COBURG 11.7 (73)
FRANKSTON 6.14 (50)
COBURG climbed off the bottom of the Smithy’s VFL ladder and delivered an axe blow to Frankston’s finals hopes when it outworked a disappointing Dolphins outfit by 23 points at Piranha Park on Sunday.
The Lions took the upper hand early as the visitors again struggled with accuracy and answered a second-quarter challenge that saw them concede the lead entering time-on to lead throughout the second half.
The Dolphins gave themselves hope when Brodie McLaughlin kicked his second goal after the three quarter-time siren to get within 13 points with the wind at their back, but despite locking the ball inside 50 for the first 20 minutes, they were unable to find a goal as the Lions defended for their lives before eventually sweeping up the field where Nathan Boucher snapped a beauty for the sealer.
Frankston had 50 more disposals than Coburg, but tellingly they were all handballs as the home team kept the pressure on in Harry Nolan’s 50th game and won comfortably despite losing the inside-50 count 61-53.
Boucher was a deserved matchwinner for the Lions after a best-on-ground performance that yielded 27 disposals, five marks, seven clearances, five inside-50 entries and two goals, while Jack Maibaum (23, eight marks) was a tower of strength in defence, Braedyn Gillard (19, five clearances, five entries, two goals) and Charlie Thompson (21, one goal) were also good, with the latter earning a stunning seven free kicks, while Corey Ellis (23) enjoyed a welcome return to form in his second game back from injury.
Nathan Freeman didn’t take long to regain his best in his second game back in the VFL, racking up 38 disposals, five marks and seven clearances, while Josh Begley snapped out of a recent lull with 28 touches, seven marks, seven tackles and seven clearances and Will Fordham (28, five marks, seven clearances, Connor Riley (25, six tackles) and Trent Mynott (22, five clearances) also won plenty of the ball, but all but Begley recorded more handballs than kicks as Frankston’s Piranha Park drought stretched to at least 17 years and it fell two games out of the eight.
PORT MELBOURNE 10.9 (69)
WILLIAMSTOWN 6.14 (50)
PORT Melbourne regained the Johnson-Callahan Cup for the first time in four long years after leading all the way to account for arch-rival Williamstown by 19 points in wet and windy conditions at ETU Stadium on Sunday.
In a tough, low-scoring contest the Borough built a 14-point lead at half-time before making their move with three goals in five minutes to get out by 32 after 10 minutes of the third quarter.
The Seagulls desperately tried to fight back but crippled their chances by kicking 4.11 from that point as the home team held on gamely and sealed the deal with a late mark and goal from big man Paul Hunter (nine disposals, 30 hitouts, six tackles), who had otherwise lowered his colours to Tom Downie (19, 41 hitouts, eight clearances, five tackles).
Port Melbourne was much cleaner with the ball, winning convincingly despite having 54 disposals, 14 marks, 10 inside-50s and a stunning 33 clearances (60-27) less than Williamstown, with Harvey Hooper (19, seven tackles, six clearances), Eli Templeton (15, 11 tackles), Ethan Phillips (17, four marks) and Jackson Weidemann (16) leading the way.
Downie was close to Williamstown’s best, only bettered by terrific displays at his feet from Liam Hunt (31 disposals, 15 clearances, one goal) and Brayden Monk (26, 12 clearances, six inside-50s), while Nick Mellington (20, seven clearances) also impressed and Teia Miles had 16 touches, six marks and six rebounds in his 100th VFL game.
FOOTSCRAY 8.11 (59)
GEELONG 7.12 (54)
JOSH Schache almost single-handedly kept Footscray’s season alive, kicking five of his team’s eight goals to bank a second successive win by holding off Geelong by five points in a seesawing battle at Victoria University Whitten Oval on Friday.
The Cats were bidding for a spot in the top four and looked good when they got out to a 14-point lead by quarter-time, but Schache kicked three of the Bulldogs five goals in nine minutes early in the second term to put his team 20 points clear by the main break.
Geelong kicked the only three goals of the third term with the wind to regain the lead, but Schache’s fifth major two minutes in – the Bulldogs’ only goal of the second half – proved to also be the only goal of the final term as they held on to a crucial four points.
Schache finished with 5.1 from 18 disposals and nine marks while also having a run in the ruck and winning nine hitouts and five clearances, while Hayden Crozier (28, 12 marks, eight clearances), Louis Butler (25, 10 entries, five tackles, one goal), Lachie Sullivan (22, seven entries, six tackles) and Bailey vander Heuvel (19, 10 marks) were also magnificent.
Jye Chalcraft (28, six clearances, five entries) was easily Geelong’s best, with Francis Evans (19, five marks, two goals) and Matthew Ling (19, six rebounds) also good.
COLLINGWOOD 15.7 (97)
GOLD COAST 18.9 (117)
CHRIS Burgess kicked seven goals as Gold Coast charged over the top of Collingwood to record a stunning 20-point win at AIA Centre on Sunday.
The Magpies looked the goods when they booted six unanswered goals either side of three quarter-time to turn a 15-point deficit into a 21-point lead four minutes into the final term, but the Suns refused to be denied and piled on eight of the last nine goals to record a monumental win on the road against a top-four opponent.
The Suns dominated the midfield battle, winning hitouts 52-13, clearances 40-31 and inside-50s 59-44, led by former Magpie Ned Moyle (46 hitouts, seven clearances), who gave first use to the outstanding Jack Bowes (39 disposals, 10 clearances, two goals), Brayden Fiorini (35, seven marks, eight tackles, six clearances) and Sam Flanders (32, seven marks, two goals).
Rory Atkins (29, eight rebounds) also bounced back to form, while SSP signing James Tsitas (27, six clearances, five rebounds, one goal), Jez McLennan (22, six marks), Elijah Hollands (20, seven marks, seven inside-50s, one goal) and Hewago Paul Oea (19, five inside-50s, three goals) also starred, with Burgess taking 10 marks and booting 7.1.
Springvale District recruit Matt Wetering enjoyed a breakout game for Collingwood with five goals, while Trent Bianco (24, five tackles, one goal), Cooper Murley (19, seven marks, two goals), Will Kelly (18, seven marks, eight rebounds), Finlay Macrae (25, five tackles), Campbell Hustwaite (22, six clearances, six entries), Callum Brown (22, five clearances) and Caleb Poulter (23) also did well.
CASEY DEMONS 12.11 (83)
SYDNEY 6.8 (44)
CASEY Demons are three wins clear on top of the ladder after cruising past Sydney by 39 points at the MCG on Saturday.
The undefeated Demons always seemed to have the game under their control with fierce tackling and pressure forcing the Swans into regular mistakes that were quickly capitalised upon.
Sydney fought hard with 3.5 to 1.4 in the second quarter get within three points at half-time, but a few simple misses cost it the chance to put any real heat on the Demons, who responded with four goals in 10 minutes to start the third quarter and put the contest to bed.
Neither team managed a goal from 12:03 in the third to 9:53 in the last as the game became an armwrestle, but a goal to Matt Roberts only sparked the ladder leader into action and they booted another four in a row to secure a fitting reward for their dominance.
Trent Rivers regularly picked off Sydney forward entries as he responded to his AFL omission with 26 disposals, seven marks and seven rebounds and Oskar Baker was ever dangerous on the outside with 24 and eight marks, with Jimmy Munro (25, 10 clearances, eight entries) and Luke Dunstan (24, nine clearances) doing their usual thing under the packs.
Sam Weideman was dominant early and finished with 10 marks and three first-half goals before being quietened by the Swans’ best player Lewis Melican, while George Gray caused plenty of headaches and booted three majors.
Melican was much better than his 19 disposals, seven marks and four rebounds would suggest in his best performance of the year, also racking up countless spoils and blunting Weideman’s impact after the main break, receiving plenty of support again from Will Gould (26, 10 marks).
Lewis Taylor again had his own footy at the game, piling up another 40 possessions, seven marks, four clearances, four entries, five rebounds and four tackles, while Ryan Clarke (33, 11 marks, 10 tackles), James Bell (25, five tackles, one goal), Dylan Stephens (22, five marks, five rebounds) and Braeden Campbell (22) were also good.
Callum Sinclair (22 disposals, four marks, six clearances) lost the hitouts to Majak Daw 34-28 but was much more effective around the ground, although he missed two gettable shots at goal.
BRISBANE LIONS 13.15 (93)
NORTHERN BULLANTS 4.7 (31)
RHYS Mathieson entered Beast Mode as Brisbane Lions climbed into the top four of a congested ladder after defeating the Northern Bullants to win by 62 points at Moreton Bay’s Red Rooster Park on Friday.
Mathieson was simply untouchable as he grabbed a ridiculous 27 disposals in the first half and went on his merry way to finish with a near-record 49 possessions, nine marks, 19 clearances, nine inside-50s and a brilliant long running goal in the first term.
The Bullants kicked the first goal and were within two points early in the second quarter as the Lions sprayed their early opportunities, but three goals in five minutes gave them the breathing space they needed before the visitors fought desperately in the second half, with no goals kicked by either team in the third term or after the 17-minute mark of the last, but a five-goal blast in the first 10 minutes of the last quarter made it a percentage boosting result.
Mitch Robinson (32 disposals, eight marks, five clearances, seven inside-50s, five tackles, one goal) and Ely Smith (29, 10 marks, five clearances, seven tackles, three goals) were brilliant and would have had claims for top votes if not for Mathieson, while James Tunstill (29, nine marks), Carter Michael (26, 10 marks, five entries, five rebounds), Tom Berry (28, five entries), Nakia Cockatoo (21, five marks, seven entries, one goal), Wylie Buzza (20, six marks, three goals) and Harry Sharp (23 but 0.4) were excellent.
Matt King starred for the Bullants with 25 disposals, 12 marks and five tackles, and Will Mitchell knocked up 30, nine clearances and seven tackles, while Tim Jones (22, seven marks), Tom Wilson (21, seven clearances, one goal), Jean-Luc Velissaris (18, 10 marks) and Mackenzie Doreian (19, seven marks) were also impressive.
NORTH MELBOURNE 4.12 (36)
BOX HILL HAWKS 15.17 (107)
BOX HILL Hawks crushed North Melbourne by 71 points at Aegis Park on Sunday to jump from ninth to fifth.
The Hawks kicked four unanswered goals in the first quarter and were never tested, gapping the Kangaroos with six goals to two in the third term, although their 2.7 in the last cost them a bigger win.
Hawthorn father-son Finn Maginness enjoyed a breakout game for Box Hill with 35 disposals, seven marks and a goal, James Worpel found his best with 31 possessions, 13 clearances, 11 inside-50s and five tackles and Damian Mascitti had a stunning 16 rebound-50s among his 30 disposals.
James Parsons (24, seven clearances, nine entries, one goal) and Jordan Cunico (26, six marks) also starred, while Ben Cavarra (17, five marks, 3.4) and Fergus Greene (15, seven marks, 3.0) finished off in attack.
Marty Hore was simply magnificent in North Melbourne’s under siege backline, with his 37 disposals, 11 marks and unfathomable 18 rebounds keeping the margin in check for large periods, with support coming from Dom Tyson (29, 10 marks, five entries, six rebounds), Charlie Lazzaro (26, 10 marks, seven entries, seven tackles), Jaidyn Stephenson (26, six entries, six tackles) and Josh Goater (20, seven marks, eight rebounds).
BYE: Carlton, Essendon, GWS, Richmond, Sandringham, Southport, Werribee.
SMITHY’S VFL LADDER, ROUND 11 – click here
THIS WEEK
ROUND 12: Wednesday, June 8: Richmond v Werribee (Swinburne Centre, 7.35pm). Friday, June 10: Frankston v Brisbane Lions (Skybus Stadium, 7.35pm). Saturday, June 11: Southport v Sandringham (Fankhauser Reserve, 12.05pm); Box Hill Hawks v Port Melbourne (Box Hill City Oval, 1.35pm); Essendon v Carlton (Windy Hill, 1.45pm). Sunday, June 12: GWS v North Melbourne (Blacktown International Sports Park, 1.05pm); Casey Demons v Collingwood (Casey Fields, 2.10pm). Bye: Coburg, Footscray, Geelong, Gold Coast, Northern Bullants, Sydney, Williamstown.
NEXT WEEK: ROUND 13: Friday, June 17: Carlton v Footscray (Ikon Park, 7.35pm). Saturday, June 18: Werribee v Geelong (Avalon Airport Oval, 1.05pm); Sandringham v Essendon (Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval, 2.05pm). Sunday, June 19: Sydney v Williamstown (Blacktown International Sportspark, 11.35am); Gold Coast v GWS (Metricon Stadium, 11.35am); Northern Bullants v Southport (Genis Steel Oval, 12.05pm); Coburg v Richmond (Piranha Park, 2.10pm). Bye: Box Hill Hawks, Brisbane Lions, Casey Demons, Collingwood, Frankston, North Melbourne, Port Melbourne.
THEN: ROUND 14: Friday, June 24: Port Melbourne v Werribee (ETU Stadium, 7.05pm). Saturday, June 25: Southport v Frankston (Fankhauser Reserve, 12.05pm); Sydney v Sandringham (Lakeside Oval, 1.05pm); Collingwood v Brisbane Lions (AIA Centre, 1.05pm); Footscray v Box Hill Hawks (Victoria University Whitten Oval, 1.05pm); Gold Coast v Casey Demons (Austworld Centre, 1.35pm); Williamstown v Essendon (Williamstown Oval, 3.05pm); Carlton v Coburg (Ikon Park, 5.05pm). Sunday, June 26: Geelong v Richmond (GMHBA Stadium, 12.01pm); North Melbourne v Northern Bullants (Aegis Park, 2.05pm). Bye: GWS.
Twitter: @BRhodesVFL
All VFL matches in 2022 are live-streamed free. The match of the round can be viewed on Channel 7, while all remaining games are streamed live and on demand via www.afl.com.au and the AFL Live and VFL apps. Radio 3WBC is again broadcasting Box Hill Hawks matches.
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