A review of all the action from the opening week of the Smithy’s VFL Finals Series.
Premiership favourites the Gold Coast Suns and Werribee cruised through to the Smithy’s VFL preliminary finals, while Footscray ended the Casey Demons premiership defence in devastating fashion and Williamstown relished its September return to end Collingwood’s season.
SECOND ELIMINATION FINAL
FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS 5.3, 10.9, 16.11, 22.16 (148)
CASEY DEMONS 2.4, 5.4, 6.9, 10.9 (69)
FOOTSCRAY took full advantage of Melbourne’s decision to not select a host of stars and ended Casey’s premiership defence by storming to a record-breaking 79-point elimination final win at Box Hill City Oval on Saturday.
Eligible stars Brodie Grundy, Tom McDonald, Charlie Spargo, James Jordan, Taj Woewodin, Josh Schache, Dan Turner and Bailey Laurie were held over, leaving Taylor Whitford’s men with a tough task to keep their season alive.
Despite hanging on early, they were never a chance as the Bulldogs recorded their highest ever score and biggest win in head-to-head contests between the teams to bank an 11th-consecutive win and book a semi-final against Box Hill Hawks.
Casey led by a point in the 28th minute of the opening quarter, before Caleb Poulter, Lachlan Sullivan and Cooper Craig-Peters hit the target in the last four minutes of the term to give Footscray a 17-point lead.
The Bulldogs repeated the dose through Poulter, Rhylee West and Riley Garcia to blow the margin out to 41 points midway through the second term.
The Demons rallied with three goals of their own, including two to Roan Steele, but Ewan Macpherson and then Buku Khamis after the siren took all the air out of the reigning premier’s sails.
The Bulldogs blasted six goals in a row to open the third term and continued on with another six in the last, with their score of 22.16 (148) being 42 points higher than their previous highest score against Casey and the 79-point margin blowing the previous best record of 37 out of the water.
Skipper Lachie Sullivan starred again for Footscray, with the Liston Medal contender picking up a game-high 34 disposals, nine marks, six clearances and six inside-50s, while also booting two goals.
Garcia (29 touches, five tackles, eight entries, three goals) and Caleb Poulter (27 disposals, 15 marks, three goals) were also magnificent, while Rhylee West was rated better than all of them, being named the Bulldogs’ best for his 20 touches, five marks, six clearances, seven entries and two goals.
Jordon Sweet monstered the young Demon talls with 19 possessions, 43 hitouts, five clearances, five tackles and a goal and running backman Hayden Crozier (30 disposals, 14 marks, six entries) had a field day and enjoyed pushing up the ground
Steele had only kicked 1.3 in 19 matches this season but booted one in the first quarter, two in the second and two in the last to finish with 5.0 from 14 disposals in a breakout performance.
Jimmy Munro did his best with 32 possessions, five marks, six clearances, nine tackles and a goal in a typically gutsy display, while Tom Freeman also stepped up in one of his best games at the level to gather 25 disposals, seven marks and 11 rebounds in the absence of Turner and Adam Tomlinson.
James Harmes (25, five marks) was the best of the listed players and Andy Moniz-Wakefield bobbed up with two goals.
BEST
Footscray Bulldogs: R. West, R. Garcia, H. Crozier, C. Poulter, L. Sullivan, J. Sweet
Casey Demons: R. Steele, T. Freeman, D. Smith, T. Edwards, J. Munro, A. Moniz-Wakefield
GOALS
Footscray Bulldogs: C. Clarke, R. Garcia, B. Khamis, C. Poulter 3, C. Craig-Peters, E. Macpherson, L. Sullivan, R. West 2, L. Goater, J. Sweet
Casey Demons: R. Steele 5, A. Moniz-Wakefield 2, G. Grey, J. Munro, R. Valentine
SECOND QUALIFYING FINAL
WERRIBEE 3.4, 5.7, 8.10, 11.14 (80)
BOX HILL HAWKS 1.4, 2.9, 5.11, 8.12 (60)
WERRIBEE is just two wins away from ending its 30-year premiership drought after outlasting Box Hill Hawks by 20 points in the qualifying final at Avalon Airport Oval.
The Tigers extended their club-record winning streak to 16 in professional style, kicking the first three goals and holding the Hawks at arm’s length for the rest of the day to celebrate club great Matt Hanson’s 100th VFL game in style.
In doing so, they also pushed Box Hill’s wait for a win at Werribee beyond a decade, with the Tigers now boasting a 17-2 record against the Hawks at their home venue in the VFL era.
Goals to Shaun Mannagh, best afield Kye Declase and 2019 Morrish medallist Lucas Rocci gave Werribee a 19-point lead within the first 17 minutes, and with Wardell Lual setting the tone at the other end early, the visitors couldn’t get back within a goal for the rest of the day.
Having said that, they were never out of the contest, with the margin sitting between nine and 27 points throughout the day as Werribee controlled the early part of each quarter before Box Hill fought back on each occasion.
The pressure meter was off the charts from both teams, as is expected in finals, with neither team able to earn many clear possession chains as tacklers came from everywhere.
The Tigers made a decisive break through Sam Paea and Jack Henderson to lead by a game-high 27 midway through the third term only for Fergus Greene to finally get one up on Nick Coughlan, while Jaylon Thorpe and Brandon Ryan followed up from a terrific pack mark that resulted in an ugly dislocated finger to bring it back to single figures.
But Werribee had all the answers, with Declase in sparkling form on his wing, winning the ball from goal square to goal square on his way to 20 disposals, eight marks, five clearances, five entries and three goals. Meanwhile, captain Coughlan not just blanketed Greene but added 25 touches, four marks and nine rebounds,
Louis Pinnuck’s athleticism was also on display as he picked up 21 touches, five marks, five tackles and five rebounds, Sam Clohesy had one of his best games of the year with 21 and six marks, dual Liston medallist Tom Gribble did what Tom Gribble does with a game-high 26, six marks and five entries.
Several of Dom Brew’s seven tackles were bone-crunchers and milestone man Hanson shrugged off a heavy hit mid-match to influence the contest with 21 touches, seven marks and five tackles.
Callum Brown returned after missing Box Hill’s Round 22 win over Frankston to remind everyone why he is one of the Liston favourites, providing great drive with 24 touches and six marks.
Jacob Koschitzke impressed as a second ruck with 19 hitouts and a screamer among his five marks and Emerson Jeka’s ability to read the play was strong as he took eight marks.
Max Ramsden had a good contest with Kobe Annand, with both making their presence felt and Ramsden winning the numbers with 34 hitouts to 28 and 14 touches to six, while Henry Hustwaite worked hard for 10 tackles and 16 touches and Ned Long had 20 but not his usual influence on the contest.
Werribee’s 16th win in a row stretched its club record further past the old mark of 13 in 1998 and sets up a home preliminary final against either Brisbane Lions or Williamstown.
BEST
Werribee: L. Pinnuck, N. Coughlan, D. Brew, K. Declase, B. Malual, N. Hayes
Box Hill Hawks: C. Porter, M. Ramsden, J. Koschitzke, E. Phillips, D. Grainger-Barras, E.Jeka
GOALS
Werribee: K. Declase 3, K. Gray, H. Grintell, J. Henderson, N. Lever, S. Mannagh, S. Paea, J. Porter, L. Rocci
Box Hill Hawks: B. Ryan, J. Thorpe 2, S. Butler, F. Greene, J. Koschitzke, C. Stephens
FIRST ELIMINATION FINAL
WILLIAMSTOWN 3.2, 8.4, 8.8, 12.10 (82)
COLLINGWOOD 0.2, 1.4, 2.6, 3.9 (27)
WILLIAMSTOWN has always been a club built to play finals and it proved so again as it crushed a disappointing Collingwood by 55 points in their elimination final at DSV Stadium.
Missing prime movers Josh Carmichael (concussion) and Reef McInnes (collarbone) to injury, the Magpies then lost high-flyer Ash Johnson (forearm) in the first half, and they had no answer to the big bodies of the Seagulls, who were again led by champion ruckman Tom Downie and their almost impassable defence.
Downie bounced back from a couple of quiet games to dominate the contest with 24 disposals, four marks, 35 hitouts, nine clearances, five tackles and five rebounds, getting back his defenders.
The back six was resolute, led by Marty Hore (17 disposals, eight marks, seven rebounds), Fin O’Dwyer (13 disposals, eight marks, six rebounds) and Oscar McDonald (16 disposals, six marks, nine rebounds), who took 20 grabs and had 22 rebounds between them.
So good was a backline also featuring gun rebounder Jake Greiser (26 disposals, five marks, five tackles, five rebounds) that a team which piled on 21 goals against Richmond last week could only manage three for their lowest score in a VFA/VFL final and their lowest against Williamstown.
Williamstown took control late in the first quarter after a tight start in perfect conditions, with Joel Ottavi kicking the first two goals on his way to nine marks, and the home team was never challenged apart from a 40-minute stalemate between Campbell Hustwaite kicking the only goal of the third quarter in the second minute until Jack Noonan broke the drought 16 minutes into the last.
Harry Jones added to the list of Williamstown’s recruitment success stories with 26 disposals, nine clearances and six tackles, with Jack Toner (21 disposals, seven marks, six entries) also impressive in the middle to book the Seagulls a trip to Queensland to take on Brisbane Lions at Brighton Homes Arena on Saturday afternoon – a venue they won at less than a month ago.
Trey Ruscoe (23 disposals, six marks, six entries, seven rebounds) and Trent Bianco (26 disposals, eight marks, 11 tackles, seven inside-50s, five rebounds) were terrific for Collingwood, roaming far and wide to try and keep their team in the game.
Ex-Seagull Charlie Dean did well in his first game for more than a year, picking up 15 disposals and pulling in eight marks in a confidence booster for 2024, but co-captain and club stalwart Lachie Tardrew wasn’t able to celebrate his 100th game in the manner he hoped.
BEST:
Williamstown: T. Downie, H. Jones, M. Hore, J. Pickess, J. Greiser, C. Ellison
Collingwood: T. Ruscoe, T. Bianco, C. Hustwaite, F. Macrae, C. Dean, N. Jetta
GOALS
Williamstown: M. Cox, C. Ellison, J. Ottavi, J. Pickess 2, N. Ebinger, N. Gadsby
Collingwood: S. Glover, C. Hustwaite, N. Jetta
FIRST QUALIFYING FINAL
GOLD COAST SUNS 7.2, 10.7, 13.13, 19.13 (127)
BRISBANE LIONS 4.2, 5.5, 8.8, 12.12 (84)
GOLD COAST gave yet another reminder of its unbridled power, dissecting Brisbane Lions by 43 points in the first QClash final at any level at Heritage Bank Stadium on Saturday night.
Boasting a forward line featuring joint Frosty Miller medallists Chris Burgess and Brodie McLaughlin, plus AFL 150-gamer Sam Day, Alex Sexton and Mabior Chol, it is no surprise the Suns average almost 18 goals and just over 119 points per game – and they topped both marks in style.
They have plenty more weapons, with Charlie Constable, James Tsitas, Connor Blakely and Alex Davies being all class around the ground, Ned Moyle one of the best big men and Caleb Graham leading the VFL’s second-best defence with an average concession of just 65 points per game.
They fielded 21 AFL-listed players on Saturday, including eight Academy members or graduates and have debuted 12 Academy members this season alone.
Gold Coast wasted no time grabbing the upper hand, with Burgess booting the first goal after just 25 seconds and Day adding the second before the clock hit 2:00.
They then answered a Lions rally to finish with seven goals to four in the opening term – the latter booting three of them and the former two.
Day and Burgess had a fourth and a third respectively before half-time as the margin pushed out to 32 points and every time the Lions kicked one in the third it was answered within three minutes.
Down by 35 points turning for home, the visitors gave themselves some hope when Blake Coleman nailed a goal in the first minute, but it only sparked a Gold Coast avalanche with four goals in six minutes to blow the margin beyond 50 and seal a home preliminary final against Box Hill or Footscray in a fortnight.
Day and Burgess finished with four goals each, Sexton booted three, while second-year youngster Oskar Faulkhead bobbed up to kick three of his own.
Constable (34 disposals, 10 marks, eight rebounds, one goal) was brilliant across half-back, while Jy Farrar (26 disposals, eight marks, seven tackles, five rebounds), Blakely (24 disposals, 10 clearances) and Alex Davies (20 disposals, seven clearances, 11 tackles) all made their presence felt.
Lloyd Johnston (18 disposals, six marks) took some terrific contested grabs, Graham (16 disposals, nine marks, six rebounds) was again powerful and Moyle racked up another 48 hitouts and seven clearances.
Jarryd Lyons did everything in his power to keep the Brisbane Lions in the contest, earning 32 disposals and winning 11 clearances, to deliver seven inside-50s.
Harry Sharp (21 disposals, six marks, five tackles) again impressed on his wing for the Lions, Jaxon Prior (21 disposals, five marks, five rebounds) did well in defence, Kai Lohmann (15 disposals, seven marks, six entries, two goals) buzzed around well and Bruce Reville kicked a couple of special goals.
But they sorely missed the drive of Rhys Mathieson, who was blanketed from the contest with only four kicks among his 17 disposals, although he still tried hard for six clearances and six tackles.
BEST
Gold Coast Suns: C. Burgess, C. Constable, S. Day, C. Graham, J. Farrar, M. Chol
Brisbane Lions: J. Lyons, D. Joyce, H. Sharp, K. Lohmann, J. Tunstill, D. Fort
GOALS
Gold Coast Suns: C. Burgess, S. Day 4, O. Faulkhead 3, A. Sexton 3, M. Chol, C. Constable, C. Lake, B. McLaughlin, J. Sharp
Brisbane Lions: B. Coleman, K. Lohmann, B. Reville 2, W. Buzza, N. Cockatoo, K. Dunkley, T. Fullarton, J. Manly, H. Smith
SEMI FINALS FIXTURE
Saturday, September 9
Second Semi Final: Box Hill Hawks (3rd) vs. Footscray Bulldogs (6th) – 11.30am, Box Hill City Oval
First Semi Final: Brisbane Lions (4th) vs. Williamstown (5th) – 1.15pm, Brighton Homes Arena
TICKETING
For all matches through to the preliminary finals, admission prices will be adults $15, concession/pensioners $10 and children under 15 free.
Tickets for this weekend’s matches can be pre-purchased at http://www.intix.com.au/org/vfl. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate, subject to capacity. Spectators purchasing at the gate are advised the payment method is EFTPOS only.
BROADCAST
The AFL is pleased to confirm that seven matches in the 2023 Smithy’s VFL Finals Series and Wildcard Round will be broadcast live and free on the Seven Network via Channel 7 and 7plus, including the 2023 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final. Viewers outside of Victoria can tune in to Seven’s VFL coverage via 7plus.
All matches, including the 2023 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final, will be streamed live and free on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App.
LIVE SCORING AND STATS
Live scoring and stats will be available via both the AFL Live Official App and VFL App. Download the VFL App from the Apple or Google Play stores.
