THEY SAID IT: “People talk about building resilience. Sometimes in those moments it would be forgivable to crumble a little bit, and he did the opposite.” – Geelong coach Chris Scott hailed Tyson Stengle for stepping up against Adelaide following a week of scrutiny after his collapse in a nightclub.
PLAYER OF THE ROUND: Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli destroyed Melbourne with a blistering performance, gathering 33 possessions and 16 score involvements to go with two eye-catching goals. Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge admitted Bontempelli “just may be” the club’s greatest-ever player by the end of his career.
THE MOMENT: After Collingwood led by 32 points early in the last quarter, Carlton defender Mitch McGovern had a kick after the siren for a chance to pinch a famous win for the Blues and spoil Magpie legend Scott Pendlebury’s 400th game. McGovern, usually a reliable kick, sprayed the shot out on the full and the Magpies hung on for an epic three-point win.
THE OTHER MOMENT: After Jye Amiss had drawn Fremantle level against Essendon with 36 seconds to play at the MCG, the Bombers’ midfielders stepped up. Zach Merrett won a crucial clearance and found Sam Durham, who burst forward to kick the game-winning behind. Then, ruckman Sam Draper stood tall to mark the Fremantle kick-out and preserve the Bombers’ slender lead – and with it, their season.
TALKING POINT: Richmond are poised to be handed their first wooden spoon since 2007 and would become the first team since West Coast in 2010 to finish last within four years of winning a premiership. If they do end up in the bottom two, it would be the Tigers’ lowest finish in AFL/VFL history – since the competition now numbers 18 teams. First-year coach Adem Yze is in danger of joining Matthew Nicks (2020), Chris Fagan (2017), Alan Richardson (2014), Guy McKenna (2011), Dean Bailey (2008) and Peter Rohde (2003) as coaches who finished bottom in their first full season at the wheel.
STAT THAT MATTERS: Sydney fell to their heaviest defeat since 1993 when Port Adelaide monstered the ladder leaders by 112 points. The margin marked the fifth-worst loss in the Swans’ history. No side in AFL/VFL history has lost by more than 100 points and gone on to win the premiership in the same season. Carlton lost a game to Essendon by exactly 100 points in 1945 before winning the flag that season, but their loss came early, in round 3.
TRIBUNAL WATCH: A rare quiet week for the tribunal is on the cards, with the league’s match review officer handing out several fines for minor offences but no suspensions.
KEY INJURIES: S May (Melb, ribs), S Green (Rich, ankle/toe), T Brown (Rich, ankle/shoulder), S De Koning (Geel, knee), A Cerra (Carl, hamstring), M Cottrell (Carl, shoulder), J De Goey (Coll, hamstring), X Duursma (Ess, hamstring), J Treacy (Fre, knee).
WHAT’S NEXT: It’s a blockbuster opening to round 22 when Sydney host Collingwood at the SCG on Friday night. It’s followed by some crunch clashes on Saturday, headlined by the Brisbane-GWS and Fremantle-Geelong showdowns between top-eight rivals. Carlton and Hawthorn face off at the MCG in the pick of Sunday’s action.
Source Agencies
