Tom Lynch – Michmutters
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AFL news 2022: Essendon Bombers torn to shreds after capitulation vs Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide ended a turbulent week with a statement win against Essendon at Marvel Stadium by 84 points.

The Power kicked nine goals in a row, including seven in a second-quarter onslaught, to put an at times insipid Essendon to the sword and condemn the Bombers to their biggest loss of the season.

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It was an emphatic response from Port, whose embattled coach Ken Hinkley was given assurance during the week from club president David Koch that he would remain as coach in 2023, after losing its past four games.

Essendon recorded several unwanted milestones including coach Ben Rutten’s biggest-ever defeat — his most points conceded as Bombers coach and Essendon’s second-biggest loss against the Power.

Rutten slammed his side’s “embarrassing effort” after fans booed players from the ground.

On the Fox Footy coverage, a spectator was overheard screaming: “This is f***ing embarrassing.”

Former Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes told SEN: “Essendon is just been a nice team. At not one point today has someone thrown their weight around. They’re too nice, and that’s been on full display this afternoon. Not one Port Adelaide player will be sore after this game.”

After announcing a record number of members during the week, Rutten apologized to Essendon fans.

“We’re bitterly disappointed,” he said.

“It was the sort of game that our members and supporters who came to the game or were watching on TV… it’s not the sort of thing they should have to watch.

“It was an embarrassing effort from our guys. It’s not something we want to stand for and not something our members and supporters should have to watch at any stage.”

Rutten said he couldn’t put his finger on where it fell apart for the Bombers, who had the better of territory and seven shots to five in the first quarter.

But from there it was all the Power, who slammed on 18 goals to six.

The Essendon coach said while the result wasn’t acceptable, it didn’t shake his belief in where his side is going.

“At the back end of the first quarter we got ourselves back into the game,” Rutten said.

“But from the second quarter it was really poor.

“It doesn’t shake my belief in where we’re going. It’s not a great result in terms of tonight’s performance.

“It’s about us being strong and clear on where we’re going and what we’re trying to build because it’s never going to be a clean progression in becoming a great team.

“Performances like that is not stuff we can accept or tolerate, and we won’t.”

Rutten stopped short of saying whether he would give his players a chance to bounce back next week against Richmond or if there would be wholesale changes, but said everyone connected to the side felt the loss.

“It hurts me, it hurts the players and everyone who is putting in to get us to where we want to get to,” he said.

“I’ll have to have a look at that (making wholesale changes).

“The good thing is there is one week to go for us and an opportunity for us to finish the year playing a brand of footy the way we want to.”

Michael Hurley took another step towards an AFL return by getting through a VFL game on Sunday, and Rutten hinted the veteran swingman could play his first game in more than two years.

“That’ll be a discussion point for us, he got through the game at VFL level, that’s certainly something we’ll be looking at,” Rutten said.

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Izak Rankine Adelaide Crows contract offer, Touk Miller and Tony Cochrane urge him to stay at Gold Coast Suns

Gold Coast’s leadership group has made an impassioned plea for out-of-contract young star Izak Rankine to reject Adelaide’s advances and remain a Sun.

News Corp revealed last week that the Crows were making a major play for Rankine, offering him a five-year deal worth as much as $800,000 per season to return to his home state.

Gold Coast is highly unlikely to match that financial offer and will instead rely on convincing him that his best chance of realizing his potential is at the Suns, while still being willing to pay him about $650,000 a year.

Adelaide is increasingly confident Rankine will request a trade to play for Matthew Nicks’ side, but that wouldn’t come until after Gold Coast’s season ends.

Suns chairman Tony Cochrane told News Corp on Monday they would do “all we can to retain him”.

“I think the club has proven over four years we’re doing everything possible to keep him there and obviously he’s a required player,” Cochrane said.

Izak Rankine is weighing up a five-year offer from the Crows. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

“We’ve got a great association and relationship with Izak, as everyone has around the club. He’s bought a house up here, he’s very much settled in up here, so that’s just our position for the moment.

“He’s an incredibly popular person around the club. I know first-hand how much time and effort people like (coach) Stuart Dew have put into him and, importantly, I know how highly Stuart rates him.

“He’s got that message loud and clear at the Gold Coast footy club.”

Co-captain Touk Miller also made it clear that convincing the “special” small forward to stay was a top priority, having already re-signed Ben King, Jack Lukosius, Ben Ainsworth, Elijah Hollands and Mac Andrew this year.

“I know there’s a lot of speculation around him and his future, but for us we really want him to be at this club. He’s a special person, a special player,” Miller said.

“We’ve gone to him and had a few chats about how much he means to us and means to the club, so whether that plays a part in the decision, hopefully it does.

Stay or go? Izak Rankine has a big call to make on his playing future. Picture: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

“As a leadership group; that’s part of what you have to do. This club wants success, and he can be a key part of that.”

Miller sympathized with Rankine’s situation as he weighs up a career- and life-changing decision, especially with the Suns looking to have turned the corner as a club.

“I know speculation like that can make it really hard around the club and can make things awkward and nervous, but we want him to feel as comfortable as possible, feel like he can still be himself and play his best footy,” he said.

“He’s human. I can say it’s not easy for him and you probably do have your head down a bit more. In saying that, we’ve still got a lot of good things out of him on game day.

“I’m not in his head, I can’t exactly say what he’s going to do, but we really want him to stay. He’s such a special part and key part to our club going forward. We’d love to have him.”

Miller was famously forthright with ex-Gold Coast co-captain Tom Lynch when he revealed in 2018 he was exercising his free agency rights to join Richmond after meeting with several Melbourne-based clubs.

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AFL news 2022: Richmond defeat Brisbane, Lions MCG record, finals, ladder, premiership race

Richmond have pulled off the biggest comeback win in 2022, after coming back from 42 points down to top Brisbane on Sunday afternoon.

The Lions will be left kicking themselves after coughing up the seven-goal lead as the Tigers finals hopes remain alive with the win.

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Lions defender Darcy Gardiner turned the ball over in the dying seconds as the ball ended up in the hands of Tom Lynch who kicked the sealer to claim the 15.14 (104) to 13.13 (97) win.

Mitch Robinson and Charlie Cameron missed shots late in the fourth quarter as they failed to make the most of the opportunities presented to them.

Richmond at the other end made no mistake as they stormed home in front of a raucous MCG crowd.

The damning loss for the Lions thoroughly exposes the biggest hurdle in their premiership hunt.

Not for eight-years have the Lions emerged victorious at the MCG. The latest loss makes it a damning 11 straight defeats.

With the league no longer in Covid protocols, the Grand Final is set to return to the home of football for the foreseeable future and until the Lions show they’re a serious threat on the road … they won’t be adding to their trophy cabinet any time soon.

The Lions are currently fourth favorite according to Sportsbet to win the premiership, behind Geelong, Melbourne and Sydney.

Brisbane finish the 2022 home and away season with games against Carlton, St Kilda and Melbourne. Two of those games take place at the Gabba.

The loss has them sitting in fifth spot on the ladder, equal on points with the Sydney Swans in fourth.

For Richmond the win propels them into the ninth spot on the ladder, two points behind St Kilda with games against Port Adelaide, Hawthorn and Essendon to come to close out their season.

Win all three and they’ll almost certainly book a finals spot, two and the run the gauntlet.

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