port with a final term flourish.

The Power were rendered helpless as the Bombers booted 6.5 to 0.2 for the quarter as Port crashed to their fifth consecutive defeat.

Hibberd’s injury puts him in doubt for Essendon’s meeting with reigning premier Geelong on Friday night, Port play fellow strugglers Melbourne next Saturday night in Darwin.