1. Krak's back
Andrew Krakouer's remarkable journey back to senior football after a knee reconstruction added another chapter on Saturday night when he played his first game for the year 27 weeks after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a VFL practice match. As expected, the 29-year-old was rotated heavily in the first half but not before he set up Alex Fasolo's first goal 10 minutes in. But the real heart-warming moment was saved for late in the third term when he converted a set shot to kick his first goal for the season, and first since last year's Grand Final. His joy was obvious as he gave the goal a low fist-pump before he was engulfed by a big pack of his teammates.
More Talking Points
2. Cloke's ball
The omission of Chris Dawes meant the Pies had one tried ruck option and gave them a chance to tinker with their forward set up with Travis Cloke and Krakouer back in the side. As for the ruck situation, Dawes' absence saw Darren Jolly man the main work, Nick Maxwell contest some duels around the ground and Scott Pendlebury throw himself in as third man up at others - a mix that didn't look entirely out of place but might struggle against teams with two big ruckmen. As for the forward line, Cloke looked a different player with Dawes out, Jackson Paine as his co-pilot, Krakouer at his feet and Chris Tarrant in the backline. He took 16 marks, seven contested, and while his accuracy left a little to be desired with 5.4, it signalled a huge step forward for the big Pie.
3. Bell tolls for Merrett
There was a late, late, LATE change for the Bombers with Tom Bellchambers pulling out shortly before the first bounce. The ruckman was reported to have trod on a teammate's foot during the warm up and rolled his ankle. He was replaced by Alex Browne, which allowed debutant Jackson Merrett to be upgraded from substitute to starting on the field. The 19-year-old didn't waste any time in making his presence known, setting up Michael Hurley for a shot on goal midway through the first term after collecting the ball at half-forward and picking his teammate out with a pin-point pass.
4. Happy hand for Sharrod
Doubt surrounded Sharrod Wellingham's during the week after he left the training track early on Wednesday owing to his left hand, which he damaged against West Coast last Saturday night. But, the premiership player lined up, albeit with a black glove covering the hand where stitches held together his torn webbing. He tested it out early, taking an overhead mark in the first quarter, and must have been satisfied given how he showed no fear in chasing down Courtenay Dempsey and attempting a desperate running tackle in the third.
5. Celebrating Spike
Veteran Mark McVeigh might have selflessly volunteered three weeks ago to be placed on the long-term injury list to allow the Bombers to elevate Brendan Lee, but he was still very much a part of what could have been a farewell game. The decision to give coach James Hird the room to promote the rookie removed any chance of a final match for McVeigh but the Bombers ensured his career - which came to an end this week with his official retirement announcement - was celebrated anyway. He was honoured with a video tribute, which aired on the big screen, and ran out with the team before the first bounce with his one-year-old daughter Ariana, and then joined injured Collingwood player Luke Ball in the 3AW commentary box to provide special comments throughout the game.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
