State league affiliate: Adelaide (SANFL)
This weekend: North Adelaide v Adelaide - Saturday, May 5, 2.10pm, Prospect Oval
Key forward Elliott Himmelberg was stretchered from the field midway through the final quarter after his head hit the turf in a marking contest.
Mature-age midfielder Patrick Wilson (31 possessions and a goal) was Adelaide's best in their 22-point loss, while Lachlan Murphy and Jackson Edwards both picked up 21 disposals.
Harry Dear and Ben Davis both kicked two goals.
State league affiliate: Brisbane (NEAFL)
This weekend: Bye
FANTASY FORM WATCH: The magician is back with a bang
State league affiliate: Northern Blues (VFL)
This weekend: Frankston v Northern Blues - Saturday, May 5, 2.10pm, SkyBus Stadium
Jacob Weitering is a strong chance to earn himself a promotion following a starring role for the Blues in their 39-point win at Frankston.
The young defender collected 28 disposals (23 kicks, five handballs), 17 marks (six contested), and had five rebound 50s, in a best-on-ground display.
Nothing short of a dominant defensive performance.
— Northern Blues FC (@NBluesFC) May 5, 2018
Jacob Weitering is the Barrel House Man of the Match for Round 5.#Northbound #PJVFL pic.twitter.com/ytuPOQxzmb
Jack Silvagni (20 possessions – 11 kicks, nine handballs – plus nine tackles), who has struggled at the senior level in 2018, also played well, so too did former Cat Darcy Lang (18 touches – 11 kicks, seven handballs – plus seven tackles).
Key forward Patrick Kerr, who is yet to debut for the Blues, having been taken with pick No.65 in the 2016 NAB AFL Draft, kicked three goals, while Tom De Koning and Matthew Lobbe each booted two.
State league affiliate: Collingwood (VFL)
This weekend: Werribee v Collingwood - Saturday, May 5, 5pm, Avalon Airport Oval
Daniel Wells moved another step closer to his first senior match of the season, the veteran midfielder getting another VFL game under his belt.
Wells (one goal) was a solid contributor, his class and leadership evident in the Magpies' 53-point win.
Levi Greenwood was among Collingwood's best, in his return from a serious knee injury.
Other players to impress were Sam McLarty (one goal) and Brayden Sier (one goal), as well as rookies Brody Mihoceck and Jack Madgen (one goal).
Alex Fasolo kicked two goals.
“I think we're starting to build some belief." - https://t.co/r5RA2C4FTm Jared Rivers gives us the lowdown on the spirit in our VFL team, as well as how Fasolo, Wells + Greenwood played #vflmagpies pic.twitter.com/LYWwhlOKvH
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) May 5, 2018
State league affiliate: Essendon (VFL)
This weekend: Essendon v North Melbourne - Saturday, May 5, 2pm, Box Hill City Oval
Aaron Francis was relatively quiet in his return, following time off for personal leave.
The talented defender had eight disposals, five marks and a goal, as Essendon won 19.19 (133) to 10.7 (67).
Gun forward Orazio Fantasia, who has battled this season because of knee surgery and a groin issue, picked up 10 touches and kicked one goal.
Dylan Clarke (30 possessions), Jake Long (29) and Kyle Langford (25 and a goal) were the Bombers' best.
Shaun McKernan (two goals, four behinds) was wasteful in front of goal.
State league affiliate: Peel Thunder (WAFL)
This weekend: Peel Thunder v Claremont - Saturday, May 5, 2.15pm, Bendigo Bank Oval
Danyle Pearce continued his supreme form for Peel, the veteran defender gathering 33 touches (19 kicks, 14 handballs) in the Thunder's 20-point win.
Tommy Sheridan (28 disposals) also found plenty of the ball and laid six tackles, while Shane Kersten amassed 21 possessions.
After two goals last week, rookie Luke Strnadica added three on Saturday.
State league affiliate: Geelong (VFL)
This weekend: Bye
State league affiliate: Gold Coast (NEAFL)
This weekend: Canberra v Gold Coast - Saturday, May 5, 12pm, UNSW Canberra Oval
Out-of-favour midfielder Aaron Hall was handy for the Suns, who went down by 29 points.
Hall picked up 22 touches (17 kicks, five handballs) and kicked a goal, but perhaps more pleasing for Stewart Dew were his nine tackles.
Will Brodie (34 possessions), Josh Schoenfeld (29), Jacob Dawson (27) and rookies Jacob Heron (22) and Josh Jaska (15) were the Suns' best.
Wil Powell kicked two goals, while Peter Wright managed just two behinds from his eight touches.
State league affiliate: GWS Giants (NEAFL)
This weekend: Southport v GWS Giants - Saturday, May 5, 12pm, Fankhauser Reserve
Sam Taylor, Isaac Cumming, Harry Perryman, and Tim Mohr were the shining lights for Giants in what was a dirty day.
Taylor gathered 32 possessions (21 kicks, 11 handballs) and took 15 marks, while Cumming had 27 touches (20 kicks, seven handballs).
Perryman picked up 26 disposals (15 kicks, 11 handballs) and kicked a goal, and Mohr collected 15 possessions (12 kicks, three handballs) and booted a goal.
The Giants went down by 86 points.
State league affiliate: Box Hill Hawks (VFL)
This weekend: Box Hill Hawks v Sandringham - Saturday, May 5, 2pm, Box Hill City Oval
Ruckman Jonathon Ceglar played his first game in more than 20 months and booted two goals in Box Hill's 64-point victory against Sandringham on Saturday afternoon.
Ceglar, 27, ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in round 22, 2016, while a back injury hampered him earlier this year.
Jonathan O'Rourke picked up 30 disposals and two goals, defender Kaiden Brand had 27 while David Mirra responded to his omission with an impressive performance in the backline.
The Hawks won easily, 18.11 (119) to 8.7 (55).
THINGS WE LEARNED: Showboating Hawk is a genuine star
State league affiliate: Casey Demons (VFL)
This weekend: Bye
State league affiliate: North Melbourne (VFL)
This weekend: Essendon v North Melbourne - Saturday, May 5, 2pm, Box Hill City Oval
Young gun Luke Davies-Uniacke had 18 possessions (eight kicks, 10 handballs) on a sorry Saturday afternoon for the Kangaroos.
The performances of Sam Durdin, Ben McKay and Nathan Hrovat were among the few positives for North Melbourne, who were on the end of a 66-point drubbing.
Durdin picked up 17 touches (13 kicks, four handballs), McKay had 15 (eight kicks, seven handballs) and seven marks, while Hrovat gathered 12 (eight kicks, four handballs) and kicked two goals.
Rookie Oscar Junker also booted two majors.
State league affiliate: Port Adelaide (SANFL)
This weekend: Norwood v Port Adelaide - Friday, May 4, 7.20pm, Coopers Stadium
Star midfielder Tom Rockliff seems to be getting his year back on track after he collected 31 disposals and booted a goal in Port Adelaide's 24-point loss to Norwood at Coopers Stadium on Friday night.
Meanwhile, fellow onballer Sam Powell-Pepper slotted two goals to combine with his 25 disposals, with Jimmy Toumpas (30) and Joe Atley (28 and seven tackles) also prolific.
Rockliff had a left calf injury earlier this season and played his second straight SANFL game, as did Powell-Pepper, who had been banned for making inappropriate contact with a female and inappropriate behaviour unbecoming for an AFL player, after a nightclub incident last month and being drunk in public.
Norwood led at every change to post the 17.12 (114) to 13.12 (90) victory.
State league affiliate: Richmond (VFL)
This weekend: Footscray v Richmond - Saturday, May 5, 7pm, VU Whitten Oval
Nathan Drummond (hamstring) and Ben Miller (hamstring) were both injured in Richmond's one-point loss. They both played no part after half-time.
Anthony Miles was again superb for the Tigers, the tough on-baller with 32 touches (23 kicks, nine handballs), six marks, four tackles and a goal.
Brandon Ellis was serviceable, the 140-game veteran gathering 18 disposals (11 kicks, seven handballs) and laying six tackles, while Corey Ellis had 20 possessions (nine kicks, 11 handballs).
Connor Menadue amassed 22 touches (15 kicks, seven handballs) and kicked a goal, while Shai Bolton (two goals) was dangerous up front.
State league affiliate: Sandringham (VFL)
This weekend: Box Hill Hawks v Sandringham - Saturday, May 5, 2pm, Box Hill City Oval
Injury-prone St Kilda midfielder Nathan Freeman amassed 31 disposals, seven marks and four tackles in Sandringham's 64-point loss to Box Hill on Saturday afternoon in his return from right hamstring surgery.
Jack Sincair, who had been omitted from the senior side for round seven of the AFL season, put his hand up for an immediate recall with 30 disposals and a goal.
Freeman wasn't the only one to make a comeback, with Daniel McKenzie (concussion) and Doulton Langlands (glandular fever) emerging unscathed after their stints on the sidelines.
Others to rack up the football were Ed Phillips (35 disposals) and Jack Lonie (31 and two goals) as the Hawks won comfortably, 18.11 (119) to 8.7 (55).
State league affiliate: Sydney (NEAFL)
This weekend: Sydney v Aspley - Saturday, May 5, 3.45pm, SCG
Aliir Aliir (21 disposals, 11 hit-outs, three clearances, five inside 50s) put together a strong four-quarter performance for Swans.
Aliir started in attack, before being sent into defence for the second half.
Ruckman Darcy Cameron again impressed, the second-year Swan with 21 touches (15 kicks, six handballs), seven tackles, six clearances, four inside 50s, 37 hit-outs, a goal and 10 marks.
Nic Newman and Daniel Robinson both had 34 disposals, the latter also bagging two goals, taking 11 marks and laying seven tackles.
The Swans went down by one point.
State league affiliate: East Perth (WAFL)
This weekend: East Fremantle v East Perth - Sunday, May 6, 2.15pm, East Fremantle Oval
Luke Partington could replace the injured Luke Shuey for the Eagles' clash with Greater Western Sydney.
Partington was East Perth's best, the 21-year-old midfielder gathering 29 possessions (13 kicks, 16 handballs) and kicking a goal in the 33-point win.
Brayden Ainsworth might not be far away from his senior debut after another strong display.
Following 26 disposals last week, Ainsworth had 23 (14 kicks, nine handballs) and kicked a goal.
Malcolm Karpany (20 touches and five inside 50s) and Jarrod Brander (18 possessions and two goals) were also valuable contributors.
State league affiliate: Footscray (VFL)
This weekend: Footscray v Richmond - Saturday, May 5, 7pm, VU Whitten Oval
In his first game back after an ankle injury, Josh Schache booted three goals, including one in the dying seconds of the game to put his side in front.
Lukas Webb was prominent for the Dogs, amassing 21 disposals, while Shane Biggs (14 disposals, six marks) and Fletcher Roberts (14 touches) were solid in defence.
Jackson Trengove (20 possessions) and Tom Campbell (10) combined for 48 hit-outs, and Campbell also booted a goal.
The Bulldogs won 11.5 (71) to 9.16 (70).
Soak it up Footscray fans! That was a win worth singing for #PJVFL pic.twitter.com/OmSBk97Mlg
— Footscray Bulldogs (@FootscrayVFL) May 5, 2018
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