CARLTON 7.9 (51)
COLLINGWOOD 5.11 (41)
CARLTON saved itself a double dose of heartbreak and set up a mouth-watering Smithy’s VFL elimination final rematch with Collingwood after upsetting the Magpies by 10 points to pinch its finals spot back off Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.
Needing to win to keep a spot that had been theirs all season, the Blues kept their noses in front for much of the day – and most importantly when it mattered, earning a nostalgic turn-back-the-clock showdown at Victoria Park with everything on the line this Sunday.
Carlton gained the confidence it needed with three goals to one in the opening term before Collingwood hit back to level the scores at the main break, and they were still all square at the final change after the teams kicked just one goal apiece 90 second apart just before the siren.
But it was the Blues who had the mettle when they needed it most, with Brodie Kemp’s second goal giving them the lead in the 10th minute and Ben Crocker making it 11 points five minutes later and they clung on desperately to the final siren.
Experienced midfielder Will Hayes was instrumental for Carlton, picking up 26 disposals, 12 marks and six inside-50s until being rested as an AFL emergency at three quarter-time, while Alex Cincotta (26, eight rebounds), Paddy Dow (24, seven clearances), Joel Trudgeon (23, six tackles), Jack Carroll (22, six marks), Tom North (19, eight marks, seven entries) and Tyreece Lieu (19, eight marks, six rebounds) also starred and Ned Cahill was crucial up forward with seven marks and three goals.
Callum Brown (36, seven marks, six clearances), Trey Ruscoe (30, 13 marks, 11 contested), Lachie Tardrew (28, six marks, 10 contested, five rebounds) and Josh Carmichael (20, five marks, six tackles, five rebounds, two goals) were massive in a losing cause for Collingwood, with Caleb Poulter (26, nine marks, six entries), Will Kelly (21, nine marks, five rebounds), Neville Jetta (23) and Trent Bianco (20) also getting involved.
RICHMOND 9.18 (72)
FRANKSTON 10.9 (69)
RICHMOND did its bit to put the pressure on Carlton the day before, but only after doing its best to kick itself out of the finals race before escaping with a three-point win over a gutsy but heartbroken Frankston at Swinburne Centre on Saturday.
The Dolphins, missing six first-choice players from the team that went down in gut-wrenching fashion to Port Melbourne last week, threw everything at a team that was playing for its season, only for Judson Clarke to rip their hearts out with a wonderful banana goal for his third in the 30th minute of the final term.
The scores were locked away at half-time with the Tigers spraying their shots at goal all over the place, but the home team looked in good shape with when they edged to an 18-point lead turning for home, only for Frankston to boot the first four goals of the last term to take the lead.
Ivan Soldo took a strong mark and poked through the conversion to get Richmond back in front, but Josh Stern kicked a wonderful running goal and looked to have pinched it back for the Dolphins before Clarke’s heroics won the game but ultimately proved futile when Carlton beat Collingwood on Sunday.
Clarke finished with 19 disposals, five marks and three goals in a match-winning display, while Jake Aarts (35, 14 contested, six clearances, five inside-50s, five tackles), Riley Collier-Dawkins (29, five entries), Hugo Ralphsmith (27, six entries, one goal), Sam Banks (26, nine marks) and Rhyan Mansell (21, nine marks, five tackles, five clearances) put their hands up for an AFL finals berth and Soldo (13, 37 hitouts, one goal) and Lachlan Street (20, five tackles, five clearances, one goal) also did well.
Frankston’s intent and pressure was huge, forcing Richmond into mistakes as the home team sprayed 9.18 and several other shots that didn’t score, with key defender Taylin Duman simply magnificent in the backline with 31 disposals, five marks, six one-percenters and 10 rebounds) and outstanding efforts also coming from Will Fordham (25, eight marks, five clearances), Trent Mynott (24, 13 contested, six clearances, seven entries, one goal), Sam Fletcher (23, 10 contested, five marks) and Jackson Voss (21, nine contested, eight rebounds).
NORTH MELBOURNE 11.11 (77)
GOLD COAST SUNS 12.10 (82)
GOLD COAST SUNS will not only play finals for the first time in the VFL, it will host a final after a Chris Burgess miracle goal won him the Frosty Miller Medal and pinched yet another thrilling win for his team over North Melbourne at Arden Street Oval on Saturday.
Burgess started the round two goals behind Box Hill Hawk Fergus Greene, but put in a sparkling display to seal the medal and his team’s finals berth with five goals, including a brilliant match-winner in the 27th minute of the last quarter.
The Suns looked like cruising when they got out by 20 points early in the second term, but the Kangaroos kicked the next four goals to lead at half-time and held the advantage for most of the second half until Burgess came up with the most significant of his 52 goals – the first VFL player to reach the half-century in nine years.
Amazingly, Gold Coast played in eight matches decided by single figures and won seven of them – the difference between finishing fifth and playing a home final or 17th like Frankston, which lost four of its five games decided by less than a kick.
Jack Bowes (33 possessions, 18 contested, five marks, 10 tackles, 11 clearances, eight entries, one goal) was unstoppable for the Suns, with Jeremy Sharp (37, nine marks, five tackles, five clearances, 12 entries), James Tsitas (27, 17 contested, nine clearances, five tackles, six entries, one goal), Oleg Markov (33, eight marks), 12 rebounds), Jez McLennan (22, five marks, five rebounds), Rhys Nicholls (20, 10 contested, six marks) and Ned Moyle (15, 11 contested, 44 hitouts) were others to shine.
Aaron Hall responded to being dropped from the AFL team with a game-high 39 possessions, 11 contested, eight entries, five rebounds, six tackles and one goal, while Tarryn Thomas (29, seven marks, seven clearances, nine entries, three goals) sat comfortably alongside him and Patrick Walker (27, five tackles), co-captain Harry Jones (26, eight marks, five clearances, five entries), Marty Hore (24, 10 marks, six rebounds), Dom Tyson (23, five entries) and Josh Walker (19, 10 marks) also gave their all to get the Kangaroos over the line.
Co-skipper Kade Answerth picked up 17 touches and kicked a goal in a solid effort for his 100th and final VFL game.
BRISBANE LIONS 10.11 (71)
CASEY DEMONS 8.9 (57)
MITCH Robinson put on a masterclass as Brisbane Lions brought an end to Casey Demons’ hopes of an undefeated season after overcoming a second-quarter slumber to win by 14 points at Moreton Bay’s Red Rooster Park on Saturday.
The Demons looked vulnerable heading into their first interstate trip of the year off the back of a tough slog in the wet against Carlton last week and without talisman Jimmy Munro, and so it proved as the Lions edged ahead of a tight battle with decisive goals to Tom Fullarton and Harry Sharp late in the third term before holding the line in the last.
The Lions needed to win to wrap up second spot and two home finals and they did exactly what was required, and Robinson was the catalyst, racking up a marvellous 42 disposals (18 contested), 11 marks, 10 clearances, 11 inside 50s and six tackles, while his near namesake in Deven Robertson (30, five marks, five clearances, six tackles, three goals) wasn’t far behind.
Tom Triffett (22, 14 contested) was huge in the clinches in the first half with two kicks and 18 handballs by the main break set up many centre clearances, while Ryan Lester (21, seven marks, one goal) starred down back, James Tunstill (20, five marks) and Darcy Fort (18, 14 contested, 32 hitouts, 10 clearances, one goal) also fired.
James Jordan responded to his AFL omission for Casey, picking up 27 touches (14 contested), five marks, eight tackles, six clearances and five entries), with Oskar Baker (23, nine marks), Adam Tomlinson (20, 11 rebounds) and Matt Buntine (20, seven marks) also impressing and Jacob van Rooyen proving a handful up forward with four goals.
BOX HILL HAWKS 6.9 (45)
SYDNEY SWANS 15.12 (102)
SYDNEY produced one of the most irresistible quarters of the VFL season to swamp Box Hill Hawks by 57 points and secure the double chance at Box Hill City Oval on Saturday.
The Swans were on song from the time Ben Ronke kicked the first two goals against the undermanned Hawks, booting five goals to one in the first quarter and having dominant players on all lines.
A Box Hill fightback pulled the home team within 17 points at the main break before the Swans exploded with 7.5 to 0.1 in the third term to blow the top-four race wide open before cruising home in the last term.
Sydney dominated in the midfield through Matt Roberts (37 possessions, 14 contested, eight marks, nine clearances, eight entries), James Bell (28, six marks, six clearances, five entries, five tackles, two goals), Angus Sheldrick (23, 15 contested, five clearances), Corey Warner (21, eight contested) and Peter Ladhams (16, 18 hitouts, one goal), in defence through Will Gould (16, seven marks, five rebounds, held Fergus Greene goalless), Harry Cunningham (18, five rebounds, five tackles), Braeden Campbell (17, seven contested) and Barry O’Connor (16, five marks) and up forward through Ronke (16, 10 contested, four goals), Joel Amartey (16, nine marks, four goals) and Hayden McLean (14, nine marks, two goals).
Callum Porter was easily Box Hill’s best player and had strong claims to being one of the best on ground with a brilliant 35 possessions including 15 contested, six marks, 11 clearances, eight entries and six tackles, while Liam Shiels (32, 11 contested, five marks, eight clearances, six tackles, six entries, five rebounds), Damian Mascitti (27, five marks, seven rebounds), Ed Phillips (26, seven marks), Emerson Jeka (25, five marks, five rebounds), Stu Horner (21, 11 contested, six marks) and Mitchell Sruk (15, six entries, one goal) did their bit and Ben Cavarra played a lone hand up forward with four of his team’s goals.
SOUTHPORT SHARKS 21.18 (144)
COBURG 4.14 (38)
SOUTHPORT snapped out of its late-season funk, blowing Coburg away in the second half to win by 106 points and put paid to its rivals hopes of stealing its double chance at Fankhauser Reserve on Saturday.
The Lions were valiant in the first half but missed their chances to be closer than 23 points at the main break but were completely overwhelmed in the second as the Sharks piled on 8.8 to 0.0 in the third quarter and 7.2 to 2.5 in the last.
Mitch Johnson reached 150 State league goals when he booted the third of his four majors in a display that also netted 20 disposals, seven marks, seven tackles and six score assists, with Jacob Townsend also kicking four, while the Sharks’ two standouts of 2022, Jacob Dawson (31, 17 contested, 16 clearances, one goal) and Boyd Woodcock (27, six marks, five clearances, six entries, one goal) again dominated.
Co-captain Zac Foot (21, two goals), Jesse Joyce (20, eight tackles, five entries), Mike Manteit (23, one goal), Brayden Crossley (16, 27 hitouts) and Kwabe Boakye (23) also had field days for the Sharks.
Flynn Gentile completed an impressive debut season for the Lions, picking up 24 touches, seven marks, six clearances and six entries, while fellow rookie Max Thompson also shone with 23 possessions and eight marks and Nathan Boucher (21, six marks, five clearances), Tom Silvestro (22, six rebounds), Ben Jepson (19, 10 marks), Jesse Corigliano (18, seven one percenters, eight rebounds) and Mitch Podhajski (16, five marks, seven rebounds) did their best to stem the tide.
WILLIAMSTOWN 10.10 (70)
SANDRINGHAM 17.8 (110)
SANDRINGHAM sent Sam Dunell out a winner and gave itself something to hang its hat on with a comprehensive 40-point win over his former club Williamstown at Williamstown Football Ground on Sunday.
The two teams were evenly matched through the first half, but the Zebras put the foot down after the break, booting six goals to two in the third term and six to four in the last to run away with a big victory.
Matt Harms had a dream debut for Sandringham, kicking four goals from seven kicks and five marks, capping off the good work further up the ground of best-on-ground Jack Bytel (28 disposals, 17 contested, 12 clearances, 12 tackles, seven entries, two goals), vice-captain Goy Lok (23, 13 contested, six clearances, six tackles), Blake Watson (18, 15 contested, 10 clearances, one goal), Jack Peris (18, five marks, six entries, two goals) and the durable Dunell himself (14, six marks, three goals).
The Seagulls went in almost as favourites on a rare occasion in a difficult season, but couldn’t match the Zebras around the ground, despite the best efforts of ruckman Tom Downie (18, eight marks, seven tackles, 42 hitouts), James Cousins (27, six clearances, five tackles), Corey Preston (26, seven clearances, seven entries), Jake Greiser (26, five marks, six entries, nine rebounds), Teia Miles (24, eight rebounds) and Hayden Bertoli-Simmonds (19, five marks, 10 takes), while Noah Gown kicked four goals.
GEELONG CATS 10.14 (74)
PORT MELBOURNE 5.12 (42)
GEELONG eased past Port Melbourne by 32 points to finish a disappointing season on a high note at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday.
Shaun Higgins put the Cats on the board within 18 seconds and they had two inside two minutes when Ben Worme kicking truly, and while the Borough fought on manfully and got within 12 points six minutes into the last time, they never seriously threatened and conceded the last three goals.
Worme had his best game at VFL level to finish with 17 disposals, six marks and three goals, with Shannon Neale (eight marks, three goals) also strong up forward to cap the good work of Luke Dahlhaus (31, five marks, six entries), Cooper Stephens (30, 13 contested, six marks, eight clearances), Ollie Dempsey (29, 13 marks), Zane Williams (27 touches at 100% efficiency, eight marks, five rebounds) and Ben Lloyd (25, nine marks).
Quinton Narkle (24, seven marks), Nick Stevens (24, 10 marks), Jack Evans (24, 10 marks), Higgins (20, five marks, one goal) and Daniel Capiron (19, 12 marks) also impressed for Geelong.
Corey Wagner completed his flying end to the season for Port Melbourne in style, leading the Borough with 26 possessions and six rebounds, with support coming from Nash Holmes (24, six clearances, five tackles), Harvey Hooper (22, eight marks, five entries, one goal), Matt Signorello (15, 11 marks, two goals) and Tom Hofert (16, five marks, 19 hitouts, five entries).
WERRIBEE 29.17 (191)
NORTHERN BULLANTS 0.10 (10)
WERRIBEE will be left wondering what might have been if it had produced the form it displayed in obliterating a hapless Northern Bullants by 181 points at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday.
The Tigers must be ruing several games that got away as they finished with the fifth best percentage in the league of 126.95 but only ended with a 9-9 win-loss record to miss a finals series they really should have qualified for in what has been a disappointing season.
They were ruthless against a Bullants team missing several of their best players including captain Tom Wilson, key defender Mutaz El Nour and classy utility Liam Mackie, racing to a 59-point lead at half-time before piling on 9.5 and 11.3 in the last two quarters.
They held the Bullants to only the fourth goalless game in their history and their first since 1908, handing them the biggest defeat in their history ahead of the 160-point margins against Brunswick in 1911 and the Tigers themselves last season, while Werribee’s score of 191 was the fifth highest the Ants have conceded.
Shaun Mannagh had a feast for the Tigers, grabbing 25 disposals, seven marks, six clearances, eight entries and seven tackles and kicking six goals, while Kye Declase (28, 15 marks, five one percenters, five goals), Hudson Garoni (six marks, five goals) and Sam Paea (seven marks, three goals) also had a field day in attack.
Further up the ground, Ollie Hanrahan (34, six marks, seven clearances, seven entries), Jack Henderson (31, six marks, six entries, five tackles), Tom Gribble (30, eight clearances, eight entries), Nick Hayes (24, 14 marks, five entries, two goals), Dom Brew (28, nine tackles), Michael Sodomaco (25, six rebounds), Louis Pinnuck (22, six marks) all did as they pleased while Emmanuel Ajang impressed on his long-awaited debut with 26 touches, six clearances and five entries.
Matt King (27, 13 marks, five rebounds) battled manfully for the Bullants, with Harry Kennedy (17, nine marks, five entries) earning strong praise from his club and Jack Boyd (22, six tackles, five clearances), Matt Gundry (19, seven marks, nine rebounds) and Billy Murphy (22) also trying hard.
GWS GIANTS 6.4 (40)
FOOTSCRAY 23.18 (156)
FOOTSCRAY ended a lost season with consecutive 100-point wins after crushing GWS Giants by 116 points at Blacktown International Sports Park on Saturday.
And Josh Schache couldn’t have produced a better audition for an AFL finals spot with the Western Bulldogs, blasting a second consecutive seven-goal haul in the Scray’s interstate massacre.
At one stage GWS was looking at top four spot but were no match for the Bulldogs, albeit fielding just six AFL-listed players to the visitors’ 13, with the visitors flying to a 51-point lead at the main break before exploding with 8.5 to 1.2 in the third quarter.
Schache’s 7.3 came from 24 disposals, nine marks and even seven hitouts, with Anthony Scott (25, 10 marks, five entries, four goals) putting his hand up for a swift recall in the Bulldogs’ AFL elimination final and Toby McLean (34, nine clearances, eight entries, five one-percenters), captain Lachie Sullivan (34, 11 clearances, seven entries, one goal), Alex Keath (25, nine marks) and Lachie McNeil (22, five marks, five entries) among several others to do as they pleased.
Sam Frost (23, nine marks, six rebounds), Harry Grintell (21, eight rebounds) and Xavier O’Halloran (20, seven clearances) were the Giants’ best, while second-game Academy prospect Nick Madden had 27 hitouts.
Small forward Bobby Hill made a heartwarming return from testicular cancer treatment finishing with nine disposals, four marks, three tackles and three rebound-50s.
BYE: Essendon
FINAL SMITHY’S VFL LADDER – click here
THIS WEEK
Saturday, August 27
1st Qualifying Final: 1.Casey Demons v 4.Sydney Swans (Casey Fields, 1.05pm)
2nd Qualifying Final: 2.Brisbane Lions v 3.Southport Sharks (Moreton Bay Sports Complex, 1.35pm)
Sunday, August 28
2nd Elimination Final: 6.Collingwood v 7.Carlton (Victoria Park, 1.05pm)
1st Elimination Final: 5.Gold Coast v 8.Box Hill Hawks (Metricon Stadium, 6.05pm)
NEXT WEEK: September 3-4: 1st Semi Final: Loser 1st QF v Winner 1st EF. 2nd Semi Final: Loser 2nd QF v Winner 2nd EF
THEN: September 10-11: 1st Preliminary Final: Winner 1st QF v Winner 2nd SF. 2nd Preliminary Final: Winner 2nd QF v Winner 1st EF
FINALLY: Sunday, September 18: Smithy’s VFL Grand Final: Winner 1st PF v Winner 2nd PF (IKON Park)
Twitter: @BRhodesVFL
Seven matches in the 2022 Smithy’s VFL Finals Series will be broadcast live and free on the Seven Network via Channel 7 and 7plus, including the 2022 Smithy’s VFL Grand Final. Viewers outside of Victoria can tune in to Seven’s Smithy’s VFL coverage via 7plus.
This week's Seven Network broadcast matches will be Casey Demons vs. Sydney Swans on Saturday and Collingwood vs. Carlton on Sunday. The match between Casey Demons and Sydney Swans will be broadcast on 7mate in Sydney.
All finals, including the Smithy’s VFL Grand Final, will be streamed live and free on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App.
Radio 3WBC and Casey Radio are also broadcasting matches.
To access live scores, results, ladder, stats and to link to live streams/replays, head to AFL.com.au/vfl or download the VFL/W Official App from the Apple or Google Play stores.
