Bone’s Team of the Week: Best Buddy shines
LANCE ‘Buddy’ Franklin produced a vintage performance against the Giants as the big names started gearing up for finals. See who made Chris McDermott’s team for Round 22, including a trio of Crows, a sole Port player.
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AS finals approach and some teams prepare for summer vacation, the standard of games varies more than any other time this season.
The contenders produce epics like the Melbourne and West Coast clash, GWS and Sydney, Richmond and Essendon while the others, well we’ll just leave that to your own imagination.
The same can be said for the stars of the game.
Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin produced a vintage performance against the Giants to almost single-handedly carry his team to victory kicking five big goals in the Swans 20 point win.
Teammate Luke Parker was also back to his best gathering 33 possessions as the Swans look to secure a top-four finish at the end of the minor round.
Geelong forward Tom Hawkins was at it again, kicking six and giving another two away in the Cats’ absolute demolition of a dismal Fremantle in Geelong.
Brandan Parfitt joined the party kicking 4 of his own and handing his teammates another 3.
The Cats kicked a record-breaking 23 consecutive goals as Dockers coach Ross Lyon faced a barrage of questions on his future.
Richmond wrapped up top spot on the ladder and the minor premiership with a narrow eight-point win over Essendon.
Josh Caddy starred in attack, kicking four goals but it was that man Dustin Martin who stole the show, kicking four of his own while gathering 26 possessions as he warmed up for another big September.
The Tigers had four players in this week’s team with defender Alex Rance producing his best game in recent weeks in defence along with Dylan Grimes who produced a round-high 16 one percenters.
On the home front Port Adelaide’s disappointing performance against Collingwood saw Stevie Motlop as their only member of this round’s team.
Motlop produced one of his best performances of the year gathering 28 possessions with 8 inside 50s.
It was a different story for the Crows in their narrow win over North Melbourne with Matt Crouch running amok, gathering a whopping 46 possessions while half back flanker Rory Laird was not far behind him with 41.
The Crows’ duo were the only two players in the AFL to have in excess of 40 possessions this round and both, quite rightly found spots in the TOTW.
Special mention and congratulations must go to the Crows’ third TOTW member in veteran Andy Otten.
A late replacement for injured defender Alex Keath, Otten was given the responsibility for stopping Kangaroos forward Ben Brown and he did it to perfection, holding him to just four disposals and one solitary point.
Well done, Andy!
Originally published as Bone’s Team of the Week: Best Buddy shines