Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien has launched a passionate defense of his coaching credentials after the Knights slumped to their eighth home loss in nine games against the Bulldogs.
The 24-10 defeat ensured the Knights still have the worst defensive record in the NRL after 20 rounds, but O’Brien used his history with grand final teams at the Storm and Roosters as evidence he knows how to turn things around.
“It is a hard one for me as well,” O’Brien said.
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“Previous to getting this job here I was involved in four grand finals.
“I know how those teams prepared. I know the systems they used defensively.
“You don’t unlearn that knowledge. Applying it and getting it ingrained is going to take some time clearly.
“Week to week we can talk about one area of that defense and we can fix it in seven days, but then we will let another area of our defense down.
“It is going to take a bit of time and I know some people don’t want to wait that long, but it is.”
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Newcastle Knights coach Adam O’Brien.Source: FOX SPORTS
O’Brien believes if the Knights had made the finals this season it would have papered over the cracks of a deeper issue within the team.
“I have seen how the teams prepare in those four grand finals,” O’Brien said.
How the players performed. How the club prepares. How it performs.
“I have seen all that stuff and I haven’t unlearnt that, but it is going to take some time.
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“We have got the right people in the job. We just need to have a plan and we need to coach the hell out of it and hopefully we look back at this season as a year that helped us grow.
“Had we scraped into the finals this year it would have stuck a bandaid on a problem that is still there.
“We need to stick tight and work our way out of it.”
North Queensland have secured their seventh away win of the season to stay outright second on the Telstra Premiership ladder following a 34-8 victory over the Dragons on Sunday.
It was the first time in almost 20 years the Cowboys beat the Dragons in Kogarah with forwards Jason Taumalolo and Jeremiah Nanai outstanding in the win.
The visitors held a 10-8 lead early before Taumalolo sent Griffin Neame over under the sticks in the 58th minute to push the visitors’ lead to eight.
A further two tries to Nanai and Scott Drinkwater, who both finished with doubles, ensured the side’s 14th win of the year.
Earlier, back-to-back tries to Drinkwater and Kyle Feldt in the first half set up an eight-point advantage before the Dragons struck back through Jack de Belin to make the match evenly poised after 40 minutes.
The Cowboys welcomed back Reuben Cotter from a hamstring injury that left him out of Queensland’s last two Origin matches with the dynamic lock playing his part in rotation with Taumalolo.
Dragons coach Anthony Griffin opted to use Moses Mbye at fullback with Tyrell Sloan coming off the interchange but the rookie didn’t get on the field until the game was well and truly gone.
match snapshot
The Cowboys’ win was their first at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium since 2003. They’ve now won three out of 10 at the venue.
The Dragons have now lost eight of 11 games this season against current top eight teams.
Dragons forward Jaydn Su’A was placed on report in the second half for a hair pull on Luciano Leilua.
Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt picked up a hamstring injury in the victory.
Cowboys forward Jason Taumalolo was placed on report for a shoulder charge on Blake Lawrie at the 63rd minute.
Jeremiah Nanai scored his 15th and 16th tries of the season, the most by a Cowboys forward in their club history.
Dragons forward Josh McGuire was the next to be placed on report in the 72nd minute.
Play of the game
Valentine Holmes has found a home at left center this season and continues to go from strength to strength. His effort by him to come back on the inside and find Scott Drinkwater among the highlights of the second half.
“I was pleased with a lot of it, when we had the ball and when we didn’t have the ball. I challenged the lads to play our way and they did that tonight. I’ve learned a bit about our team over the last 6-10 weeks around the type of language we use. We’ve got a really talented and excitable group. We play our best when we move the ball but we have to be clear around what that looks like.” – Cowboys coach Todd Payten.
“I thought even with 15 to go at 16-8 we had our opportunity to get back into it. We didn’t get much out of our first half. We had opportunity to be in front at half-time and they got a couple of tries back-to-back. It was the story of the night, then they got three back-to-back in the last 15 minutes defensively for us.” – Dragons coach Anthony Griffin.
Rather than receiving a silver medal for her efforts in the team pursuit, New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews was instead given an unusual prize — a AU$300 fine.
The Kiwi cyclist was a late addition to the New Zealand team who claimed silver in yesterday’s final at Lee Valley VeloPark, having ridden to the rescue following Ally Wollaston’s wrist injury, the NZ Herald reports.
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The highly fancied pursuit team needed four women on the start line to compete at these Commonwealth Games and, with no reserves in the squad, Andrews added to her busy schedule by filling the void.
With the team sprint her main focus on Saturday — an event in which she would later win gold — Andrews immediately dropped away from the quartet in both qualifying and the final against Australia, leaving her teammates to compete as a trio.
Michaela Drummond, Emily Shearman and Bryony Botha did a pretty good job of that, earning themselves and Andrews a silver medal that the sprint rider would have never expected before Birmingham.
And now it’s been revealed it’s one she will never get.
New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews. Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS / AFPSource: AFP
With her sprint duties taking obvious precedence, Andrews didn’t attend the medal ceremony when the Kiwis received their silver, and fell afoul of a bizarre UCI ruling.
According to an official communication released by the Commonwealth Games, Andrews has been punished for her absence with a fine of 200 Swiss francs, a loss of her silver medal and docking of any UCI points.
While the result will remain on Andrews’ record and she will still be known as a silver medalist in the team pursuit, she won’t have the shiny piece of metal to show for her efforts.
The 22-year-old will instead have to content herself with the team sprint gold she won yesterday — and any further medals the talented rider claims in her three individual events.
This article originally appeared on the NZ Herald and was reproduced with permission
Rather than receiving a silver medal for her efforts in the team pursuit, New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews was instead given an unusual prize — a AU$300 fine.
The Kiwi cyclist was a late addition to the New Zealand team who claimed silver in yesterday’s final at Lee Valley VeloPark, having ridden to the rescue following Ally Wollaston’s wrist injury, the NZ Herald reports.
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The highly fancied pursuit team needed four women on the start line to compete at these Commonwealth Games and, with no reserves in the squad, Andrews added to her busy schedule by filling the void.
With the team sprint her main focus on Saturday — an event in which she would later win gold — Andrews immediately dropped away from the quartet in both qualifying and the final against Australia, leaving her teammates to compete as a trio.
Michaela Drummond, Emily Shearman and Bryony Botha did a pretty good job of that, earning themselves and Andrews a silver medal that the sprint rider would have never expected before Birmingham.
And now it’s been revealed it’s one she will never get.
With her sprint duties taking obvious precedence, Andrews was missing from the medal ceremony when the Kiwis received their silver, and fell afoul of a bizarre UCI ruling.
According to an official communication released by the Commonwealth Games, Andrews has been punished for her absence with a fine of 200 Swiss francs, a loss of her silver medal and docking of any UCI points.
While the result will remain on Andrews’ record and she will still be known as a silver medalist in the team pursuit, she won’t have the shiny piece of metal to show for her efforts.
The 22-year-old will instead have to content herself with the team sprint gold she won yesterday — and any further medals the talented rider claims in her three individual events.
She told TVNZ she was not fussed about missing out.
“I’m really glad I could help them continue their race,” she said.
“I’m really really glad that they were able to get off the line.
“The three girls are the ones that did the work so I’m really proud they were able to get up there and get their silver medal.”
This article originally appeared on the NZ Herald and was reproduced with permission
Axed Formula One race director Michael Masi Sunday revealed he was bombarded with “vile” abuse and death threats after his stunning call that cost Lewis Hamilton an eighth world title.
The 44-year-old was removed from the high-profile job over his management of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year and quit the sport’s governing body FIA this month to return home to Australia.
I have told The Daily Telegraph he feared for his life after the sequence of events that led to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen passing Hamilton to deprive the Mercedes star of another crown.
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“There were some dark days,” Masi said in his first substantive interview since.
“And absolutely, I felt like I was the most hated man in the world. I got death threats. People saying, they were going to come after me and my family.
“I still remember walking down the street in London a day or two later. I thought I was OK until I started looking over my shoulder,” he added.
“I was looking at people wondering if they were going to get me.” Masi called in the safety car for the final lap in Abu Dhabi, then controversially allowed the backmarkers between race leader Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves.
That led to a one-lap shoot-out between the Briton and the Dutchman, who with fresh tires on his Red Bull car had a huge advantage which he exploited to pick off Hamilton and seal the title.
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Michael Masi, removed as Formula One race director over his management of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year, left The FIA, the sport’s governing body. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)Source: AFP
Mercedes and Red Bull had both put pressure on Masi to make decisions which would have helped their driver, with the former left incensed as they believed he followed their rivals’ suggestions.
They threatened legal action with Hamilton so disillusioned there were fears he would walk away from the sport.
Masi can’t talk about the decision due to non-disclosure agreements with the FIA, the newspaper reported, but he said the following months were hellish.
“I was confronted with hundreds of messages,” he said.
“And they were shocking. Racist, abusive, vile, they called me every name under the sun. And there were death threats.
“And they kept on coming. Not just on my Facebook but also on my LinkedIn, which is supposed to be a professional platform for business. It was the same kind of abuse.”
Michael Masi opened up on the ordeal. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The Australian said he tried to ignore them, but they impacted his mental health.
“I didn’t go and talk to a professional. With the benefit of hindsight, I probably should have,” he said, adding that the FIA was aware of the abuse, “but I think I downplayed it all to everyone including them”.
Masi decided to leave the FIA a fortnight ago after three years as Formula 1 race director and safety delegate following his appointment after the sudden passing of Charlie Whiting in 2019.
“It took me a while to process it all,” he said of the Abu Dhabi fallout. “But at the end of the day I thought it was best for me to come back home and be close to my support network.” Since the Abu Dhabi race, the FIA announced measures to ease the pressure on the race director and also altered the mode of communicating with him.
If part of Essendon’s struggles this season can be attributed to the injury-affected absence of Jake Stringer, then Sunday was a reminder of what the Bombers can be with their game changer at his best.
In the first quarter alone, Stringer booted three goals from the midfield in a ballistic burst that set the tone in Essendon’s 48-point win over North Melbourne.
The 28-year-old bookended his day with two last-quarter goals to finish with five majors as the Bombers steadily built on their lead through the game to claim the 17.12 (114) to 9.12 (66) victory.
BOMBERS V KANGAROOS Full match details and stats
Stringer remains Essendon’s chief matchwinner and his performance also included 14 disposals and six tackles in a damaging display for the Bombers, who recorded their highest score of the year.
It was their fourth win from five games in a turn of form that has lifted them slightly up the ladder and also raised spirits about a season that had otherwise been an ugly backwards step.
Despite losing in-form midfielder Dylan Shiel to a hamstring injury pre-game, the Bombers got on top around the ball, with Zach Merrett excellent with 38 disposals, 10 tackles and a goal, defender Mason Redman collected 32 disposals off half-back. Dyson Heppell, too, was consistent, while James Stewart returned to the Bombers’ line-up with three goals.
Jy Simpkin tried valiantly in the midfield for the Roos with a career-best 41 disposals, while Cam Zurhaar was a threat throughout, finishing with four goals for the last-placed Kangaroos.
Stringer was sharp early. He kicked the first of the day from the goal line and had three by quarter-time, including a set shot and a clever snap.
Starting in the center and pushing forward, Stringer was back to some of his brilliant 2021 form when he kicked 41 goals from 19 games and won several matches off his own boot for his team.
The Bombers’ efficiency going forward made them dangerous in attack to hand them a 15-point lead at the first change.
North’s own raging bull Zurhaar was standing in the way of a heavy defeat. He booted a goal to start the second term, his second of the day, and caused some headaches within 50 for the Roos.
The Roos star kicked his third in the dying moments of the half to keep his side within reach of the Bombers, who had stretched their lead to 30 points just before the main break.
But Peter Wright got involved in the third quarter with two goals as the Bombers stretched their lead to 33 points at the final change, as Essendon ran away with its eighth straight win over North Melbourne dating back to 2016.
2022 Commonwealth Games Men’s Rugby 7s (sevens) event kicked-off on 29th July 2022 and is down to the last day of event, we take a look at the quarterfinal results, last day final and semi-final schedule, venue, results, pools , fixtures along with Australia streaming details
The rugby sevens competition at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which takes place from July 29 to July 31, is featuring a men’s event. The top two teams from each pool by rule, advanced to the quarterfinals.
Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 Men’s Rugby (Sevens) 7s Results, Final Day 3 Semi-Final Schedule, Dates, Time, Draw, Venue, Tickets, Scores, Pools, Points Table, Live Stream Australia And UK
AUSSIES IN ACTION 🇦🇺
Day 3 – Sunday, July 31 (Morning edition)
The final day of the triathlon with three medal events. Georgia Godwin and Emily Whitehead look to grab their second medal of the #CommonwealthGames
2022 Commonwealth Games – Men’s Rugby Sevens Teams, Groups, Quarterfinal Results, Final Day Schedule, Date, Time, And Venue
A brave effort from Australia allowed them to hold on and defeat Samoa 7-0 in the quarterfinal of men’s rugby sevens at 2022 Commonwealth Games. Defense controlled the game, and Matt Gonzalez’s performance in the second half was sufficient to secure the victory. Before a superb cover challenge caused the error in the fifth minute, Nathan Lawson appeared certain to score. After Corey Toole set up Gonzalez, they were then down to six men, but they managed to hold off a determined Samoa to advance to the final four.
Elsewhere, South Africa defeated Canada 33-0 to get to the semi-finals and will now play against Australia. The full schedule of 2022 Commonwealth Games Men’s Rugby Sevens event matches can be found here.
2022 Commonwealth Games – Men’s Rugby Sevens Latest Point Table And Standings
Pool A Point Table
Rank
Team
matches
wins
loss
points
1
new zealand
3
3
0
9
two
Samoa
3
two
1
7
3
England
3
1
two
5
4
Sri Lanka
3
0
3
3
Pool B Point Table
Rank
Team
matches
wins
loss
points
1
south africa
3
3
0
9
two
Scotland
3
two
1
7
3
Tonga
3
1
two
5
4
Malaysian
3
0
3
3
Pool C Point Table
Rank
Team
matches
wins
loss
points
1
fiji
3
3
0
9
two
Canada
3
two
1
7
3
wales
3
1
two
5
4
Zambia
3
0
3
3
Pool D Point Table
Rank
Team
matches
wins
loss
points
1
Australia
3
two
0
8
two
Kenyan
3
two
1
7
3
Uganda
3
1
1
6
4
Jamaica
3
0
3
3
Latest Results and Upcoming Schedule (All Times in GMT)
Pool A Results
29 July 2022 9 o’clock New Zealand 63-5 Sri Lanka Coventry Stadium, Coventry
29 July 2022 9 o’clock England 0-34 Samoa Coventry Stadium, Coventry
29 July 2022 17:30 England 47-19 Sri Lanka Coventry Stadium, Coventry
29 July 2022 17:30 New Zealand 19-17 Samoa Coventry Stadium, Coventry
30 July 2022 9 o’clock Samoa 44-0 Sri Lanka Coventry Stadium, Coventry
30 July 2022 9 o’clock New Zealand 20-0 England Coventry Stadium, Coventry
Pool B Results
29 July 2022 9 o’clock South Africa 46-0 Malaysia Coventry Stadium, Coventry
30 July 2022 9 o’clock Australia 7-5 Kenya Coventry Stadium, Coventry
Quarterfinals Results (30 July 2022, 17:30)
Fiji 34-5 Scotland
South Africa 33-0 Canada
New Zealand 31-0 Kenya
Australia 7-0 Samoa
Semi Final Schedule (31 July 2022, 10:30)
New Zealand v Fiji
Australia v South Africa
bronze medal match
31 July 2022 18:00 Coventry Stadium, Coventry
gold medal match
31 July 2022 18:00 Coventry Stadium, Coventry
2022 Commonwealth Games Where to Watch: Live Stream & TV Telecast?
The Sony TEN 1, Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 3, Sony SIX, and Sony TEN 4 networks will all stream all of the men’s rugby sevens matches live from Birmingham to India on Sunday including the final. Indian fans can easily follow the action as it unfolds thanks to the Sony LIV app and website, which will stream the games live.
Country
Rights-holders
Australia
Seven Network
Canada
CBC
India
Sony Pictures Sports Network
new zealand
Sky NZ
United Kingdom
BBC
Also Read: Men’s FIH Pro Hockey League 2022, Schedule, Date, Time, Teams, Format, Fixtures, Points Table, Results, Live Stream
“If you wind the clock back 12 months ago,” Ange Postecoglou said today, “it was pretty chaotic.”
That is something of an understatement. The Australian mastermind had been plucked from Japan to take over Scottish giants Celtic. It was a shock move, and one widely slammed by pundits, rivals, and even some fans of the Glasgow club. He arrived with limited experience in European football and therefore a deeply undervalued global reputation. He took over a club in shambles, particularly a hodgepodge squad in need of overhaul. No wonder his first month of it was ‘pretty chaotic.’
Having been handed the reins just days before pre-season games kicked off, Postecoglou endured a frenetic few weeks in the transfer market, with well over a dozen player movements. After an equally tricky start to the season, Postecoglou proved the doubters wrong to guide Celtic to a league and league cup double. Out of the chaos, Postecoglou created magic.
The new season begins on Monday morning (1.30am AEST) – and things are very different at Celtic.
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Postecoglou and Mooy with the Socceroos in 2017.Source: Getty Images
12 months on, Postecoglou’s transfer dealings this time around were totally different. Instead of a last-minute transfer flurry that stretched to a manic deadline day, Postecoglou quickly and smartly did his transfer business early in the window.
The Hoops have picked up keeper Benjamin Siegrist, left-back Alexandro Bernabei, centre-back Moritz Jenz and Australian midfielder Aaron Mooy.
Arguably even more importantly has been converting last season’s loan stars Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers into permanent signings, despite plenty of competition from elsewhere.
“We’re happy with the ones we’ve brought in,” Postecoglou said. “There were some areas I felt we needed strengthening from a squad perspective: Goalkeeper, left-back, centre-back and midfield were definitely areas that I wanted to make us a bit stronger and more robust and it’s great we’ve done that.
“Re-signing Jota and Cameron on permanent deals was also an important part of what we are trying to build. I’m pleased with where we’re at, but there’s still four weeks of the window open and we’ll still be active and agile to see where we can strengthen.”
That’s not the only big change Postecoglou has wrought. Socceroos legend Harry Kewell has also joined the Postecoglou project as first-team coach, having been out of work since his axing him as Barnet manager last September.
It marks another massive shift in the landscape from 12 months ago, when Postecoglou was barred from bringing in his own staff, and instead inherited assistants from the previous manager.
Pre-season has been very different, too. Rather than last-minute chaos, Postecoglou says it has been “meticulously planned” – and the results have followed. Celtic has gone unbeaten, including a hugely impressive win over recently-relegated Premier League side Norwich.
It’s a far cry from last year’s topsy-turvy opening weeks, which included a brutal baptism of fire in Champions League qualifiers. The Hoops have automatically qualified for Europe’s top competition this time around, and Postecoglou will be desperate to make amends for the team’s failure in continental competitions last season.
With a settled squad and reorganized backroom, a board and fans firmly on his side, no wonder Postecoglou says “we’re in a different space.”
“To be honest, [going in as champions] isn’t really something that’s in consciousness,” he said. “It’s more that we’re in a different space in terms of where we’re at as a club and a squad.
“If you wind the clock back 12 months ago, it was pretty chaotic. We were going into the first games with players in quarantine, and others flying in, others we hadn’t even signed yet, so pre-season was pretty frantic, with Champions League qualifiers also.
“This is a different feel going into this year. The fact that we’re champions I don’t think is the biggest difference. The biggest difference is just that we’re more settled … Going into the first game is a totally different outlook.”
Now, he added, it’s time to get down to “the real stuff”: the job of defending the league title against bitter Old Firm rivals Rangers.
Celtic’s title defense begins in front of a sellout crowd at home against Aberdeen on Sunday (Monday 1:30am AEST).
“We just want to make sure we lay down a really strong marker for the year ahead,” Postecoglou said.
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Postecoglou celebrating the title win last season.Source: Getty Images
Before that game, however, captain Callum McGregor will unfurl the championship flag – a moment that probably seemed an impossible dream a year ago. Celtic had been battered the season before by Rangers, with a humiliating 25-point gap between first and second on the ladder. The squad was shattered, both in terms of confidence and the make-up of the roster.
Postecoglou completely renovated the team and revived the mood at Celtic Park, winning over his many doubters along the way.
Things are very different now, but some things remain the same. He still has his biting wit and blunt approach to the media – like when he was asked the rather dismissive question about whether a year ‘immersed in Scottish football’ has helped him understand the ‘landscape’ of the competition.
Postecoglou didn’t hold back, declaring: “Yeah, considering everyone didn’t think I knew anything at the start of last year, I think I’m in a better place, mate. I’m as well prepared as I always am.”
Another thing hasn’t changed: Postecoglou’s fervid drive for success.
That means last season’s success is forgotten. “We have already put it in the history books, from the first day of pre-season,” he stated.
The goal is clear: become even better than before.
“I’ve stated pretty clearly, we’ve got to be better this year than we were last year if we want to repeat the success. We can’t just roll out there and play at the levels we did last year. It was enough to get us over the line and bring us the success we wanted. But we want to better this year.”
Postecoglou celebrating a 7-0 thrashing last season.Source: Getty Images
As he similarly said earlier in the month: “It’s the same all the time. Every new season. I keep saying that to the players. There’s the possibility to be part of something special.”
“I didn’t start last year thinking: This is going to be a tough grind. I started last year thinking: Let’s see what we can do and can we create something special?”
Last year was something special. With a better pre-season, a settled squad, and his drive from him still as strong as ever, this year might just be even greater.
“We’ll enjoy the ride. We had our ups and downs last year but we stuck together and as I always say, it’s how you feel after you get off the rollercoaster that’s important.
“I think most people enjoyed the ride last year. I’m sure we’ll have our ups and downs again this year, but hopefully at the end everyone gets off and says ‘that was a hell of a ride, let’s go again’.”
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De Goey is invested in supporting his coach and enough of his teammates, so he will be giving his all for them in what may be his final games in the black and white regardless of whether he thinks the reaction to his Bali trip was fair or not .
He was excellent against Port Adelaide and, in many ways, his circumstance is much easier for everyone to handle than that facing Grundy who still has five years remaining on his contract but has to deal with the reality that people at his club are not convinced whether offloading him to another club at season’s end would be a positive.
Jordan De Goey celebrates a goal with Ash Johnson.Credit:Getty Images
If De Goey performs at his best in the next two months then leaves, opinions will be split inside and outside the Magpies whether they should have tried harder to keep him, particularly if Lion McStay’s form is underwhelming as he contemplates a move to Collingwood.
McStay is not as vital to the Lions’ fortunes as others, but they would prefer to keep him and certainly need him to perform for the rest of the season which has been their only focus when talking to the free agent since halfway through the season.
Franklin is likely to stay at Sydney and as he said he has dealt with such speculation for more than a decade, so he won’t be affected at all. In fact, leaving him unsigned might just add an extra edge to the champion’s performance.
Just as interesting as the finals contenders are those out of contention, with the Giants having to be cool and calculating in their dealings with players such as Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper who may go at season’s end.
Tim Taranto is in demand.
Mark McVeigh’s pointed public comment that players may have checked out laid bare the frustration clubs actually have when they can’t convince talented players to stay.
McVeigh named eight players he considered to be having a dip and Taranto and Hopper were conspicuous by their absence from the coach’s list of ticks. Tanner Bruhn, who has been out of form, did not play as he weighs up a return to Victoria after just two seasons.
The Giants are in a different market with players regularly departing, but they need to ensure any farewell cards carry a consideration rather than an emotional message that keeps the group that remains on the same page.
Entitled to expect a player plays with intensity until the end of their contract they can’t expect any more or less than that.
As the market becomes more aggressive each year and media scrutiny reflects public interest, clubs unable to handle looming departures to other clubs with class will suffer the consequences.
Back Jack after Blue
Jack Silvagni embodies the spirit of Carlton best among the Blues’ current crop. It was, in hindsight, a mistake to leave him out of the team against Adelaide even if it looked sound on paper.
On Saturday night, the Blues played like a team less certain of where each part fitted, with Marc Pittonet running on and off the bench to ruck and Tom De Koning pushing forward and in the ruck.
Jack Silvagni was omitted due to team balance.Credit:Getty Images
When Taylor Walker pushed Pittonet aside at a boundary throw-in and kicked a goal early, the signs were bad.
And they did not get better as Carlton, despite the efforts of Patrick Cripps and his sidekick Sam Walsh, lost the game at the contest.
Injuries to Corey Durdin (shoulder) and Nic Newman (knee) did not help, but they were unbalanced and once again too much was left to too few as they missed tackles and missed targets. The Crows’ confidence was high by the time Silvagni entered the game as the medical sub.
So now, as a mathematical possibility to miss finals after a pattern of win-loss results that began with their narrow loss to Collingwood in round 11, Michael Voss faces the biggest challenge of his first season as senior coach.
With just one win needed to guarantee a finals spot, they have Brisbane at the Gabba, Melbourne and the Magpies in the final round.
That spirit of Carlton remains essential if they are to reach finals because if they don’t now after the start they made their season will be deemed as below par.
tigers eat lions
The Lions will be heartbroken to not break their run of losses at the MCG which now extends to 11 after they gave up a 42-point lead – the biggest margin to be overcome this season – to lose to Richmond.
Again it was a tight finish that the Lions could not handle as they were pushed out of the top four and look unlikely to challenge the best teams in a big final at the MCG, while Richmond learned from the horrible losses in the past three weeks with to win. They are clearly more suited to ridden off the pace early, Kiwi rather than Vo Rogue.
Shai Bolton inspired the victory as he moves into the elite category with only the odd lackadaisical effort when kicking for goal needing to be tightened up. It was good to see Noah Cumberland make a crucial smother to seal the game after his disappointment last week. He is an emerging player, having kicked five goals in just his fifth match.
Shai Bolton and Noah Cumberland were the match winners for Richmond against Brisbane.Credit:AFL Pictures
The Tigers are alive and the club everyone above them would hate to play in September. St Kilda coach Brett Ratten can claim they don’t get enough credit, but they haven’t earned that right yet while the Western Bulldogs aren’t firing.
There should be no glossing over the Lions’ performance, with their midfield needing to become less reliant on Lachie Neale and Hugh McCluggage, while their defensive system broke down under serious pressure. This is a loss to review hard and honestly because they won’t be considered legitimate contenders until the issues are resolved.
Tony Ongarello’s place in football history assured
Nearly a fortnight has passed since Tony Ongarello passed away aged 89. His name may be unfamiliar to some supporters but his place in football history is assured with Ongarello the last player to use a place kick in the VFL/AFL competition. He did so midway through his 131-game career with Fitzroy against Geelong in 1955 when his inaccuracy of him was frustrating him, having watched while still a child South Melbourne captain Jack Graham take the kick.
Ongarello kicked two goals against the Cats and then tried it a few more times that year before shelving it, leaving his name etched in football history forever.
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Richmond has surged from 42 points behind to secure a remarkable victory over the Brisbane Lions at the MCG.
In Sunday’s other matches, Gold Coast beat West Coast by three points, while Essendon defeated COVID-ravaged North Melbourne by eight goals.
After conceding the first six goals to be down for most of the clash against the Lions, the Tigers grabbed the lead at the 16-minute mark of the final quarter.
Both sides traded blows for the dying stages, with veteran Mitch Robinson missing a gilt-edged opportunity to put the Lions back in front after earning a free-kick from 15 meters out.
A calamitous error from defender Darcy Gardiner allowed returning Tigers star Tom Lynch to nail his fourth goal and the matchwinner in the final minute.
The Tigers ended a three-match winless run to win 15.14 (104) to 14.13 (97) in Shane Edwards’ 300th senior appearance.
Importantly for Richmond, it gives the ninth-placed Tigers a huge shot at playing finals this year with a favorable last three matches of the season.
But for the Lions it is a major blow to their top-four aspirations and any confidence they would have gained out of a first win at the MCG since 2014.
Chris Fagan’s team had lost 10 straight matches at the venue heading into the match but appeared to be on track to end the hoodoo after producing a hot start.
They led by 42 points during the second term and still held a six-goal buffer at half-time.
But Richmond produced scintillating football reminiscent of their premiership era, largely thanks to Shai Bolton, Lynch and emerging youngster Noah Cumberland.
After playing on last week as the siren went and Richmond drew with Fremantle, Cumberland stepped up with a career-best five-goal haul in a breakout performance.
Cumberland kept the Tigers in the contest early, kicking their first three goals as the Lions piled on majors from the other end.
Richmond co-captain Dylan Grimes was left devastated after hurting his hamstring in the third quarter.
Lions dynamo Zac Bailey was sent for scans on a chest injury after being subbed out in the second quarter, bringing ruckman Darcy Fort into the match.
The Lions were rocked before the match when in-form defender Brandon Starcevich withdrew due to quad tightness, with former Geelong utility Nakia Cockatoo the replacement.
The Tigers travel to face Port Adelaide next Saturday night, while the Lions are back at the Gabba to take on Carlton on Sunday.
Stringer fires for Bombers
Jake Stringer was impressive with a five-goal haul against the Kangaroos.(Getty Images: Daniel Pockett)
Jake Stringer kicked five goals to help Essendon to a 48-point win over North Melbourne.
The Bombers posted their highest score of the year in the 17.12 (114) to 9.12 (66) victory at Docklands, making it five wins from their past seven matches,
Stringer was busy early, igniting Essendon with three first-quarter goals.
And though his scoreboard impact cooled through the middle stages, his influence on the match was telling.
I have finished with 14 disposals, six tackles and a match-high 11 score involvements.
Stringer kicked 5.3 — just one goal shy of a career-best tally — including two majors from four shots in the final term.
The Kangaroos dominated clearances (42-22) and had more inside-50s than their opponents in the first three quarters but were far less efficient going forward.
Cam Zurhaar was a threat in attack for the Kangaroos, finishing with four goals, but spearhead Nick Larkey (0.3) struggled with poor delivery and was held goalless by Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.
Jy Simpkin (40 disposals), Jaidyn Stephenson (32) and Luke Davies-Uniacke (23) worked hard in a losing cause.
Essendon was best served by Zach Merrett (37 disposals, eight clearances), Mason Redman (32 disposals) and Nick Hind (22), while tall swing-man James Stewart played forward and kicked three goals — his first scores in two years.
Already hit hard by COVID-19, North Melbourne lost Lachie Young and Jack Mahony as late withdrawals before the bounce.
The pair joined teammates Aidan Corr, Paul Curtis and Aaron Hall on the sidelines through virus protocols.
Essendon also suffered a late blow when Dylan Shiel was ruled out with a hamstring issue.
Suns Edge Eagles
Mabior Chol played a starring role in the Suns’ triumph.(AAP: Jono Searle)
A career-best five-goal haul by Gold Coast’s Mabior Chol in his 50th AFL match has secured the Suns a vital win over West Coast.
The home side held off the fast-finishing Eagles to keep their slim finals hopes alive, Mal Rosas Jnr’s sealer with 15 seconds to play securing the 16.11 (107) to 16.8 (104) win at Metricon Stadium.
The Eagles kicked seven goals to three in the final term to nearly pinch the win, having trailed by 31 points early in the fourth quarter.
Chol scored five goals while livewire small forward Izak Rankine had three majors, with Rosas and Jeremy Sharp kicking two each for the Suns.
Jack Darling kicked an equal career-best six goals for the Eagles, with Jack Petruccelle ending with three and Liam Ryan and Jack Redden two apiece.
Suns co-captain Touk Miller was again the best performer for the hosts with 31 disposals, 16 clearances and 10 tackles.
West Coast rookie Jai Culley had a day to forget, elbowing Suns midfielder Noah Anderson in the head in the second quarter and then limping off in the fourth with a hamstring injury.
The Eagles started brightly with Darling and Jack Redden kicking the visitors to an early lead before the Suns fired back with five unanswered goals to be 16 points clear at the first break.
West Coach coach Adam Simpson would’ve rolled his team bombing a couple of good chances to score, with Ryan and Connor West guilty.
Gold Coast extended their lead to 37 points when Sharp kicked the Suns’ 10th in the second term, before Ryan’s running goal cut the margin to 30 at the main break.
Culley added to the Eagles’ woes with the elbow on Anderson which will almost certainly catch the eye of the Match Review Officer.
Two goals to Darling and another by Petruccelle reduced the margin to 13 points as the Eagles came out of the sheds firing for the third term.
Anderson’s clever pick-up and carry before finishing settled the hosts, with Sharp capping some good work by Rankine to keep the Eagles at arm’s length heading into the final quarter.
Rankine was denied a fourth by ARC after a sensational snap from the boundary was ruled to have shaved the post.
That ruling didn’t cost the Suns, however, with Chol slotting his third after the siren after a hanger of a mark to make the margin 25 points at the end of the third quarter.
Chol and Darling traded goals at the start of the final quarter before an athletic mark on the behind line by Ryan allowed the livewire Eagles forward to kick his second and keep the visitors in the hunt.
Darling’s sixth of the day cut the margin to 13 points before Petruccelle kicked his third on the run to put the contest on a knife’s edge.
When Redden soccered through at the back of a pack from close range, Gold Coast’s lead had been whittled to just two points with little more than eight minutes to play.
Chol’s fifth gave the Suns breathing space after Jake Waterman kicked a shot straight into the player on the mark, in costly miss for the Eagles.
Waterman cut the margin to less than a goal with under a minute left but Rosas’ finish ensured Eagle Jamaine Jones’ effort on the siren was mere consolation.
