Chris Rock fans who were hoping he’d go into detail about that Will Smith slap at the Oscars in March would have left the weekend’s show in Sydney disappointed.
In a wide-ranging show that lasted almost two hours, Rock covered topics as diverse as the Kardashians, Meghan Markle, US politics, abortion, #MeToo, his daughters Lola and Zara, and dating as a single man in his 50s.
But when it came to the Oscars, which dominated headlines after Smith took to the stage to slap Rock, the comedian only made floating references, including opening Saturday’s show by assuring the audience he was okay.
He later pointed out that he was hit by the actor who played Ali in reference to Smith’s starring role in the 2001 film in which he portrayed three-time heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. Rock joked that he himself wouldn’t even be able to play Floyd Mayweather.
He also said he can’t bring himself to watch Men In Black again.
Chris Rock joked sparingly about the incident that had everyone talking at this year’s Oscars.(AP: Chris Pizzello)
Rock is currently touring Australia. He’s already performed shows in Melbourne and on the Gold Coast, with his second Sydney show taking place tonight before he heads to Adelaide and Brisbane. His Ego Death World Tour is his first in five years.
Rock drew a massive audience to his Saturday show, with only a few seats left empty in the 9,000-capacity theater. And the audience was not only large, but engaged, punctuating each punchline with guffaws.
Fans were also forced to adhere to a particularly strict rule – no photography or recording devices were allowed inside. Smart phones were sealed in a pouch that had to be unlocked by a special device after the show.
The show started 45 minutes late with a warm-up act by comedian Rick Ingram, who decimated those who dared to sit in the front row.
Rock was dressed in all white from head to toe. His show from him was more on the amusing side than clutch-your-stomach hilarious, but the Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian, who has earned his place from him as one of comedy’s brightest stars, was definitely worth seeing.
The Australian-leg of Rock’s tour is scheduled to wrap up in Queensland August 20.
The Pumas get revenge for last week’s Rugby Championship loss to the Wallabies, thrashing Australia in San Juan.
Look back at the action in our blog.
live updates
By Simon Smale
Dave Rennie: ‘We’re better than that’
Dave Rennie is speaking to Stan Sport.
“Massive disappointment,” he says.
“It’s not good enough.
“We conceded four tries with kicks in behind us and certainly got dominated in the collision area.
“We created opportunities but we’ve got to be patient our ruck is not a disaster and we just weren’t clinical enough.”
He says that the Wallabies lacked cohesion in the match and looked desperately frustrated, adding “We’re better than that.”.
“We want to earn the respect of the country and you’re never going to do that with performances like that.”
By Simon Smale
James Slipper: Wallabies ‘Probably fell short of standards’
Here’s the skipper, James Slipper.
“Clearly disappointed,” he says.
“Off the back of a good performance last week we wanted to back it up.
“Probably fell short of today’s standards.”
He says that the Argentinans were just the better team on the day.
“They got the momentum and the crowd behind them and they’re a tough team to play catch up football against,” he says.
With all teams sitting on one win each, Slipper says the Rugby Championship is even poised, but the Wallabies are excited to get home.
“I think we’re excited to get home. It’s been a really tough tour for us.”
By Simon Smale
Key Event
Argentina beat Wallabies 48-17
Wow, what a stunning result and a brutal scoreline for the Wallabies to stomach.
The Wallabies were tactically outclassed by former coach Michael Chieka and there’s no hiding it.
The Argentinians kicking out of hand was better, the breakdown was better and they capitalized on the big moments better than the Wallabies.
It’s the biggest ever win by Argentina over Australia.
By Simon Smale
Key Event
80+2′ What a try Argentina!
Oh that’s magnificent from both Tomas Cubelli and try-scorer Tomas Albornoz.
Cubelli took the ball off the back of the scrum and darted through a gap, chipping ahead and that allowed Albornoz to collect and score.
The kick is successful and it’s 48-17!
By Simon Smale
Man of the Match: Thomas Gallo
The player of the match has just been announced to a raucous ovation.
It’s the Argentina prop, Thomas Gallo off the back of his two-try performance.
By Simon Smale
Key Event
78′ Try Argentina!
Lovely try to seal the win from Emiliano Boffelli!
The Wallabies lost the ball at a ruck and then Lucio Cinti put boot to ball, rolling it in behind and Boffelli ran around Markia Koroibete to dot down the bobbling in the corner.
The kicking game has been superior all day, the Wallabies have been punished for mistakes, and that’s the game in a microcosm.
By Simon Smale
77′ Wallabies scrum
Argentina were pushing for another score but lost the ball forward thanks to some solid Wallabies defense on their right edge.
By Simon Smale
74′ Penalty Argentina
Reece Hodge is on and his first involvement is to tackle an Argentinian in the air from another up and under contestable kick.
Argentina put a couple more phases together but we’ll come back for that infringement on half way.
They’ll kick for the corner and have a lineout on the 22.
By Simon Smale
72′ Penalty Argentina
The Wallabies were on the charge, looking to build some phases but Ikitau threw the ball over the line while being tackled and it will be an Argentina line out.
Nope, it will be a penalty, Tate McDermott pinged for a push off the ball as frustrations boil over.
By Simon Smale
69′ Argentina penalty!
Oh the Wallabies can’t keep their discipline!
The ruling is that the Wallabies did not release the ball in the tackle and the hosts get a relieving penalty.
By Simon Smale
67′ 50:22 from Tait McDermott!
Oh that will help the cause!
What a kick from the Queensland scrumhalf!
If the Wallabies score from here, a lineout on the five meters, then things could get very interesting!
By Simon Smale
Key Event
65′ Try Wallabies!
Len Ikitau dives over after being tackled – he popped back to his feet and strolled over the line unapposed.
So that’s the application from the referee just as with the previous try.
Funny, the commentators aren’t nearly as unhappy with that decision…
Can the Wallabies launch a comeback?
By Simon Smale
64′ Wallabies subs
I haven’t mentioned every sub, but Billy Pollard is on. Great story there, the Brumbies hooker has had a hell of a journey to get to Argentina on time and he comes on to make his Test debut.
By Simon Smale
Key Event
64′ Try Argentina!
11 phases of precise and incisive play by the Argentinians get the reward it deserves.
Thomas Gallo looked like he was tackled short, perhaps the referee said he hadn’t been held, but he got up and dove over the line…
Hmmm, not sure about that on replay, but the officials were happy.
There were two penalties in the move through against Fraser McReight we heard the referee say, adding that the Reds man going to be sent to the bin.
The conversion is good and the lead is now 26, Argentina 36-10 ahead.
By Simon Smale
62′ Penalty Argentina
The Wallabies are really struggling to beat this blue and white defensive line, being forced to kick deep while the Argentinians have time to kick high and contest
Rob Valentini closed the gap that Juan Cruz Mallia tried to run into, and gives away the penalty by blocking him.
Again, the commentators seem to think that Valentini didn’t close that gap, but I don’t think they’re quite right. He didn’t do much, admittedly, but he did close out that lane for him to run in to.
Argentina kick deep for a lineout.
By Simon Smale
58′ Knock on Argentina
Oh the Wallabies get away with one there.
Argentina were flooding forward again, Matias Moroni with a decent run initially.
There was an intercept thrown to Petaia, who almost apologetically gave it straight back to the Argentinians.
Taniela Tupou put a thumping tackle in the midfield that barely interrupted the Pumas’ mometum.
A chip in behind isolated James O’Connor and the Argentinans counterrucked to win the turnover, but then knocked the ball on five meters out from the Wallabies line.
By Simon Smale
55′ Penalty Argentina
The Wallabies are caught offside as Argentina flood forward with some nice passing plays.
The hosts are swarming all over the breakdown to create that quick ball which resulted in the offside penalty.
The penalty is just inside the Wallabies half, but they’ll kick for touch this time.
By Simon Smale
Key Event
53′ Penalty goal Argentina!
The Argentinians kicked deep straight away off the lineout after seeing a big gap in behind.
The Wallabies get back through Tom Wright but as he runs the ball back he gets isolated.
The kick from the ten-meter line is good from Emiliano Boffelli and the gap is out to 19 points, 29-10.
By Simon Smale
52′ Wallabies turn the ball over
Some good ball movement right and left from the Wallabies but then a pass out the back goes behind and it will be out for a lineout, that Argentina takes quickly.
By Simon Smale
50′ Penalty Argentina
Gee, the last couple of scrums have been all over the place.
That one moved sideways at a rate of knots before Taniela Tupou was pinged.
Brisbane have enhanced their AFL top-four prospects and all but buried St Kilda’s finals hopes with a hard-fought 15-point win at Docklands Stadium.
Hugh McCluggage (23 disposals) and Cam Rayner (four goals) starred for the Lions, who dominated the first half on Friday night and resisted a stunning fightback from their hosts.
Mason Wood (four goals) and Tim Membrey (three) helped drag the Saints back into the contest as Brad Crouch, Seb Ross and Jack Sinclair lifted during the third term.
But a string of wasted chances in front of goal — most notably by Max King, who finished with 0.5 — ultimately proved costly for St Kilda as Brisbane steadied to post a 12.9 (81) to 9.12 (66) victory on Friday night.
Rayner kicked three goals in a decisive final-quarter contribution, with the Lions adding 4.1 to 0.5 for the term.
The result lifted Brisbane to second spot on the ladder, though Collingwood, Melbourne and Sydney have games in hand and can leapfrog the Lions with wins over the weekend.
Cam Rayner played an inspired last quarter to steer Brisbane to victory.(Getty Images: Daniel Pockett)
St Kilda now have to rely on a string of other results falling their way in order to keep alive their chances of gatecrashing the top-eight.
The Saints will likely take on Sydney in the last match of the home-and-away season without midfield accumulator Crouch, who is in trouble for a high bump on Brisbane defender Darcy Gardiner.
And Jimmy Webster is also set to missing after being substituted out of the Lions clash with a hamstring injury before quarter-time.
Webster’s setback came as the Saints’ back-line dealt with a deluge of opposition forward entries that Brisbane couldn’t make count on the scoreboard.
The first goal was against the run of play when St Kilda livewire Jack Higgins made the most of an open forward line to bounce through a drop punt from 60 meters.
There were four lead changes in the opening term, with Eric Hipwood’s goal on the siren giving the Lions a one-point advantage.
The Saints brought the physical heat from the outset against the Lions.(Getty Images: Daniel Pockett)
The visitors dominated the second quarter, building a 26-point lead off a 32-17 advantage in inside-50s through the first half as McCluggage pulled the strings in midfield.
The Saints flipped the script in the third quarter as Wood and Membrey kicked two goals each, briefly putting the home side back in front.
King’s tally included three behinds during the third quarter, including two from set shots about 20 meters out.
He had a chance to level the scores during the final term but missed from 40 meters, with the Lions going coast-to-coast from the kick-in that resulted in a Joe Daniher goal.
Rayner iced the result with a superb curling shot from the boundary.
Daniher and Hipwood finished with two goals each, while Brownlow medalist Lachie Neale (16 disposals) was outplayed by impressive minder Marcus Windahger (21).
Here’s when and how you can access the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta – The AU Review
Activision has recently announced exactly how and when fans can get their hands on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta. And the best news? It’s only a few weeks away.
The beta itself will be available at an earlier date for those who have pre-ordered the game, with two separate weekends providing access to the beta over a couple of days. We’ve outlined them for you below:
weekend 1
Saturday September 17th, 3am AEST until Tuesday September 20th, for both PS5 and PS4 owners who have pre-ordered the game.
Monday September 19th, 3am until Tuesday September 20th, for all PS5 and PS4 owners.
weekend 2
Friday September 23rd, 3am AEST until Monday September 26th for all PS5 and PS4 owners, and for Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC owners who have pre-ordered the game.
Sunday September 25th, 3am until Monday, September 26th, for all console and PC owners.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will launch on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Windows PC on the 28th of October, 2022.
More to Explore on the AU:
Matthew Arcari
Matthew Arcari is the games and technology editor at The AU Review. You can find him on Twitter at @sirchunkee, or at the Dagobah System, chilling with Luke and Yoda.
Newcastle has alleviated pressure on under-fire coach Adam O’Brien, holding on for their first victory in more than a month with a 14-10 win over Wests Tigers.
In Sunday’s earlier match, North Queensland consolidated second place on the ladder with a 28-14 win victory over Canterbury in Bundaberg.
After leading 14-0 at halftime, the Knights were forced to protect a two-point lead through a nervous final 16 minutes at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
They did it without David Klemmer, who remained sidelined following last week’s controversial incident involving a Newcastle trainer.
The victory marked their first since round 16, while it was just the club’s third success since April.
And it came after a week where pressure had intensified on O’Brien as the embattled club dealt with the fallout from the Klemmer drama, the Knights’ poor form and the coach’s post-match press conference after their loss to Canterbury
But it did not come easy.
After keeping their 14-point lead through to the 53rd minute, the Knights cracked when Dominic Young failed to take an Adam Doueihi bomb and Brent Naden collected it on the bounce to score
With 17 minutes to play it was 14-10 when Jock Madden put on a nice long ball to send Asu Kepaoa over, as the Tigers enjoyed the majority of the play on the Knights’ line.
With 30 seconds left the Tigers received a set restart for a ruck infringement on the last tackle of the set, giving them four more plays to try to snatch the game.
One play was wasted when Jock Madden opted not to pass, Fa’amanu Brown ran another straight out of dummy-half and Daine Laurie dropped the final chance on the siren to end the match.
Realistically, it summed up a frustrating afternoon for the Tigers.
After pushing North Queensland a fortnight ago and beating Brisbane last week, the joint-venture club was back to looking like the team that sits 15th on the ladder.
The Tigers missed 39 tackles and their only linebreaks came in Kepaoa’s try and from Kelma Tualagi in the last minute to put them on the attack.
They were also clearly beaten out of the blocks, as Enari Tuala bagged a double on the left wing courtesy of a Jake Clifford grubberkick and pass
Tex Hoy also brushed Adam Doueihi aside for another first-half try, creating something out of nothing to help set up a 14-0 halftime lead.
Still, the result would have come as a serious relief for O’Brien as the Knights kicked clear of the wooden-spoon battle and left the Tigers still dueling it out with Gold Coast.
Cowboys continue charge
North Queensland have consolidated their push towards a top-two NRL finish with a grinding 28-14 win over Canterbury in Bundaberg.
The Bulldogs, chasing a third straight win under interim coach Mick Potter, tested the second-placed Cowboys for nearly the duration of the contest before running out of gas on a warm day in sub-tropical Queensland.
The Cowboys burst away from the Bulldogs in the second half.(Getty Images: Albert Perez)
They led 14-12 when Jacob Kiraz soared above Scott Drinkwater to set up Kyle Flanagan early in the second half, firing back after Valentine Holmes kicked a penalty goal to edge them in front, but North Queensland’s forwards then came to the fore.
Powering through the middle with the wind at their backs, Jason Taumalolo, Luciano Leilua and Reuben Cotter sucked two, three and sometimes four tacklers into the ruck to open up space for their edges.
Leilua was the first to benefit on the left edge with 63 minutes played as he charged through three tacklers and scored his first try in Cowboys colours.
Reece Robson zipped out of the ruck in the 69th minute after Cotter’s barnstorming run for Drinkwater to cross.
Drinkwater then completed a second double in consecutive weeks, with the Bulldogs’ goal line defense opening up for the fullback to score the Cowboys’ third in 10 minutes.
While Drinkwater was in stellar form again it was Todd Payten’s interchange forwards who did the damage, with Cotter and Leilua running for 160 and 132 meters respectively and Griffin Neame scoring their first.
They ran away with the result late on but Sunday’s contest didn’t start easily for the Cowboys.
Holmes put the kick-off to start the match out on the full, and Canterbury’s first attacking set was a success when Matt Burton grubbered at Josh Addo-Carr, who gathered ahead of a hesitant Peta Hiku to open their account.
The Bulldogs then defended their line valiantly as North Queensland peppered their edges with 60 per cent possession through 15 minutes.
Taumalolo’s error in contact then gifted the Bulldogs another attacking set, and this time from a middle scrum Burton got on the outside shoulder of Hiku to score their second in 20 minutes.
But an Addo-Carr penalty and some weak middle defense got the Cowboys rolling and Neame cracked Canterbury’s defenses in the 30th minute.
He charged on to a quick play-the-ball for his second try in as many weeks before his side struck again when Chad Townsend and Leilua combined for the former to score his first try of the season.
North Queensland enjoyed the better territory, possession and run meters all with the wind in their face in the opening half. They attempted a field goal to take a slender lead into the sheds but Townsend missed to the left, leaving it 10-all at the break.
Brisbane welcome Carlton to the Gabba as both sides fight to keep their September aspirations on track.
Meanwhile West Coast fans will farewell champion key forward Josh Kennedy in his final AFL game against Adelaide.
Earlier, a big Sydney win over North Melbourne saw the Swans jump up to third on the AFL ladder.
Follow the live scores, stats and results below.
Brisbane v Carlton
Team stats
Player stats
West Coast v Adelaide
Team stats
Player stats
Swans back into top four with big win over North
The Sydney Swans have enhanced their AFL top-four prospects with a comfortable 38-point victory over lowly North Melbourne at Docklands Stadium.
The Swans predictably dominated Sunday’s contest but North, led by a career-high eight-goal haul from Nick Larkey, kicked accurately to prevent the visitors from streaking ahead in the first-half.
Lance Franklin and Chad Warner were both among the goals against North Melbourne.(Getty Images: Michael Willson)
Sydney put their foot down in the third quarter, however, kicking six goals to three before cruising to their fifth-straight victory, 18.18 (126) to 13.10 (88).
The result leaves the Swans (14-6) fourth on the ladder, just below reigning premiers Melbourne on percentage, leading into their last home-and-away games against Collingwood and St Kilda.
Sydney were too powerful across every area of the ground, with young guns Chad Warner, Errol Gulden and Nick Blakey leading the charge.
But veterans like Tom Hickey, Sam Reid and dynamic forward-midfielder Tom Papley were also influential.
Superstar Lance Franklin, who on Saturday declared he was putting contract talks with the club on hold until the end of the season, ended with four goals after North defender Aidan Corr restricted the legendary goal-kicker early in the game.
North (2-18) suffered a pre-game blow when key defender Ben McKay (shoulder) was withdrawn and replaced by Josh Walker, who had been preparing to play in the Kangaroos’ VFL game at Arden St.
Larkey was clearly the Kangaroos’ best, while midfielder Luke Davies-Uniacke put in another outstanding performance in his career-best season.
While all ran smoothly for the Swans at Docklands, former co-captain Josh Kennedy suffered a suspected hamstring injury in the VFL game after he was on the cusp of a return to the AFL side.
The Swans are back at the SCG next Sunday for a mammoth clash with the red-hot Magpies in a crucial battle to make-up the top-four, while the Kangaroos travel to play Adelaide on Saturday to face the Crows.
D-Link’s new Eagle Pro AI series of routers is looking to shake things on both sides of the market, from entry-level routers-to premium mesh systems. The R15 AX1500 Eagle Pro AI stands as the entry-level option, but provides some nifty value through its compact design, Wi-Fi 6 functionality and various smart features including Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice control commands, that this side of the market have been missing as of late. It might not jump out at users in any particular way, but still serves as a worthy upgrade for those looking for Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, or as a basic upgrade for those rather bare-bones routers provided by most internet and telco providers.
Design
Much like its sibling, the G415 4G Smart Router, the R15 is rather compact an unassuming, sporting a flat white paint job and four side antennas. Unlike the G415, the R15 does sit flat on its back rather than standing upright, meaning it might take up a little more room in some spaces. That being said, the R15 is one of the smallest routers I’ve ever used, so I can’t imagine both the size and orientation being too much of an issue for most users.
The back of the router also sports three Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, and a single Gigabit Ethernet port for even faster transfer speeds, the latter of which is now becoming a standard for all levels and tiers of internet routers. Beyond this, there’s admittedly not much going on with the router, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Its smaller size allows it to be tucked away, while the only thing I can truly point out regarding the overall appearance and design of such a router, is that the flat white colourway may stand out, particularly if your internet setup is located in a central position in the home.
Performance
In terms of performance, the R15 plays things relatively straight. With the ability to hit speeds of up to 1,201Mbps on 5GHz band and 300Mbps on the traditional 2.4GHz, most Australian users will find the router capable of transmitting the fastest speeds our internet companies and telco providers have to offer. Unlike most entry-level routers and routers provided by the aforementioned internet and telco companies, the the R15 can cover a whopping 230 square meters, making it a no-brainer for both smaller and larger households alike, without the need to purchase any external or additional extenders.
That being said, the R15 does play friendly with the Eagle Pro AI range, meaning such extenders and even additional routers can easily be paired to the R15 via the Eagle Pro AI app. Much like the G415 4G Smart Router, the Eagle Pro AI Engine also keeps users tuned to the most reliable band at any given time, be it the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band, allowing multiple uses to consistently access the most efficient and reliable method of connectivity .
Software
Thankfully, the Eagle Pro AI app is incredibly friendly and easy to use. As we’ve covered most of the apps functionality and features in our D-Link G415 AX1500 4G Smart Router Review, we have included the relevant excerpt below, outlining a nearly identical experience in relation to the R15:
“It’s incredibly easy to navigate, and is responsible for additional features, including the aforementioned AI Mesh Optimiser and the handy AI Parental Control. As the name suggests, AI Parental Control allows users to monitor and manage their children’s online activities. From here, you can create a profile for individual users to block and minimize access to the internet. Aside from the rampant virus exposure that may be a cause for concern for some parents, certain sites can even be curbed thanks to a web filter.”
“The Eagle Pro AI App also allows for voice control through multiple platforms including the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. This might feel unnecessary for some, but is a welcome inclusion for those looking to turn their home into a smart, interconnected haven. The included AI Assistant can also whip up weekly reports for you incusing user activity and general internet traffic, with recommendations on how to solve the issues that may arise as a result. Overall, the app is incredibly easy to navigate and continuously informative at every step.”
Verdict & Value
Overall, the D-Link R15 AX1500 Smart Router is a reliable router for the entry-level price tag. Thanks to the Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, Eagle Pro AI app and compact design, it’s admittedly hard to pass this one up, should you be upgrading from a basic router provided by your internet provider, or imply looking to the future for Wi-Fi 6 support, which is arguably provided here at one of the cheapest price points in the market today. Impressive range will negate the need for extenders in most homes, while such a solution is incredibly easy to set up given the seamless functionality of the Eagle Pro AI app. If you’re looking for a solid all-rounder for an entry-level price tag, you might not need to look any further.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
highlights: lowlights: White coloring can stand out, particularly if internet setup is in a central location manufacturer: D Link Price: A$199 Available:Now
The Western Bulldogs and Fremantle are both desperate for a win as the race for top four and finals positions heats up.
Earlier, Hawthorn claimed a hard-fought win over the Gold Coast to end the Suns’ slim hopes of making finals.
Later, Geelong take on St Kilda and Port Adelaide host Richmond.
Follow the live scores, stats and results below.
Western Bulldogs vs. Fremantle
Team stats
Player stats
Hawks hold on to end Suns’ finals hopes
Hawthorn have all but snuffed out Gold Coast’s AFL finals hopes, holding off a final-quarter Suns fightback for a seven-point win in the milestone match of skipper Ben McEvoy.
Veteran Hawk Jack Gunston picked up five goals in Launceston on Saturday afternoon in the 10.10 (70) to 8.15 (63) result in McEvoy’s 250th appearance.
The Hawks claimed a well-earned win in Tasmania.(Getty Images: Dylan Burns)
Despite leading at each change, the Hawks had some nervous moments late with the Gold Coast virtually setting up camp in their half.
Trailing by 17 at three-quarter time, the Suns kicked the opening two goals of the fourth term and got within a goal with about five minutes left on the clock.
The Gold Coast were left to rue several muffed opportunities in the final quarter, with big man Mabior Chol and rookie Mac Andrew missing gettable set shots.
McEvoy picked up a crucial mark in defense inside the final two minutes as the Hawks scrambled for their eighth win of the year despite scoring just one point in the last term.
The result leaves the Suns in 11th position on the ladder, two wins outside the top eight with two rounds remaining and a host of teams above them still to play in round 21.
Gunston was on fire early, picking up four of his five goals before half-time.
The Suns were slow out of the blocks and took until the 21st minute to register their opening major but trailed by just eight at the first break.
Hawthorn pulled ahead in the second term with three goals straight, including Gunston’s third which was followed shortly by a fourth on the run, for a 21-point half-time lead.
Hawthorn’s Jarman Impey was put on report in the third quarter for contact on Darcy Macpherson after he kicked the ball following a mark.
Despite having the breeze at their back in the all-important third term, the Suns could only equal Hawthorn’s two goals.
Suns’ livewire small forward Izak Rankine picked up 11 disposals amid reports the Adelaide Crows have offered the 22-year-old a $4 million deal over five years.
Giants finish stronger to beat Bombers
GWS have responded to a week of intense focus and strong internal criticism with a rousing 27-point AFL triumph over Essendon at Giants Stadium.
The fired-up Giants were looking to bounce back after an insipid performance last week but were unable to shake off the Bombers until slamming on seven consecutive second-half goals to set up a 14.12 (96) to 10.9 (69) victory on Saturday.
The Giants came out on top of the scrap against the Bombers.(Getty Images: Brendon Thorne)
The Bombers (7-13) came into the clash having won four of their past five matches but had little answer to the Giants’ improved effort after briefly claiming the lead with two majors just after the main change, only kicking one consolation goal from there .
Jesse Hogan (four goals, 12 marks) set the tone with his intensity as he collected three tackles inside 50 as the Giants dominated that count 16-1, while the key forward was also his usual threat around goal and in the air.
Giants co-captains Stephen Coniglio (20 disposals, one goal) and Josh Kelly (19, one) led from the front in the midfield, while Lachie Whitfield (30, one) was one of the best afield and did plenty of damage with his sharp foot skills.
Harry Perryman (23 touches) was one of few Giants lauded by their coach last week and backed it up with a crucial role keeping Zach Merrett in check.
The Bombers’ star midfielder gathered 19 disposals but his influence on the contest and especially around the stoppages was down on his usual output.
Toby Greene (two goals) looked dangerous throughout but young forward James Peatling had to be subbed out in the second term after he chose to bump rather than tackle Mason Redman and they clashed heads.
Darcy Parish was straight back to his prolific ball-winning best after a month out with a calf injury, collecting 28 disposals and seven clearances and Sam Durham collected 23 touches.
Bombers spearhead Peter Wright had an enthralling duel with the Giants gun defender Sam Taylor but made the most of his chances with two goals, while Matt Guelfi slotted four goals from just six kicks.
The Giants looked eager to make an early impact after coach Mark McVeigh’s scathing post-match criticisms last week, with spot fires breaking out around the ground as both teams lined up for the opening bounce.
When play finally started, Stephen Coniglio rushed forward and snapped a goal after 47 seconds, and after Jake Stringer knocked Harry Himmelberg over before the ball had gone back to the middle the Giants had two goals in as many minutes.
The Giants’ victory snapped a four-match losing streak and lifts them to a 6-14 record and within reach of avoiding their first bottom-four finish since 2014.
GWS will be on the road next week to face arch-rivals Western Bulldogs on Saturday, while Essendon are at home to Port Adelaide on Sunday.
Jamie Elliott has kicked four goals in his 150th game to help Collingwood upset Melbourne by seven points and stamp themselves as a genuine AFL premiership threat.
The lead swung on the last five goals of a pulsating contest at the MCG on Friday night before the Magpies prevailed 15.6 (96) to 13.11 (89) in front of 70,956 fans.
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It was Collingwood’s 10th win by a margin of less than two goals in a rolling first season under Craig McRae, lifting them into a second spot on the ladder.
But the fallout could hurt, with Will Hoskin-Elliott (hip flexor) substituted out, Nick Daicos (ribs) hurt and Mason Cox set to come under scrutiny for driving his knee up into Max Gawn’s stomach at a ruck contest.
Ash Johnson matched Elliott’s tally with four goals, Daicos (31 disposals) was brilliant at half-back, Jordan De Goey (24 touches, nine clearances) had an impact in the middle and hard-working forward Brody Mihocek (two goals) played a key role opposed to Steven May.
Clayton Oliver (42 disposals, 14 clearances) was best afield for Melbourne and Gawn (31, 10) was superb, while Ben Brown and Bayley Fritsch kicked two goals each.
But they couldn’t stop an irresistible second-half surge from Collingwood, who trailed by 23 points during the second quarter and kicked seven goals to three after the main break to overpower the reigning premiers.
The fuse was lit for a red-hot contest when Ed Langdon branded Collingwood “a bit of a one-trick pony” in a radio interview on Thursday.
The response was one of intent, with the Melbourne wingman crunched by Brayden Maynard in the opening exchanges and immediately set upon by three other Magpies.
Elliott marked his milestone with two first-quarter goals but it was the Demons who led by eight points after a fast-paced opening term.
Every Langdon touch was booed by the Magpie Army and Melbourne fans also found a villain to jeer when Cox thrust his knee into Gawn at a ball-up.
Melbourne dominated overall play in the second term thanks to their brilliant midfield – Christian Petracca (36 disposals) and Andrew Brayshaw (32) were prominent — and could easily have led by more than 17 points at half-time.
But Collingwood kept themselves in it with superior efficiency, crafting eight goals from just 18 forward entries to the Demons’ 10 from 41.
The Magpies evened up the midfield battle and attacked the contest with ferocity in the third quarter and cut the margin to seven points by the final change.
Daicos was crunched in a Fritsch tackle when he was called to play on after a mark but returned in pain after having his ribs checked.
The lead changed hands five times in an epic final quarter before Collingwood hit the front for the last time through Johnson, who converted a free kick after being pushed in the back by Harrison Petty.
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.
