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AFL Saturday: Nick Riewoldt sets all-time record in stunning Saints performance

AN AFL legend has stunned everyone with a “outstanding” performance to put him at the top of an incredible record book.

Tyson Otto and Alex Blair
15 min read
July 8, 2017 - 11:43PM
Nick Riewoldt of the Saints (left) reacts after kicking a goal during the Round 16 AFL match between the St.Kilda Saints and the Richmond Tigers at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Saturday, July 8, 2017. (AAP Image/Julian Smith) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
Nick Riewoldt of the Saints (left) reacts after kicking a goal during the Round 16 AFL match between the St.Kilda Saints and the Richmond Tigers at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Saturday, July 8, 2017. (AAP Image/Julian Smith) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

AFL Saturday

Welcome to AFL Saturday, our coverage of today’s matches:

Hawthorn 14.13 (97) drew Greater Western Sydney 15.7 (97)

Essendon 18.9 (117) defeated Collingwood 12.8 (80)

Sydney 17.16 (118) defeated Gold Coast 7.9 (51)

Geelong 25.13 (163) defeated Brisbane Lions 11.12 (78)

St Kilda 21.12 (138) defeated Richmond 10.11 (71)

AFL Saturday wraps up with two huge wins from Geelong and St Kilda putting Brisbane and Richmond in a state of pain. St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt stamped his name in history books as the most prolific marker the game has ever seen.

Sydney continued their hot streak with a big win over Gold Coast at the SCG, while Essendon rubbed out Collingwood’s hopes of going into September with a 37-point win.

To cap it off, Hawthorn sent GWS home with another loss, the first time a side has completed consecutive draws in 97 years.

10:30pm

Cats dominate struggling Lions

A huge win has the Cats on a roll.
A huge win has the Cats on a roll.

A ten-goal second-quarter has led Geelong to an 85-point trouncing of Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night.

The Lions fell to a 24.13 (163) to 11.12 (78) defeat, despite coming into the game buoyant after their biggest win of the season last week, defeating Essendon at the MCG.

They began promisingly, with the Cats’ nine-point lead at the first break flattering the visitors.

The second quarter was disastrous for the Lions however, with them committing nine clangers as the Cats ran through them with ease, notching ten majors from 19 inside 50 entries to increase their lead to 54.

For the rest of the game the intensity dropped and the teams traded goals in the third quarter, before the Cats pulled away in the fourth to inflict upon the Lions their biggest defeat of the season.

Tom Hawkins kicked four for the Cats with James Parsons and Mark Blicavs also grabbing three.

The win keeps Geelong in third place, now just two points off the top after the Giants’ draw with Hawthorn, while the Lions remain at the foot of the ladder.

— with AAP

10pm

Saints down Tigers in ridiculous victory

St Kilda have torn Richmond to shreds, bursting their bubble with a 67-point AFL demolition at Etihad Stadium.

The Saints played their best football of the season in the second term of the Maddie’s Match fundraiser on Saturday night and won 21.12 (138) to 10.11 (71). The Saints have won four games in a row for the first time since 2011 - their most recent finals appearance.

It’s also St Kilda’s highest score of the season.

By contrast, all the doubts about Richmond’s resilience and bona fides are back with a vengeance.

Their meek surrender was as astonishing as it was appalling. Richmond’s percentage - which will be vital given the tightness of the season - dropped from 112 to 105.

The Tigers held on to fourth spot, but only on percentage, as the Saints rose from eighth to fifth.

A week ago, coach Damien Hardwick was bullish about their style of play following a fine away win over Port Adelaide, saying they were confident it would stand up in finals.

But that depends on effort and application.

The Saints out-pressured and out-tackled them from the start. Leading by 24 points at quarter-time, the Saints hit top gear with 9.5 to a solitary behind.

At the main break, St Kilda led by a whopping 82 points and their score was 92. Before Saturday night, their average score for the season had been 88. They had a game-high lead of 95 points late in the third term. While Saints key forward Tim Membrey kicked five goals, he’s in trouble for a heavy bump on Richmond defender Dylan Grimes late in the second term. Saints veteran Nick Riewoldt had a big night, officially breaking the AFL marks record.

He had 12 on Saturday night and that took him to 2913, passing Gary Dempsey’s 2906.

It was already an important game for Riewoldt, given the Maddie’s Vision charity was formed two years ago after his younger sister died from a rare bone disorder.

Cousin Jack had a dirty night for the Tigers, but kicked the last goal of the match.

Star Saints midfielder Jack Steven was best afield with 33 disposals.

— with AAP

8:40pm

Riewoldt breaks all-time record

Riewoldt is a marking maestro.
Riewoldt is a marking maestro.

AFL legend Nick Riewoldt has broken an incredible record in his dominant first half for the Saints against Richmond.

The 34-year-old passed Gary Dempsey’s biblical record of 2906 marks with his sixth grab of the night. The one-club legend now averages a hair under nine marks a match over 331 games.

The stunning record came as St Kilda blew Richmond away with a breathtaking display to take an 82-point lead going into halftime.

The Saints have pulled off a ridiculous performance in the third, rocking the Tigers to their core as fans scratch thier heads in bemusement. St Kilda now has a lead of over 90 points going into the final quarter.

Meanwhile, the Cats are bullying the Lions with a huge lead going into their halftime break. Dayne Zorko has been the only standout for the struggling side, scoring two goals alongside 17 disposals in the first two terms.

Tom Hawkins, Mark Blicavs and James Parsons all have three goals each for Geelong as the Cats look to close out the match with a huge margin.

7:55pm

Cotchin in trouble for blatant punch

Tigers skipper Trent Cotchin has been reported after landing a gut punch on St Kilda’s Jack Lonie in the first term.

The Richmond star, labelled by Alex Rance as the “best captain in the competition”, let his temper get the better of him and landed the blow with thousands of eyes watching.

Fans took to social media to slam the 27-year-old for his silly blow as the Saints rocketed ahead with a huge lead.

Meanwhile, Geelong has the early lead over the Lions at the Gabba as the struggling home side fight hard to avoid another embarrassment in what has been a horrific season to date.

7:08pm

Swans blast Suns out of the park

The Swans have completed their fifth-straight win, utterly destroying the Suns in a one-sided display at the SCG. Five goals to Gary Rohan topped Sydney’s goalscorers list and put the Suns into a state of misery for the majority of the game.

The Swans have now taken sixth place on the ladder after a horror start to the season.

6:30pm

Rohan hits career-best tally

Gary Rohan is on a warpath.

The Swans gun is making a meal of the Suns’ defence, scoring his fifth goal in the third quarter to bring up a career-best performance. The 26-year-old has embarrassed the Gold Coast, scoring the same amount of goals and just five behinds less than the tourists.

To make matters worse, the Suns went scoreless in the third term.

5:43pm

Rohan leads Swans’ charge with ‘superb’ display

Sydney Swans star Gary Rohan has shot out of the gates with a stunning performance to put the home side in a dominant position going into the halftime break.

The 26-year-old booted a whopping four goals, doubling star forward Lance Franklin’s total by the end of the second term and equalling his career best.

The Suns are lacking in the midfield without Gary Ablett wreaking havoc, but midfielder David Swallow is picking up the slack well, finishing the first half witha total of 21 disposals.

4:53pm

Essendon keep finals hopes alive

Essendon’s AFL season remains alive but Collingwood’s is all but over after the Bombers prevailed by 37 points in a fierce MCG contest.

The Dons led at every break on Saturday and pressed their advantage in the final quarter to claim an 18.9 (117) to 12.8 (80) victory, keeping them in the hunt for a top-eight finish.

Orazio Fantasia led the way with five goals while David Zaharakis, Michael Hurley and Tom Bellchambers were all important.

The defeat leaves the Magpies stranded in the bottom four, with just five wins and 10 losses, and coach Nathan Buckley under massive pressure. Adding to Collingwood’s woes, midfielder Levi Greenwood faces suspension for a behind-play hit on Zach Merrett.

Greenwood is certain to be scrutinised by the match review panel after elbowing Merrett in the jaw in the third quarter.

The star youngster briefly went to the Essendon rooms but returned to finish with 25 disposals and two goals.

Tempers flared after the incident with Fantasia and Brayden Maynard involved in a heated tussle near the Essendon bench.

The Bombers’ ability to take the game on and move the ball quickly through the corridor was impressive, allowing them to take a 27-point halftime lead. Collingwood briefly took control during the fiery third term, benefiting from a more impulsive style of football after a slow and methodical start. Consecutive goals to Jordan De Goey, Alex Fasolo and Taylor Adams carved the margin to 16 points to give the Pies hope.

But the Pies couldn’t sustain the pressure, allowing the Bombers to score easily either side of the final break.

It was a welcome change for Essendon after their meek surrender to bottom-placed Brisbane last week, having led by 27 points late in the game. High-flyer Jeremy Howe was a late withdrawal for the Magpies. The half-back flanker was replaced by Matt Scharenberg after suffering calf tightness.

— Michael Ramsey, AAP

4:20pm

Hawks miracle forces epic draw

The Hawks have forced a thrilling draw in a final-minute fightback which saw them equal the score with a near-miracle.

Hawthorn star Will Langford gathered the ball in the dying seconds of the match and kicked it off the side of his foot in a hasty attempt at a goal. But the ball didn’t have enough air on it to carry on the full, bouncing in front of Giants defender Heath Shaw. In a miraculous stroke of luck, the ball bounced over Shaw’s head and through the posts to bring the score to 97-97.

For a split second, Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson thought his side had stolen the unlikeliest of AFL victories.

Trailing by two goals late in the final quarter against competition heavyweights Greater Western Sydney, the Hawks rallied late and a Will Langford goal levelled scores at 97-all in the 32nd minute.

A frantic finish on Saturday saw Hawthorn’s Ryan Burton rush a behind only to be denied, with the umpires ruling the siren had sounded before the ball crossed the line.

It left the game locked at 14.13 (97) to 15.7 (97).

Commotion in the coach’s box meant Clarkson didn’t pick up the final hooter. “Because I didn’t hear the siren I thought we’d won it,” he said. It brought back shades of “sirengate” between St Kilda and Fremantle at the same Launceston venue in 2006, but Clarkson was at peace with the call and praised his young charges for their fighting spirit.

“I think the decision’s right. The siren went before we were able to knock the ball through,” Clarkson said.

Will Langford pulled off an unthinkable goal.
Will Langford pulled off an unthinkable goal.

“It’s the old Maxwell Smart, isn’t it? Missed it by that much. “To be two goals down late in the game and for us to keep fighting it out and find a way to draw the game at that point in time, as I said, if the game goes for a second longer, we win.” The Hawks won the contested possession battle 152-125 and had more inside 50s at 58-49.

It’s the second draw in a row for the Giants, who tied 68-all with Geelong in round 15.

The result makes the Giants the first team to draw consecutive matches since 1921.

It also means they slip to second on the ladder behind Adelaide on points differential.

“To be 13 points up with six minutes to go, with all the momentum, and then come home with a draw is disappointing,” GWS coach Leon Cameron said. “It is what it is.” In front of a crowd of 12,156 at University of Tasmania Stadium, the battle of the midfields was the highlight, with the Hawks’ Tom Mitchell topping the disposal count with 39, ahead of the Giants’ Josh Kelly on 34. Hawthorn kept pace with their more-fancied rivals to trail 51-42 at the main break.

A rousing five-goal third quarter from Hawthorn gave them a 78-63 lead heading into the final term, which twisted and turned towards a dramatic climax. GWS booted 34-unanswered points before Luke Breust and then Langford, who was Hawthorn’s leading scorer with three majors, kicked goals to level the game. Big man Jonathon Patton top-scored for GWS with a five goals.

— with Ethan James, AAP

3.55pm

All hell breaks loose after ‘dog act’

Zach Merrett was taken from the MCG with a suspected jaw injury after a cheap, late elbow to the head from Levi Greenwood saw “all hell break loose” at the MCG.

The Magpies’ star was spotted by cameras raising his elbow to Merrett’s jaw behind play in an incident that saw Essendon players erupt and try to get back at the Pies offender.

The elbow shot was labelled a “dog act” by AFL commentators and immediately saw predictions of a lengthy suspension be raised by footy commentators on social media.

After Greenwood’s hit was shown on the big screen at the MCG, Essendon players went after Greenwood, causing an all-in melee.

The heated exchange forced Fox Footy commentator Sandy Roberts to apologise to viewers at home because of the explicit language that could be heard through the umpires’ microphones.

Greenwood’s hit has him in all sorts of trouble.

3.45pm

Hawks running through GWS

Hawthorn was on the verge of a stunning upset over the Giants at three-quarter time in Tassie after booting five goals to two in the third term.

The Giants were completely outclassed by the hungry Hawks in the third term with Hawthorn racking up 115 contested possessions to the Giants’ 84 at the final break.

The Hawks led 11.12 (78) to 10.3 (63) at three-quarter time.

3.30pm

Pressure continues to build on Bucks

Essendon dominated Collingwood out of the middle in the first half to run away to a 27-point half-time lead at the MCG.

The Dons were also out-running the Pies and landed 33 tackles to the Pies’ 23 in the first half.

The Bombers were in front 9.3 (57) to 4.6 (30) at the main break.

3pm

Giants edge away from Hawthorn

A late goal to Ricky Henderson helped Hawthorn keep in touch with GWS at half time in Tassie.

The Giants led by as many as 16 late in the half, but Henderson’s goal saw the home side trail by just nine points at the main break.

2.40pm

Dons all over Pies early

Essendon kicked five unanswered goals to close out the first quarter to set-up an early 15-point lead.

The Pies kicked the first two goals, but were torn apart from that part on as Dons ruckman Tom Bellchambers kicked two goals to see the Dons lead 5.0 (30) to 2.3 (15) at the first break.

2.20pm

Giants fight back after early Hawks blows

GWS found themselves down 13 points early in the first quarter against Hawthorn on the back of a three-goal run from the home team.

Goals to Tom Mitchell, Will Langford and Tim O’Brien in a six-minute burst helped the Hawks to a healthy early lead before the Giants cut the deficit back to one-point at quarter-time.

The Giants’ fightback included a long-range bomb from power forward Jonathon Patton.

At quarter time the Hawks led 5.2 (32) to 5.1 (31).

1.15pm

Pies forced into late change

Collingwood have lost Jeremy Howe as a late withdrawal for Saturday’s AFL game against Essendon.

The high-flying half-back flanker has been replaced by Matt Scharenberg for the MCG clash after suffering calf tightness.

Essendon will line up unchanged.

1pm

AFL legend’s unflattering voice pops

Wayne Carey was the talk of Twitter on Friday night.
Wayne Carey was the talk of Twitter on Friday night.

IT’S impossible to please everyone when you’re a footy commentator trying to walk the line between two opposing supporter bases and an army of neutral viewers, but Wayne Carey managed to attract some concern from the whole lot of them when he had a series of rather unflattering voice failures during Channel 7’s call of the Crows’ win over the Dogs on Friday night.

The AFL legend, known as “Duck” may have missed his vocal warm-ups at the Adelaide Oval with a number of fans taking to social media to have a giggle at a series of voice cracks the Kangaroos great suffered during the first half.

There was one particularly noticeable “pop” in the final minute before quarter time.

Some fans have described Carey’s voice woes as “going through puberty on live television”.

His voice may have let him down, but the King did manage to pull it together like a pro in the second half.

Maybe Seven sport legend Bruce McAvaney gave him a half time pep talk. Maybe he just needed a glass of water. Whatever it was, Carey came back in the second half with a much improved voice box and there was great rejoicing from grateful Channel 7 viewers around the country.

Carey had fully recovered from his early yips when he showed up for his regular appearance on Triple M footy’s Saturday Rub — where the champion forward took an almighty swing at the spluttering Bulldogs’ season.

“I think it had more to do with the Bulldogs’ performance than it did the Crows being so good,” Carey said of the Dogs’ second half fade out.

“I think the Bulldogs are as poor as any team in the competition right now.

“They’ve won one game by one point in the last five weeks, against North Melbourne who are sitting 17th on the ladder.

“Their form isn’t great, so the Crows did to the Bulldogs what they probably should have done to them.”

12.45pm

Crows star in match review panel trouble

Jason Johannisen was not in a good way.
Jason Johannisen was not in a good way.

Crows captain Taylor Walker said he actually had Jason Johannisen’s best interests at heart when he appeared to push him into an ugly collision with a goalpost during the Crows’ Friday night win over the Dogs.

Walker will come under scrutiny following a heavy bump on Norm Smith Medallist Jason Johannisen midway through the third term, which floored him into the goal post.

The Crows skipper went to Johannisen to check on his welfare, but the Bulldogs defender left the ground and was in the hands of the doctors for a short period of time.

Johannisen was not even awarded a free kick for the incident.

Walker says his contact with Johannisen was not deliberate.

“I had no intention of pushing him into the goalpost,” Walker told Fox Footy after the game.

“I saw Matt Crouch kick the ball and he tried to pierce it through the goal, so I didn’t want him (Johannisen) to touch it.

“I’ve got his best interests at heart ... I went over to him straight away to check whether he was all right.”

Adelaide coach Don Pyke has praised the leadership of captain Walker in his side’s 59-point win over the Western Bulldogs.

Walker and his attacking partner in crime Josh Jenkins combined for seven majors in the Crows’ 16.8 (104) to 5.15 (45) victory against the reigning premiers at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.

It was a surprising display by the home side’s tall forwards considering the slippery conditions.

“I was really proud of the playing group tonight,” Pyke said.

“I thought the captain was front and centre.

“I thought his impact on the game for pretty much the whole night was substantial, so it was a fantastic captain’s and leader’s game.”

Adelaide’s victory was a strong response after the league-leaders were challenged and forced to scrape through with an “ugly” 12-point win against Carlton last week.

— with AAP.

12.15pm

Bulldogs facing honest sessions

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says it is time to ask some hard questions of his players after one of the most shattering losses of his tenure. Beveridge says he is gutted at Friday night’s feeble fade-out in a 59-point away loss to Adelaide.

The Dogs trailed by just three points at halftime but then conceded 10 unanswered goals in a display which disturbed the third-year coach. “One of the worst (losses) since I have been at the club, absolutely,” Beveridge said.

The Dogs (seven wins, eight losses) are in a mid-table crush of clubs and Beveridge said on current form, the reigning premiers would be “also-rans” if they made the finals.

Asked if was time to put hard questions to his players, Beveridge said: “It is. And I just have.” “We have had some really marginal performances where we have been questioned by the outside world about what our identity is now,” he said.

“We had a solid one (identity) previously ... it’s time to make sure that quarters, halves, like that just don’t happen.

“There’s a lot of variables that creep in and affect performance and it’s difficult to identify what they are first, and then quantify the effect they have on your group.

“But there’s line-in-the-sand type experiences. And we have had a few already where you say ‘that can’t look that way again’.

“But tonight’s second half was definitely one of those experiences that was just too disappointing for a team and a club that has come a long way. “We don’t want to regress but tonight we regressed a bit.” Beveridge forecast much reflection on the Crows loss before next Sunday’s match against Carlton.

“(We have) lot of time to process it which they say sometimes isn’t the best, that you like to play straight away,” he said.

“But we don’t deserve to get another look at it straight away. “We have to sit down and look at each other and get through it together and work out how we can find our way forward.

“There is still plenty left in the season. We are still in the mix. “But on tonight’s performance we would be an also-ran if we got there.”

— AAP

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