THE BRISBANE Lions will seek to go at least two points better than Fremantle and inflict Geelong’s first defeat of the season when the two sides clash at Kardinia Park on Saturday.
The Cats’ near-defeat at the hands of lowly Fremantle at Subiaco on the evening of Anzac Day was one of the talking points of a frenetic weekend of round six action.
The 14th-placed Dockers got the early jump on Geelong, dominated large portions of the game, and led by as many as 39 points in the second quarter and 25 points at three-quarter-time.
But the Cats pulled out two brilliant bursts of football when required – the first to draw within two points at half time, and the second to grab an improbable last-term lead.
Even then, there was still a potential sting in the tail. Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich's last-minute set shot hit the inside of the right goalpost from 45m, ensuring Geelong’s record remained unblemished.
In other weekend results, Sydney and North Melbourne fought out a dramatic draw at Docklands, Collingwood thrashed Essendon in the traditional Anzac Day showdown, Hawthorn out-pointed a determined Richmond, and the Western Bulldogs thumped the hapless West Coast Eagles.
Port Adelaide made it two wins on the trot following a lean start to the season with a win over St Kilda, and Adelaide packed too many punches for Carlton’s youngsters.
The Lions’ Simon Black is a top contender for performance of the round following his 36-possession effort against Melbourne, while Collingwood’s Anzac Day medalist Paul Medhurst (six goals) and Geelong’s Joel Selwood would also have claims. Selwood was superb against Fremantle when it counted, racking up an astonishing 14 fourth-quarter possessions.
Lions forward Daniel Bradshaw, who booted six goals against the Demons, now sits second on the league’s goal-kicking charts, after main rivals Lance Franklin and Brendan Fevola managed only a single goal apiece.
Collingwood 23.16 (154) d Essendon 12.9 (81)
The traditional Anzac Day clash started in entertaining and even fashion, but the Mapgies blew the undermanned Bombers away in the second and third quarters, outscoring them 10 goals to two. Former Fremantle forward Paul Medhurst was the star, booting six goals, as the Pies improved their record to 3-3 and returned to the top eight.
Geelong 13.11 (89) d Fremantle 13.10 (88)
A heartbreaker for Fremantle and its fans, but a source of encouragement for the Lions ahead of this week’s meeting with the Cats. Fremantle ran hard and applied pressure throughout, all but beating the reigning premiers at their own game. However, Geelong delivered when it mattered, producing two brilliant spurts of football in the second and last quarters to claim a nail-biting one-point win.
Adelaide 16.15 (111) d Carlton 11.15 (81)
Carlton is certainly a young side on the rise but Adelaide, with its wiser older heads and experience, looks set to again be a genuine top-four threat. With ace spearhead Brendan Fevola managing only a single goal for Carlton, the Crows were able to kick clear in the second half and hold onto fourth spot.
Western Bulldogs 20.14 (134) d West Coast 11.8 (74)
Former Lion Jason Akermanis featured in plenty of headlines over the weekend – at least partly for his four goals in the Bulldogs' 60-point demolition of the Eagles. Looking a shadow of their former glorious selves, West Coast has now lost five games on the trot, while the Bulldogs sit pretty in third with five wins and a draw. Eagles star Daniel Kerr is likely to come under video review scrutiny for a clash with Scott West.
Port Adelaide 12.10 (82) d St Kilda 9.7 (61)
It took Port Adelaide five weeks to record a win, but Mark Williams’ side now has two after eclipsing St Kilda on Saturday night. The Saints were highly fancied entering the season after winning the NAB Cup, but some indifferent form has them sitting just outside the eight. The Power, meanwhile, are on the rise and will be expected to improve their record to 3-4 against Essendon this weekend.
North Melbourne 9.10 (64) drew Sydney 8.16 (64)
A second dramatic draw at Docklands in the space of seven days, with North Melbourne leading by as many as 17 points in the last quarter and Sydney having the last six scoring shots but kicking just 2.4. Brett Kirk thought he had won the game for the Swans with a goal-bound snap only to see a desperate and lunging Michael Firrito get a finger-tip on the ball. Whether Kirk’s shot had already crossed the line is likely to be heavily debated during the week.
Hawthorn 14.22 (106) d Richmond 15.4 (94)
Richmond are a vastly improved outfit, but Hawthorn are a genuine premiership contender. Only 14 of the Hawks’ 36 scoring shots were goals, and star forward Lance Franklin booted 1.7. Jarryd Roughead filled the void with five vital goals. The Tigers were plucky and highly accurate, but were ultimately found wanting for firepower.
