Michmutters

St Kilda v Hawthorn, Marvel Stadium

This was a contest that even the most ardent St Kilda fan is unlikely to revisit. However, the bottom line is this – the Saints took care of business, and are back in the top eight after a 12-point win at Marvel Stadium. Now come the defining three weeks of their season, beginning against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium. They need two, if not three, more wins to secure eighth spot. The Cats appear unbeatable but don’t forget the Saints won by 10 points when they met in May at Marvel Stadium. Ruckman Rowan Marshall will have a huge role to play. He was arguably best afield against the Hawks, and there’s no reason why he cannot replicate this against Jon Ceglar and, if he returns, Rhys Stanley. It was good to see the return of Dan Hannebery, who has endured so much injury frustration. His class around the ball is still needed. skipper Jack Steele and fellow midfielder Brad Crouch were superb, while forward Tim Membery was excellent, whether that be when he pushed back to be the bailout kick, or when the Saints looked to attack. For the Hawks, the late flurry warmed hearts but, overall, it was a reality check of how much work they still have to do before they re-emerge as a finals contender. Three wins on the bounce against struggling teams had buoyed spirits but their game plan, built on rebound from half-back, was shut down. This made life tough, and for a cold afternoon for forwards Jack Gunston and Luke Breust. Injuries also did not help. midfielder Jay Newcombe was a threat inside 50, while veterans Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara battled hard, but it’s still hard not to think the Hawks should look at trading the pair.
-Jon Pierik

Geelong v Western Bulldogs, GMHBA Stadium

All the big questions out of the game surround the Western Bulldogs as they face up to the reality that it will take plenty of work for them to make the finals and a miracle for them to again move from an elimination final to a grand final. Their midfield was beaten up at clearances in the second half; their stars were not getting it done when the opposition lifted their intensity in that part of the ground. The Bulldogs have a good list – Ugle-Hagan Jar was good again while Sam Darcy will be a player next season – but the holes at either end of the ground remain obvious. josh bruce has found the return from a knee reconstruction challenging while Aaron Naughton is a level below the best forwards, although he could be an All-Australian defender. It took time for Collingwood to recognize Darcy Moore was a defender and it feels as though a Darcy and Naughton combination could stiffen the Bulldogs in the future as Steven May and Jake Lever did at Melbourne. Geelong are purring along and Patrick Dangerfield‘s form is ominous, while they have the perfect mix up forward. The biggest headache facing the Cats will be selection with Zach Tuohy, Rhys Stanley, Sam Menegola and Brandan Parfitt to return.
-Peter Ryan

Adelaide v Carlton, Adelaide Oval

Carlton’s seemingly tranquil bid to break a nine-year finals drought is suddenly on shaky ground and their bid for a top-four berth certainly dashed after being overwhelmed by Adelaide. After edging their noses in front at quarter-time, the Blues were outworked, out-hustled and clearly outplayed across the next three terms. Their cause was hampered by injuries to small forward corey durdin (shoulder) and backman Nick Newman (knee) in the second stanza and midfielder matthew kennedy (concussion) in the fourth. patrick cripps (career-best 41 disposals, 13 clearances) was as brilliant as ever; so too was Sam Walsh (equal career-high 40 touches), but not enough teammates went with the pair. Despite the latest defeat, the manner of it and the trifecta of injuries, it isn’t exactly panic stations for Carlton (12-7). But an unfriendly home stretch of fixtures – Brisbane at the Gabba next Sunday followed by MCG tilts with reigning premiers Melbourne and red-hot rivals Collingwood – leaves Carlton vulnerable to limping into September, or missing out altogether.
Adelaide’s brutal assault of the Blues was the blueprint of the way coach matthew nicks wants his team to compete weekly. Seldom can the Crows be accused of lacking effort, but on Saturday night they augmented it with composure and slickness of ball movement. Their repeated forward forays were set off by the brilliance of Brody Smithdescribed by Nicks as being “in a rare zone” on Saturday night, while the decision to move ben keays (three goals, four score assists) out of the center square and into attack on adam saad proved an inventive masterstroke.
-Steve Barrett

Gold Coast v West Coast, Metricon Stadium

Touk Miller is leading The Age’s Footballer of the Year voting – ahead of the likes of Clayton Oliver, Andrew Brayshaw, Christian Petraccaand Callum Mills – and is among the handful of favorites for this season’s Brownlow Medal, and yet he’s somehow still massively underrated in many circles. Perhaps it’s because he’s the star of a side so far away from AFL heartland – one that just doesn’t capture the attention of its rivals from the southern and western states.
But with every passing game, his reputation just soars higher.
The hometown Suns held off the fast-finishing West Coast at Metricon Stadium on Sunday to keep their slim finals hopes alive, Malcolm Rosas jnr‘s sealer with 15 seconds to play securing the 16.11 (107) to 16.8 (104) win.
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.

Former Richmond big man Mabior Chol booted a career-high five goals in his 50th AFL game, while livewire small forward Izak Rankin slotted three, with Roses and Jeremy Sharp kicking two each for the Suns.
Jack Darling kicked an equal career-best six majors for the Eagles, with Jack Petruccelle ending with three and Liam Ryan and jack redden two apiece.
But Miller, the Suns’ co-captain, was again the best performer for the hosts with 31 disposals, a whopping 16 clearances, and 10 tackles.
west coast rookie Jay Culleymeanwhile, 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.
– Russell Bennett and AAP

Richmond v Brisbane Lions, MCG

After barely touching the ball in the first quarter and being completely outplayed for the entirety of the first half, Richmond somehow found a way. Damian Hardwick said after the match that the comeback was inspired by the significance of Shane Edwards′300th game. If that’s the case, Edwards might be one of the most loved players of the modern era. The Tigers were supreme in the second half and they were led by an unlikely hero in fifth gamer Noah Cumberlandwho kicked five and gave Richmond’s forward line a totally new look. Tom Lynch was excellent with four goals and Jack Riewoldt continues to be a presence in the twilight of his career, but Cumberland brings athleticism and tenacity. Chris Fagan said after the game that he doesn’t believe in the MCG hoodoo – for those not aware, Brisbane just lost its 10th game in a row at the ground. And while he might be right in saying they played a lot better than they usually do at the ‘G, the result surely continues to place doubt in the Lions as they approach September. His side of him has been close to grand final appearances in recent seasons, but they are ultimately going to need to win on that ground to lift the premiership cup.
-Sam McClure

Essendon v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium

The Bombers’ 2022 campaign can largely be boiled down to one of missed opportunities – one of promising so much, but often delivering so little aside from inconsistency.
Now, that’s not to say the positives haven’t been there – such as the impressive play up forward of bargain big man Peter Wrightthrough the middle of star on-baller Zach Merrett and up-and-coming ruckman sam drapperor down back of the likes of Mason Redman. of course, Nick Martin, Archie Perkins, Ben Hobbs, Massimo D’Ambrosio, Harry Jones, Zach Reid, Nick Cox and sam durham all have plenty to offer for the future, but it’s the group’s stars of today who have frustrated most – the likes of Dylan Shiel and Jake Stringer in particular.
Though he missed this clash through injury, Shiel has rebounded brilliantly from his early-season form slump and displayed the kind of output all too rarely seen of many of his teammates, while Stringer’s body has all too often let him down. Describing Stringer as Essendon’s most influential player is not just a throwaway line – when he’s fit and firing, he provides the kind of dimension to the group that so few others across the competition can for their own sides.
His performance on Sunday was testament to that – when he booted 5.3 from just 14 disposals against a downtrodden North outfit that was just powerless to stop him, and Merrett and Redman alike.
If the Bombers are to take significant stride forward next season, it won’t just be off the back of the development of their youngsters. It’ll again be off the back of a fit, focussed Stringer.
For North, Jaidyn Stephenson produced the kind of game his new side would have been hoping to see far more of when he came across from Collingwood, while J. Simpkin and cam zurhaar again put in a mountain of work from an individual standpoint.
– Russell Bennett

Match review news

Fremantle’s Sean Darcy was fined $2000 for striking Christian Petracca on Friday night, while Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett was fined $1000 for staging during the second quarter.

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From Saturday’s action, Hawthorn star Changkuoth Jiath was charged with rough conduct for a dangerous tackle on St Kilda skipper Jack Steele during their clash at Marvel Stadium. He was handed a one-match suspension – with an early plea – for the incident that as classed as careless conduct, medium impact, and high contact.

Nick Daicos (striking), taylor adams (engaging in a melee), Jeremy Finlayson (engaging in a melee), Jack Ginnivan (engaging in a melee), Zak Butters (engaging in a melee), Scott Pendlebury (rough conduct), Dane Rampe (rough conduct), and Braydon Preuss (rough conduct) were all handed ends.

From Sunday’s games, Jay Culley received a two-match ban (with an early plea) for his late, high strike on the Gold Coast’s Noah Anderson. The incident was assessed as intentional, medium impact, and high contact.

North Melbourne’s jed anderson and Essendon opponent Jake Kelly were handed ends for engaging in a melee, North’s charlie lazaro was fined for rough conduct against Nick Hind and former Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin for misconduct against the Lions’ Dayne Zorko.

Tiger Marlion Pickett was deemed to have no case to answer from an incident with Brisbane’s Zack Baileywho was ultimately subbed out of the game.

As reported by AAPPickett hit Bailey in the chest with an open hand after the pair had bumped into each other, with the Lion spending Sunday night in a Melbourne hospital having left the MCG coughing up blood.

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“I feel really proud of my work that’s gone on behind the scenes about developing and growing this group of players.”

Mundy tallied 35 disposals and 10 clearances in Friday night’s 46-point loss to Melbourne, and is averaging 22.2 disposals and 4.7 clearances a game this year.

But his chances of snaring a dream flag in his final season appear slim after the Dockers tumbled to sixth on the back of a three-match winless run.

Fremantle will need to beat the Western Bulldogs, West Coast, and GWS in their final three games – and rely on other results falling their way – to snare a prized top-four berth.

Hopes that Mundy would become only the sixth man to reach 400 AFL/VFL games – which sparked a fan campaign dubbed “Mundy Four Hundy” – will now fall agonizingly short.

He will, however, draw level with Sydney great Adam Goodes (372 matches) in equal-ninth on the all-time games played list when he lines up in Saturday’s vital match with the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.

Fremantle’s games record holder was selected with pick No.19 in the 2003 national draft, and captained the club in 2016.

Mundy was an All-Australian in 2015 and won the club’s best and fairest award in 2010.

Fremantle’s football operations manager Peter Bell paid tribute to Mundy’s impact on the current squad and on the club as a whole.

“He’s been a big part of the group that we have now. He’s a big part of why we’re very confident for the remainder of this year and the future,” Bell said.

“He’s a great character who understands the bigger picture, understands what the stresses of being a player are, and understands more broadly the other decisions and leadership that we need as a football club.”

AAP