AFL Saturday: Unstoppable Crows prove Essendon who’s boss
BRISBANE Lions star Tom Rockcliff’s teary interview had fans grabbing at tissues as he broke down after the game.
- GWS set for shock axing
- ‘They are obliterating them’
- Freo demolished by Sydney
- Rocket’s massive Suns claim
Live: AFL Saturday
Welcome to AFL Saturday, our coverage of today’s matches:
Sydney 22.11 (143) defeated Fremantle 5.9 (39)
Geelong 11.14 (80) defeated Richmond 9.12 (66)
Brisbane Lions 22.10 (142) defeated Gold Coast 12.12 (84)
Adelaide 18.15 (123) defeated Essendon 12.8 (80)
West Coast 15.10 (100) defeated Carlton 12.11 (83)
AFL Saturday wraps up with a number of big wins under pressure. The Lions suffered an early scare from the Gold Coast in their Queensland derby, but a masterclass from skipper Dayne Beams helped the Brisbane unit pull through with a massive win.
Adelaide once again proved themselves as the league’s number one team with a dominant victory over Essendon, while West Coast kept their season alive with a 17-point win over Carlton as the Blues looked dangerous.
Geelong were able to put a dampener on Richmond’s party, stealing a win out of the Tigers’ mouths in the final quarter. But the biggest win of the night went to Sydney, claiming a 104-point win over Fremantle in an SCG massacre.
10:15pm
Kennedy masterclass as West Coast defy Blues
Star forward Josh Kennedy booted six goals as West Coast overcame a major scare to beat Carlton by 17 points in Saturday night’s AFL clash at Domain Stadium. The Eagles appeared set for an easy victory after opening up a 35-point lead late in the second quarter.
But aided by a strong breeze, Carlton booted the next six goals to open up a shock six-point advantage.
A Kennedy goal just before three-quarter time settled West Coast’s nerves, and the Eagles kicked five goals to three in the final quarter to secure the 15.10 (100) to 12.11 (83) win in front of 30,491 fans.
Kennedy’s haul of 6.3 catapulted him to the top of the Coleman medal race with 60 goals, an even more-impressive achievement given he missed five games with a calf injury.
Essendon’s Joe Daniher sits second with 59.
The victory lifts West Coast (11-9) into seventh spot on the table ahead of tough matches against flag fancies GWS (away) and Adelaide (home). The Eagles will need to win at least one of those to have a chance of reaching the finals, with percentage set to play a critical role in the eventual make-up of the top eight.
Carlton (5-15) are just 5.3 per cent ahead of the last-placed Lions, who thrashed Gold Coast earlier on Saturday at the Gabba.
The Blues dominated the inside 50m count 32-17 in the opening half, but failed to convert their opportunities.
Three goals to Eagles forward Jamie Cripps gave them a three-point edge at quarter-time, and Kennedy blew the game apart in the second term with three goals.
Carlton were left to rue a series of missed set shots. Levi Casboult marked inside 50m on the stroke of halftime, only to kick it to a teammate as the siren sounded.
The game turned on its head in the third quarter as Carlton surged with the wind.
Youngster Jack Silvagni missed a sitter from just 20m out, but he made up for it with two goals for the term.
And when Blaine Boekhorst kicked truly late in the term, Carlton were up by six points and a boilover loomed.
But the Eagles had two things in their favour - Kennedy up forward, and a gale- force breeze to kick with in the last quarter.
Both factors proved pivotal, with Kennedy adding two more goals to his tally to keep West Coast’s finals hopes alive.
10pm
Crows crush Essendon, West Coast show Carlton who is boss
Adelaide have left Essendon’s AFL finals hopes in tatters, downing the Bombers by 43 points in an Etihad Stadium shootout.
The top-of-the-ladder Crows led at every break on Saturday night and survived a Cale Hooker-inspired Bombers comeback to post an 18.15 (123) to 12.8 (80) victory.
Gun forwards Josh Jenkins and Mitch McGovern booted three goals apiece while Matt Crouch (35 disposals, seven clearances) was dominant in the middle. Adelaide had powered their way to a comfortable lead before Hooker turned the game with a huge second half.
The reinvented key forward booted two goals in quick succession midway through the third quarter to rouse the crowd from their slumber.
Former skipper Jobe Watson, who earlier in the week announced he would retire at the end of the season, brought the house down moments later when he kicked truly on the run.
Hooker then booted a 55m goal - his fourth for the night - to cut the margin to 19 points and give the Bombers hope of a miracle comeback.
But the clinical Crows had all the answers, snatching the momentum back with goals to Smith and Jenkins on the verge of three-quarter time. Jenkins proved the chief destroyer for the Crows in the final quarter, adding two more majors to his tally to put the result beyond doubt. There were positives for the Bombers despite the result, with Hooker and excitement machine Joe Daniher combining for seven goals.
Top draft pick Andrew McGrath meanwhile achieved the rare feat of holding Crows genius Eddie Betts goalless in an excellent shutdown role.
But in a game where both sides didn’t hesitate to take the game on, the clinical Crows were too polished and too potent up forward.
The result leaves the Crows six points clear of second-placed Greater Western Sydney, with a home final virtually guaranteed.
Essendon will finish the round outside of the top eight with just two games remaining.
The Bombers will start favourites against Gold Coast (away) and Fremantle (home) but even if they win both games, it may not be enough to secure a finals berth.
In the west, West Coast got the best of Carlton in the final quarter after the Blues gave the Eagles a mighty fright, levelling the score as the third quarter came to a close.
— AAP
7:40pm
Rockliff’s emotional interview
Lions star Tom Rockliff broke down in tears as he paid tribute to his cousin who passed last week.
The 27-year-old revealed his family’s struggle to Cameron Mooney in an interview after the match.
“I lost my cousin earlier in the week,” he said. “(He was) under 27. It’s been a pretty tough week for the family. But it’s a good result to get a couple and I know he’s watching down on us so it’s been tough. But we’ll fight through it as a family.”
Rockliff helped Brisbane home to a huge victory over the Suns, booting three of the Lions’ 22 goals in the Queensland derby at the Gabba.
7:15pm
Suns flattened by rampaging Lions
Different coach, same result for the besieged Gold Coast AFL club.
Brisbane took a step toward avoiding the wooden spoon with a thumping 58-point home win on Saturday as an injury-hit Suns began life after sacked coach Rodney Eade just like it ended - with another loss.
Usually a team is never more dangerous than in their first game with a new coach. But, there was no rebound factor under interim Suns mentor Dean Solomon despite some encouraging early signs at the Gabba.
Gold Coast began full of energy to lead by 22 points in the second term after four-goal hero Jack Martin cut loose but hit the wall in the second half. Lions skipper Dayne Beams (four goals, 32 touches) stood tall during the early Suns onslaught before sparking Brisbane’s brutal response in front of 17,772 Gabba fans.
In the end, Brisbane ran out 22.10 (142) to 12.12 (84) winners with Tom Rockliff (24 touches) and Jake Barrett both kicking three goals. Beams kicked a steadying goal as Gold Coast cruised to a 21-point lead at the first break before booting his second to help Brisbane grab the lead for the first time on the stroke of halftime - 9.4 (58) to 8.9 (57). Brisbane never looked back, boosting their hopes of dodging the wooden spoon. The Lions (5-15 tally) are on 20 points along with Carlton and North Melbourne, but have played an extra game.
They finish their season against Melbourne (away) and North Melbourne (home). Gold Coast were always going to struggle without Pearce Hanley (hamstring), Gary Ablett (hamstring) and Tom Lynch (knee), but Solomon would have hoped for some more fight after the Suns sacked Eade on Monday night.
Brisbane lead the Queensland derby tally 9-5.
Martin cut loose to kick three goals in four minutes and help Gold Coast grab a 6.5 (41) to 3.2 (20) first-quarter lead.
Beams stood up and midfielder Lewis Taylor (25 touches, two goals) took charge as Brisbane hit back to edge the visitors by one point at halftime. The Suns ran out of gas in the third term as the Lions banged home six unanswered goals to grab a commanding 33-point lead at the final break.
— AAP
5:26pm
Rocket’s Suns smackdown
Rodney Eade has every right to be a little bitter.
He has already been sounded out about other roles in the football industry so he sees no point being a prisoner of the past.
There was even a good chance he’ll tune into Saturday night’s QClash at the Gabba.
The former Gold Coast senior coach was sacked by the Suns on Monday with the club lurching to the end of another disappointing campaign.
When Eade first accepted the job at the end of 2014, it appeared he had inherited a shiny new Ferrari that had barely got out of first gear.
But unbeknown to him, Eade was sold a lemon. The club had significant cultural problems with poor behaviour off the field from an influential section of the playing group, poor training standards and a low football IQ among the number of significant issues that lay under the surface.
The veteran coach went as far on Saturday as saying had he known the extent of the club’s issues, he would not have taken on the job.
“No. Not at all,” Eade told ABC radio on Saturday when asked if he’d have taken the role with full knowledge.
“There were a lot of things that surprised me and keep happening. You turn over another rock, whether it’s June or July and you think you’re on top of it and something else happens.
“I mean there’s a few things that got out publicly but there’s a lot of things that are kept in house as well that people don’t know about ... all those factors involved, no I wouldn’t have done it.”
Eade says helping turn that culture around is his proudest achievement at the Suns but it took two long, hard years.
“I felt like this was my first year coaching at the club,’’ Eade said.
“Most coaches get four, five, six years but it is what it is.
“I was aware of the speculation but I was still positive about my chances of going on.
“I’m fine now. I was disappointed at the time (Monday night). I thought it was premature after the trouble we had for two years setting some foundations for a whole range of different things.
“Even though the results weren’t there this year, I still thought we were headed in the right direction.
“You have a mixture of emotions but I’ve moved on. I’m a person that doesn’t get stuck in a rut. There is no point wallowing and looking in the past.
“I feel like my legacy at the Suns was to really set the culture right. It’s not a winning culture at this stage but I’d like to think it’s a culture of professionalism and standards and behaviours and a good frame work about leadership.’’
Eade said there was “no doubt’’ the job was different to the one that was advertised after Guy McKenna was sacked.
“If I have a regret, it’s not knowing the extent of what was going on before I got the job,’’ he said.
“I was told the facilities were very poor. I was warned about that but there were other things that were eye openers.
“We were coming from a long way back.”
Eade’s tenure was decimated by a horror injury run but he refuses to use that as an excuse for the 16-46 record as senior coach on the tourist strip.
“Injuries are a big part of football. They expose your depth but everyone gets injuries,’’ he said.
“Obviously they (injuries) weren’t taken into account (when his job was assessed).
“People make decisions on coaches. I made decisions every week about players and again at the end of seasons about their careers.
“Someone has made that decision on me. You don’t like it, you don’t agree with it. But you respect it and move on.’’
Eade has already been sounded out by football industry insiders for possible new roles.
“It’s very early days but there’s been a few little nibbles. There has been some calls and interest via different people. Hopefully something will be concrete in the next month or so,’’ he said.
Eade said both the Suns and Lions would “taste success and play finals in the future’’ but the AFL needed to be in for the long financial haul in the frontier state.
He said the extensive work at the grassroots level and academies would also reap rewards.
Eade is unsure what the future holds for Gary Ablett Jnr.
“He is still under contract so it’s the club’s decision. He hasn’t asked (to leave) and it depends on whether Geelong want him or not but I respect his family situation as well.’’
— Greg Davis, The Courier Mail
4:50pm
Cats down Richmond in thriller
Geelong has run away from Richmond in the final quarter, bringing home a 14-point win over the fourth-placed side.
The Cats were fielding a seriously depleted side with heavyweights Joel Selwood, Tom Hawkins and Mitch Duncan all unavailable for the Round 21 clash, but four goals to Harry Taylor in conjunction with a strong midfield effort led by Patrick Dangerfield helped them over the line.
The victory continued the Cats’ streak against Richmond, making it the 13th time they’ve taken a win over the Tigers in a row.
“We’re incredibly disappointed and frustrated,” Lyon said on Fox Footy after the match.
“It’s not the level of competition that’s expected at this level. We’ve embarrassed ourselves at this point.”
“They’ve won the ball, there’s no pressure. I think 17 players haven’t had a tackle so it’s mindset and attitude. We can’t coach that.”
Harry Taylor fittingly kicked the last goal of the game, his fourth, as Geelong won 11.14 (80) to 9.12 (66) on Saturday at Simonds Stadium.
With full-forward Tom Hawkins suspended, Taylor played a great game on Alex Rance – surely this season’s All-Australian full-back.
Taylor made sure Rance stayed accountable and the Cats were able to unsettle the Richmond defence, until Saturday the best-performed in the league this season. Cats star Patrick Dangerfield returned from suspension to rack up a game-high 30 possessions and was prominent in the frantic last quarter, when Geelong kicked three goals to two.
Steven Motlop made a strong return to form after returning from a fortnight out and also kicked a last-quarter goal for the Cats.
Apart from Hawkins, the Cats also had lost captain Joel Selwood to an ankle injury and Mitch Duncan was suspended.
It meant Richmond started favourite, but instead they lost their 13th-straight game against the Cats.
Richmond and Geelong swapped spots on the ladder, with the Tigers dropping to fourth.
The Tigers drew first blood, kicking the opening two goals inside five minutes with the aid of a stiff breeze.
But the Cats settled quickly and only trailled by two points at quarter time. Former Cat Josh Caddy was forced out of the game late in the first quarter with a hamstring injury after kicking the opening goal.
With Taylor having the better of Rance and Motlop showing a much-needed return to form, Geelong took control in the second term.
They kicked five goals to one and led by a game-high 28 points early in the third.
But four-straight behinds kept the door open for Richmond and the Tigers showed why they are in the top four with a big rally.
Richmond kicked the only four goals of the third quarter to trail by just six points at the last break.
Midfielder Dion Prestia had 29 disposals for the Tigers and fellow midfielders Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin also were prominent.
— with AAP
4:12pm
Swans absolutely demolish Freo
Fremantle had a day to forget at the SCG, failing miserably against the Swans in a demoralising 104-point loss.
Sydney’s forward pack had a field day as seven stars finished the match with two or more goals. Lance Franklin was at his usual best, slotting in four from the front as Freo collapsed defensively.
The monumental loss was Freo’s biggest loss since 2010 and also Ross Lyon’s biggest in his entire coaching career.
Been watching @afl for over 40 yrs, never been at a more one sided game than this. #AFLSwansFreo
— Dave Hughes (@DHughesy) August 12, 2017
Franklin kicked just one goal in each of his past two games but booted four on Saturday afternoon, all in the first half, to help the Swans to a 22.11 (143) to 5.9 (39) victory.
The result was never in doubt, as Sydney kicked 16 of the first 17 goals in front of a season-high home crowd of 39,281.
It is Sydney’s highest score of the season and their biggest winning margin. It is Sydney’s 12th win in their past 14 games and keeps them in contention for a top-four spot.
Seven Sydney players kicked two or more goals with 12 bagging at least one major.
The Swans’ relentless pressure proved too much for a Fremantle side who couldn’t match the home team’s hunger or work rate. The Dockers crashed to their equal sixth-biggest loss.
Luke Parker contributed 29 possessions and three goals for Sydney, who kicked eight goals in the first quarter and brought up their century six minutes into the second half.
Down by 75 points at halftime, by which time they had only kicked one goal, Fremantle improved marginally in the second half.
The only injury concern for Sydney was defender Nic Newman, who limped off the ground.
— with AAP
1pm
GWS set for shock axing
The Greater Western Sydney Giants have a big dilemma on its hands.
GWS are flying in second spot on the AFL ladder and are making a strong run towards the finals.
The club has been hit by injuries all season, but still have Shane Mumford, Jeremy Cameron and Devon Smith to come back into the side.
That presents an interesting equation at the selection table, and one former Bronwlow Medallist Adam Cooney feels will see a AFL star sidelined.
Cooney says Steve Johnson will be forced to make way, given his inconsistent form this campaign.
“They’re finding form at the right part of the season,” Cooney told Fox Sports.
“Finding themselves in the top two at the moment, it just goes to show their best football is ahead of them. When Devon Smith comes back into the side, there’s real questions that need to be asked about Stevie Johnson.
“Where do they fit him in the line-up? Is he in their best 22?
“Brett Deledio has come into the side and is playing that half forward role. You can’t play Devon Smith, Brett Deledio and Steve Johnson in the same side.”
Johnson announced his retirement during the week, and will be hoping to end his career with a fourth AFL premiership.
The 34-year-old has made his name in finals footy, but Cooney doubts he will take his place in 2017.
“We know Steve Johnson is a finals specialist,” Cooney said.
“He’s not playing career best football at the moment, we know that, he’s just announced his retirement, does Leon Cameron back him in to get the job done in those big games?
“You can’t have them all in the same side. If it was down to Devon Smith, Brett Deledio or Steve Johnson — you’d have to go with Devon Smith and Brett Deledio.”
1pm
‘Suns got it wrong’
One of the country’s most successful coaches says AFL clubs need to do a better job of recruiting a coach to suit their needs at a given time.
Australian netball mentor Lisa Alexander has criticised Gold Coast’s sacking of head coach Rodney Eade, saying he would be the perfect coach to lead the Suns now, not when he was hired three seasons ago.
Melbourne-based Alexander is heavily involved in the AFL world, invited by then- AFL football operations boss Mark Evans to speak at and observe the inaugural level four coaching course in 2015.
Many of the men in line to replace Eade were part of that class, one Alexander described as exemplary.
But she said it was unfortunate that the club is looking for a replacement at all.
“It’s quite a good group ... (Carlton assistant) John Barker comes to mind as accomplished and ready ... whether he wants that challenge is probably the real question,” she said.
“I saw Stuart Dew and Adam Kingsley in action ... there’s enough quality there.
“But clubs, other than probably Brisbane and Carlton of late, don’t do enough work on identifying who they need at that time.”
She said Eade’s expertise had him placed as the ideal candidate to take the team forward from this point, not when he inherited a club in desperate need of structural change three seasons ago.
“Rodney should be taking over now — that’s his expertise,” the Diamonds coach said.
Evans is now chief executive of the Gold Coast Suns, and could easily lean on Alexander for advice as he continues the internal review that forced Eade’s exit and may result in more changes before the season is out.
“You’ve got to look after people in this industry; even though it is cutthroat, you need to be strategic and use the talent that is there,”
Alexander said when asked if other Suns coaching staff should follow Eade out the door.
Future of long-serving AFL coach revealed
After battling all manner of pressure to keep his job in 2024, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has confirmed his and the club’s plans for the future.
‘Rejuvenation’: Why Tigers are excited
While there’s “a rejuvenation” at Richmond courtesy of its draftees, the club’s new chief executive has no set expectations for coach Adem Yze.
The ‘cashed-up bogans’ that ruled like no other
Tax-exempt and answerable to no-one, the AFL has wielded unrivalled power and influence over Australia’s sporting landscape this century. But who is the true top dog?