THRILLERS, dominant displays, a narrow escape and some Smithy’s Snags to behold highlighted Round 6 of the Smithy’s VFL.

FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS vs CARLTON

FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS 4.3, 8.5, 9.10, 9.15 (69)
CARLTON 2.3, 4.5, 5.8, 9.10 (64)

A ONCE-again wasteful Footscray kept itself in touch with the top 10 on Saturday, holding off Carlton by five points in a nail-biting finish despite trying to kick itself out of the game for a second-consecutive week at ETU Stadium.

In a match the Bulldogs seemed to have control of for almost the entire day, their profligacy in kicking 1.10 in the second half went within one straight kick of burning them as the Blues also failed to take their opportunities.

It was Carlton who was wayward early as it missed simple set shots while the Bulldogs booted four of the first five goals and another similar run in the second term gave them a 24-point lead at half-time.

Both teams lost their radar in a physical third quarter, but Mitch Hannan’s trademark snap in the dying seconds gave Footscray a 26-point lead turning for home and apparent safety, but it could only manage five behinds in the last quarter kicking to the same Fred Cook end where it booted 0.8 to lose to Southport last week.

Ironically it was a third missed set shot for the game from first-year tall Harry Lemmey, who showed outstanding hands but couldn’t finish, which allowed the Bulldogs to hang on.

Footscray captain Lachie Sullivan was the clear best player on the ground, using toughness and slick hands to send his team forward regularly on his way to 39 disposals, 13 clearances and five inside-50s.

Caleb Poulter was terrific on the grandstand wing with 26 touches, nine marks, seven entries and a goal, while defenders Ryan Gardner (18 disposals, 11 marks), Jed Busslinger (18 disposals, nine marks, six rebounds) Luke Cleary (24 disposals, six marks) and Cody Raak (21 disposals, nine marks) played huge roles in keeping the Blues to a losing score.

First-year player Jaxon Binns was Carlton’s best as he pushes for an AFL debut, showing plenty of class to compile 28 touches, six marks, six rebounds and a goal. Fellow defenders Lachie Plowman (22 disposals, six marks) and Jordan Boyd (19 disposals, five rebounds) also impressed and Alex Mirkov (40 hitouts) controlled the ruck, giving plenty of chances to Lochie O’Brien (22 disposals, six marks, six entries, two goals) and Paddy Dow (25 disposals, nine clearances, five tackles).

Predicted No.1 AFL Draft pick Harley Reid won 13 touches and had five inside-50s but showed composure and decision-making skills beyond his years, while Tom de Koning had only seven touches and a goal, suffering delayed concussion symptoms after a heavy fall in the ruck, and Matt Cottrell had a promising first game of the year after injury with 18 possessions, nine marks and a goal.

SOUTHPORT SHARKS vs NORTHERN BULLANTS

SOUTHPORT SHARKS 6.2, 9.12, 15.13, 18.20 (128)
NORTHERN BULLANTS 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 7.4 (46)

SOUTHPORT reasserted its home ground authority and brought Northern Bullants back to earth with a dominant 82-point victory at Fankhauser Reserve on Saturday.

The Bullants were excellent in bringing down Sydney last week but were no match for the Sharks, who should have won by more had they kicked straight, at one stage spraying 2.10 in a 24-minute period from late in the first term.

The visitors kicked four goals to six in an entertaining first quarter with breakout key forward Brandon Ryan snagging three, but failed to add until Will Sexton broke a 76-minute drought midway through the final term, although they did kick three in a row to almost win the quarter.

The Sharks had 113 more disposals and were +33 for inside-50s, +26 for hitouts and +15 for clearances as Boyd Woodcock (41 disposals, 14 clearances, 12 entries, one goal) and Brayden Crossley (20 disposals, eight marks, seven tackles, 34 hitouts, five clearances) ran amok.

They had support from in-form Matt Shannon (24 disposals, five marks, eight clearances, six entries, one goal), Jackson Edwards (24 disposals, six marks, five entries, one goal), Jacob Dawson (26 disposals, five clearances), Jesse Joyce (26 disposals), Jacob Heron (22 disposals, eight marks) and Zach Molloy (22 disposals, five marks).

They gave countless opportunities to Jed Foggo (eight marks, four goals), Jack Sexton (five marks, four goals) and Fraser Thurlow (seven marks, three goals).

Spencer Johnson was sensational down back for the Bullants against the wave of attacks, grabbing 27 disposals, five marks, six tackles and 13 rebounds. Jean-Luc Velissaris would be leading the club’s best-and-fairest and had 27 disposals, nine marks, five clearances, five tackles and one goal. Meanwhile, Patrick Fairlie (28 disposals, six clearances), captain Matthew King (22 disposals, eight marks), Saad El-Hawli (20 disposals, eight marks, one goal) and Dylan Clarke (20 disposals, seven marks, six clearances) were also good.

RICHMOND vs GOLD COAST SUNS

RICHMOND 3.2, 5.5, 9.8, 9.10 (64)
GOLD COAST SUNS 7.0, 13.5, 17.7, 21.11 (137)

GOLD COAST SUNS moved to the top of the ladder and announced themselves as a genuine premiership contender with a thumping 73-point win over high-flying Richmond at Swinburne Centre on Sunday.

The Tigers were coming off a head-turning upset of Casey Demons at Casey Fields last week but were in trouble by quarter-time and cooked by the half as a Suns team boasting an incredible 22 AFL-listed players put them to the sword with 13 goals to five.

After an even third term it was more of the same in the last, with Gold Coast banging on another four goals to none to move to 5-0 with a hefty percentage of 188.

Gold Coast had a 405-323 disposal advantage and a crazy 139-66 mark ascendancy as Fremantle recruit Connor Blakely starred with 35 disposals, nine marks, 12 clearances and 10 tackles. He released Charlie Constable (32 disposals, 11 marks, five entries, one goal), Tom Berry (25 disposals, seven marks, five tackles), Jeremy Sharp (23 disposals, 11 marks) and Elijah Hollands (25 disposals, one goal) to do as they pleased.

Sam Flanders made a remarkable return from a knee injury, racking up 30 possessions, 11 marks and five rebounds in his first game of the season, but it was James Tsitas who really stood out, booting five goals from 20 touches and six marks.

Ruckmen Chris Burgess (20 disposals, seven marks, 21 hitouts, five goals) and Ned Moyle (20 disposals, seven marks, 25 hitouts, six clearances, nine inside-50s, one goal) were also unstoppable and Caleb Graham and Mac Andrew took 10 marks each in defence.

Thomson Dow was best for the Tigers with 28 disposals, 11 clearances and five inside-50s, just ahead of Hugo Ralphsmith (21 disposals, seven entries, two goals), while Sam Banks (23 disposals, seven marks, five entries), Lachlan Street (22 disposals, six tackles, six entries), Cam Olden (22 disposals, eight clearances, six tackles), Jacob Bauer (15 disposals, nine rebounds) and Rhyan Mansell (three goals) all tried hard.

COBURG vs GEELONG CATS

COBURG 2.3, 4.4, 6.5, 7.6 (48)
GEELONG CATS 3.6, 3.12, 4.15, 6.20 (56)

GEELONG tried everything in its power to lose before eventually escaping with an eight-point win over a gallant Coburg at Piranha Park on Sunday.

The Cats sprayed the ball all over Coburg City Oval, booting a woeful 6.20, although five of those were rushed by a desperate Lions defence.

Coburg held a two-point lead at the final change and dared to dream of repeating its remarkable win over the Cats at Ballarat last season, but the weight of scoring opportunities ended up proving just too much as the visitors finished with 26 scores to 13.

Best-and-fairest winner Jye Chalcraft continued his wonderful year for Geelong with 33 possessions, five marks, five tackles and a goal, proving a great link-up for first-year players Ted Clohesy (26 disposals, eight marks, six tackles, one goal) and Jhye Clark (29 disposals, five marks), while Matty Lloyd (22 disposals, 10 inside-50s, two goals) was also a difference maker.

Jon Ceglar (22 disposals, eight marks, nine clearances, 15 hitouts) and Brandan Parfitt (25 disposals) also made their presence felt while Phoenix Foster had 17 disposals, six marks and seven inside-50s in an impressive debut.

The Lions had plenty of winners, with Ben Jepson (30, disposals eight rebounds) brilliant in defence alongside Lachlan Walker (22 disposals, five marks, seven rebounds), Mitch Podhajski (21 disposals, six marks) and captain Jesse Corigliano (18 disposals, eight marks, 10 rebounds), while Braedyn Gillard (25 disposals, five clearances, five entries) and Luke Nelson (21 disposals, six marks, five tackles, five entries, one goal) were excellent around the ball.

PORT MELBOURNE vs GWS GIANTS

PORT MELBOURNE 1.1, 5.5, 9.7, 10.11 (71)
GWS GIANTS 5.2, 9.5, 9.6, 11.7 (73)

ANTHONY Anastasio narrowly missed a snap on the siren, leaving Jake Riccardi as the hero as the GWS GIANTS’ weekend of luck held out in a heart-stopping two-point victory over Port Melbourne at ETU Stadium on Sunday.

The Giants were excellent in coming back from four goals down against Sydney in the AFL on Saturday, and it was more of the same on Sunday as Anastasio’s snap from 20m out for what would have been his third goal just went to the wrong side of the post as the siren sounded.

GWS controlled the game throughout the first half, booting five goals to one in the opening quarter and maintained that four-goal lead into the main break, but the Borough came to life in the third term with four goals to none to take a one-point lead into the last term.

Then Riccardi, who had already been good, came to life, booting his third and fourth goals in the space of two minutes, including a freak snap out of the ruck, to put the Giants back in front.

The Giants then clung on desperately despite conceding 20 inside-50s to six for the term and Matt Signorello bringing the margin back to two points before the drama at the death.

Port was +43 in disposals, +40 hitouts, +25 clearances and +21 for inside-50s, so it will probably feel it should have got the points, especially with captain Harvey Hooper racking them up with 36 disposals, eight marks, 12 clearances and 12 inside-50s) and Sam Naismith finishing with 24 disposals, 38 hitouts, eight clearances and six tackles.

Dylan Clarke (31 disposals, six marks, seven clearances, five entries) was also influential for the Borough, while Ethan Phillips (24 disposals, 13 marks) and Jake Gasper (26 disposals, eight marks, one goal) were terrific as well.

But Riccardi (20 disposals, seven marks, four goals) proved the difference while Wade Derksen put in a mammoth shift as a makeshift ruck against Naismith, only winning 12 hitouts but gathering 30 touches and nine marks to be extremely important around the ground.

Jakob Anderson (24 disposals, eight marks, eight rebounds) had a breakout game in defence and fellow rookie Mitch Ryan (20 disposals, six rebounds) was also effective, with Cam Fleeton (30 disposals, five marks, five tackles) and Barry O’Connor (22 disposals, five rebounds) again prolific in that back half and Darcy Edmends (20 disposals, five marks, five tackles) also good.

BOX HILL HAWKS vs CASEY DEMONS

BOX HILL HAWKS 3.3, 5.6, 9.8, 11.10 (76)
CASEY DEMONS 2.3, 8.5, 13.7, 16.10 (106)

CASEY DEMONS don’t lose very often, and they are less likely to drop two in a row, a fact they proved with an entertaining 30-point victory over the previously unbeaten Box Hill Hawks at Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve.

It was a great initiative from the Hawks to take a home game down to their Gippsland recruiting heartland (also a focus of Casey) and a crowd of about 3000 took advantage of the free entry to see high-level football on a near-AFL standard arena in perfect weather.

Sunday’s game will also be remembered as the Jake Melksham show.

Melksham was simply ridiculous, kicking four Smithy’s Snags among five for the game, including a remarkable Gaelic football-style goal where he stuck his foot out in front of him, toe-poked the ball up to himself and then hooked through a right foot snap from 35m out running towards the boundary.

He finished with 19 disposals of almost exclusively pure class, taking six marks, having five inside-50s, setting up several goals for teammates and booting 5.3 himself in a personal highlight reel that will surely be discussed at the Melbourne selection table.

Trailing by six points at quarter-time, the Demons banged on six goals to two in the second term to take command and won the last two quarters by a goal each to take out a high-quality contest and bounce back from their loss to Richmond last week.

Box Hill had the next four best players on the ground, with Lloyd Meek in particular magnificent as he stuffed the stats sheet with 26 disposals, six marks, 46 hitouts and six clearances.

Young midfielders Connor Macdonald (37 disposals, five marks, eight clearances, seven inside-50s, one goal) and Cam Mackenzie (30 disposals, five clearances, nine inside-50s) showing they won’t play much VFL football and Callum Brown (36 disposals, five clearances, nine tackles) lifting his stocks for the AFL Mid-Season Draft even further.

Captain Mitch White played his first game of the year for Casey after a knee injury and was the Demons’ second-best player with 24 classy disposals, 10 clearances, nine inside-50s and nine tackles. James Harmes (27 disposals, five marks, five entries) backed up from a cameo as Melbourne’s sub the night before and defenders Adam Tomlinson (22 disposals, seven marks, nine rebounds and Dan Turner (18 disposals, eight marks, seven rebounds) regularly picked off the forward entries and made life difficult for Emerson Jeka and Jacob Koschitzke.

Possible top five draft pick Zane Duursma made his VFL debut for the Demons at just 17 and while he only gathered 12 touches, he showed plenty of poise and confidence, flying for marks and mostly using the ball well.

The only downside for Casey was a knee injury to Luke Dunstan just as he was closing in on an AFL return, with the star ball winner limping off in the third quarter with a medial tear that will rule him out for up to six weeks.

BYE: Brisbane Lions, Collingwood, Essendon, Frankston, North Melbourne, Sandringham, Sydney Swans, Werribee, Williamstown

ROUND 7 FIXTURE

Saturday, May 6: Carlton vs Brisbane Lions (11:05am, IKON Park – VFLW double header); Gold Coast Suns vs Casey Demons (12:05pm, Heritage Bank Stadium); Frankston vs Sydney Swans (12:05pm, Kinetic Stadium – SEW double header); GWS Giants vs Footscray Bulldogs (12:35pm, Blacktown International Sports Park); Northern Bullants vs Box Hill Hawks (2:05pm, Genis Steel Oval – VFLW double header with Darebin). Sunday, May 7: Geelong Cats vs Southport Sharks (12:00pm, GMHBA Stadium); Williamstown vs Collingwood (12:00pm, DSV Stadium); North Melbourne vs Sandringham (1:05pm, Arden Street Oval); Essendon vs Werribee (2:05pm, NEC Hangar – VFLW double header). Bye: Coburg, Port Melbourne, Richmond.

Click here to view full fixture and ladder.

Broadcast and streaming: All matches in the 2023 Smithy’s VFL and rebel VFLW seasons will be live streamed free via the AFL website (AFL.com.au) and AFL Live Official App. Smithy’s VFL broadcast partner, the Seven Network, will continue to show one weekly game live and free on the Seven Network in Victoria and on 7Plus nationally. Casey Radio 97.7FM and 3WBC 94.1FM are also broadcasting matches.

Live scoring and stats: Live scoring and stats will be available via both the AFL Live Official App and VFL App. Download the VFL App from the Apple or Google Play stores.

Ticketing: Where Smithy’s VFL matches are ticketed, entry is $10 for adults, $5 for concession holders and kids under 15 are free. Some venues don't charge for entry. AFL ticketing prices will apply for VFL matches played as curtain-raisers and curtain-closers to AFL matches at AFL venues.