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St Kilda Saints loss to Brisbane Lions, missed opportunities, goalkicking inaccuracy, Max King, reactions, response, commentary, social media, fallout, latest

St Kilda Saints loss to Brisbane Lions, missed opportunities, goalkicking inaccuracy, Max King, reactions, response, commentary, social media, fallout, latest

St Kilda has blown a golden opportunity at the wrong time, falling to Brisbane by 15 points in game there to be won late with the Saints’ season on all the line to all but end their final hopes.

Brett Ratten’s side recovered from a slow start to come charging back into the game in the second half, but wasn’t able to convert its opportunities including a wasteful 0.5 kicking display from Max King.

Saints legend Nick Riewoldt said he hoped the club wouldn’t put all the onus on its goalkicking inaccuracy in the second half, lamenting its lackluster start to the contest.

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“They had the game where they wanted it… but I hope it doesn’t turn into a ‘we just didn’t take our opportunities’, conversation. Because early in the contest when the game was there to be won, they weren’t necessarily up for it,” he said on Fox Footy post-match.

The Saints’ final hopes were dealt a massive blow (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS

“Then when it gets desperate you take it on. I hope it’s a really learning experience this game for St Kilda. When they played with a bit of desperation, especially with the footy, then they put the Lions under pressure and looked like a finals team.

“If you’re looking at it with a narrow lens, you would say they didn’t take their opportunities. Max King was bit of a liability in front of goal, he didn’t look he wanted the ball in the end, so he’ll be really disappointed that he couldn’t convert.”

St Kilda ended up winning the disposal count (327-310) and inside 50s (50-49), but converted 9.12 of its shots at goal (43 per cent) compared to Brisbane’s 12.9 (57 per cent), with Cam Rayner the match winner for the Lions with three of his four goals in the last term.

Demons legend Garry Lyon was much more encouraged by St Kilda’s style when it had more urgency and played faster and direct.

“The competitive, go slow style they’ve been playing has been left behind largely … that’s the learnings I would hope they get from it, because when they went with some stuff that looked unscripted, that’s when they looked most dangerous,” he said.

It’ll likely go down as another wasted season for the 11-10 Saints despite such a promising 5-1 start to 2022 to emerge as a premiership dark horse as Ratten was rewarded with a contract extension.

Saint in hot water over bump? | 00:41

But they’ve now won just three of their last 10 matches and would need nearly everything to go right by the way of other results for them to make finals from here including beating an in-form Swans outfit next weekend at Marvel Stadium.

Former Hawthorn sharpshooter Ben Dixon was however still giving St Kilda hope to finish in the top eight and was left unconvinced by Brisbane’s performance, calling it the “sweep escape”.

“I think Brisbane was given that game, they didn’t win it… if Richmond and Carlton lose they’ve (the Saints) still got a heartbeat. I’m giving them hope,” he said on Fox Footy Live.

But St Kilda champion Nick Dal Santo doesn’t believe his former side is currently playing a good enough brand to hold up in September.

“You want your finals series to be teams that are currently in form or capable of causing an upset from the bottom of the top eight,” he said.

“The form that the Saints have played of recent, no, I don’t think their in the best eight teams in the comp right now.”

Others responded on social media to the Saints’ blown opportunity.

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AFL Players’ Association reveals 40 player squad

AFL Players' Association reveals 40 player squad

The brilliant contribution of Sydney and Fremantle’s young guns to their respective teams’ surges up the ladder this year have been recognised, with the two clubs making up a quarter of this year’s 22under22 squad.

The AFL Players’ Association on Tuesday night released the 40-man squad for the 10th edition of the 22under22 team, which recognized the best players aged 22 and under in a season.

Sydney, which sits fourth on the ladder, boasts a competition-high six nominations, while five players from the sixth-placed Dockers are in the mix for final selection.

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Nick Blakey, Tom McCartin, Chad Warner, James Rowbottom, Justin McInerney and Errol Gulden from the Swans have all been nominated, while Dockers young guns Hayden Young, Jordan Clark, Andy Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Michael Frederick are all in line to be named in the final 22under22 team.

Remarkably, Serong is in line to be selected in the final 22 for the first time, despite his impressive first two seasons that included the Rising Star award in 2020.

Surprise packets Collingwood has four nominees (Isaac Quaynor, Nathan Murphy, Nick Daicos and Jack Ginnivan) as does Melbourne (Harry Petty, James Jordon, Kysaiah Pickett and Luke Jackson).

NEW FOX FOOTY PODCAST — Finals fight down to 10 amid a Blue’s big bump and Crows camp fallout

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Daicos, the odds-on Rising Star favourite, has is one of only two first-year players in the squad of 40, with Essendon’s Nic Martin the other. Hawks midfielder Jai Newcombe was nominated just over 12 months after he was picked up in the mid-season draft.

Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton and Carlton midfielder Sam Walsh are looking to be selected for a fourth time in their final year of eligibility. If selected, they’ll join Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli (five selections) and Bombers defender Andy McGrath as the only players to have completed the feat.

Brayshaw, Adam Cerra, Bailey Smith and Max King are looking to be selected for a third time.

Jamie Elliot signs with Feet until 2025 | 00:37

Overall, 17 of the 18 clubs are represented in the squad, with no West Coast player in the squad.

The final 22-man team, which will derive from the squad of 40, will be announced online on August 23.

Players must have played at least 11 games in a year and be aged 22 and under for the entirety of the season, including the finals series, to be eligible for 22under22 selection.

Fans can vote on the 22under22 side by tapping here, with voting closing on Wednesday August 17.

THE 22UNDER22 SQUAD OF 40 FOR 2022

Adelaide Crows – 2: Sam Berry (midfield/wing), Darcy Fogarty (forward)

Brisbane Lions – 2: Keidean Coleman (defender), Cameron Rayner (forward/midfield)

Carlton – 2: Adam Cerra (midfield/wing), Sam Walsh (midfield)

Collingwood – 4: Isaac Quaynor (defender), Nathan Murphy (defender), Nick Daicos (defender), Jack Ginnivan (forward)

Essendon – 1: Nic Martin (forward)

Fremantle – 5: Hayden Young (defender), Jordan Clark (defender), Andy Brayshaw (midfield), Caleb Serong (midfield), Michael Frederick (forward)

Geelong Cats – 1: Sam De Koning (defender)

Gold Coast Suns – 3: Noah Anderson (midfield), Matt Rowell (midfield), Izak Rankine (forward)

GWS Giants – 1: Tom Green (midfield)

Hawthorn – 1: Jai Newcombe (midfield)

Melbourne – 4: Harry Petty (defender), James Jordon (midfield/wing), Kysaiah Pickett (forward), Luke Jackson (ruck)

North Melbourne—1: Bailey Scott (defender)

Port Adelaide – 2: Connor Rozee (midfield/forward), Zak Butters (midfield/forward)

Richmond – 1: Noah Balta (ruck/forward)

St Kilda – 1: Max King (forward)

Sydney Swans – 6: Nick Blakey (defender), Tom McCartin (defender), Chad Warner (midfield), James Rowbottom (midfield), Justin McInerney (midfield/wing), Errol Gulden (forward/midfield)

West Coast Eagles-0

Western Bulldogs – 3: Bailey Smith (midfield), Aaron Naughton (forward), Cody Weightman (forward)

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Harry McKay says Carlton Blues season should still be successful even if they miss finals

Harry McKay says Carlton Blues season should still be successful even if they miss finals

Coleman Medalist Harry McKay believes Carlton’s 2022 has been a successful campaign – even if it ultimately misses finals after being in the top eight since Round 1.

The Blues have been one of the stories of the AFL season, placing inside the top eight at the end of every round so far. After eight consecutive bottom-eight finishes, Michael Voss’ team now needs one more win to cement a finals berth for the first time since 2013.

But the Blues are now clinging to seventh spot on the ladder after a 33-point loss to Brisbane on Sunday – their fourth loss from their past six games.

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With two tough games against top-four sides Melbourne and Collingwood to finish their home and away season, the Blues are now in danger of missing finals, with St Kilda and, particularly, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs well placed to squeeze into the top eight .

The last team to be in finals places every round except the last was Carlton in 1977.

Asked on Fox Footy’s On The Couch if the Blues would still consider the 2022 season a success, even if they missed finals, McKay said: “Short answer yes.

“I think I judge success in terms of our environment that we’ve created. The last couple of years we’ve probably struggled in that space in terms of culture, environment, building a really solid gameplan.

“Whatever happens for the rest of the year, I guess that’s outcome-based. But for me as a player that’s been there seven or eight years, this 12 months have been a success. Whether that comes with finals or whatever it is, I think we’ve taken a really big step in the right direction.

NEW FOX FOOTY PODCAST — Finals fight down to 10 amid a Blue’s big bump and Crows camp fallout

Listen below or subscribe in Apple Podcasts or Spotify

“’Vossy’ talked about the other day ‘hopefully it’s a long book and this is just Chapter 1’. We want to finish off the chapter really well, but it’s definitely still a success I reckon.”

While many Blues fans would struggle to comprehend missing the finals after so many victories in 2022, triple premiership Bomber Tim Watson said Carlton’s “trajectory is going in the right direction”.

‘What is that?’ Sloppy Blues torched | 01:52

“Success can be measured in a whole different lot of ways, but they are still improving and their graph is going in the right direction,” Watson told SEN Breakfast after hearing McKay’s comments.

“They built up a level of expectation, based on their performances earlier in the season, and I remember seeing them and thinking ‘yeah, they’re capable of actually winning the flag’.

“They’ve got some problems at the moment though – and partly to do with injury.”

McKay claimed last year’s Coleman Medal with a haul of 58 goals, but said he’d enjoyed this year more considering the team’s success to date.

“This year has been very enjoyable and a different place,” he said.

Carlton needs one more win to qualify for finals. Picture: Russell FreemanSource: Getty Images

“Although we did a lot right over the last couple of years, this year it’s just started to click. Some key changes to some key personnel have been really refreshing and really nice.

“The last few weeks have been challenging after a pretty solid first 16 to 18 rounds. It’s been a little bit disappointing we haven’t been able to play our best football, but we’re still in a really good and exciting position. Two big games at the MCG to finish the year and a chance to do something we haven’t been able to do in 10 or so years.

“Even post-game (Sunday afternoon), there was initial disappointment and frustration and we touched on a few things that didn’t go right. But before we walked out the door it was ‘what an amazing opportunity we’ve got’.

McKay said the Blues needed to improve their contested ball work, which had been “a little bit off” in the past fortnight, while they wanted to move the footy with more “dare”.

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Adelaide Crows pre-season camp, Caroline Wilson, San McClure, media coverage, Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins, AFLPA

Adelaide Crows pre-season camp, Caroline Wilson, San McClure, media coverage, Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins, AFLPA

Veteran journalist Caroline Wilson has taken aim at the Adelaide media for its response to coverage of the Crows’ infamous 2018 camp amid more calls for club figures responsible at the time to take ownership.

The Crows on Monday night released a lengthy open letter to the club’s fans, apologizing to Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins and any players who had a “negative experience” at the pre-season camp after shock new revelations emerged last week.

It comes after Adelaide journalist David Penberthy earlier this year slammed Nine’s Sam McClure and Wilson, who’ve both extensively reported on the camp, saying the latter’s coverage was a “miserable way to spend your post-journalistic career.”

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And speaking on Channel 9’s Footy Classified on Monday night, Wilson said she remained “baffled at the collective chip on the shoulder of certain sections of the Adelaide media where that camp was concerned”.

“I don’t know the above mentioned commentator (Penberthy), but I gather he’s flipped around a bit on the camp story since then,” Wilson said.

The Crows camp that ‘ended careers’ | 02:10

“Graham Cornes in his Advertiser column recently tried to portray another side of the story, and talked about more brutal camps of days gone by, and asked where then was the Victoria media piled on. Seriously Graham?

“You boys, all of you, need to grow up, this is so childish. That story would’ve been a massive yarn wherever it’d taken place, and equally condemned. In fact it would’ve been a much bigger story if it had taken place at Collingwood or Richmond. Talk about shooting the messenger.”

The directors of Collective Mind, who organized the camp, Amon Woulfe and Derek Leddie told the Advertiser in February the Crows’ then chief executive Andrew Fagan and the club’s board had “full awareness” of the program.

The story also states the program was approved by senior club figures including coach Don Pyke, head of football Brett Burton, and doctor Marc Cesana who cleared every player as mentally and emotionally fit to attend, and was even pilot tested by one of the coaches.

And while current Crows bosses and the AFL have both apologized following last week’s revelations, McClure, who in 2020 broke the story of the camp’s details, still wasn’t satisfied those who oversaw the controversial pre-season event have taken ownership.

Jenkins full statement on infamous camp | 15:39

“We’ve talked a lot about the potential cover-up and to what extent it went. I know there’s been apologies and elements of contrition, but I stand here today still wondering who is going to take responsibility for some of the things that went on at that camp,” he said.

“They either knew about it and they deliberately lied, or they didn’t know. I’m not sure which one’s worse.”

Fox Footy AFL 360 co-host Gerard Whateley called for all Crows figures in power at the time who’re still at the club to depart.

“I hold to the view that those who were in positions of authority at the time and oversaw this and who have actively participated in the cover-up over four and half years should depart their positions,” he said.

“(Crows director of footy Mark Ricciuto) would be one, but I doubt he’s the only one within that club that would still occupy one of those positions.“

Wilson also hit out at the AFL’s lack of accountability and why it took so long for it to act.

“For Gillon McLachlan to take four years — given the AFL’s known since 2020 what went on — to actually apologize in a stand up at an airport with Channel 7 in an exclusively arranged interview is frankly quite pathetic,” she said.

“Our game betrayed him” Robbo on Betts | 01:02

“Why the AFL did nothing then still baffles me. The cover-up has been astonishing.”

The AFLPA (Players Association) last week indicated it would effectively reopen its investigation into the camp and contact all players for a “better understanding” of what occurred, saying it would’ve taken more immediate action had it known all the information from the outset .

However McClure believes putting the onus on the players to divulge the information is “classic victim blaming” and that more action should’ve been taken at the time.

“The last people who are responsible for what went on at that camp are the players,” he said,

“It is absolute garbage to think that we could sit here and label any of those players as part of the problem. And yet when people come out and speak the truth and show great courage, we suddenly turn around the responsibility on them.

“If the AFLPA wanted to know what was going in that camp, they could’ve asked, because from where we sat, it wasn’t that hard to find out.”

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AFL Round-Up: Collingwood’s wildest dreams are coming true, Carlton are on the brink and Richmond are coming

A composite image of Matthew Cottrell, Brody Mihocek and Josh Kennedy

If you weren’t a Collingwood believer, you must be by now — but the situation at Carlton is far less rosy.

Welcome to the AFL Round-Up, where we digest the week that was.

The Collingwood situation

It’s not a drill anymore.

Collingwood’s feel-good renaissance — their hot streak of heart-stoppers — is no longer a thrilling sideshow to the 2022 season. It may well be the main event.

Melbourne were the latest — and probably the best team — to have run into the Magpie buzzsaw and come out on the wrong side throughout a run that has now resulted in 11 straight wins.

Jamie Elliott celebrates a goal for Collingwood
The MCG is Collingwood’s playground right now.(Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)

Collingwood are in second position with two games to play. Beat Sydney next week and a top-four finish at minimum is secured. No matter how they have done it, Craig McRae’s team have put themselves in a position from which premierships can be won.

And, in a season where consistency has eluded all but Geelong, Collingwood’s unique blend of speed, physicality and Disneyesque self-belief might just make the most sense.

There’s no point looking at the stats and pondering the collective unlikeliness of this Collingwood run, we’re well past that. All that’s left now is to admire the individuals that are making it happen.

Top of that list is Brayden Maynard, whose general absence from predicted All Australian teams is bemusing.

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Maynard has been Collingwood personified all season. Fearlessly committed, he is prepared to take risks, never believing he is beaten.

But he’s just one of many. From Jack Crisp and to Jamie Elliott to Beau McCreery and Ash Johnson, that same level is being reached across the 22 to various levels of fanfare.

We said here weeks ago that this Collingwood season would be one that fans will talk about for generations, but there’s more than that at play now.

One of the great premierships in the history of the national competition is what is being played for now, and it’s becoming a far less crazy proposition with every passing week.

Blues on the brink

Cast your mind back a few months and Carlton were the in-vogue team, playing a similar brand of tough and exciting footy and finding ways to win games.

That seems a long time ago now. The battle for the Blues is no longer a top-four spot and proving they are worthy of premiership conversations, but to simply make the finals and not throw the season away completely.

Zac Fisher is rolled onto his back and shoulders with his backside in the air
It’s all a bit that way at the moment for Carlton.(Getty Images: Russell Freeman)

Carlton have Melbourne and Collingwood to eat. Winning one of those would surely be enough. There’s even a world in which they could lose both and still sneak in, but the door would be opened at that point for St Kilda — or even the Western Bulldogs.

Should the worst come to pass and Carlton fail to finish in the top eight, this season might rank among the most disappointing for Blues’ fans in recent memory. And that’s a tough field.

Not because they aren’t clearly still improving, or because they haven’t played good football and claimed big wins. But should the opportunity for a return to finals be squandered — an opportunity they completely earned themselves with their excellent start to the campaign — it would be mighty tough to swallow.

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The good news is that it’s still in Carlton’s hands. The last quarter against Brisbane showed the fight is still there, and perhaps the challenge of having to win their way in will inspire a return to form.

It’s an unfinished story right now, but the stakes are high.

JK’s perfect goodbye

A quick word for Josh Kennedy, who called time on his tremendous career with one more performance for the ages.

Josh Kennedy holds his arms in the air as West Coast players surround and hug him
The greatest goalkicker in West Coast’s history — Josh J Kennedy.(Getty Images: Daniel Carson)

To be held in the same company as the likes of Lance Franklin, Jack Riewoldt and Tom Hawkins as era-defining key forwards is not something to be dismissed. Kennedy has been a fearsome prospect for more than a decade, has ridden the highs and lows at West Coast through that time and has ended with his bearded head held high.

That the Eagles were unable to rise to the occasion and find a way to win for Kennedy is a matter for another day (and a long and painful off-season to come).

It’s rare that a champion is able to go out in a manner befitting his career. Kennedy managed that—and then some.

around the grounds

We can now say with confidence that Richmond will play finals in 2022. From there, anything is possible. They will be unmissable in September.

Fremantle looked like their old selves again against the Bulldogs, and with the Eagles and Giants to come will fancy their chances of a return to the top four. Perhaps they are timing their run to perfection.

Tom Hawkins smiles and high-fives a teammate
All the Cats do is win.(Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)

Strictly speaking, Geelong probably didn’t need to win that game against St Kilda. Their hold on top spot would have been pretty secure either way. But they did, and that winning habit looks set to roll on deep into September.

Mark McVeigh took a bit of a gamble in calling out his Giants players last week. It would have put the interim coach in an awkward spot if they didn’t muster an immediate response. But they did, and his stocks of him have now never been higher.

hawthorn have now improved their wins total from last year. Gold Coast are one away from equaling their best wins total ever. A clear season of progress for both.

Lance Franklin puts his arm around Chad Warner
The Swans and Pies will meet at the SCG on Sunday.(Getty Images: Michael Willson)

We’re pumped for Sydney’s game against Collingwood next week already. The winner will find themselves deeper than ever in premiership reckoning. Sunday arvo can’t come quickly enough.

in the clubhouse

Here we take stock of who is leading the race for the season’s individual awards.

We’ve already called the Rising Star race over in Nick Daicos’s favour, but want to temper some of the All Australian chat that has been lingering around social media. For this year, anyway. Nextyear? All bets are off.

It was a good week for goals, and in a tough field we’re giving this round’s nod to Freo’s Nathan O’Driscoll.

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Josh Daicos remains the leader in the GOTY race.

And for the mark of the week, we’re going with connor rozee.

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His teammate Mitch Georgiades is in the box seat to claim MOTY with his screamer against Fremantle from a few weeks back.

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Carlton Blues fixture, run home, injury list, Michael Voss press conference, Leigh Montagna says team is vulnerable

Carlton Blues fixture, run home, injury list, Michael Voss press conference, Leigh Montagna says team is vulnerable

Dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna fears Carlton’s terrific 2022 could be undone by ill-timed personnel issues, which has left Michael Voss’ team vulnerable at the most crucial stage of the season.

Michael Voss’ Blues are clinging to seventh spot on the ladder after a 33-point loss to Brisbane on Sunday – their fourth loss from their past six games.

They’ve been inside the top eight at the end of every round so far 1 this season, but are now in serious danger of missing out on finals with St Kilda and, particularly, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs still well placed to squeeze into the top eight. The last team to be in finals places every round except the last was Carlton in 1977.

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The Blues need to win one more game to guarantee a finals spot. But they would have upset one of Melbourne (3rd) or Collingwood (4th) over the next fortnight, while the Bulldogs and Tigers have ‘easier’ final games.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s First CrackMontagna said the Blues now had their “work cut out to play finals.”

It comes amid player availability issues in the most important part of the ground for Carlton, with George Hewett (back) and Matt Kennedy (fractured jaw) sidelined due to injury, while skipper Patrick Cripps could also miss matches due to a bump on Lion Cal Ah Chee that will attract MRO scrutiny.

Ban likely for Cripps after heavy bump | 02:00

The Blues have been renowned for their ruthless nature at the coalface this year, but Montagna on Sunday night pointed out the Blues had lost the hardball get count in the past two games against Brisbane and Adelaide by -20 and -15 respectively.

“They’re starting to get beaten up around the footy … and without that big three in the midfield, they look vulnerable to me,” Montagna told First Crack.

“They don’t look like the same side at the start of the year that was brutal, physical, aggressive, that was just bullying and beating up on teams through the midfield.

“The ‘Voss gloss’ might’ve worn off. They’ve got their work cut out now and they’re going to have to do some soul searching to try and play finals – and it might undo what has been such a terrific season up until the last sort of four or five weeks.”

Montagna also pointed out the Blues had only been in front for 26 per cent of game time in their matches against top-eight teams this year, while dual premiership Kangaroo David King highlighted the Blues are 10-1 this year when they’ve won the clearance count by at least +5 but 3-6 when that count has been +4 or less.

Brisbane stay in the hunt for top four | 02:26

“They’re clearance-based and contest-based – and they lose their best commodity,” King said.

In a must-win game, the Lions stunned the Blues in the first term with a fierce tackling display, laying 20 tackles to 13. That prompted dominance at clearance (+11), inside 50s (+13) and on the scoreboard (+ 29).

King said the Lions’ pressure was awesome, making Carlton look “jittery” and “panicky with the ball”.

The Kangaroos great put the heat on Blues backman Adam Saad, who finished with 24 disposals and 10 interceptions, but was arguably beaten by direct Brisbane opponent Charlie Cameron, who kicked two telling goals.

King pointed to a sloppy kick-in from Saad that led to a turnover and Dayne Zorko goal during the first term.

“What is that? I mean come on. This is high-level stakes,” he said.

“That’s not AFL standard, just waltzing out like that and just trying to be a little bit arrogant again with the ball.

Carlton Press Conference | 06:10

“He’s had a fantastic year, but his last two weeks he’s left opportunities on the floor for the opposition to take – and they have.”

Despite his club’s predicament, Voss said it must “embrace where we are at”.

“We are all about what’s in front of us. They are games to look forward to. We are playing in games that matter. This is an important phase in the development of our group,” Voss told reporters on Sunday.

“We need that exposure. We are going to the MCG next week against Melbourne, it will be a big game. The Collingwood game is being talked about already so we are getting exposure to these games and there can only be growth off the back of it.

“Tonight, it’s a bit of a tough one (lesson) but we’ve got to bring that fresh energy and we’ve got to correct ourselves pretty quick and we’ve got to get on with it.”

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AFL live ScoreCentre: Hawthorn vs Gold Coast, GWS vs Essendon, Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle, Geelong vs St Kilda, Port Adelaide vs Richmond live scores, stats and results

Josh Dunkley smiles and clenches both fists as Aaron Naughton hugs him from behin

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.

Jarman Impey pats Jack Gunston on the chest in congratulations
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.

Jake Stringer grits his teeth while a number of GWS players surround him and grab at him
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.

Geelong vs St Kilda

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Port Adelaide v Richmond

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AFL reacts to Eddie Betts ‘betrayal’ at Adelaide Crows pre-season camp

AFL reacts to Eddie Betts 'betrayal' at Adelaide Crows pre-season camp

The AFL community has reacted with disgust after former Adelaide footballer Eddie Betts published a confronting recollection of his experience at a pre-season camp with the Crows in early 2018.

The leadership camp, following the Crows’ 2017 AFL Grand Final loss to Richmond, thrust the club into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

A number of players and officials left the club in the wake of the camp, and now Betts has detailed behind-the-scenes information in his upcoming autobiography The Boy from Boomerang Crescent.

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The four-day camp on the Gold Coast left Betts feeling “like a piece of me was brainwashed”, with excerpts being reported by Nine Newspapers.

Betts alleged that confidential information he shared in counseling sessions had been misused, writing that the camp misappropriated sensitive Aboriginal cultural rituals.

Following the ordeal, the three-time All-Australian Betts said he approached the Crows and voiced his concerns with the camp, only to be dropped from the leadership group three weeks later.

Betts said the camp had a major impact on his form and left the star forward questioning his place in the game. He left the Crows and returned to Carlton at the end of 2019 before retiring at the end of 2021.

Adelaide board member Mark Ricciuto, who represented the club for 15 seasons, responded to the damning allegations on Wednesday morning.

“He’s been one of the greats of the club,” Ricciuto told Adelaide’s Triple M Breakfast with Roo, Ditts and Loz.

“Player welfare is always number one no matter what’s going on, you always want everyone to be happy, so it’s very sad.

“I think the club has been on record at times to say that they acknowledge that it wasn’t handled perfectly. It had all good intentions but didn’t go perfectly.

“We all love Eddie and hopefully Eddie is getting over that… certainly the club moved on from that and are looking towards the future and have made a lot of ground since back then. It has come up in Eddie’s book and that is fair enough.”

Betts’ revelations have angered the footy community. Former Swans star Ryan Fitzgerald, who is a huge Crows fan, tweeted: “Really uncomfortable to read. Particularly the insensitivities around Eddie’s past of him. He is such an integral part of the AFC and their history, so rejected that he left feeling like that.”

Ex-Melbourne captain Garry Lyon also reacted. “When you read those words from Eddie, there is no debate about how it impacted on him,” he told SEN Breakfast.

“He talks about the Indigenous players, the cultural differences or sensitivities that weren’t adhered to. That’s Eddie … and that’s unequivocal, right? You can’t argue with any of that.

“Everyone’s own experiences have been caught up in this and from an Indigenous point of view, a lot of it since Eddie said that cultural sensitivities weren’t adhered to – and that is very, very real.

“In the end, it was untenable. We talk about the atmosphere and environment … take apart who you agree with and you don’t agree with, the fact of the matter is it split the club down the middle. When you get the (Rory) Sloanes and the (Taylor) Walkers, who have their recollection, and then you’ve got Eddie and others I would imagine… no wonder it destroyed that joint.

“You’ve got a section of the football club – and I’m not just putting this at the feet of Walker and Sloane, there may be others in the same boat – saying, ‘I got so much out of this, it was good’. And then on the other hand, right at the other end of the scale, you’ve got, ‘No, it ripped me apart, it ripped my relationship apart’.

“No wonder then from a footy club point of view and trying to stay together and on the same page, it ended up where it was.

“If you are told, whether you’re black or white or otherwise, ‘These camp people want to speak to you and they say to step aside from everyone else privately and we want you to have a conversation where you are open and vulnerable’ … And I go, ‘OK. In terms of building me as a better player and a leader, I’ll share and I’ll give you these really sensitive things that, to me, are important’. Then to have that thrown back in my face, that’s not cultural for me.

“How it affects me and someone else might be different based on culture, but that’s a betrayal for me.”

speaking on SEN SA Breakfastformer Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes questioned Adelaide’s leadership, calling out Crows star Rory Sloane for his public remarks after the camp when he said it made him a better husband and a better father.

“The question is, all of the people who have defended the camp and have said nothing went on, including the Crows fans, including Mark Ricciuto, including the club, what do they do now? Details have come out, Eddie Betts was abused about his mother, ”Cornes said.

“The saddest thing for me, the two most popular players at Adelaide are Tony Modra and Eddie Betts. No one made the Adelaide Oval stand up when they went near the football in Crows history like Eddie Betts. No one has been more popular.

“That’s the echelon that Eddie Betts is held in. To read how he was treated by his own football club, of which he is an icon, that was the saddest part for me.

“We do now have a blow-by-blow account which is pretty harrowing that your most popular player in club history was treated like an animal on this camp.

“I think it’s embarrassing for Rory Sloane and Taylor Walker to now hear that that was a rehearsed line and that they were all told and indoctrinated into saying it had made them a better father and husband and child. And to see Eddie Betts relay that that was actually rehearsed, it does not paint Rory and his leadership of him in great light.

“There’s a lot of egg on the face of Crows supporters, the footy club and a few players that were there.”

The Crows were cleared of any work health and safety breaches after an independent investigation into the training camp by SafeWork SA.

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AFL: Brisbane Lions searching for end-of-season form

AFL: Brisbane Lions searching for end-of-season form

Lions forward Eric Hipwood insists Brisbane can win the AFL premiership from anywhere in the top eight, saying form – rather than ladder position – was the key heading into next month’s finals series.

Brisbane has dropped to fifth spot after their seven-point weekend loss to Richmond at the MCG.

With three rounds of the regular season remaining, the Lions should still make the top four if they can beat Carlton, St Kilda and Melbourne this month.

But if Brisbane has to settle for a spot in the bottom half of the top eight, Hipwood believes his side can still win the flag, provided form and consistency is found in the next three weeks.

Under the current finals system, the Western Bulldogs are the only team to clinch the premiership from outside the top four, having won the flag in 2016 after finishing seventh on the ladder.

“That’s what you strive for at the start of the season, to get that double chance (by finishing in the top four), but you’ve seen teams win the grand final from outside the top four,” Hipwood said.

“We’d like (a top-four spot), but we just want to be competitive come the end of the season.”

Hipwood was adamant Brisbane would find form before the finals, saying there were “positives” to take from the loss to the Tigers, who fought back from 42 points down to win and keep alive their hopes of playing football finals this season.

“It was disappointing that we did lose, but we’re still optimistic. We had a lot of opportunities to win the game and we just couldn’t ice it,” Hipwood said.

“We played some really good footy, especially in that first half.”

“What hasn’t been spoken about enough is that Richmond are a bloody good team.

“They’re certainly up there with the best and they brought that on the weekend. I don’t think the ladder position (ninth) represents where they’re at.”

Despite Brisbane’s loss, the towering Hipwood had his best game since returning in round nine after 10 months on the sidelines following a knee reconstruction.

He kicked four goals and grabbed six marks in an encouraging sign with the finals approaching.

“I’ve been quite inconsistent and I’m quick to identify that myself but I am building,” Hipwood said.

“I didn’t really have any practice games or anything like that prior to coming (back) into the AFL.

“I’m getting better week-in, week-out – that’s all that really matters.”

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Chris Fagan speaks on Alastair Clarkson whispers, Brisbane Lions coach, handover, latest

Chris Fagan speaks on Alastair Clarkson whispers, Brisbane Lions coach, handover, latest

Brisbane Lions boss Chris Fagan has downplayed rumors he could hand over the reins to free agent coaching great Alastair Clarkson at season’s end.

There was some talk last month about a possible handover from Fagan to Clarkson for 2023 as the latter weighs up a returns to the coaches box, having recently met with GWS and North Melbourne about their openings.

The pair have previously worked together closely when Fagan was Hawthorn’s footy boss during its golden era including winning four premierships from 2008-2015 while Clarkson was coach.

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Asked on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 if he’d made “private plans to hand the job over to an old colleague,” Fagan responded with a laugh:“It’s not my job to hand over in the first place … is not the firm answer to that question.”

Fagan said he was unconditionally committed to coaching Brisbane next year.

“I’ve got a contract for next year and hopefully the team can continue to do well and the club is keen to keep me for a while longer,” he said.

“I love coaching the Lions and that’s what I’ll be doing next year unless someone knows something I don’t know.”

It comes after some pundits have put a line through Brisbane’s premiership chances after its second-half fade out loss to Richmond on Sunday that saw the Lions fall down to fifth position on the ladder.

But Fagan insisted the club wasn’t listening to the outside noise as it stays focused on its final three home and away matches against Carlton, St Kilda and Melbourne.

“I understand people want to comment on the game and they’ve got to have strong opinions, because that’s why people want to watch and listen to media,” the Lions boss said.

Clarkson and Fagan at Hawthorn (Picture: Colleen Petch)Source: News Corp Australia

“But we can’t get caught up in that. This time last year we had to win our last three games to finish in the top four and even that wasn’t guaranteed… you just take each win as it comes.

“It’s a really tough and tight competition. If we can get back to our really best form, which we showed a strong glimpse of (against Richmond) in the first half, then there’s no reason why we can’t be really competitive come September.

“We’re not a perfect team, we’ve got strengths and weaknesses like every other team. But when we play at our best we’re pretty hard to beat.”

A key criticism towards Brisbane’s fading flag prospects has been its leaky defence.

Since Round 10 the Lions rank 16th in the competition in the most points conceded, 18th in most points conceded from their defensive half and have been the 15th easiest team to score against once the ball is inside 50.

Fagan said sharpening their defense has been the “main focus” at training over the last six weeks, but also highlighted the club’s inconsistent personnel down back due to injury.

“It’s a work in progress for us, we have had a fair turnover of players particularly in our backline since the Melbourne game (in Round 15),” he said.

“I think we’ve had 14 different players down there play for various reasons, not that defense is just about the backline, but we haven’t had a lot of continuity with our boys.

“Hopefully we can build that back up over the next few weeks and have the same seven or eight players playing there each week.”

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