Essendon match-winner Sam Draper rubs salt in the wounds for Adelaide with post-match celebration re-enacting controversial dive

Essendon star Sam Draper will be off the Christmas card list for Adelaide supporters after a controversial dive to secure victory - and a post-match celebration to rub salt in the wounds.

The Bombers' hot start to the season continued in a three-point win marred by umpire controversy as Draper dived on a loose ball deep in defence.

For most viewer, the dive was a clear case of holding the ball after Draper held onto the Sherrin for dear life while Crows players desperately tried to dislodge it from his grip.

However the umpire called it ball up, denying Adelaide star Taylor Walker a shot at goal to win the match.

AFL greats were unanimous in saying Adelaide had been stiffed by the late decision. 

'He is a fire blanket that literally just put the Crows' season out. This is one of the all-time flops… that was a flat out holding the ball,' Geelong premiership winner Cam Mooney said.

'It was embarrassing, really… There's almost no excuse. That was as blatant as you can see,' added former Hawk Ben Dixon.

'Adelaide might've thought they were unfortunate given big Sam Draper decided to lay on top of the footy. Not sure you can do that,' Demons legend Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy post-match.

'It's unfair to isolate it into one incident at the end. But it looks to me like he fell on it and then hooked it back in.'

Making matters worse for Adelaide fans, Draper then re-enacted the dive on the pitch after the siren to celebrate his match-winning play. 

'He knew exactly what he was doing,' fumed one Crows supporter.

'Four umpires on the field, and not one had the balls to call it,' raged another.

'AFL will come out and confirm it was another umpiring mistake....and one that effected the result again. But no consequences for anyone,' a resigned supporter posted.

While Draper's actions provided the talking points from the match, it was a late Nic Martin long bomb that gave Essendon its a comeback three-point win against Adelaide in an AFL thriller.

Martin launched from 55 metres on the run for the final goal as the Bombers prevailed 10.18 (78) to 11.9 (75) at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

Essendon climb into the top eight with a fourth win of the season but the Crows remain in the mire with one win and five losses.

Martin's strike with about eight minutes left put the visitors six points up and the Bombers then held on bravely despite a series of Adelaide attacks.

'It ebbed and flowed and could have gone either way at the end, obviously,' Essendon coach Brad Scott said. But I am pretty comfortable saying that our guys deserved the end result.'

Essendon skipper Zach Merrett was a standout with 28 disposals, seven clearances and a crucial last-term goal while Jade Gresham (26 touches) and Jye Caldwell (26) were also busy.

Martin capped his influential 27-disposal display with the late game-breaker while Harrison Jones and Kyle Langford kicked two goals each.