AFL 2024: Follow live updates, SuperCoach scores on Easter Sunday

Richmond won a heartstopper and the Dogs smashed the Eagles. And it was a day of SuperCoach surprises. Recap all the action and analysis here.

Tim English of the Bulldogs.

Richmond has given Adem Yze his first win as an AFL coach in a heartstopper at the MCG.

Despite missing stars including Dustin Martin, Dion Prestia, Jacob Hopper and Dylan Grimes, the Tigers held on to withstand a late Sydney surge and record a five-point win.

Earlier, the Western Bulldogs inflicted a horror Sunday afternoon on West Coast.

The Eagles kicked just three goals for the day and went for two full quarters of game time without registering a major as the Dogs piled on the pain.

See full stats and SuperCoach points in the match centre above

7:10pm: LATE BREAKING SUPERCOACH NEWS

Geelong has dropped Shaun Mannagh for its Easter Monday clash against Hawthorn.

The mature-age recruit, owned by 36 per cent of SuperCoach teams, is one of three changes that also include promoting young ruckman Toby Conway for his first game of the year.

Hawthorn has dropped tagger Finn Maginness.

See the full teams here.

Meanwhile, Saint Marcus Windghager has ben offered a one-match ban by the match review panel.

6:36pm: FULL-TIME SUPERCOACH LEADERS

All hail Nick Vlastuin. The dam wall in defence for the Tigers scored an insane 74 points in the final term to finish with 170 for the game – and an average of 123 over his first four games this year.

170 – Nick Vlastuin

147 – Isaac Heeney

127 – Tim Taranto

124 — Jake Lloyd, Shai Bolton

121 – Rhyan Mansell

117 – Daniel Rioli

110 – Brodie Grundy

Nick Vlastuin is having a fantastic season. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

6:31pm: TIGERS HOLD ON!

Breathe again Richmond fans!

The Swans hammered the goals in the final minute but Rhyan Mansell cleared the danger with the best torpedo punt of his life and Adem Yze has his first win as Richmond coach – by five points in an absolute epic.

“A win for the ages,” says Garry Lyon on Fox Footy.

What a game.

6:27pm: OH BOY

Shai Bolton could have iced the clock but he bombed to the goalsquare, Sydney won the footy and go the length of the ground – and Errol Gulden goals!

One straight kick in it with two minutes left.

6:20pm: TIGERS BLOWING CHANCES

Seth Campbell (twice) and Tom Lynch have blazed away and missed in the past couple of minutes.

Can they find the knockout blow?

The margin is 11 with seven minutes to play.

6:12pm: ERROL EVERYWHERE

Errol Gulden has had seven disposals in as many minutes and the Tigers defence is under siege.

But they counter punch with a goal to Shai Bolton. This is some sort of game!

Nick Vlastuin has had an absolutely enormous second half – he’s up to 134 SuperCoach points.

6:06pm: HERE COME THE SWANS

Sydney has the first two goals of the final quarter and Tom Papley is doing laps of the MCG high-fiving anyone he can find.

The margin is four points all of a sudden and the most worrying sign for the Tigers could be Errol Gulden coming to life with two big clearances this quarter.

Papley snaps on the left and the Swans are making their charge 👀#AFLTigersSwanspic.twitter.com/pBT6alOXPf

— AFL (@AFL) March 31, 2024

6:00pm: THREE QUARTER-TIME SUPERCOACH LEADERS

Wow, is a massive upset on the cards here? The Tigers lead by 16 with a quarter to go.

SuperCoach leaders:

117 – Isaac Heeney

104 – Liam Baker

101 – Jake Lloyd

98 – Tim Taranto

96 – Nick Vlastuin

91 – Daniel Rioli

Maurice Rioli backs his pace. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

5:54pm: WHERE JORDON?

James Jordon and Errol Gulden are having very quiet afternoons so far.

Jordon has eight disposals and 41 SuperCoach points, and Gulden has been even quieter. He has 16 touches but at the almost unheard of for him efficiency of just 56 per cent.

That equates to a score of 30 SuperCoach points in the shadows of three-quarter time.

5:58pm: FIVE IN A ROW!

Tim Taranto makes it five goals in a row for Richmonsd and they’re out to a 14-point lead.

The only worry is Shai Bolton who looks a bit sore after copping some friendly fire.

But it’s all going Richmond’s way right now as they swarm on any ball that hits the ground.

5.40pm: TIGERS SETTING MCG ALIGHT

Richmond have come to life in the third quarter at the MCG. Mykelti Lefau has just kicked his second goal and the Tigers are 10 points up.

The Tigers’ pressure has put Sydney under the pump, with FoxFooty’s pressure gauge measuring 223 to 177 Richmond’s way.

“This is fun to watch if you’re a Richmond fan,” says Dwayne Russell in commentary.

Liam Baker leads all comers with 90 points, with Isaac Heeney just a point behind him.

Dane Rampe also didn’t emergy after the half-time break with hamstring tightness, with Corey Warner taking the green vest off.

5:10pm: HALFTIME SUPERCOACH LEADERS

Sydney wrestled its way on top in that quarter and Robbie Fox sticks a dagger in the Tigers with a 55m goal sailing through as the halftime siren sounds.

SuperCoach leaders:

77 – Liam Baker

74 – Nick Blakey

71 – Daniel Rioli

69 – Jake Lloyd, Shai Bolton

67 – Isaac Heeney

62 – James Rowbottom

58 – Matt Roberts

55 – Brodie Grundy

5:00pm: BAKER FIRES UP SWANS

A late hit from Liam Baker has flattened Lewis Melican and drawn the ire of his teammates.

Baker crashed into the Swans defender from the front after he took a mark. He hit the ground hard but it didn’t look high – but the MRO will take a close look at it for sure.

Meanwhile, Isaac Heeney kicks Sydney’s fourth goal in a row to put the Swans in front for the first time today.

Can the Tigers respond?

4:53pm: GRUNDY GOING LARGE

Just over 4000 SuperCoaches traded out Brodie Grundy this week, but he has started hot at the MCG.

He has nine disposals, two tackles and three free kicks for – and none against – and 53 SuperCoach points halfway through the second quarter.

Brodie Grundy wins a clearance. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

4:37pm: QUARTER-TIME LEADERS
A dream start from the Tigers. They’ve made some mistakes but are having a serious dip. Early SuperCoach leaders:

42 – Daniel Rioli

36 – Isaac Heeney

35 – Shai Bolton

34 – Jake Lloyd

33 – Tim Taranto, Liam Baker, Ben Miller

4:30pm: SCENES AT MCG AS MYKELTI KICKS HIS FIRST

Richmond players have come from everywhere to congratulate second-gamer Mykelti Lefau for his first goal in AFL footy.

The New Zealander didn’t make it easy for himself, kicking a banana from 15m after winning a free kick almost on the goal line.

Matt Hill on commentary: “Mykelti Lefau, take a bow.”

The Tigers are up and about early!

The Tigers get around Mykelti Lefau after his first AFL goal 💛🖤@Toyota_Auspic.twitter.com/hPzaHEArA7

— AFL (@AFL) March 31, 2024

4:22pm: TIGERS BOLT OUT OF BLOCKS

A strong start from Richmond, with goals to Shai Bolton and Tom Lynch – from a trademark pack mark at the top of the goalsquare – giving the Tigers an early lead.

They are going to work at the clearances with Tim Taranto on fire early after a slow start to the season.

Shai makes the Swans pay 🐯#AFLTigersSwanspic.twitter.com/UtMdOFomqI

— AFL (@AFL) March 31, 2024

4:07pm: TIGERS DRAW FIRST BLOOD

Rhyan Mansell snaps the first goal of the game after a bit of magic from Shai Bolton.

3:55pm: TIGERS ‘HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE’

Adem Yze is embracing the challenge before today’s clash against Sydney.

“We’ve got nothing to lose,”he said on Fox Footy pre-match, stading on the boundary line in perfect conditions at the MCG.

“I reckon I’d kick five today in conditions like this,” the Tigers coach said with a laugh.

3:33pm: DOGS WIN – BY A LOT

The siren sounds to record a 76-point win for the Bulldogs, who kicked 16 of the last 17 goals of the game.

Bizarre to think the Eagles led this one late in the first quarter – that feels like a very long time ago.

Full-time SuperCoach leaders:

124 – Tim English, Adam Treloar

123 – Laitham Vandermeer

120 – Jeremy McGovern

116 – Bailey Williams

111 – Aaron Naughton

108 – Marcus Bontempelli

3:30pm: ‘A DARK DAY’ FOR EAGLES

West Coast is going to register its lowest ever score at Marvel Stadium, which currently stands at 52.

“It’s a dark day for this football club,” says caller Kelli Underwood on Fox Footy.

Dermott Brereton says the fact the Dogs could sub out Tom Liberatore is a terrible sign for the visitors.

“You can’t have games like that if they just go on forever like this, for several years, you’ve got to do something to your system to get better.”

3:20pm: BONT GOES BANG

You can’t stop this man ... although a little help from the umpires with a downfield free kick doesn’t hurt.

Eleven contested possessions, eight score involvements and eight tackles all make a strong day for the skipper – all stats, along with his three goals, rewarded by Champion Data in the SuperCoach scoring formula.

Just 16 disposals but three of them are goals and Marcus Bontempelli cracks the #supercoach ton 🙌

Follow live >> https://t.co/RDF8L1Q8lZ#AFLDogsEagles | #supercoachpic.twitter.com/ASL6nPp1jc

— SuperCoach AFL (@Supercoach) March 31, 2024

3:16pm: DROUGHT BROKEN!

Jamie Cripps pounces on a loose ball 15m out and he can’t miss this one.

The Eagles’ second goal came at the 16-minute mark of the first quarter and their second at the 16-minute mark of the final quarter.

Phew!

3:15pm: WEST COAST NIGHTMARE

Jack Petrocelle has a set shot from 35m to try to break West Coast’s goal drought – their last major came midway through the first quarter.

He fails to score and the Dogs take the ball the length of the ground, where Marcus Bontempelli marks at the top of the goalsquare and boots his second for the day.

The Eagles remain on 2.9 with nine minutes to play.

It’s a tough gig for Eagles coach Adam Simpson. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

3:10pm: FINAL TEAMS FOR TIGERS v SWANS

There are no late changes for the 4pm game. Sam Banks is Richmond’s sub while the Swans have named Corey Warner as their starting sub.

3:02pm: DOGS SHOCK SUB

The Bulldogs have made their sub at three-quarter time with Caleb Poulter replacing Tom Liberatore.

The move is tactical according to the Dogs’ social media account. More than 7000 SuperCoaches won’t be happy!

Catching up on SuperCoach leaders as the Dogs’ lead stretches to 59 points.

116 – Tim English

99 – Laitham Vandermeer

97 – Jeremy McGovern

95 – Adam Treloar

93 – Bailey Williams

90 – Tim Kelly

The Bont is on 82.

2:48pm: EAGLES ACTIVATE SUB

Luke Edwards is into the game for the Eagles, replacing Tyler Brockman who is out of the game under concussion protocols.

2:44pm: BONT STAT WATCH

Not a lot of action to report in the third term. The Dogs are now on a run of 10 straight goals – and Marcus Bontempelli is having a quiet one.

His third disposal for the term – No.9 for the game – is a handball to Caleb Daniel who kicks a goal. The score assist takes him to 64 SuperCoach points for the game.

The high ratio is evidence of his impact per disposal.

Tim English is the runaway SuperCoach leader on 95.

Bont can't get near it #supercoach

— Supercoach (YEAH NA CHEERS) (@NaCheers) March 31, 2024

Captain Bont’s heat map 🤮
Can’t wait for this round to end! #Supercoachpic.twitter.com/asXKQfckxI

— SuperCoach with DR (@Supercoach_DR) March 31, 2024

2:15pm: BONT ON FORWARD EXPERIMENT

Marcus Bontempelli was asked by Fox Footy’s Cam Mooney about playing more as a forward today. He has the unusual stat line at haltime of just four kicks, two handballs, four marks, four tackles and a goal – and 51 SuperCoach points.

“It’s just exploring week to week what it lools like,” he said.

“We’ve got number of guys who have now spent a fair chunk as midfielders in the pre-season. Cody Weightman spent a bit of time there (and) Rhylee West, so it’s more that in transition if I can get forward and end up behind one of them I’ll just push them up and play deep for a bit.”

Might trade Bont to Buku #SuperCoach

— Tim Michell (@tim_michell) March 31, 2024

2:06pm: HALFTIME LEADERS

A run of seven straight goals to the Dogs has broken this one wide open. Tim English is running Bailey Williams off his feet, getting forward to kick two goals.

74 – Tim English, Laitham Vandermeer

64 – Tom Liberatore, Bailey Williams

59 – Adam Treloar

56 – Aaron Naughton

53 – Jeremy McGobern

51 – Marcus Bontempelli, Jake Waterman, Liam Duggan

Cheapie watch – Buku Khamis is the pick of the rookies so far with 47 points. Harley Reid has 28, Ryley Sanders 35 and Sam Darcy 27.

Tyler Brockman provided the first-half highlight for Eagles fans.

Brockman gets up! 🙌@VirginAustralia | #AFLDogsEaglespic.twitter.com/Oca3KVhdzS

— AFL (@AFL) March 31, 2024

1:57pm: WHERE’S BONT?

Marcus Bontempelli records his first touch for the term – a handball – with just even minutes to go until halftime.

He has spebt a lot of the term stationed deep forward. Is that a result of Jack Macrae’s return to the team, some lingering effects of rolling his ankle last week – or just Bevo being Bevo?

Remarkably, Bont has just six dosposals in almost a half of footy. A goal and four tackles have helped him to 49 SuperCoach points.

Bont is mainly playing forward right now, what is Bevo doing??
0 touches for the quarter. Not good for my #supercoach captain

— jye (@jyeabbots23) March 31, 2024

1:45pm: DOGS PUT FOOT DOWN

The Bulldogs have kicked the first three goals of the second term, the last two to Harvey Gallagher, to skip out to a 21-point lead.

But Marcus Bontempelli is yet to touch the footy since quarter-time.

1:32pm: QUARTER-TIME LEADERS
An entertaining opening term that might have planted a tiny seed of doubt in the Dogs’ minds after what happened at the same venue in round 23 last year.

They take a two-point lead into quarter-time after a late Marcus Bontempelli goal. Early SuperCoach leaders:

43 – Tom Liberatore

42 – Marcus Bontempelli

40 – Jake Waterman

37 – Jeremy McGovern

31 – Tim English, Laitham Vandermeer

Chapie watch – Harley Reid has 17 SuperCoach points, Ryley Sanders 15 and Sam Darcy 13.

Ryley Sanders gets a handball away under pressure from Elliot Yeo. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

1:28pm: BONT’S PADDOCK?

Luke Beveridge has stationed his captain in the goalsquare for the final 10 minutes of the first quarter – not a great result for SuperCoaches hoping for a huge disposal count from Marcus Bontempelli.

But he can make up for it with his smarts in front of goal as he marks and boots his first of the day – and now he’s back in the centre square.

1:15pm: BONT GETTING OFF THE LEASH

Elliot Yeo is following Marcus Bontempelli today – and giving him far too long a leash, according to Fox expert Gerard Healy.

He has given Yeo a swipe for affording Bont too much room as he cruises around Marvel Stadium. Bont has two marks and three disposals, defender Buku Khamis is a surprise early leader with seven.

Elliot Yeo chases Marcus Bontempelli. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

1.10pm: EAGLES’ BRIGHT START

West Coast has started strongly and gets the first goal of the game through Jack Williams after going coast to coast from a Jeremy McGovern kick-in.

A reminder the last time these teams met, in round 23 last year, the Eagles knocked off the Dogs by seven points in one of the upsets of the season.

But Marcus Bontempelli has made a serious statement early, throwing Harley Reid aside to take a big contested mark.

Welcome to the big league, Harley

— Rudi Edsall (@RudiEdsall) March 31, 2024

1:02pm: WE’RE AWAY

Harley Reid is starting in the centre square next to Adam Treloar. Tim Kelly v Marcus Bontempelli and Elliot Yeo v Tom Liberatore are the other starting midfield match-ups.

12:57pm: PLAYERS TO WATCH

As well as Marcus Bontempelli, Tim English is on for a day out against Eagles ruckman Bailey Williams who has conceded big SuperCoach numbers to his opponents already this season.

Jack Macrae will play his first AFL game of 2024 after an interrupted pre-season and being made to earn his spot by Luke Beveridge – 46 disposals in the VFL didn’t give him much choice.

And No.1 draft pick Harley Reid will make his first appearance in Melbourne in Eagles colours. He’s the most owned player in SuperCoach – featuring in 80 per cent of teams – and carries the hopes of all Eagles fans.

Harley Reid warms up at Marvel Stadium. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Originally published as AFL 2024: Follow live updates, SuperCoach scores on Easter Sunday