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The moment: If Cyril Rioli’s handling sometimes too slick even for him, his power of recovery is even greater. Spinning out of a fierce contest on Friday night, he let the ball dribble over his back, but turned in an instant and shot out a handball to Michael Osborne. Osborne’s snap goal from the boundary was worthy of replay itself.
2. Western Bulldogs 15.14 (104) d Melbourne 15.7 (97) at the MCG
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The moment: Jason Akermanis has made an artform out of handstands. But he took his skill to another level early on Saturday, flipping acrobatically over Demon Matthew Whelan. For a moment he looked in trouble, crashing to earth head first. But it takes more than a hard landing to stop Aker, and he turned the match with three goals in the second term.
3. Geelong 18.11 (119) d North Melbourne 7.7 (49) at Skilled Stadium
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The moment: They’ve withstood the flood and the zone – so how do you stop Geelong? The Roos trialled an exciting new defensive tactic at Corio – take your bloke to the ground and just lie there, holding him down. And not just one pairing, make it two. Sadly for the game’s crafty tacticians, it didn't help – Mathew Stokes kicked the goal regardless.
4. Brisbane Lions 18.11 (119) d Adelaide 12.11 (83) at the Gabba
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The moment: Daniel Bradshaw began the night needing three goals to surpass Alastair Lynch’s Lions record of 460. After a goalless first half the big forward caught fire in the third term and at the 16-minute mark grabbed the ball off the deck and snapped truly with his right foot from 35m. It gave the Lions the lead and Bradshaw Lynch’s record.
5. Sydney Swans 16.10 (106) d West Coast 15.11 (101) at ANZ Stadium
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The moment: The Sherrin is an unpredictable beast, and the Eagles benefited from its erratic bounce last week against Melbourne. However, the pigskin has a long memory and it bit back on a balmy night in Sydney. Matt Rosa’s long shot looked set to bounce through after evading a contest in the goal square, but it bounced at right angles, costing West Coast what proved a crucial goal.
6. Port Adelaide 14.18 (102) d Richmond 15.9 (99), at AAMI Stadium
The moment: If you want something done properly, do it yourself. Warren Tredrea already had six goals beside his name, but still a see-sawing game tilted the Tigers’ way – and then Troy Chaplin missed the unmissable in the dying minutes. Tredrea’s steepling mark and straight kick gave Port the lead. Then his ground-long sprint and mark eight seconds from time saved their bacon.
7. Carlton 16.8 (104) d Collingwood 7.11 (53) at the MCG
The moment: Heath Scotland and Mitch Robinson are poles apart in terms of experience but inseparable for courage and commitment. Robinson risked life and limb to go back with the flight of the ball and take an early relieving mark. Scotland was equally fearless in the final term, leaping into oncoming traffic to create a contest before crashing heavily to the turf.
8. St Kilda 13.12 (90) d Essendon 10.11 (71) at Docklands
The moment: For once, Alwyn Davey’s weekly flash of brilliance had nothing to do with his blistering speed. Running at full tilt through the middle, Davey literally stopped in his tracks, let several Saints scoot past, and delivered beautifully to David Myers, who kicked the goal. Not a bad change of pace for a man who makes his living running faster than most.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
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