AFL Record Round 18, 2023

INSIDE JOHN LONGMIRE 300 GAMES

ONE WEEK TIME

News from in and around the AFL

A DAY LIKE NO OTHER

Super Saturday. Moving Saturday. No matter the descriptor, round 18 features five games on Saturday with lots of moving parts.

Clubs outside the eight but with designs to get there can make their play. Teams in the eight can help their chances of staying there or even moving up with a win. Defeat on Saturday could lead to dire consequences for the loser.

Collingwood (1st) v Fremantle (14th), MCG: The Magpies are surging to the minor premiership and should welcome Steele Sidebottom back this week. But it is nearly the last-chance saloon for the Dockers, loser of four of their past five and one of the most underachieving teams of the season. The one upside? They love the MCG, having beaten Melbourne there earlier this season and last year.

Gold Coast (13th) v St Kilda (6th), Heritage Bank Stadium: The Suns have had a stinker of a fortnight, well beaten by both Collingwood and Port Adelaide.

u WHO’S IN PLAY

Heartbreaking for him and us but he will return

They must win this to stay in touch with the eight and will do so with Steven King as interim coach after sacking Stuart Dew on Tuesday. Somehow, the Saints are in sixth place despite winning just two of their past five games, and they have lost spearhead Max King for the rest of the season. The upside? The Saints won six of their first nine games of the season without him. Nevertheless, clubs are eyeing off St Kilda’s place in the eight.

Carlton (11th) v Port Adelaide (2nd), Marvel Stadium: The Blues are back and their fans are singing da-da-da-da-daaah after big wins over Gold Coast, Hawthorn and Fremantle. They are now just a game out of the eight but face a massive test against the white-hot Power. Is winning 13 successive

u At any level of the game, most cricketers can recite their stats, be it runs, wickets, catches or stumpings.

But footballers don’t exactly have memories like elephants in that department.

We suspect Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury was more concerned at getting a kick rather than counting them in last Friday’s win over the Western Bulldogs.

When the veteran Magpie marked in defence and had a short pass 10 minutes into the third quarter, it took him to 13 possessions for the game and 9657 for his career, surpassing former St Kilda great Robert Harvey.

Collingwood fans were on to it, affording their hero a standing ovation.

Given he has another season or two in him,

games taking its toll, with injuries starting to mount? It’s the start of a brutal stretch for Port with Collingwood, an away Showdown and Geelong to follow.

Geelong (8th) v Essendon (5th), GMHBA Stadium: Shame the redevelopment hasn’t yet finished at Geelong, because this game deserves more than the 22,000 or so who will be lucky enough to get a seat. The Cats are coming good at

Pendlebury will surely pass the 10,000-disposal mark.

It is a measure of his dedication and application that he can get up week after week during a career that has been relatively injury-free.

At 35, Pendlebury can still make it appear like he has so much time and space and he remains a real chance of overhauling Brent Harvey’s AFL games record of 432.

Now on 373 games, he’d be about 45 games shy by the time this season is done and dusted (we’re counting a couple of finals appearances as well) so it will be an interesting watch over the next two seasons.

Finally, congratulations to Brett Rosebury, who this week becomes just the second field umpire to reach the 500-game mark.

ASHLEY BROWNE

NO MORE BLUES: Players such as Nic Newman (left) and Charlie Curnow have helped turn Carlton’s fortunes around in the past three games.

ST KILDA COACH ROSS LYON ON MAX KING’S SEASON-ENDING DISLOCATED SHOULDER

the right time, but the Bombers have had a fantastic season and Brad Scott has a host of them playing the best footy of their lives. The Cats could be as high as fifth with a win while the Bombers could drop out of the eight entirely. Conversely, Essendon might end the weekend a game clear in fifth with a win that would drop the Cats out of the eight. Adelaide (9th) v GWS Giants (10th), Adelaide Oval: It is pretty clear which Crows outfit will show up here. It is the team that has lost just twice at home as opposed to the unit that has won just once on the road. But Adelaide will need all the creature comforts of home because the Giants have won four straight and are among the most in-form teams in the competition. Depending on other results, the winner will be back in the eight, while the loser could drop to 12th.

The intrigue isn’t just consigned to Saturday. It starts as early as the final Thursday night game of the season.

Sydney lost to Richmond last week in what was dubbed as an ‘elimination final’ in July, but while the Swans are in 15th place and two games out of the eight, their healthy percentage (110.8) means they can still make a play for September if they can go on some sort of run.

They host the Western Bulldogs (7th) at the SCG. The Bulldogs could be fifth with a win and ninth with a loss, but irrespective of the result, they’ll be invested spectators as the rest of the round unfolds.

Fourth hosts third at the MCG on Friday night. Ladder positions won’t change depending on the outcome of the Melbourne v Brisbane Lions clash.

AFL Rising Star

SEAMUS MITCHELL HAWTHORN

Seamus Mitchell’s AFL prospects looked grim at the end of last season, having not been close to senior selection in two injuryriddled seasons at Hawthorn.

So much so that he was delisted by the Hawks, only to earn a reprieve through the Rookie Draft.

It has proved to be a brilliant decision. Since making his debut in round five, Mitchell has been a revelation as a quick, skilled and smart running defender, and his consistent form has earned him the round 17 AFL Rising Star nomination.

Mitchell, 21, collected 20 disposals and five intercept possessions in the 13-point loss to the GWS Giants last

Fourth hosts third at the MCG on Friday night

The Lions are two games clear of the Demons before this second and last hit-out at the MCG ahead of the finals ... they’re 1-13 at the ground since 2015, having lost to Hawthorn a month ago.

But despite what coach Chris Fagan might say, they’ll feel better about their prospects in September with a win there this year.

There are just two games on Sunday and Richmond will almost certainly stay in touching distance with the eight – and gain a bonus percentage boost – with a big win over a battling West Coast

The North Melbourne v Hawthorn game has no bearing on the eight, but a win to the Hawks at Marvel Stadium will just about settle the order of the bottom three for the remainder of the season.

It is never too early to start speculating about the 2023 draft.

Saturday, days after signing a two-year contract extension.

Through 11 games, he has averaged 18.6 disposals and 5.1 marks, including five games where he has recorded 20 disposals or more.

Mitchell played with Robinvale-Euston in the Sunraysia League and was selected at No. 29 in the 2020 NAB AFL Draft from the Bendigo Pioneers.

He and Josh Weddle are the Hawks to have received Rising Star nominations so far this year.

ASHLEY BROWNE

LEAKY SUNS SINK COACH

In the end, it wasn’t wins or losses that did Stuart Dew in as coach of Gold Coast.

He was the longest-serving coach in the relatively brief history of the club and his 30 per cent winning record through 121 games compares favourably to foundation coach Guy McKenna (27 per cent) and Rodney Eade (25.3).

No, it was the Suns’ ladder position that ultimately led to his sacking as coach on Tuesday morning.

Since taking over in 2018, the Suns have finished in 17th, 18th, 14th, 16th and 12th.

Following last week’s 33-point loss to Port Adelaide, the Suns are 13th on the ladder and staring firmly at yet another bottom-six finish in a season they hoped to make the finals or at the very least just miss out.

And that’s what forced new club chairman Bob East to move hastily upon his return from overseas on Monday.

“There is clear gap (between) where we currently sit and where our expectations lie,” East said on Tuesday.

After back-to-back convincing wins over the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide at their second home ground in Darwin, the Suns entered the bye with a 6-6 record, just out of the eight on percentage and with high hopes of making the finals for the first time.

But apart from a strong win as expected over lowly Hawthorn, what followed were thrashings at the hands of Carlton, Collingwood and the Power.

In each of those games, the Suns were blown apart in one quarter of football, with the Collingwood defeat the most

disappointing of all given it came in front of a capacity crowd at Heritage Bank Arena.

After that game, Dew’s future became clouded and then last Saturday night, a nine-goal-to-one third quarter from Port sealed his fate.

Like previous weeks, the Suns simply lacked the capacity to stop an opposition run-on.

It was felt that a team stacked with high draft picks and emerging stars such as Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson, Jack Lukosius, Ben King, Touk Miller, Charlie Ballard and Ben Ainsworth should be making large strides up the ladder and be in serious contention for the finals.

“This time last year we were better placed … this year there feels like there’s a gap between us and the best in the competition,” Suns chief executive Mark Evans said.

Despite protestations to the contrary, it seems that the Suns made this move when they did, despite Dew being under contract until the end of 2024, to give themselves the best chance to lure three-time

Richmond

Hardwick stepped away from the Tigers last month in the belief he had taken the club as far as he could and that a fresh voice was needed.

But as he recently confirmed on the Dyl & Friends podcast, the urge to get back into coaching remains strong.

Away from the Melbourne bubble and taking over a talented list with more high draft picks to come in November, Gold Coast shapes as the ideal challenge for Hardwick –and no doubt the AFL, which still helps underwrite the club, would be overjoyed at the prospect.

Media reports on Tuesday suggested Hardwick, who is holidaying in Europe, would take the call from the Suns.

Experienced hands Nathan Buckley and Don Pyke are likely to be approached, and while they are unlikely to be tempted, Ken Hinkley and Chris Scott would also be on the club’s wishlist.

Steven King will be interim Gold Coast coach for the rest of the season.

This year there feels like there’s a gap between us and the best

SUNS CEO MARK EVANS

premiership coach Damien Hardwick to the club.

ASHLEY BROWNE

SUN SETS: Stuart Dew was given his marching orders earlier this week; (inset) chairman Bob East (left) and CEO Mark Evans at Tuesday’s announcement.

200 GAMES – COACH

LUKE BEVERIDGE

WESTERN BULLDOGS

250 GAMES RORY SLOANE ADELAIDE

200 GAMES

ZACH MERRETT

ESSENDON

LACHIE WHITFIELD

GWS GIANTS

150 GAMES

JORDAN DE GOEY

COLLINGWOOD

JACOB WEITERING CARLTON

100 GAMES GRYAN MIERS GEELONG

MILESTONE NIGHT IN SYDNEY

Thursday night at the SCG will be the centre stage for not just a critically important game in the scheme of the season, but two significant coaching milestones.

John Longmire, by far and away the longest-serving coach of South Melbourne/Sydney, will take charge for the 300th time, while Luke Beveridge will coach the Western Bulldogs for the 200th time.

Longmire, who has a winning percentage of 61.2 per cent, has become so synonymous with Sydney that his 200-game playing career for North Melbourne, which included the 1990 Coleman Medal and a premiership in 1999, often gets overlooked.

After joining the Swans as an assistant coach under Paul Roos in 2002, Longmire was part of a talented coaching group that included Ross Lyon and delivered a flag in 2005, the club’s first for 72 years.

As his lengthy coaching apprenticeship came to an end, Roos announced a long handover

period, Longmire took charge in 2011 and by the end of 2012 had led the club to its fifth premiership.

There were other Grand Final appearances in 2014, 2016 and 2022 and only two seasons in which the club has missed the eight.

Only Chris Scott has coached the same club for as long among active coaches, and like the Geelong coach, Longmire not only has firm command of his own club, but is respected throughout the game.

Longmire is a quiet but forceful advocate for the northern clubs especially – he chooses his counsel wisely, but the game listens when he speaks up.

His latest remarks about the introduction of a send-off rule is a case in point.

He has his work cut out for him in 2023.

The Swans are mired in 15th place, two games out of the eight. They just about have to win every game from here to make the finals.

He is contracted until 2025, the same as Beveridge, who

holds exalted status at the Bulldogs after guiding the club to the 2016 premiership, the first in 62 years and just their second overall.

He was a 118-game player for Melbourne, the Bulldogs and St Kilda and enjoyed a distinguished coaching career in the Victorian amateur competition, where he led St BedesMentone to three successive flags.

He worked under Mick Malthouse at Collingwood and Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn, helping both those clubs win premierships.

Beveridge is one of the quirkier but more passionate coaches in the AFL and is fiercely protective of the club and his players.

He is also a brilliant strategist who has reshaped the Bulldogs a couple of times since the 2016 flag and they might have been one goal away from establishing an impregnable lead in the third term of the 2021 Grand Final before Melbourne tore the game apart.

Only the great Ted Whitten has coached the Bulldogs in more games, but Beveridge is on track to move past him towards the end of next season.

ASHLEY BROWNE

SWANS ROYALTY: John Longmire became a premiership coach in just his second season in charge in 2012.

REVERED: Luke Beveridge gives the 2016 Jock McHale Medal to injured captain Bob Murphy.

CROWS GREAT TO CELEBRATE 250TH

Another one of Adelaide’s favourite sons will notch up a major milestone this week when Rory Sloane runs out for his 250th game in front of his adoring fans.

Since being taken with pick 44 in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, Sloane has gone on to forge one of the great careers in Crows’ history.

Now 33, Sloane was co-captain in 2019 before taking on the captaincy solo between 2020 and 2022 and then handing the reins to Jordan Dawson this season.

Sloane is also a dual Malcolm Blight medallist as Adelaide’s best and fairest player, while he was named in the All-Australian team in 2016.

The Crows’ faithful will have the perfect opportunity to honour Sloane on Saturday night when they welcome GWS to Adelaide Oval in what is shaping as a pivotal game.

Coming off an 18-point loss to Essendon last week, the Crows are just outside the eight and part of a block of teams jostling for spots in the elimination finals.

The Crows should be favourites to win this one, with the game doubling as both a celebration of Sloane’s career as well as a mini final for a team that has shown it can put together football worthy of seeing September action.

After Taylor Walker kicked 10 goals in his 250th game last month, Adelaide will be hoping Sloane can salute in a similar fashion.

Sloane becomes the 10th Crow to reach the 250-game mark.

CROWS 250-GAME PLAYERS

WELCOME TO THE CLUB: Fan favourite Rory Sloane will become the 10th Crow to reach 250 games when he celebrates his milestone on Saturday night.

u FACT FILE RORY SLOANE

Born: March 17, 1990

Recruited from:

Upwey-Tecoma

(Vic)/Eastern U18

Debut: Round 20, 2009 v Hawthorn

Height: 183cm

Weight: 87kg

Games: 249

Goals: 135

Honours: best and fairest 2013, 2016; 2nd best and fairest 2014, 2017, 2019; 3rd best and fairest 2012; All-Australian 2016 (vice-capt); All-Australian squad 2017; AFLPA most courageous player 2017; International Rules Series 2017; pre-season premiership 2012; co-captain 2019; captain 2020-22. Brownlow Medal: career votes 106.

LAURENCE ROSEN

u FOOTY FUNNIES – Bob Dikkenberg

A pair of unlikely key forwards taken just three picks apart at the end of the same National Draft in 2016 have become key planks as North Melbourne and Hawthorn painstakingly rebuild their playing lists.

They have become the highlights of the draft telecast. Young men sitting and watching the coverage, usually with family and friends in tow, hoping and in some cases praying their names will be called out.

Incoming AFL boss Andrew Dillon loves the theatre of it all. So much so that the players and their entourages might become bigger parts of draft night going forward.

But on draft night in November 2016, Nick Larkey preferred to keep things low-key.

He had played a couple of games for Vic Metro and kicked a few goals. He had enjoyed a decent TAC Cup (now Coates Talent League) season for the Oakleigh Chargers.

But his name only appeared sporadically on the various mock drafts that appeared in the lead-up.

He didn’t feature when Callum Twomey, the most authoritative and trusted draft expert of them all, made his projections on

So, it was a quiet draft night spent with immediate family.

“I didn’t want to be that bloke who had all his mates around and then doesn’t get picked up. It’d be the ultimate embarrassment,” he recounted in an interview with the

Mitch Lewis took a similar approach that November. He was coming from even further back.

He was a genuine sporting all-rounder, a gun cricketer and scratch golfer while playing school footy for Assumption College and

He missed selection for Vic Metro and also didn’t rate a mention in any of the pre-draft speculation.

One reason he kept the draft night festivities to a minimum is that the final round of the club championship at his local club Hidden Valley was the following day.

“I came second in case you were wondering,” he told the Record with a laugh.

Both Larkey and Lewis would have their names called out – Larkey by North Melbourne with the 73rd selection and Lewis by Hawthorn

three selections later with the last ‘live’ pick of the night. Jake Waterman went to West Coast one pick later as a father-son nomination.

Lewis had flown so far beneath the draft radar that the most notable aspect of his selection was the combination of his name and his destination.

NOTABLE PICK 73

A player called Mitchell Lewis heading to Hawthorn just weeks after the club had offloaded flag-winning superstars Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis was the source of plenty of mirth.

But Lewis, like Larkey, has had the last laugh.

He is now the long-term key forward at the Hawks and Sam Mitchell is building his forward line around him.

Heading into the season he was arguably Hawthorn’s most important player and indeed, one of the key factors behind the club’s early-season struggles, and what was overlooked by several commentators, was that he missed the first six games because of a strained ACL.

NOTABLE PICK 76

YOUNG STAR: Nick Larkey in action for the Oakleigh Chargers in 2016 (left) and for the Roos in his debut year in 2017.

DRAFT SLIDER: Mitch Lewis didn’t rate a mention in his draft year with the Calder Cannons in 2016 (left) but impressed when he got his chance in the AFL.

*Also played 83 games with Adelaide (2016-) **Also played 67 games with Bris Lions (2010-14), six games with Gold Coast (2015)

The Hawks struggled to score without him.

At North, the club is also in the middle of a serious list build, but there are no issues with Larkey.

He recently signed a long-term contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2029, and he is third in the race for this year’s Coleman Medal with 44 goals to his name.

And being key forwards, both had time on their side.

Lewis came to the Hawks the same year Jarryd Roughead returned from a 12-month lay-off because of melanoma.

Hawthorn’s recruiters rated his marking ability and even then, his beautiful kicking motion was an asset.

And while they are entirely different sports, they observed that if he was able was able to develop his golf game to a scratch handicap, then he was likely to work on his footy equally assiduously once in the AFL system.

North’s recruiters were impressed with how Larkey could read the game – he was able to play at both ends of the ground initially, but there was also a belief that he would thrive in the demanding AFL system despite not being a footy obsessive.

One recruiter said of Larkey, “He wasn’t just, footy, footy and more footy. He had the right balance and potential to grow.”

Nevertheless, Larkey walked into Arden St on his first day of pre-season with a laser focus.

“I always said to myself, if I got picked up, I’d throw everything I could into it, which is what I’ve done,” he said.

He was initially worried about his tank.

“I was actually really nervous about the running because I’ve never run a good time trial,” he said.

“I’m a good in-game runner, but back then I was pretty raw and then I was just worried that I’d come in and just be dead last.

“I had this vision in my head that these AFL players were super athletes and would be all running the best times.”

He played two games in his first season, which he now says went “shockingly”, but in 2018 he won the VFL goalkicking and collected the Jim ‘Frosty’ Miller Medal.

“It helped me grow and develop a lot as a player I reckon,” he said. But they couldn’t work out how to play Larkey and Ben Brown in the same team.

There was a game in late 2019 when Brown booted 10 goals against Port Adelaide and Larkey chimed in with five, but it wasn’t until the end of 2020 when Brown was traded to Melbourne that Larkey finally claimed the mantle as North’s No. 1 key forward.

“They must have shown some faith in me because I looked at the

FACT FILE

NICK LARKEY

Born: June 6, 1998

list and there wasn’t another key forward around,” Larkey said.

“I was a bit daunted, but I was looking forward to the opportunity.

“Players were going to look for me inside 50 and I had this opportunity to be the No. 1 target.”

A similar story had unfolded at Hawthorn for Lewis.

Two AFL games in 2018 and then 12 in 2019 when on occasion he was selected ahead of his mentor Roughead.

In 2020 he was in and out of the team during Hawthorn’s horrible hub season, which he thought he would start as the team’s clear No. 1 forward only to be disappointed when Jonathon Patton was brought to the club from the GWS Giants in what would become a short-lived experiment.

He missed a chunk of 2021 after being concussed during a midweek boxing session, which meant that entering last year there were divided opinions as to whether Jacob Koschitzke had supplanted him.

Recruited from: Hawthorn Citizens (Vic)/Oakleigh U18

Debut: Round 18, 2017, v Essendon

Height: 198cm

Weight: 95kg

Games: 87

Goals: 161

Honours: leading goalkicker 2021, 2022. Brownlow Medal: career votes 8.

DETERMINED: Larkey on his way to winning the Roos’ leading goalkicker award in 2022 with 38 goals.

FLYING KANGAROO: Larkey booted 26 goals in 17 games in his second year in the system in 2019.

It helped me grow and develop a lot as a player

NICK

LARKEY ON WINNING THE VFL GOALKICKING IN 2018

However, Lewis put that discussion to bed with 37 goals through 15 impressive games before a series of soft tissue injuries ended his season prematurely.

His goals-per-game average was up there with the best in the competition for much of last season, which explains why heading into this year, many had him pegged as Hawthorn’s most important player.

“How about we just keep it to contested marks and goalkicking?” Lewis joked when asked for some self-scouting.

“I don’t think I’m a Tom Hawkins type that can lock into a one-on-one and just absolutely out-strength and outbody their opponent.

“So, I feel like working my way up the ground and ripping hard back to goal is one of my strengths, as well the agility for my size to be able to lose my opponent.”

Larkey is driven by the close-run thing that is his AFL career.

He knew he was skirting with getting drafted in the first place and that feeling of uncertainty has never left him.

“I feel like my whole career’s been just not proving myself wrong, but surprising myself that I can play here,” he said.

“And then I think within the last year, maybe last year I was finally like, ‘alright, I am the person for this team’.

“They showed the faith in me and I felt, that probably last year. I felt comfortable in the position.”

But having finally carved his niche in AFL footy and at North, he did think hard before signing that longterm deal ... it has been a heavy slog at Arden St from the time he arrived.

“I just needed to see a light at the end of the tunnel, really, and that we have a plan for the future and that our list isn’t that far away from turning things around,” Larkey said.

“And, yeah, I signed because I did believe in the plan, the stability we’ve got with the people around us and where the list’s at and some of the young boys breaking out and showing what they can do.”

Lewis, who is signed at the Hawks until the end of 2026, and Larkey both keep close tabs on each other.

They played schoolboy football against each other and Lewis jokes that it was Larkey who took his spot back in the Vic Metro days. They also share the same management group.

“I always check on how he’s going, as I do with a lot of other key

forwards, especially the guys around my age who are always trying to one up each other – so yeah, I chat to him after games against each and yeah, he’s a really good guy,” he said. “He’s going along nicely.”

Larkey has been a Lewis watcher ever since their school days when Assumption played Trinity.

“I love watching him play,” he said.

“I didn’t realise how good he was.

“I remember playing him playing for Assumption and thinking he was a jet, but he had a big breakout year last year and now he’s unreal. He just dominates and kicks goals.”

Larkey has now played 87 games for North Melbourne, with only five players taken at pick No. 73 having played more since the introduction of the draft in 1986, while eight players who started their careers as the 76th selection have played more than Lewis, now on 61.

But they are tracking towards becoming among the best players taken with those picks.

And they are testament to the theory that once you walk into an AFL club, your draft number is irrelevant.

“It’s the work ethic and the respect you gain from teammates and coaches that makes a difference,” Lewis said.

“The door’s always open.”

Larkey offers some counsel to those players, who like him, will enter the draft period uncertain about what might unfold.

“If you play good footy, you’re going to get drafted,” he said.

“And if you don’t, you won’t. So, play footy for the enjoyment and if you play well within that and you’re enjoying your footy, then the rest will take care of itself. Don’t get hung up on it.”

He didn’t and yet he’s tracking towards becoming a star.

And like Lewis, one that the so-called draft experts never saw coming.

FACT FILE

MITCH LEWIS

Born: October 14, 1998

Recruited from: Whittlesea (Vic)/Assumption College (Vic)/Calder U18

Debut: Round 9, 2018, v Brisbane Lions

Height: 199cm Weight: 99kg

Games: 61 Goals: 108 Brownlow Medal: career votes 3.

BREAKOUT YEAR: Lewis caught the eye last season with 37 goals in 15 games.

ON TARGET: Lewis is averaging 2.4 goals a game in 2023 after missing the first six games.

@hashbrowne

What I’m thinking

with Ashley Browne

Time to lift that noble banner

Will this disappointing season be remembered as a small bump on the path to a premiership, just as it was for the Cats, Tigers and Demons? Or are there more fundamental issues at play?

Sydney started the season with one significant handicap. Not since Geelong in 1995 has a team backed up for another Grand Final after suffering a heavy defeat the year before.

The Swans were humbled by the Cats in last year’s Grand Final, but nevertheless there was optimism heading into the season, chiefly on the basis of the club’s much-admired culture, a young playing list with loads of upside and veteran coach John Longmire, one of the best in the business.

Yet with seven rounds to go, the Swans are mired in 15th place, two games out of the eight.

When the various stories of Geelong’s droughtbreaking 2007 premiership triumph were told in the days and weeks that followed, much was made of the introspection and searching internal reviews that took place 12 months before.

Having made the finals for two successive years, the Cats crashed badly in 2006 and looked miles off a flag.

Yet 12 months later they had won the flag by a record 119-point margin.

A similar tale was told at Richmond.

The Tigers had also made the finals for three consecutive seasons before a disappointing 8-14 campaign in 2016.

Once again, the football department was forensically examined and like at Geelong, the coach survived but changes were implemented by him and around him.

The Tigers came roaring back in 2017 and won the flag. For good measure they saluted again in 2019 and 2020.

And then there was Melbourne.

Years of painstaking list building appeared set to pay dividends when they made the preliminary final in 2018. Yet 12 months later, they finished second bottom with five wins.

Once again, the coach survived, but significant changes were made around Simon Goodwin, specifically to do with fitness and injury rehabilitation, and by 2021 the Demons were premiers for the first time in 57 years.

All of which brings us to Sydney in 2023.

Nobody is yet prepared to officially declare them out of the finals race, and they have had their share of key injuries this year, but last week’s clash with Richmond was dubbed an elimination final in July and the Swans fell 13 points short.

But what irked Sydney fans on the night was the all-too-familiar tale of a blown lead.

The Swans dominated early and led by 26 points midway through the second term before the Tigers mounted their charge.

It has been happening all year.

They held comfortable leads at various stages against Port Adelaide, GWS Giants, Fremantle and St Kilda and lost every time.

A fortnight ago against Geelong, they kicked 6.18 in a drawn result, but in a low-scoring tussle, they led by 14 points in the third term.

They blew a late lead against North Melbourne in round 10, only to win the game due to an interchange infringement by the Roos that gifted them a last-minute goal.

Overlooked in the euphoria of beating Collingwood by a point in last year’s epic preliminary final was the fact they led by six goals early in the third term.

Sydney’s backline collapses when under siege perhaps explains why the club is set to make a serious play for one of Harry Himmelberg from the Giants or Tom Barrass from the Eagles. Their best defender is still Dane Rampe, who recently turned 33.

There is talent through the midfield but perhaps not enough bursting speed, while the forward line post-Lance Franklin will be led by Logan McDonald and Joel

Amartey, who have shown flashes of talent but not yet the consistency.

With two years remaining on his contract, Longmire is not going anywhere. Gold Coast (read the AFL) would grab him in a heartbeat to replace Stuart Dew if he was suddenly available.

The lesson the Swans might heed from the Cats, Tigers and Demons is to shake-up the coaching and high-performance staff, but therein lies another problem.

Given the enduring cuts to the football department soft cap due to the League’s unwillingness to loosen the purse strings post-pandemic, the Swans find it difficult to attract fresh off-field talent because of the near-prohibitive cost of living in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Thursday night against the Western Bulldogs at the SCG, in Longmire’s 300th game as coach, really is their last shot for 2023.

But irrespective of the result, the Swans are going to be actively involved in the forthcoming player movement periods for the first time in a long time. Watch this space.

@hashbrowne

The Swans will be active in the player market after a disappointing season so far.

BACKLINE BOOST: Dane Rampe is the Swans’ best defender but at 33 he needs more support.

With seven rounds to go, the Swans are mired in 15th place

ZACH MERRETT

ESSENDON v ADELAIDE CROWS Marvel Stadium, July 9

u Zach Merrett did his All-Australian hopes no harm with yet another dominant effort last Sunday, this time against Adelaide at Marvel Stadium.

As the Bombers opened up what turned out to be a matchwinning 37-point lead by half-time, Merrett was at his devastating best.

He collected 21 disposals in the first half, which included five inside-50s, three clearances and a goal.

While the Crows battled hard in the second term, Merrett’s leadership couldn’t have been more influential.

He went on to accumulate 39 possessions, seven score involvements, seven inside-50s and a game-high 687 metres gained.

Despite racking up the footy, Merrett’s selfless attitude that had been on display throughout 2023 was still at the forefront with his six tackles.

His round 17 performance was his best of the season from a statistical point of view.

That’s despite the skipper enjoying six other 30-plus disposal games and establishing himself as one of the stars of the competition.

In a year where not much was expected of the Bombers, Merrett’s season even has him in the frame for All-Australian captaincy honours.

And given he grew up just down the highway at Cobden, he’d love to celebrate his 200th game with a win over Geelong on Saturday night.

SEB MOTTRAM

AFL TRIVIA QUESTION #11

Which AFL Club has the most members in 2022?

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WHO’S FLYING

Each week throughout the 2023 season we will present Who’s Flying, a series of stories which will encapsulate everything that is good about our great game. It could be a star player, a coach who has inspired his men or a team that is – pardon the pun –flying. BRENDAN RHODES asks if Magpie Isaac Quaynor is on track for an All-Australian blazer.

For most of the season all the publicity about Collingwood’s surge to the top of the AFL ladder has been credited to the likes of Nick and Josh Daicos, Scott Pendlebury and Darcy Moore.

There have also been plenty of headlines for Mason Cox, Jordan De Goey, Bobby Hill and even Brody Mihocek.

But there’s another layer to Craig McRae’s powerhouse premiership favourites that could end up being the difference between the ultimate success or otherwise in September.

Working alongside Moore has been a previously unheralded backline that is now starting to appear on the radar – for those who aren’t aware, it is the bottom 10 players of a team who win premierships more than the top six.

At the head of that group is Isaac Quaynor, who is making his way into some pundits’ All-Australian calculations for his intercepting and rebounding efforts.

Quaynor, 23, who matched the younger Daicos’ nine AFL coaches votes after winning 27 disposals at 88.9 per cent efficiency to go with 13 marks, six rebound-50s and 10 intercept possessions in Collingwood’s win over Western Bulldogs last Friday, is quietly putting together his

best year of a career that has snuck up to 75 matches.

The past two weeks have been his best, with 24 possessions in the big round 16 win over Gold Coast helping him to 2023 averages of 16.6 disposals, 5.9 marks and 4.1 rebounds – the latter two being career-bests and the other second only to his 18.1 disposals in 2021.

Only once – a loss to Geelong in round 11, 2021, when he had 28 touches – has Quaynor enjoyed

more of the football than last week, and if he keeps using it that well, the calls for higher recognition will only grow stronger.

FOOTY FUN FACTS

Canada has its own AFL competition. Teams such as the Toronto Dingos, Calgary Kookaburras and Edmonton Wombats and Emus compete for a variety of different cups and flags.

ON THE RADAR: Isaac Quaynor matched star Magpie teammate Nick Daicos in earning nine AFLCA votes last week.

Recoveries don’t come any bigger than the Western Bulldogs’ barnstorming finish to the 2016 season.

It was a classic case of daring to dream as the Bulldogs came from the clouds to claim just their second AFL/VFL premiership.

After suffering a crippling injury toll in the middle to latter stages of 2016, the Bulldogs eventually scrambled into seventh position at the end of the home and away season.

Only one team had won a flag from outside the top four and that was Adelaide, which had come from fifth in 1998.

No team had even made a Grand Final from seventh position, let alone won a premiership.

However, the Bulldogs conjured victories in four consecutive finals, each of them as underdogs in cut-throat clashes; and twice

triumphed interstate – a first for a Victorian club – to become unlikely premiers.

They hammered the previous year’s Grand Finalists – West Coast and Hawthorn, when the Hawks were aiming for a record-equalling fourth flag in a row – conquered emerging power GWS in the preliminary final and a star-studded Sydney in the decider.

After a pulsating 22-point win over the Swans, coach Luke Beveridge told the euphoric Bulldog faithful at the MCG: “We know how long you have waited for success ... to you, the fans, our supporters ... you’ve boosted our spirits. We have ridden on your wings.”

In a bruising, fluctuating contest before a crowd of 99,981, the Bulldogs led by eight points at the last change, but the gap twice narrowed to just one point before

We have ridden on your wings

LUKE BEVERIDGE

the Dogs came home hard with the last three goals.

There were Bulldogs heroes and great stories everywhere.

Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen spent his first nine years in South Africa, grew up playing rugby, eventually snuck on to the Dogs’ rookie list and had overcome a long-term hamstring tendon injury.

Big man Tom Boyd came of age and was worth every cent of his hefty pay packet on the biggest stage, taking a swag of contested marks, competing strongly in the ruck and kicking three goals, including one from outside the arc that put the Bulldogs 15 points up late in the last quarter.

As their team prepares to take on the Swans in round 18, the Bulldog faithful still bask in the glory of that glorious afternoon on October 1, 2016.

DOGS’DAY OUT: The Western Bulldogs celebrate their historic premiership win in 2016.

2023 TOYOTA AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON

ROUND 13

Thursday, June 8

Syd 9.12 (66) v StK 12.8 (80) (SCG) (N)

Friday, June 9

WB 13.7 (85) v PA 16.11 (107) (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, June 10

Haw 15.8 (98) v BL 11.7 (73) (MCG)

Adel 27.12 (174) v WCE 8.4 (52) (AO) (T)

Frem 10.10 (70) v Rich 12.13 (85) (OS) (T)

Sunday, June 11

NM 11.9 (75) v GWS 15.13 (103) (BA)

Carl 6.16 (52) v Ess 13.8 (86) (MCG) (N)

Monday, June 12

Melb 8.18 (66) v Coll 9.8 (62) (MCG)

Byes: Geelong Cats, Gold Coast Suns

ROUND 14

Thursday, June 15

PA 16.14 (110) v Geel 11.6 (72) (AO) (N)

Friday, June 16

BL 13.19 (97) v Syd 12.9 (81) (G) (N)

Saturday, June 17

GWS 16.10 (106) v Frem 5.6 (36) (GS) (T)

Rich 13.12 (90) v StK 11.4 (70) (MCG) (N)

Sunday, June 18

Carl 18.12 (120) v GCS 8.13 (61) (MCG)

NM 13.6 (84) v WB 15.15 (105) (MRVL) (T)

Byes: Adelaide Crows, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne, West Coast Eagles

ROUND 15

Thursday, June 22

Geel 11.12 (78) v Melb 8.15 (63) (GMHBA) (N)

Friday, June 23

StK 8.8 (56) v BL 12.12 (84) (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, June 24

Syd 31.19 (205) v WCE 5.4 (34) (SCG) (T)

Frem 14.9 (93) v Ess 9.7 (61) (OS) (T)

Sunday, June 25

Coll 12.10 (82) v Adel 11.14 (80) (MCG)

GCS 14.17 (101) v Haw 5.4 (34) (HBS) (T)

Byes: Carlton, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, Western Bulldogs

ROUND 16

Thursday, June 29

BL 20.14 (134) v Rich 7.11 (53) (G) (N)

Friday, June 30

Syd 6.18 (54) v Geel 7.12 (54) (SCG) (N)

Saturday, July 1

WB 16.6 (102) v Frem 11.7 (73) (MRVL) (N)

Adel 21.12 (138) v NM 11.6 (72) (AO)

GCS 5.12 (42) v Coll 18.12 (120) (HBS) (T)

Ess 10.14 (74) v PA 11.12 (78) (MCG) (N)

Sunday, July 2

Haw 7.10 (52) v Carl 17.10 (112) (MCG)

Melb 5.15 (45) v GWS 7.5 (47) (TIO)

WCE 12.5 (77) v StK 12.13 (85) (OS)

ROUND 17

Thursday, July 6

Rich 12.16 (88) v Syd 11.9 (75) (MCG) (N)

Friday, July 7

WB 11.11 (77) v Coll 13.11 (89) (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, July 8

BL 16.20 (116) v WCE 5.5 (35) (Gabba)

GWS 12.13 (85) v Haw 10.12 (72) (GS)

StK 8.10 (58) v Melb 12.7 (79) (MRVL) (N)

PA 16.10 (106) v GCS 11.7 (73) (AO) (N)

Sunday, July 9

Geel 19.11 (125) v NM 9.9 (63) (GMHBA)

Ess 17.13 (115) v Adel 15.7 (97) (MRVL)

Frem 6.9 (45) v Carl 14.14 (98) (OS) (T)

ROUND 18

Thursday, July 13

Sydney Swans v Western Bulldogs (SCG) (N)

Friday, July 14

Melbourne v Brisbane Lions (MCG) (N)

Saturday, July 15

Collingwood v Fremantle (MCG)

Gold Coast Suns v St Kilda (HBS)

Carlton v Port Adelaide (MRVL) (T)

Geelong Cats v Essendon (GMHBA) (N)

Adelaide Crows v GWS Giants (AO) (N)

ROUND 19

Friday, July 21

Essendon v Western Bulldogs (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, July 22

Richmond v Hawthorn (MCG)

Carlton v West Coast Eagles (MRVL)

Brisbane Lions v Geelong Cats (G) (T)

Port Adelaide v Collingwood (AO) (N)

Fremantle v Sydney Swans (OS) (N)

Sunday, July 23

GWS Giants v Gold Coast Suns (MO)

Melbourne v Adelaide Crows (MCG)

St Kilda v North Melbourne (MRVL) (T)

ROUND 20

Friday, July 28

Collingwood v Carlton (MCG) (N)

Saturday, July 29

Geelong Cats v Fremantle (GMHBA)

Western Bulldogs v GWS Giants (MARS)

Gold Coast Suns v Brisbane Lions (HBS) (T)

Essendon v Sydney Swans (MRVL) (N)

Adelaide Crows v Port Adelaide (AO) (N)

Sunday, July 30

Hawthorn v St Kilda (MRVL)

Richmond v Melbourne (MCG)

West Coast Eagles v North Melbourne (OS) (T)

ROUND 21

Friday, August 4

Western Bulldogs v Richmond (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, August 5

Essendon v West Coast Eagles (MRVL)

Adelaide Crows v Gold Coast Suns (AO)

Hawthorn v Collingwood (MCG) (T)

Geelong Cats v Port Adelaide (GMHBA) (N)

GWS Giants v Sydney Swans (GS) (N)

Sunday, August 6

North Melbourne v Melbourne (BA)

St Kilda v Carlton (MRVL)

Fremantle v Brisbane Lions (OS) (T)

ROUND 22

Friday, August 11

Collingwood v Geelong Cats (MCG) (N)

Saturday, August 12

North Melbourne v Essendon (MRVL)

Sydney Swans v Gold Coast Suns (SCG)

Brisbane Lions v Adelaide Crows (G) (T)

Carlton v Melbourne (MCG) (N)

West Coast Eagles v Fremantle (OS) (N)

Sunday, August 13

Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs (UTAS)

St Kilda v Richmond (MRVL)

Port Adelaide v GWS Giants (AO) (T)

ROUND 23

Friday, August 18

Collingwood v Brisbane Lions (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, August 19

Richmond v North Melbourne (MCG)

Gold Coast Suns v Carlton (HBS)

GWS Giants v Essendon (GS) (T)

St Kilda v Geelong Cats (MRVL) (N)

Adelaide Crows v Sydney Swans (AO) (N)

Sunday, August 20

Western Bulldogs v West Coast Eagles (MRVL)

Melbourne v Hawthorn (MCG)

Fremantle v Port Adelaide (OS) (T)

ROUND 24

Round starts Friday, August 25*

Brisbane Lions v St Kilda (G)

Carlton v GWS Giants (MRVL)

Essendon v Collingwood (MCG)

Geelong Cats v Western Bulldogs (GMHBA)

Hawthorn v Fremantle (MCG)

North Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns (BA)

Port Adelaide v Richmond (AO)

Sydney Swans v Melbourne (SCG)

West Coast Eagles v Adelaide Crows (OS)

2023 TOYOTA AFL FINALS SERIES

Date TBC

Week One – Qualifying & Elimination Finals (4)

Date TBC

Week Two – Semi-Finals (2)

Date TBC

Week Three – Preliminary Finals (2)

Date TBC

Byes: Brisbane Lions, Fremantle, St Kilda, Sydney Swans

Sunday, July 16

North Melbourne v Hawthorn (MRVL)

West Coast Eagles v Richmond (OS) (T)

Week Four – Toyota AFL Grand Final

*Matches in round 24 are listed alphabetically with timeslots to be determined at a later date.

The Angus Range.

SCOREBOARD – ROUND 17

Sydney

BEST: Richmond – Bolton, Taranto, Martin, Young, Ross, Nankervis. Sydney Swans – Florent, Gulden, Parker, Rowbottom, Heeney, Rampe.

GOALS: Richmond – Ross 2, Graham 2, Miller, Pickett, Cotchin, Baker, Nankervis, Vlastuin, Riewoldt, Martin. Sydney Swans – Heeney 3, McInerney 2, Hayward 2, Franklin 2, Gulden, Papley.

Substitutes: Richmond – Ross (replaced Bauer);

Sydney Swans – Francis (replaced Lloyd).

AFL Coaches Votes: 10 Bolton (Rich), 8 Martin (Rich), 5 Nankervis (Rich), 5 Gulden (Syd), 1 Florent (Syd), 1 Ross (Rich).

Umpires: R. Findlay, B. Hosking, S. Meredith, J. Power.

Crowd: 48,443 at the MCG.

Collingwood

BEST: Collingwood – N. Daicos, Elliott, Noble, Crisp, Quaynor, J. Daicos, Johnson. Western Bulldogs – Naughton, Daniel, Liberatore, Ugle-Hagan, Weightman, Bontempelli.

GOALS: Collingwood – Elliott 4, Johnson 3, N. Daicos 2, Lipinski, Frampton, De Goey, J. Daicos. Western Bulldogs – Weightman 4, Naughton 4, Ugle-Hagan 2, Poulter.

Substitutes: Western Bulldogs – Scott (replaced O’Donnell); Collingwood – Bianco (replaced Hoskin-Elliott).

AFL Coaches Votes: 9 Quaynor (Coll), 9 N. Daicos (Coll), 5 Ugle-Hagan (WB), 3 Naughton (WB), 3 Elliott (Coll), 1 Bontempelli (WB).

Umpires: J. Broadbent, A. Gianfagna, M. Nicholls, M. Stevic.

Crowd: 43,482 at Marvel Stadium.

Brisbane Lions 7.3 10.8 13.14 16.20 (116)

West Coast Eagles 2 .0 2 .2 3.3 5.5 (35)

BEST: Brisbane Lions – Neale, Andrews, Gunston, Ashcroft, Rayner, Lyons. West Coast Eagles – Duggan, Kelly, Hough, Hunt.

GOALS: Brisbane Lions – Gunston 6, McCluggage 2, Hipwood 2, Wilmot, Starcevich, Rayner, McInerney, Fletcher, Bailey. West Coast Eagles –Allen, Kelly, Hunt, Darling, J. Williams.

Substitutes: Brisbane Lions – Lohmann (replaced Zorko); West Coast Eagles – Cole (replaced McGovern).

AFL Coaches Votes: 10 Andrews (BL), 7 Neale (BL), 7 Gunston (BL), 2 Hough (WCE), 2 Rayner (BL), 2 Ashcroft (BL).

Umpires: A. Adair, C. Dore, C. Fleer, C. Jones.

Crowd: 24,843 at the Gabba.

GWS Giants 5.3

Hawthorn 3.4

BEST: GWS Giants – Coniglio, Taylor, Hogan, Briggs, Riccardi, Perryman. Hawthorn –Newcombe, Day, Amon, Hardwick, Maginness.

GOALS: GWS Giants – Hogan 4, Riccardi 3, Coniglio 3, Lloyd, Green. Hawthorn – Wingard 2, Ward 2, Greene 2, Worpel, Moore, C. Macdonald, Grainger-Barras.

Substitutes: GWS Giants – Haynes (replaced Keeffe); Hawthorn – Morrison (replaced Impey).

AFL Coaches Votes: 10 Coniglio (GWS), 7 Newcombe (Haw), 7 Taylor (GWS), 2 Day (Haw), 2 Hogan (GWS), 1 Nash (Haw), 1 Maginness (Haw).

Umpires: H. Gavine, J. Howorth, D. Johanson, A. Whetton.

Crowd: 9007 at Giants Stadium.

Melbourne 5.0 7.2 9.5 12.7 (79)

St Kilda 3.5 4.7 6.8 8.10 (58)

BEST: Melbourne – Petracca, Langdon, Neal-Bullen, May, Sparrow, Viney. St Kilda – Steele, Sinclair, Marshall, Wanganeen-Milera.

GOALS: Melbourne – Petracca 4, Melksham 2, Sparrow 2, Neal-Bullen, Hunter, Brown, Langdon. St Kilda – Owens 2, Gresham 2, Steele, Wood, Billings, Sharman.

COATES TALENT LEAGUE – ROUND 13

GWV

Best: GWV Rebels – Faull, Charleson, Hannaford, Unwin, Rantall, Molan. Murray Bushrangers – Newton, M. Whitlock, McGrath, J. Whitlock, Darby Wilson, Hewitt.

Goals: GWV Rebels – Wright 4, Byrne 3, Unwin 2, McKercher 2, Lloyd, Ough, Valpied. Murray Bushrangers – Way, Berry, J. Whitlock. Northern

Best: Northern Knights – Naish, Ferronato, Young, Farrar, Heatley, Tsitsis. Western Jets – Snell, Moloney, Petric, Smith, Findlay, Freeman.

Goals: Northern Knights – Ferronato 3, Cameron 2, Dattoli 2, McInerney, Ormerod, Riley, Tsitsis. Western Jets – Freeman 3, Findlay 2, Raso.

Best: Geelong Falcons – Hughes, Butcher, Burke, Sinnott, Pierson, Murray. Gippsland Power – Lindsay, Stern, Callahan, Ireland, Felsbourg, Amoroso.

Goals: Geelong Falcons – McInnes 3, Page, Jones, George, Ivisic, Sanders, Sinnott. Gippsland Power – Amoroso, Ireland, Scandrett.

Sandringham Dragons 1.0 5.6 6.9 11.11 (77)

Dandenong Stingrays 3.3 4.5 8.7 8.7 (55)

Best: Sandringham Dragons – Edwards, Lord, Nish, Sulzberger, Williams, Docking. Dandenong Stingrays – Nelson, Langford, Hopkins, Hayes, Hynes, Frangalas.

Substitutes: St Kilda – Byrnes (replaced King); Melbourne – J. Smith (replaced Petty).

AFL Coaches Votes: 10 May (Melb), 7 Marshall (StK), 7 Petracca (Melb), 4 Wanganeen-Milera (StK), 1 Steele (StK), 1 Brayshaw (Melb).

Umpires: C. Donlon, N. Foot, A. Stephens, N. Williamson.

Crowd: 30,749 at Marvel Stadium.

Port Adelaide 2 .2 5.3 14.5 16.10 (106)

Gold Coast Suns 4.1 6.3 7.4 11.7 (73)

BEST: Port Adelaide – Rozee, Aliir, Wines, Houston, Finlayson, Butters. Gold Coast Suns – Witts, Rowell, Casboult, N. Anderson, Miller. GOALS: Port Adelaide – Finlayson 3, Rozee 2, Rioli 2, T. Marshall 2, Powell-Pepper, Narkle, Houston, Horne-Francis, Dixon, Byrne-Jones, Boak. Gold Coast Suns – Casboult 4, Holman 2, Oea, Miller, Lukosius, Humphrey, Ainsworth.

Substitutes: Port Adelaide – Narkle (replaced McKenzie); Gold Coast Suns – Farrar (replaced King).

AFL Coaches Votes: 10 Rozee (PA), 8 Aliir (PA), 5 Finlayson (PA), 3 N. Anderson (GCS), 2 Casboult (GCS), 1 Butters (PA), 1 Wines (PA).

Umpires: L. Fisher, J. Mollison, P. Rebeschini, M. Rodger.

Crowd: 31,053 at Adelaide

BEST: Geelong – Duncan, Atkins, Stengle, Stewart, Blicavs, O. Henry, Miers. North Melbourne – Davies-Uniacke, McKay, Greenwood, Xerri.

GOALS: Geelong – Stengle 5, O. Henry 4, Hawkins 3, Close 3, Rohan, J. Henry, Duncan, Bowes. North Melbourne – Larkey 2, Davies-Uniacke 2, Tucker, Stephenson, Perez, Harvey, Ford.

Substitutes: Geelong – Dempsey (replaced Blicavs); North Melbourne – Ziebell (replaced Logue).

AFL Coaches Votes: 6 Atkins (Geel), 5 Miers (Geel), 5 Duncan (Geel), 4 Dangerfield (Geel), 4 J. Henry (Geel), 2 Stengle (Geel), 2 Stewart (Geel), 1 Bowes (Geel), 1 O. Henry (Geel).

Umpires: C. Deboy, A. Heffernan, N. McGinness, N. Toner.

Crowd: 21,066 at GMHBA Stadium.

BEST: Essendon – Parish, Merrett, Wright, McGrath, Zerk-Thatcher, Heppell, Laverde. Adelaide Crows – Laird, O’Brien, Dawson, Hinge, Smith.

GOALS: Essendon – Wright 3, Langford 3, Menzie 2, Guelfi 2, Martin 2, Redman, Merrett, Hobbs, Kelly, Stringer. Adelaide Crows – Pedlar 2, Keays 2, Rankine 2, Walker 2, Thilthorpe, McHenry, Fogarty, Jones, Smith, Sloane, Murphy.

Substitutes: Essendon – Shiel (replaced Ridley); Adelaide Crows – Schoenberg (replaced Soligo).

AFL Coaches Votes: 9 Parish (Ess), 9 Merrett (Ess), 5 Wright (Ess), 3 Martin (Ess), 2 McGrath (Ess), 1 Hobbs (Ess), 1 Laird (Adel).

Umpires: R. Findlay, B. Hosking, B. Rosebury, B. Wallace. Crowd: 39,606 at Marvel Stadium.

BEST: Carlton – Walsh, Cerra, McKay, Cripps, Docherty, C. Curnow, Weitering. Fremantle – Brayshaw, Walters, Young, Darcy, Ryan.

GOALS: Carlton – McKay 3, Curnow 3, Owies 2, Cerra, Cottrell, Docherty, Fogarty, Kennedy, McGovern. Fremantle – Walters 2, Jackson, Amiss, Switkowski, Frederick.

Substitutes: Fremantle – Worner (replaced Johnson); Carlton – Hewett (replaced Kennedy).

AFL Coaches Votes: 10 Cerra (Carl), 6 Cripps (Carl), 4 Walsh (Carl),

4 Ryan (Frem), 2 McKay (Carl), 2 Saad (Carl), 1 Weitering (Carl), 1 C. Curnow (Carl).

Umpires: R. Chamberlain, L. Haussen, R. O’Gorman, M. Young.

Crowd: 49,469 at Optus Stadium.

AFLCA Champion Player of the Year

Votes Player Club

91 Nick Daicos Collingwood

77 Zak Butters Port Adelaide

76 Christian Petracca Melbourne

70 Lachie Neale Brisbane Lions

65 Zach Merrett Essendon

63 Connor Rozee Port Adelaide

62 Tim Taranto Richmond

58 Jordan Dawson Adelaide Crows

57 Jack Sinclair St Kilda

56 Marcus Bontempelli Western Bulldogs

LEADING GOALKICKERS

Goals: Sandringham Dragons – Dear 2, May 2, H. Sullivan 2, Goonewardene, Duffy, Krok, Lloyd, Docking. Dandenong Stingrays – Hynes 3, Giliam, Mraz, Hayes, Langford, Nelson.

Bendigo Pioneers 3.5 7.7 9.8 12.9 (81)

Calder Cannons 2 .2 3.2 6.4 9.9 (63)

Best: Bendigo Pioneers – Gordon, Shanahan, Geister, Denahy, Jones, Kuma. Calder Cannons – Hollow, Garcia, Cullen, Brodie, Mueller, Barbaro.

Goals: Bendigo Pioneers – Byrne 2, Doddos 2, Faulkhead 2, Geister 2, Jones, Littore, McMahon, Shanahan. Calder Cannons – Kako 2, Hollow 2, Mueller 2, Naim, Leedham, Mahoney.

Saturday, July 15: Tasmania Devils v Oakleigh Chargers.

LADDER: Northern Knights 32 (140.5%), Sandringham Dragons 32 (125.6%), Tasmania Devils 28 (141.0%), Calder Cannons 24 (163.5%), Geelong Falcons 24 (130.4%), GWV Rebels 24 (113.1%), Bendigo Pioneers 20 (107.1%), Eastern Ranges 20 (102.5%), Dandenong Stingrays 20 (102.0%), Western Jets 16 (95.1%), Gippsland Power 16 (90.3%), Oakleigh Chargers 12 (88.6%), Swans Academy 8 (92.5%) Suns Academy 8 (91.3%), Murray Bushrangers 8 (80.0%), Lions Academy 0 (58.9%), Giants Academy 0 (37.6%), Thunder Academy 0 (21.2%).

AFL SYDNEY – ROUND 13

Best: Inner West – K. Veerhuis, Rule, Jamieson, Doyle, Ciscato, Tiziani. Sydney University – M. Krochmal, Fitzroy, McNamara, Dimery, Podmore-Taylor, Hughes.

Goals: Inner West – Zoppo 3, Harper 2, McCormack 2, Evans, Hamilton, Rauter, Tiziani, L. Veerhuis. Sydney University – Hawkins, N. Tang.

Best: St George – Carey, Marning, Jones, McKellar, Pearson, Nicholls. East Coast – Elbourne, Poynter, Jones, Organ, Brown, Delana.

Goals: St George – Kenny 2, Maunder 2, Wharton 2, Carey, Coenen, Hodgson, Markos, Nabaki, Nicholls, Saunders, P. Tegg. East Coast – Delana, Organa.

North Shore 8.2 10.3 15.9 17.11 (113)

Manly-Warringah 0.3 2 .8 3.8 5.10 (40)

Best: North Shore – Loone, Meacham, Loebel, Robertson, Barkley, Hill. Manly-Warringah – Smit, Lawford, Creighton, Sheldrick, Babic, Adams.

Goals: North Shore – Vlatko 4, Campbell 3, Rayner 3, Barkley 2, Barritt 2, Roach 2, Hill. Manly-Warringah – Creighton, Fraser, Lawford, Smit, Youlten.

Pennant Hills 4.1

(80)

UTS 1.2 1.2 2 .4 3.5 (23)

Best: Pennant Hills – Maguire, B. Matthews, Webster, Hawkins, Carroll, S. Eynaud. UTS – Devlin, Lee, Lahy, Barry-Murphy, Boyd, Palmer.

Goals: Pennant Hills – Maguire 5, S. Eynaud 2, B. Matthews 2, Browne, Vidler. UTS – Palmer 2, Lee.

BYE: UNSW-Eastern Suburbs.

VFL –ROUND16

Best: Sydney – Wicks, Clarke, Stephens, McAndrew, Mitchell, Rankin. Richmond – Dow, Trezise, Olden, El Nour, McDonagh, Ralphsmith.

Goals: Sydney – Wicks 4, Hall-Kahan 2, Buller, Clarke, Mitchell, Morrison, Roberts, Tidemann. Richmond – Bradtke 2, Cumberland 2, McDonagh 2, Dow, Lefau, Ralphsmith.

Best: Footscray – Darcy, Sullivan, Chatfield, Busslinger, Garcia, Bruce. Collingwood – Macrae, Carmichael, Harrison, McInnes, Begg, Ginnivan.

Goals: Footscray – Darcy 4, Khamis 2, Sullivan 2, Gallagher, Garner, Jones, McComb, C. Smith, Sweet. Collingwood – Harrison 3, Ginnivan 2, Begg, Carmichael, Kelly, McInnes, Purcell, Steene.

Best: Gold Coast – Sharp, Uwland, Day, Chol, Burgess, Stein. Frankston – C. Riley, Fordham, Rendell, Stoddart, Newnes, O’Leary.

Goals: Gold Coast – Chol 6, Burgess 5, Day, 4, McLaughlin 2, Eckersley, Hollands, Moyle, Sexton, Tsitas. Frankston – O’Leary 2, Butland, Johnson, Lloyd.

Best: Brisbane Lions – Fort, Buzza, Prior, Sharp, Joyce, K. Dunkley.

Northern Bullants – Velissaris, Holian, Hurley, Morris, Fairlie, King.

Goals: Brisbane Lions – Buzza 6, Collins 2, Lane 2, Richardson 2, Sharp 2, Barry, Cockatoo, Dunkley, Gordon, McDowell-White, Prior, Reville, Rich. Northern Bullants – Fritsch, Holian.

Best: Box Hill Hawks – Long, Bramble, Meek, Brown, Bennetts, Mascitti.

GWS – Fleeton, Fahey, Flynn, Rowston, Wehr, Davis.

Goals: Box Hill Hawks – Ryan 4, Bennetts 2, Bramble 2, O’Sullivan 2, Long, Meek, Stephens. GWS – Derksen 4, Gruzewski 4, Cadman 2, Stone.

QAFL –ROUND15

Best: Noosa – Rogers, Laskey, R. Buntain, Flagg, Dawson, Fitzpatrick. Labrador –Offermans, Simpson, Cecchin, Lee, McEldrew, Lake.

Goals: Noosa – R. Buntain 4, Dawson 3, McKinley 3, Pettigrove 2, Wilson 2, Field, Ogden, Tuohey. Labrador – Offermans 3, Law 2, Back, T. Brown, Henderson, Simpson, Wright.

Best: Aspley – Batchelor, Peppin, Allen, Toye, Harker, Best. Maroochydore – Jones, Wagner, McKenzie, Robinson, Stone, Govan.

Goals: Aspley – Batchelor 3, Peppin 3, Stackelberg 2, Toye 2, Best, Dodge, Templeton. Maroochydore – McLachlan 3, Robinson 2, Gallop, Palmer, Scholard, Thomas, Vivian. Sherwood

Best: Sherwood – Fletcher, Gilder, Cooper, Bulley, Austin, Mitchell.

Morningside –Swann, Hodge, Frame, Griffiths, Wille, Peak.

Goals: Sherwood – Bulley 5, Cruice, Easton, Edwards.

Morningside – McLeod 2, Peak 2, Dadds, Downie, Lewis.

STATE LEAGUE

(53)

SANFL – ROUND 12

Best: Carlton – Marchbank, Carroll, Honey, Ronke, S. Durdin, O’Brien. Coburg – Nelson, Walker, Clarke, M. Podhajski, Weightman, Kemp.

Goals: Carlton – McMahon 4, Cahill 3, Ronke 3, Honey 2, Binns, Crocker, Lemmey, Motlop, O’Brien, O’Keeffe. Coburg – Clarke 3, Weightman 3, Simpson 2, D’Intinosante, Gillard, M. Podhajski.

Best: Werribee – Mannagh, Declase, T. Gribble, Clark, Brew, Lever. Port Melbourne – Curry, Hooper, Anastasio, Hird, Cameron, Viccars.

Goals: Werribee – Declase 2, Garoni 2, Mannagh 2, Boyd, Brew, Keast, Paea. Port Melbourne – Gasper 2, A. Manton 2, Hofert, Rosman, Viccars.

Best: Willy – Cox, McDonald, Hore, O’Dwyer, Pickess, Toner. Southport –Woodcock, Charlesworth, Lockhart, Dawson, Molloy, McGuinness.

Goals: Williamstown – Cox 2, Andrews, Colenso, Henderson, McHale, Ottavi, Pickess, Preston. Southport – Lockhart 3, Woodcock 3, Charlesworth 2. Casey Demons 4.6 6.8 9.12 13.15 (93)

Sandringham 2 .0 3.4 4.7 8.11 (59)

Best: Casey Demons – Tomlinson, Schache, Freeman, Chandler, Steele, Harmes. Sandringham – Campbell, Highmore, Heath, Bytel, Peris, Hipwell.

Goals: Casey Demons – Schache 4, Edwards 2, Laurie 2, Moniz-Wakefield 2, Harmes, van Rooyen, White. Sandringham – Heath 3, N. Gown, Hipwell, Hotton, Keeler, Peris.

North Melbourne 4.2 7.6 8.7 15.11 (101)

Geelong 3.0 6.1 8.4 9.4 (58)

Best: North Melbourne – Phillips, Sellers, Cunnington, Goater, Davis, Hansen jnr. Geelong – Capiron, J. Chalcraft, Menegola, Knevitt, B. Lloyd, Annand.

Goals: North Melbourne – Hansen Jnr 4, Sellers 4, Bergman 2, Lowson 2, Turner 2, Drury. Geelong – Ham 2, Neale 2, Quick 2, Chafer, Knevitt, Parfitt.

BYE: Essendon.

TSL – ROUND 13

North Launceston 6.4 11.9 12.14 18.21 (129)

Glenorchy 0.2 4.4 6.5 6.6 (42)

Best: North Launceston – Avent, Lee, Pearce, Sulzberger, Hubbard, Cox-Goodyer. Glenorchy – Blowfield, Simpson, Waight, C. Meredith, Thompson, Nicholson.

Goals: North Launceston – Cox-Goodyer 6, Griffiths 3, Leary 3, Avent, Ives, Leeflang, Mansell, Manshanden, Simpson. Glenorchy – Bailey 2, Joseph 2, Manson 2.

Clarence 1.3 5.4 12.6 13.9 (87)

North Hobart 2 .2 6.3 6.5 7.8 (50)

Best: Clarence – Howlett, Holmes, Norton, Paprotny, Preshaw, Howard. North Hobart – Norton, Jackson, Monks, D. White, Liefhebber, Daly.

Goals: Clarence – Holmes 4, Garland 2, Norton 2, McGee 2, Green, Howlett, Murrell. North Hobart – Jackson 3, Bingham, McCulloch, D. White, S. White.

Launceston 1.0 4.4 5.8 7.12 (54)

Lauderdale 2 .2 2 .2 4.3 5.3 (33)

Best: Launceston – House, Palfreyman, Groenewegan, Canny, Beaumont, McCormack. Lauderdale – Stanley, Walsh, Broomhall, Sookee, Skelly, Sutton.

Goals: Launceston – Beaumont 2, Hyatt 2, Jones 2, Riley.

Lauderdale – Stanley 4, Siggins.

Best: Mt Gravatt – Leahy, Macdonald, Hollier, Pearce, Smith, Young. Broadbeach –Reeves, Searl, Lower, Bowman, Bishop, Lombard. Goals: Mt Gravatt – Licht 3, Milford 2, O’Dea 2, Smith 2, Young 2, Carbone, Clare, Macdonald. Broadbeach – Reeves 4, Dawson 2, Lockett 2, Bowman, Filippone, Lombard, Lower, Townsend.

Best: Surfers Paradise – Fraser, Nieass, Haberfield, Brauman, Finch, Ireland. Wilston Grange – Bowles, Fidler, Martyn, McGregor, McFadyen, Zakaras.

Surfers Paradise – Finch 4, Fraser 2, McDonald 2, Smith 2, Ireland, Nieass, Shea, Woodburn. Wilston Grange – Fidler 2.

Best: Redland-Victoria Point – C. Aston, O’Sullivan, B. Aston, Yagmoor, Hambleton, Brown. Palm Beach-Currumbin – McInneny, Graham, Thynne, Hay, Cuffe.

Goals: Redland-Victoria Point – Hammelmann 7, Brown 5, B. Aston 2, O’Sullivan 2, Benson, Christensen, Hambleton, Hausfield. Palm BeachCurrumbin – McInneny 3, Harrison 2, Hay 2, White 2, Cuffe, Nicholson.

AFL NAT. U18 C’SHIPS – RD 6

Victoria Metro 5.1 10.5 14.10 19.13 (127)

Western Australia 1.2 2 .4 5.5 6.10 (46)

Best: Victoria Metro – K. Brown, Johnston, Morris, Watson, Murphy, Brown. Western Australia – Sanchez, Curtin, Tholstrup, O’Driscoll, Torrent, Dehavilland.

Goals: Victoria Metro – Watson 5, Morris 4, Caddy 3, Harrop 2, L. Brown, Hotton, Johnston, Weatherill, Windsor. Western Australia – Sanchez 3, Dehavilland, Logan, Torrent.

Allies 2 .3 5.4 10.8 12.9 (81)

Victoria Country 3.2 6.4 7.5 10.10 (70)

Best: Allies – McKercher, Sanders, Cleary, O’Sullivan, Walter, Read. Victoria Country –O’Sullivan, Dawson, Gawith, Stevens, D. Wilson, A. Reid.

Goals: Allies – Gothard 2, McKercher 2, Turner 2, Walter 2, Callinan, Gander, Glanvill, McCormack. Victoria Country – Duursma 2, Rudd 2, D. Wilson 2, Lalor, O’Sullivan, A. Reid, Stevens.

BYE: South Australia.

LADDER: Allies 16 (174.7%), Victoria Metro 8 (157.4%), Victoria Country 4 (88.3%), South Australia 4 (72.2%), Western Australia 4 (57.7%).

Port

Best: Port Adelaide – Visentini, Mead, Burgoyne, Kirk, Evans. Woodville-West Torrens – Williams, Sinor, Ballenden, Beattie, Goldsworthy.

Goals: Port Adelaide – Evans 3, Barkla 2, Burgoyne, Carter, Dumont, Kirk, Mead, Scully, Short, Visentini. Woodville-West Torrens – Ballenden 3, Buck, D’Aloia, Pearce, Rowe, Sladojevic.

Best: Glenelg – McBean, Lyons, Scharenberg, Turner, Allen. Norwood – Donnelly, Kennerley, Boyd, Hamilton, Rokahr.

Goals: Glenelg – McBean 6, Turner 2, Allen, Chandler, Gerloff, Hosie, Lyons. Norwood – Hamilton 2, Robinson 2, Lok, Nunn, Tranfa.

Best: North Adelaide – Combe, Mayes, Gowers, McCann, White. South Adelaide – Clavarino, Davis, Tucker, Haines, Sampson.

Goals: North Adelaide – Hilder, Mayes, McCann, Patmore, Wigg, Young. South Adelaide – Shillabeer 2, Wilkinson.

Best: Sturt – Edmonds, Coomblas, Doyle, Battersby, McFadyen. West Adelaide – Bock, Mattingly, Meline, Sinderberry, Morrish.

Goals: Sturt – Burrows 2, Breuer, Grivell, Rentsch.

West Adelaide – Delahunty, Johnson, Sinderberry, Stevens.

Adelaide

Best: Adelaide – Strachan, Berry, McAdam, Hately, Keane.

Central District – Dudley, Olsson, McCormack.

Goals: Adelaide – McAdam 3, Gollant 2, Newchurch 2, Berry, Brown, Cook, Hamill, Nankervis, Sharrad, Strachan, Tahana.

Central District – Olsson 2, Barreau, Lange, Presbury.

(104)

LADDER: Glenelg 22 (61.7%), Sturt 20 (51.6%), Adelaide 16 (60.7%), Port Adelaide 12 (49.2%), North Adelaide 12 (47.2%), Central District 10 (44.9%), Woodville-West Torrens 8 (48.0%), South Adelaide 8 (44.5%), West Adelaide 6 (46.0%), Norwood 6 (43.2%).

* The SANFL only awards two points for a win, while percentage is calculated by points scored by a team divided by total points scored their matches for the season.

WAFL –ROUND13

Best: Peel Thunder – Hancock, Wagner, Blight, O’Driscoll, Stanley. Subiaco –Stainsby, Mayo, Dewar, Walters.

Goals: Peel Thunder – Kuek 2, Stanley 2, O’Driscoll, Reidy, Bell, Banfield. Subiaco – Golding 2, Mayo, Borchet, Sokol, Clarke.

Best: East Perth – Brayshaw, Schumacher, Willcocks, Robertson, Crowden. Swan Districts – McLachlan, Ehlers, Watson, Turner, Lynch.

Goals: East Perth – Medhat 3, Brayshaw 3, Schofield 2, Hille, Rand, Scott. Swan Districts – Palmer, Jones, McLachlan, Reidy.

Best: East Fremantle – Walker, Murdock, McDonald, Dixon, J. Marsh. West Perth – Julian, Meadows, Moulton, Guadagnin, Pegoraro.

Goals: East Fremantle – J. Marsh 3, O’Reilly 2, H. Marsh, Eardley, Bennett, Montauban, Lawler, Dixon, McGuire. West Perth – Knott, Hobley, Bevan, Keitel, Dixon, Julian.

(98)

Best: Perth – Coniglio, Byrne, Thompson. West Coast – Nelson, Creasey, Kemp, McCarthy, Sumich.

Goals: Perth – Sinclair 3, Cary 3, Byrne 2, Clark 2, Philip 2, Stubbs, Hayward, Evans. West Coast – Sumich 3, Kemp 2, Eastough 2, Dewar, Browne, Burke, McCarthy, Mercer, Lucassen, Sambo, Mouritz.

Claremont 1.1 3.1 5.4 9.6 (60)

South Fremantle 2 .3 4.5 6.8 8.8 (56)

Best: Claremont – Eastland, Maibaum, Rogers, Mountford, Martinis. South Fremantle – Florenca, Miller, Blechynden, Colborne, Byron.

Goals: Claremont – Smallwood 2, Minear 2, Rogers, Treacy, Elliott, Manuel, Mainwaring. South Fremantle – Miller 4, Bourne 2, Dragovich, Donaldson.

LADDER: Claremont 40 (144.9%), East Perth 36 (144.5%), Peel Thunder 36 (136.1%), East Fremantle 32 (149.4%), Subiaco 32 (126.9%), West Perth 20 (108.7%), Swan Districts 16 (96.3%), Perth 10 (68.4%), South Fremantle 8 (97.7%), West Coast 2 (33.9%).

OFFICIAL 2023 TOYOTA AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON LADDER

AFL UMPIRES 2023

BOUNDARY: Jordan Andrews, Michael Baker, Michael Barlow, Simon Blight, Chris Bull, Ian Burrows, Sean Burton, Adam Coote, Patrick Cran, Damien Cusack, Brett Dalgleish, Chris Delany, Patrick Dineen, Nathan Doig, Ty Duncan, Chris Esler, Benjamin Fely, Kieran Ferguson, Daniel Field-Read, Joshua Furman, Josh Garrett, Christopher Gordon, Matthew Jenkinson, Matthew Konetschka, Drew Kowalski, Mitchell Le Fevre, Tim Lougoon, Ben MacDonald, Damien Main, Michael Marantelli, Josh Mather, Jason Moore, Sean Moylan, Nicholas Phillips, Lachlan Rayner, Adam Reardon, Jordan Russell, Michael Saunders, Sam Stagg, Nick Swanson, Shane Thiele, Matthew Tomkins, David Wood.

GOAL: Jesse Baird, Dylan Benwell, Sally Boud, Matthew Bridges, Peter Challen, Michael Craig, Matthew Dervan, Luke Edwards, Daniel Hoskin, Sam Hunter, Brodie Kenny-Bell, Callum Leonard, Matt Maclure, Taylor Mattioli, Angus McKenzie-Wills, Rhys Negerman, Steven Piperno, Simon Plumridge, David Rodan, Chelsea Roffey, Brett Rogers, Tom Sullivan, Sam Walsh, Stephen Williams, Adam Wojcik, Jason Yazdani.

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u A s Collingwood takes on Fremantle this weekend at the MCG, we are excited to welcome 40 kids from the world’s biggest NAB AFL Auskick centre to play at half-time.

And guess what? It’s not even in Australia!

The Singapore Sharks Auskick centre holds the title, with pre-COVID enrolments numbering around 500.

They dipped to about 350 last year, but are on the climb again, attracting a mix of Australian expats, those who were born in Singapore to Australian parents, non-Singaporeans and locals.

The Auskickers will be flying in from Singapore before taking to the biggest stage of all and joining their footy heroes on the MCG after the Magpies and Dockers battle it out in the first half of Saturday’s round 18 clash.

It’s not too late to join the fun at Auskick. Register now at play.afl/Auskick.

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RIVALRY FOR THE AGES

There have been many great rivalries over the long history of the AFL/VFL, but few have matched the drama, action and big names of the North Melbourne v Hawthorn rivalry during the mid-to-late 1970s.

It is best encapsulated during their five-year finals ‘battle’ which started in 1974 and ended in the 1978 Grand Final.

1975

u After blowing a chance to win its first premiership the previous season, North Melbourne made no mistake with a thumping 55-point win over Hawthorn –giving the Roos their first VFL flag. Supercoach Ron Barassi masterminded the win, with former Bomber Barry Davis as captain. The club had completed a remarkable turnaround from its last-place finish just three years earlier.

1976

u This was ‘Crimmo’s Cup’, the game Hawthorn won for its champion rover and captain Peter Crimmins, at home with cancer on Grand Final day. The Hawks won by five goals and that night took the cup to Crimmo’s bedside. The ‘little fella’ died three days later.

1978

u A second Hawthorn victory in three years, but a Grand Final remembered more for the Hawks’ grinding determination than for brilliant football. That was left to North’s Phil Baker, who took a couple of first class ‘screamers’.

In that time, they met 10 times in finals (including three Grand Finals) and the overall win-loss record was a narrow 6-4 in the Hawks’ favour.

So as the two teams prepare to square off in this round, we take a trip down memory lane as we relive those three Grand Finals – 1975, 1976 and 1978.

BEST: North Melbourne – Crosswell, Rantall, Greig, Burns, Dench, Nolan. Hawthorn – Knights, Martello, Jaworskyj, Bremner, Moore, Rowlings.

GOALS: North Melbourne –Briedis 5, Wade 4, Burns 4, Schimmelbusch 2, Blight, Kekovich, Crosswell, Feltham. Hawthorn – Martello 2, Moncrieff 2, Rowlings, K. Matthews, Trott, Meagher, Scott.

Umpire: K. Smith.

Crowd: 110,551

BEST: Hawthorn – Hendrie, Knights, Ablett, Douge, Rowlings, Moore. North Melbourne –Dench, Greig, Cable, Blight, Icke, Sutton.

GOALS: Hawthorn –Moncrieff 3, Goad 2, Hendrie 2, K. Matthews 2, L. Matthews, Martello, Rowlings, Scott.

North Melbourne – Burns 2, Cable 2, Icke 2, Byrne, Cowton, Melrose, Crosswell.

Umpires: W. Deller, K. Smith. Crowd: 110,143 Hawthorn

(103)

BEST: Hawthorn – DiPierdomenico, L. Matthews, Eade, Scott, Wallace, Knights. North Melbourne –Baker, Schimmelbusch, Huppatz, Sutton, Henshaw, Glendinning.

GOALS: Hawthorn – Moncrieff 4, L. Matthews 4, Scott 3, Knights 2, Ablett, Martello, Hendrie, Eade, Murnane. North Melbourne –Baker 6, Briedis 2, Huppatz 2, Boyse 2, Smith 2, Melrose.

Umpires: W. Deller, I. Robinson. Crowd: 101,704

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2023

LONG-LOST TWINS IN REAL LIFE?

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u Have we found the stars of a remake of 1988 comedy movie Twins, when Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny De Vito played the title characters despite being polar opposites

in stature? Diminutive Western Bulldog Caleb Daniel was certainly in a different weight category when he came face-to ... um ... chest with Collingwood’s Long Tall Texan Mason Cox last Friday night. Daniel,

who was celebrating his 27th birthday, stands at just 171cm tall, a full 40cm shorter than the 211cm Cox. If you ever wanted any more proof that football is a game for everyone, here it is.

PHOTO: DYLAN BURNS/ AFL PHOTOS

SYDNEY: A FOOTY FRONTIER

The New South Wales Australian Football History Society has released a new book focusing on the history of Australian Football in Sydney in the late 1800s.

Written by Society president Ian Granland, the publication is titled Australian Football in Sydney 1877-1895 – A LIVING HEDGE.

It gives a fascinating insight of Australian Football in Sydney before the turn of the 20th century. It identifies the clubs, players, officials and even the location of the hotels they met in and

ALLIE S’ FIRST

BRENDAN RHODES

u The northern academies have been maligned by some who don’t understand what they are doing for the game’s development and players in non-traditional markets.

And while there have been a host of stories of players being plucked from other sports at an early age and turned into AFL players in the past 18 years, in turn releasing more boys from traditional footy states to other clubs – there has never been a collective group as talented as this year.

where they sometimes held their functions and gatherings.

The book is the only accurate account of the start of Australia’s national game in the country’s largest city and goes on to explore the game’s development in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley District.

It also identifies attempts to start the game in Wollongong in 1878 and 1886 and in Kiama in 1888 and details a game between the NSW towns of Yass and Bookham in 1891.

The Allies – players from NSW-ACT, Queensland, Tasmania and Northern Territory – last week won the AFL National Under-18 Championships for the first time with a perfect 4-0 run and a percentage of almost 175.

Previously having never won more than one match a year, the Mark McVeigh-coached Allies squad featured 23 players from the five northern academies and another four AFL Academy members.

Three potential first-rounders are available to Gold Coast in key forward Jed Walter, midfielder Jake Rogers and ruckman Ethan Read, plus Will Graham, Nick Williams and Leonardo Lombard.

The Swans have four they are excited about in midfielders

A Living Hedge details the representative fixtures NSW was involved in as well as providing venues, crowd numbers, scores and goalkickers.

Included are tales of two interstate tours NSW combined teams embarked upon which were wonderfully described by their participants.

This book also focuses on rugby union, its officials and how it took ahold in areas of Sydney and the country regions of NSW.

Caiden Cleary, Lachlan Cabor, father-son prospect Indhi Kirk and ruckman Caleb May, plus Max Rider and Tye Gander.

The Lions were represented by Sam Marshall, Brad McDonald and Patrick Snell and the Giants had Harvey Thomas, Jack Glanvill, Charlie McCormick and Dayne Posthuma, with many having already tasted VFL action this season.

The Suns also have access to the NT Academy, represented at the championships by Stanley Waistcoat, William Rowlands, Orlando Turner and Clay Shadforth.

Australian Football in Sydney 1877-1895

– A LIVING HEDGE is available from the Society for $60, plus $11.50 postage.

Email admin@nsw footballhistory.com.au

The four clubs can’t take them all, which means opportunities for other teams to benefit from their hard work and investment over the past six years.

When you add the young Tasmanians headed by Colby McKercher, Ryley Sanders and Jack Callinan, it is no surprise the Allies performed so well.

NORTHERN PIONEERS:

The NSW team before a state game against Queensland in 1886. This photo was taken in front of the former Members Stand at the SCG, which was demolished in the early 1890s.

IT’S OURS: The Allies celebrate their success.

theTRADeRS

PIG OF THE WEEK

DANE SWAN MEDAL CASH COW OF THE WEEK

5 Will Ashcroft BL, MID – 113

u S ome coaches deliberately held Ashcroft for the Eagles match-up and they were handsomely rewarded. He collected 28 disposals, five marks and seven tackles.

4 Darcy Wilmot BL, DEF/MID – 76

u At $550K, Wilmot has been a cash cow success story. He’s played every game and is averaging a solid 58. Since his bye, he’s been going at 73, making him a great bench option.

3 Anthony Caminiti STK, FWD – 71

MICHAEL BARLOW MEDAL

u It’s a familiar face at the top of the trough as the cream continues to rise. Bombers skipper Zach Merrett (MID, $1.01M) is running hot, scoring his third 150-plus score in the past seven weeks thanks to 39 possessions, six marks, seven tackles and a goal. He has six triple-figure scores in that time with a low score of 97 and is carrying a five-game average of 125 and a BE of 111 leading into a match-up at the Cattery. Saints big man Rowan Marshall (RUC, $982,000) played a season-high 95 per cent game time against the Demons’ formidable big man combo for an impressive return of 148 highlighted by 30 possessions and 10 marks. Teammate Jack Steele (MID, $802,000) also had a season-high TOG due to the Saints’ injury woes, and his score reflected that with

Warnie

WARNE DAWGS

146, while Docker Luke Ryan (DEF, $856,000) once again showed he has one of the best ceilings in the game for defenders with 142 to lift his season average over triple figures. Giants midfielder Stephen Coniglio (FWD/MID, $882,000) had a massive 61-point first quarter against the Hawks with two goals before reaching 136 and St Kilda’s Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (DEF/ MID, $811,000) continued his great form with a season-high 130.

TOP ROUND 17 SCORERS

17 2376 pts

The third and final roll out of dual-position player updates happened last week.

Unfortunately, Max Gawn less than 3 per cent short of gaining FWD status. Sam Walsh had a season-high midfield time last round to also miss out on becoming a MID/FWD.

u S even tackles helped the Saint to his highest score since round two. Caminiti could be even more important to his team after Max King was ruled out for the rest of the year.

2 Campbell Chesser WCE, DEF/MID – 66

u Adding another $31K to his price, Chesser’s cash generation has been rejuvenated after a string of omissions and roles as the substitute. Hold him on your bench if you’ve got him.

1 Josh Weddle HAW, DEF – 63

u Weddle has increased $269K so far this season. If Cal’s ‘Scale of Hardness’ is to be believed, he should cash in on the Hawks’ easy fixture for defenders and gain a few more dollars.

LEADERBOARD: 57 – Harry Sheezel; 38 – Will Ashcroft; 14 – Angus Sheldrick;

11 – Reuben Ginbey, Matthew Johnson; 10 – Kade Chandler, Will Phillips;

9 – Alex Cincotta, Ollie Hollands, Dylan Williams, Seamus Mitchell;

8 – Bailey Humphrey, Josh Weddle; 7 – Cam Mackenzie.

17 2496 pts

After the disappointment of losing my starting ruckman back in round one, it was a pleasure to watch him return from injury and come out doing what I knew he was capable of. He didn’t miss a beat with a score of 110, making him a bargain trade target.

17 2321 pts

Apart from elite captain selection, analysing fixtures is another part of AFL Fantasy that I excel at. If you’re looking for a defender, James Sicily is your man due to the Hawks’ run. You should also consider Jack Steele or other Saints midfielders.

THE TRADERS’ FANTASY CLASSIC STOCK MARKET

STOCKS UP

Jack Steele (MID, $802,000) sits at the top of the trade target list after seemingly rocketing back into form with a season-high 146 with 31 possessions, six marks, 12 tackles and a goal. He was moving as well as he has all season and looks to have put a few niggles behind him, which is great news considering he is as good as any player in the game when healthy. He is owned by less than 10 per cent of the competition and has a BE of just 66 leading into a juicy run of match-ups against the Suns, Roos and Hawks. Talk about stocks up, they don’t get much better than Roo ruckman Tristan Xerri (RUC, $565,000), who bounced back from injury without missing a beat with 110 from 19 possessions, three marks, four tackles and 45 hit-outs. It leaves him with a BE of just 60 leading into a match-up with the Hawks, who dropped back to playing just one ruckman last week and became less restrictive in that department. With a BE of 81, the time is right to jump on Swan Callum Mills (MID, $646,000) who has bottomed out in price. The role we wanted to see last week against the Tigers was there while playing predominantly through the midfield with 17 CBAs on his way to 92 from 21 possessions, four marks and nine tackles to be the third-highest scoring Swan on the night. He can return to the triple-figure club on Thursday night against the Bulldogs at the SCG.

STOCKS DOWN

With a low score of 96 in his past seven games, Josh Kelly (MID, $855,000) has been a good contributor when on the park … until he copped a Finn Maginness tag. The Giants ball magnet was held to just six possessions and four marks for a career-low 30. It leaves him with a BE of 158 heading into a tough match-up against the Crows and he will be a bargain to finish the season once his price bottoms out. Swans defender Jake Lloyd (DEF, $702,000) looked to have turned his form around against the Tigers after getting off to a flying start before Toby Nankervis ended his night early. The defensive accumulator was coming off a stretch where he had reached 80 just once in his past four outings but started like a house on fire before his injury with 11 touches, two marks and 38 in just 24 per cent game time. He will now miss a minimum of one week and has a BE of 128 on return. Removing the fattened cash cows continues to be the popular theme for a lot of coaches with the top four most traded out players being youngsters. Roos rising star Harry Sheezel (FWD/DEF, $749,000) is the biggest name of the group after recording his worst score in 10 weeks of 52, which wasn’t helped by a shift forward. He is joined by the likes of Docker Matthew Johnson (MID, $542,000), who was subbed out on 41, Swan Angus Sheldrick (FWD/MID, $516,000), who played just 54 per cent game time for 46 and Roos late withdrawal George Wardlaw (MID, $496,000).

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To be truly healthy, we need to care for our mind just as much as our body. Maintaining a healthy mind is about keeping it active, continuing to develop new skills and also learning strategies to regulate emotions. Being able to regulate emotions helps with all different parts of life. Be it playing with friends or family or lining up to kick the winning goal in a game of footy, life will be more enjoyable if you can regulate your emotions, stay calm and keep a healthy mind.

KICKING HEALTHY GOALS FOR KIDS

The Coles Healthy Kicks program is a fun and entertaining health and fitness program designed specifically to encourage Australian children aged six to 12 to embrace healthy eating, mindfulness and exercise.

The program is in its fourth year engaging with kids across Australia through fun fitness, healthy food education and games and is delivered during the school holidays at vacation care centres and schools nationwide.

Coles and the AFL have partnered with a number of superstar AFL and AFLW Ambassadors to bring the Coles Healthy Kicks program to life, including Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield, Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, Essendon’s Madi Prespakis, St Kilda’s Steph Chiocci, the Brisbane Lions’ Josh Dunkley and Ruby Svarc as well as Collingwood’s Sabrina Frederick.

Frederick is one of NAB AFLW’s premier stars and is known for her excellent marking overhead and leading into the right spots.

She has been a notable addition to the Magpies’ forward line as a high-profile recruit where she hopes to bring Collingwood its first NAB AFLW premiership.

Frederick is a leader in the multicultural community and cherishes spending time with her wife Lili with whom she now has a daughter, Florence. She also possesses a strong commitment to health and wellness, which makes

her the perfect Ambassador for Coles Healthy Kicks.

What did you do as a kid to stay active?

u When I was younger, I played a lot of team sports as I love being around others and took any opportunity to be active outside.

What healthy foods did you love as a kid?

u When I think back, I was completely obsessed with eating a big fruit salad and vanilla yoghurt rather than eating sweets.

What is your favourite healthy food now?

u I absolutely love making a fruit smoothie for breakfast because they are so easy to make, whether that be a mixture of berries and yoghurt or bananas and honey.

Why is it important for kids to be part of a team?

u You learn so many valuable lessons being a part of a team, whether that be from learning to work with others, which is so important as you grow up, to working together in a cohesive unit towards achieving a common goal, which is extremely satisfying once it is achieved.

What’s your favourite memory of being part of a team as a kid?

u I played in quite a few teams when I was younger, but the first time I won my basketball championship definitely has to be my favourite memory overall. Our team had played in a weekend carnival and it was the best fun spending time

with my teammates and ultimately winning the entire tournament. Do you do any mindfulness or breathing activities?

u I do a number of mindfulness activities, from meditation, visualisation and gratitude techniques. This is really important to me personally and has helped me throughout both my professional and personal career.

How do they help?

u These activities are very helpful because you can literally do them anywhere you are and at any time … it’s a moment you have for yourself to just reset to understand and recognise how you are feeling at the present time.

Why do you think the Coles Healthy Kicks program is so important for kids?

u Children today are lacking an informational space where they can learn the unique benefits of being the healthiest version of themselves and to build the health foundation to everything they need. The Coles Healthy Kicks program provides kids the perfect opportunity to learn and understand good habits early so they can prepare themselves to live a healthier, happier life in the future.

GOOD HABITS: Sabrina Frederick is urging youngsters to be healthy and happy.

Can you unscramble these letters to reveal the AFL players’ names?

CINK DSACIO AZK TETUBRS

HICLEA NLEAE AHZC TRETERM

WORD FIND

Can you find the surnames of these players who wear number 18?

FACE FACE FACEMASH MASH MASH

Can you name the two players who have been merged to create these new faces?

EPONKFHRSCSEKLVIFT

IODXRSMTDVOEGJUTBK

NQOMBEEBTYHLNHSLAW

YHOYANSYCOCQEOOMCM

TTWCGHLSLXNSBMTBOH

FXNLSYSLECYQTUASIG

BLEAAEMKEHLQGDINBC

OAELTZYELWCYEARCAM

RBRTCSMACEOJYQJOHR

VLGCFONWHOMRNFTSAN

CXMREIDOGPEEMMETTM

JRDMCQKIKNJOJAQNHX

CENTRE CLEARANCE GOAL

Your team is five points down with 10 seconds remaining and needs a goal from the centre bounce to win the game. Can you help them?

ANSWER: Page 74

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE TO

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: A logo is missing on Connor Rozee’s shorts; Nick Holman ’s hair is red; Ryan

Burton is missing his right thumb; Rozee’s boot has changed colour; and he has lost his eyebrows.

WHERE’S THE BALL: K1, K2

ANSWER MAN with LACHLAN

Cooper Harvey made his debut last week for the Kangaroos. It has been nearly seven years since his father Brent last played in the AFL. Is that the shortest gap between a father and son playing in AFL/VFL history?

BRIAN MAY, NEWCASTLE, NSW

LE: Across AFL/VFL history there have been more than 530 sets of father-son combinations. Most recently, Cooper Harvey and Taj Woewodin joined that group with their fathers Brent Harvey and Shane Woewodin. Harvey played 432 games for the Kangaroos across 20 years and holds the record for most matches played in AFL/VFL history. The gap between Brent’s last match to Cooper’s first match was six years and 302 days. Remarkably, it is not the shortest gap of all time – that record belongs to the Rankins, Teddy and Bert, at one year and 320 days. Teddy played 180 games for the Cats between 1897-1910 and when he retired, his son Bert made his debut in round three, 1912. At the other end of the scale, the longest gap is 44 years and 344 days. Gerry Sexton played his last game for the Bulldogs in round 20, 1945, before his son Damian made his debut in round 19, 1990, for St Kilda.

ROUND 18, 2022

North Melbourne last week.

SHORTEST GAPS BETWEEN FATHER-SONS PLAYING

1910

Ablett jnr Geel/GCS R1, 2002 6 years, 230 days

Kavanagh Melb/Fitz R7, 1989 6 years, 279 days

LONGEST GAPS BETWEEN FATHER-SONS PLAYING

Coventry Coll R9, 1941

CAN YOU ASSIST?

u Former Carlton and Collingwood ruckman

Chris Bryan played 46 games and kicked 19 goals between 2005-09. His great-grandfather

career at Collingwood and Essendon between 1910-20. Lumsden played in two premierships for the Magpies in 1917 and 1919 and was Essendon’s leading goalkicker in 1914 with 28 goals.

u Less than a week after sacking senior coach David Noble, North Melbourne pulled off a stunning upset over finals contender Richmond. With caretaker coach Leigh Adams in charge, the Roos stood tall in a hectic final term to down the inaccurate Tigers by four points. Cameron Zurhaar starred with six goals, while Jy Simpkin (30 disposals) and Luke Davies-Uniacke (28) dominated the midfield battle. The Western Bulldogs kept their finals hopes alive with a 28-point win over a disappointing St Kilda. Youngster Nick Daicos (40 disposals, three goals) led Collingwood to a tough five-point win over Adelaide in Magpie skipper Scott Pendlebury’s 350th game. Sydney scored a 17-point win over Fremantle at Optus Stadium with Chad Warner (35 disposals) outstanding for the Swans. Geelong’s class and experience proved too great for Carlton in front of 68,208 fans at the MCG. Lively Melbourne forward Kysaiah Pickett booted six goals in the Demons’ 14-point win over Port Adelaide in Alice Springs. Hawthorn veteran Luke Breust also kicked six goals in the Hawks’ 25-point win over West Coast.

If you know of other examples of relatively recent AFL players who have ancestors with a different surname who also played in the equivalent competition, please contact col.hutchinson@afl.com.au.

AFL

1

Which player was on the end of a match-turning high bump in Sydney’s loss to Richmond last Thursday night?

A Nick Blakey B Jake Lloyd

C I saac Heeney D Tom Papley

2

Which Magpie has entered All-Australian discussions after another starring role in defence yielded nine AFLCA votes?

A Isaac Quaynor B John Noble

C J ack Crisp D Oleg Markov

3

Who kicked the first two goals of the Western Bulldogs v Collingwood match?

A Aaron Naughton

B C ody Weightman C Jamie Elliott

D J ordan De Goey

4

Who kicked six goals in the Brisbane Lions’ win over West Coast last Saturday?

A Eric Hipwood B Joe Daniher

C C harlie Cameron D Jack Gunston

Wereyou payingattention?

5

Which GWS star dominated Hawthorn with 30 disposals and three goals at Giants Stadium last Saturday?

A Toby Greene B Tom Green

C C allan Ward D Stephen Coniglio

6

7

8

Which Hawk held in-form Giant Josh Kelly to just six disposals?

A Will Day B Josh Ward

C F inn Maginness D Blake Hardwick

Who stepped up to kick four goals in Melbourne’s win over St Kilda?

A Christian Petracca B Ben Brown

C A lex Neal-Bullen D Jake Melksham

Who marked his 150th game with 31 touches and 12 tackles in another gutsy display for the Saints?

A Jack Sinclair B Jack Steele

C J ack Billings D Brad Crouch

Blastfrom thepast

Name: Ben Cousins

9

How many goals did Port Adelaide kick in the third quarter against Gold Coast last Saturday?

A 7 B 8 C 9 D 10

Which player broke an all-time AFL record at GMHBA Stadium last Sunday?

A Oisin Mullin B Mark O’Connor

C Z ach Tuohy D Tom Hawkins

Essendon recorded its highest ever first quarter score against Adelaide last Sunday. What was it?

A 9.2 B 7.6 C 8.5 D 6.4

How many hit-outs did Sean Darcy have in Fremantle’s loss to Carlton last Sunday?

A 70 B 55 C 40 D 25

Which umpire becomes only the second to officiate 500 AFL games this weekend?

A Matt Stevic B Ray Chamberlain

WITH LACHLAN ESSING

Games: 270 (WCE 238, Rich 32)

Goals: 217 (WCE 205, Rich 12)

Club span: West Coast 1996-2007; Richmond 2009-10

C J acob Mollison D Brett Rosebury 14

Who will play his 250th AFL game in round 18?

A Luke Shuey B Rory Sloane

C M ark Blicavs D Dayne Zorko 15

Which assistant will fill in as interim coach at Gold Coast after Stuart Dew was sacked this week?

A Josh Drummond B Brad Miller

C R hyce Shaw D Steven King

whoamI?

6pts: I was born in NSW in 1970 and played my first AFL game in 1988 after being a child prodigy in country football.

5pts: I played 200 AFL matches, winning a premiership and a club best and fairest award.

4pts: I missed out on another flag due to a knee injury but overcame an elbow problem to taste the ultimate success in my last game.

3pts: I became a senior AFL coach after almost a decade as an assistant and won a premiership in just my second year in charge.

2pts: I coached the All Stars in the 2020 State of Origin match at Marvel Stadium.

1pt: My club’s longest-serving coach, I will lead it for the 300th time this week.

Player honours: Brownlow Medal 2005; WCE best and fairest 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005; All-Australian 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006; AFL Rising Star Award 1996; AFLPA MVP 2005; WCE captain 2001-05; WCE premiership 2006.

Recruited from East Fremantle under the father-son rule by the Eagles in 1995, Cousins had an immediate impact. By the age of 22, he had won a Rising Star award and two All-Australian blazers. Cousins eventually became a premiership player, a Brownlow medallist, six-time All-Australian, four-time club best and fairest and won the AFLPA MVP award. He finished his career at Richmond in 2010.

Who Am I?: John Longmire

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