As it happened Swans repel Kangaroos Hawks upset Dogs Lions annihilate Pies Power obliterate Blues Cats edge out Saints
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After today’s results, amazingly the Western Bulldogs could actually finish outside the top four at the end of the season.
Their shock loss to bottom-four Hawthorn in Launceston has seen them drop to fourth on the ladder, now just a game (and under 2 per cent) clear of the Brisbane Lions following their shellacking of the Magpies.
And considering the Bulldogs face fellow top-four side Port Adelaide next week in the final round and the Lions take on struggling West Coast at the Gabba, the Dogs could miss out on the double chance after being in the top four for the last 20 weeks.
Meanwhile, Geelong and Port Adelaide joined Melbourne in securing their top-four spots with victories over St Kilda and Carlton respectively today.
The Saints were brave against the Cats, but after ultimately succumbing to them, their finals dreams staying alive, like Richmond’s, are reliant on Fremantle beating West Coast tomorrow. If the Eagles win, St Kilda and the Tigers are both officially out of the running.
At the other end of the ladder, North Melbourne “won†their first wooden spoon in 49 years after losing to the Swans by 14 points and Hawthorn have temporarily moved to 14th spot on the ladder with their late-season upturn in form seeing them claim a third win in a row.
Incredibly, they might actually finish the year above Carlton on the ladder considering they face Richmond next week and the Blues, fresh from losing to the Power by 95 points, have to deal with the Giants.
Thanks for following along today, we’ll do it all again next week with what promises to be a memorable final Saturday as the made scramble for top-eight spots goes close to reaching its climax.
North Melbourne coach David Noble spoke to the media after his team’s 14-point loss to Sydney...
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan spoke to the media after his side’s massive victory...
Q: How are you feeling after a very comfortable victory tonight? Sort of a good tune-up for what’s ahead?
A: Yeah. I think so. The most pleasing element of tonight’s game was that Collingwood have been getting a lot of uncontested marks and a lot of mark-play-ons in their game. They have been getting over 100 uncontested marks and the mark-play-on percentage has been around the 40 per cent mark. We tonight, we kept them to a much lower number of uncontested marks. They weren’t able to play on. We forced them to kick long down the
line. I was particularly pleased with our defensive game tonight. I know everyone would probably be excited that we kicked 142 points. But from the coaching group’s perspective, our defensive effort tonight was tremendous, particularly after quarter-time.
Q: You had four players, I think, coming back from significant injuries. Lachie Neale obviously, Darcy Gardiner, Nakia Cockatoo is in his third game. How are those boys going for the run? Do you think you’re building towards getting as close to your best 22 as you can heading to the finals?
A: Yeah. We are getting close. It was good. That is what we have been trying to do the last couple of weeks, is get guys like Jarrod Berry and Lachie, who couldn’t play last week, Darcy back tonight, into some decent form coming into finals. They are obviously in our best side. There was a step in the right direction tonight. I think they all contributed. Really good signs.
Q: Joe Daniher had a night out, particularly early and helped set it up. Can you sum up his contribution over the course of the season which has been a really significant one for both him individually and I think for the Lions as a club?
A: I think he’s done a tremendous job. I think Joey’s best football is still ahead of him
for our club. Basically he’s missed three years of football through injury. This year is his comeback year. So, I think he’s scratching the surface. But he’s playing a great team game and providing us with a great target. A clever player. His contested marking is coming back, which is one of his great strengths. Hopefully he can keep building on that.
Q: It’s probably a bit mean to nitpick over his game, but do you have a word to him about kicking backwards 30m to Lachie Neale when he is 15m out?
A: Not really. I just thought it was Joe trying to be selfless. We are trying to build a selfless team. Every now and then it probably goes overboard. From a coaching perspective, I’m happy enough to see that. I know what it’s all about.
Q: What did you make of Charlie Cameron’s game? Brayden Maynard got on top, but the way he kept working, kept bobbing up, to finish with six goal. With a small forward it can be feast or famine. You must have been impressed with that?
A: Yeah. Good for Charlie to kick six. Last week he kicked two, I thought he played one of his best games, he created many opportunities for others. Tonight it was his turn to get on the scoreboard. I thought he took all his opportunities. Continued to compete when Maynard got on top there. Got his just reward.
Q: Just the door was kept ajar for you guys today to possibly sneak into the top four. Have you still got an eye on that in the hopes you may be able to force your way in?
A: I don’t know. We just want to try and be in our best form coming into finals. Because it’s a little bit out of our control, isn’t it? The Dogs win next week, then we can’t get in, even if we do win. So, we will just concentrate on what we have been doing the last few weeks, trying to get better as a team around all different elements of our game. And if we get a bit of luck with that next week, then so be it. If we don’t, we have to play an elimination final every week and see how far we can go.
Q: It’s probably counterintuitive, but is there a good side to that? If you finish fifth you will - most likely COVID permitting - be playing at the Gabba in front of a home crowd?
A: Yeah. Well, that’s the idea. The home final’s always a fantastic advantage. We will get one of those. COVID, I suppose it depends on COVID, what’s happening around the country. Hopefully we can score the first home final up here. Then try and put in a good performance and make the most of that opportunity.
Q: It is your third year of going into finals now. Have you learnt anything from the past couple of years with the lead-in to finals and are you more steeled for your run into finals? Is there anything different that comes with experience?
A: Hard to say. You know, previous two years we were in a fight for the top four. We had to play to the end, you know. This year, as we talked about before, we need luck to get there. But the thing that’s a bit different about us this year, I believe, despite the fact we finished in second place on the ladder the previous two years, I think our best football this year’s been the best football I have seen the Lions play over the course of the last three years. So, if we can reproduce it on a consistent basis, we’re going to give teams a lot of trouble and that’s the thing that’s heartening about our efforts so far.
The resting of Lance Franklin posed no issues for Sydney, but North Melbourne proved a tougher adversary than most expected at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night. The Swans survived a spirited fightback by the Kangaroos to return to the winners’ list with a 14-point victory that consigned their rivals to their first wooden spoon in almost half a century. Click here to read the full report.
Errol Gulden kicks while being tackled at Marvel Stadium.Credit:Getty
Joe Daniher is pure football box office. In the first quarter against Collingwood at the Gabba on Saturday night, he kicked two goals, handed off two others, ran in for an attempted third which came unstuck when a second bounce went awry, kicked another that was overturned by a free kick, and flew for a goal-square mark that jumped from his grasp. Click here to read the full report.
Joe Daniher.Credit:Getty Images
Collingwood caretaker coach Robert Harvey spoke to the media after the game...
Q: It isn’t often your side gets taken apart defensively like that. What happened?
A: Unfortunately, probably 15 minutes into the second quarter we just started losing guys one by one, I thought. And you’re right. It was an aberration for us. We have been fighting on really resilienty all year. I thought this was the one we just didn’t fight back from, unfortunately. I know a lot of young kids in the team. But in the end, we should have - we liked to be more competitive. They are a hardened, experienced team. Finals-bound. But we should have - we pride ourselves on being better. We pride ourselves on fighting it out well all year. This is the one we haven’t. Players... Players are hurting. They are hurting obviously. I know these guys a long time. They are proud. To see them like they are now, is really disappointing. We have got a week to go to be able to make sure it is an aberration, put our best foot forward next week.
Q: Does fatigue play a role in the circumstances by Round 21 when your side is not likely to be - nowhere near finals?
A: Yeah. I’m not sure. Obviously, conditions are different. We sort of are used to it a bit
from last year. No. I just like in the end, it got all too much a bit today. In that second quarter and couldn’t find our way back. We found our way back all year. Disappointing we couldn’t find a way back with our competitiveness today. Just couldn’t find enough to be able to dig in and be competitive long enough, and that’s a lesson. But young kids learnt harshly today. The older guys are hurting too. We have to bounce back and make sure we put our best foot forward next week. We don’t think like that. That is an aberration like that.
Q: A lot of your contested ball clearance, the stuff around the contest was pretty even. But obviously the inside 50s was an avalanche to Brisbane. Why do you think you struggle to arrest that?
A: Yeah. They play this brand really well, the conditions well. We know they love that surge game. We fed into it too much in the first half. Particularly the second quarter where we just kept going back to their pressure. They are too good. Numbers were even. But they weren’t even. They were much, much cleaner. Much better. The surge game. We felt the pressure and couldn’t manage or handle it. The numbers are misleading in that regard. Yeah. We’re not fooled by that. Yeah. They played a better surge brand of footy tonight.
Q: Oliver Henry, the kids slow glimpses. That is something you can build on when you see young kids provide brief glimpses of hope. Two nice goals for Jack Ginnivan too.
A: I think so. Both those boys did fight on. Obviously there wasn’t a lot of supply. They both played forward. I thought they both kept working. They have great futures. Exciting for the club going forward. They are learning it isn’t talent but work rate. They battled on and were able to get something out of the game when there wasn’t much to get out of it. I thought they fought on well.
Charlie Cameron was huge for the Lions with six goals and he spoke to Channel Seven after the game as well...
Q: That forward line group is starting to click again, isn’t it.
A: Yeah. Coming along well. Obviously flowing from last weekend we were able to play in front and together as a team. Scrappy at times. But we were able to get it to ground and our smalls were good on the ground. We were able to win it. Get it going forward. I
thought we were clicking well. Thinking about it like an elimination final going into next couple of weeks. Yeah.
Q: The midfield group, winning the ball. Doing the hard work. Dayne Zorko, the tackle pressure is growing.
A: We knew Collingwood would have a strong midfield, especially with Brodie Grundy. We were able to match, get it forward, surge the ball forward. The forwards were on our toes, predicting a surge kick. That is what we talk about. Scrappy, but at least we get it going forward. Build momentum in our half, instead of just handballing and overusing it.
Q: Equal career-high six goals. You have a great rivalry with Brayden Maynard. You have played on each other a lot. Nice bit of mutual respect between the two of you.
A: I have had a couple of tall defenders. To have another small defender, I had to try and make the most of it, which I did.
Q: You are loving having Nakia Cockatoo with you? Missed two years of footy. Must be great to see him out there.
A: Yeah. Brings another dynamic. He is the X-factor player. Slowly building his fitness up. Obviously playing these sort of games, high pressure games. Bring fitness coming finals time. Good to have that player come in. And have an influence on the game. We lost Cam Rayner, so he is playing that role.
Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko spoke to Channel Seven after the game...
Q: Congratulations. A comprehensive performance from your team. We feel like you couldn’t be better timing your run to the finals?
A: The last month has been tricky with the results. The last two weeks I feel as though we’ve started to play a little bit more like we used to. Tonight, again, we had to pressure Collingwood. They have been in some good form. Knocked off West Coast couple of weeks ago. And last week. Hawthorn got them early but they were coming late. It was important for us to start well tonight. We haven’t actually won a first quarter against Collingwood for a number of years. That was a real key focus for us tonight. We started well. Able to continue on with it.
Q: You must be happy with your own form and your leadership over the last couple of weeks. Your tackle intensity as a team’s been good. You have set the tone there. I think you have had 19 tackles in the last two games. You must feel good about your own game going into finals?
A: Obviously we play a pressure style. That’s my role. My role is to bring pressure. Tonight I was able to do that, last week as well. If we can set the tone in the mildfield, everyone else fall follows.
Q: You must feel confident as a midfield group. You have the surge mentality. Happy to get it inside 50 and get the numbers up behind it. Your forward line, so dangerous. The spread of goalkickers. You must feel confident in the forward line?
A: Definitely. Probably since Eric (Hipwood) went down, there was a couple of weeks where we looked shaky. Tom Fullarton came in and straightened us up. Everyone’s pulled their weight. For us, it’s about a territory game. We want to get it inside 50 and bring the pressure off that. We can get in there enough, we know the forwards can score.
Q: I want to ask you, going back in time, you were running around playing unbelievable footy in the local league in Queensland. Took you a while to break into the AFL. You won four best-and-fairests, for young kids watching, when you were running around, did you doubt yourself? Did you think the opportunity mightn’t come? Or did you have the intent you were going to be a great AFL player?
A: Certainly didn’t think I was going to be a great AFL player! My mentality was never to give up. I was fortunate enough to have Shaun Hart at Broadbeach, had great coaches. Brisbane gave me the opportunity and I don’t want to let them down. I have been able to build off that. Pressure is something I can bring no matter what. You can choose your attitude every week. Pressure is something you can choose. That is the way I have carried it throughout my career.
Q: Do you feel like you have got the game plan that will stack up? Feels like it to me. It feels like a finals-type brand.
A: ‘Fages’ (coach Chris Fagan) has been at Hawthorn. He moulded our games to be finals-like. We’ve had a taste of that in the last few years. We want to go further. We feel as if we’re building and building, every year on what we have been able to achieve. Hopefully we can continue to keep building. I still think there is a few chinks in our armour we need to tidy up, heading into September. It’s great to over the past fortnight get a little bit of that form back.
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