The following information is provided by Tim Murphy - [t.murphy@rmit.edu.au], distributed via news groups and email and is updated here Monday evenings after the weekends games. All credit for this information goes to Tim and is being used with permission.
One of the initiatives of the Howard government has been the creation of the title 'Legend of Australia.' Recipients so far include Don Bradman, Nugget Coombes, Dawn Fraser etc., the usual crowd. On Saturday at Princes Park, a previously anonymous gentleman thrust himself into contention. In the third quarter, as Carlton trudged to their eighth straight loss at the hands of North Melbourne, our man (a North supporter) jumped from the crowd and charged onto the field, waving a wooden spoon in the air and hurling abuse at nearby Blue players. He brandished his symbolic kitchen implement defiantly as security dragged him away. That man is a Legend of Australia.
Alastair Lynch was finally cleared of drug abuse by the tribunal yesterday (Monday), after 20 hours of hearings stretching over 4 days. Lynch had been taking DHEA, a testosterone precursor, as part of his treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome. The tribunal passed the buck over the original charge, saying Lynch had been a victim of misinformation from ASDA, the Australian Sports Drug Agency, rather than their own knee-jerk response. Lynch has never tested positive to either DHEA or shown increased testosterone levels and took the drug when it wasn't on the AFL's banned list. So who's wrong there then?
Fremantle 2.6 3.11 8.16 14.21.105 St. Kilda 1.2 7.6 10.7 13.12.90
The Dockers overcame their own terrible goalshooting and a late Saint surge for a much-needed win, especially for scrutinised coach Neesham. St. Kilda were doing OK until Stewie Loewe suffered a freakish and spectacularly gory injury. But they've been pretty inconsistent so far. Fremantle were able to recall the experienced trio of O'Reilly, Mann and Wills; Hargraves was out with a shoulder while Bandy and Sinclair were dumped. Continuing with the recent tradition of celebrating the second games of new Dockers, last week was the debut of Glenorchy man Brodie Holland. The Saints picked Heatley after a modest return of 3 goals in the twos last weekend, axing Hall.
Fremantle started with a breeze but wasted it with more woeful goalshooting, only Waterhouse and Callaghan capitalising on the midfield dominance of Wills and Fletcher. The Saints showed 'em how in the second quarter. Spider (Everitt) won at the centre bounce and Rob Harvey had the ball on a string. Jones, who'd received a public rocket from Alves during the week, got the ball too. Traianidis kicked two goals and Thompson came off the bench to bag a pair as well as the Dockers kicked like arthritic camels. Fremantle opened the second half with three more behinds when the game turned after Loewe's mishap. Landing from a marking attempt Loewe was unbalanced, his right leg buckled sickeningly. Stewie's head rammed into his own knee and he'd recieved a gashed head in the same incident from Carroll. Loewe was stretchered off wearing a neckbrace, his head spattered in blood. Immediately backmen Gale and Kickett showed the forwards how to do it, goaling handily. Spider (Burton) put the locals in front with consecutive goals but the Saints stayed ahead with clever running efforts from Healy and Winmar. Early in the last Spider (Everitt) produced a magnificent solo effort, smothering a handpass in the middle and forcing the ball forward until he could gather it and thump it through from 50m. The Saints led by 8 points. Quick replying goals from Callaghan and Holland put the Dockers ahead and Waterhouse kicked another to extend the lead, the Dockers had more opportunities as they threatened to overrun the Saints. But they missed 'em, Holland's the worst example. Moments later the Tasmanian kicked accurately from a much harder shot and Freo led by 16 points with 4 minutes left. However the Saints, mindful of their last trip to WA, weren't done. Thompson kicked a running goal and Jones roved a goalsquare pack to snap truly, the gap was 4 points. Another snap from Beveridge looked set to put St. Kilda in front but was touched on the line by Chisholm. James Clement, who'd been very quiet, booted 2 goals in the final minute to end it.
Spider was very good for Fremantle, especially around the ground in the second half. He finished with 22 touches, 9 marks and 2 goals. Fletcher (27 disposals), Norrish and Wills won across the centre and Holland was excellent with 18 kicks and 3 goals...and 3 points (Callaghan kicked 2.3 and Fletcher and Dhurrkay 0.2). Kickett was solid, Dodd and Chisholm were very good in the last quarter. Waterhouse also kicked 2 goals (and 2 points). Harvey racked up the usual 40 possessions for the Saints although Neesham thought the Saint wasn't as damaging as the stats suggested. Andy Thompson kicked 4 goals from a flank and Jones played well in the first half, finishing with 19 touches. Spider performed usefully in the ruck, mainly at the bounce and kicked 2 goals. Defenders Winmar and Young were good. Traianidis kicked 2. "Unfortunately they took control (across the midfield) after half time. Apart from Harvey...we struggled all night in that area," said Alves. Neesham said "This was a critical win for us...at 3-6 it'd be tough to claw back but 4-5 isn't too bad...after half time we showed great character to stay in it." I'll get his quote in for next week while I'm at it: "It's a bloody disgrace that the AFL forces us to play here...."
Carlton 0.5 3.7 6.13 10.14.74 North Melbourne 2.2 7.7 10.9 17.13.115
North did the right thing by all supporters (except Carlton ones) and extended the Blues' losing streak to 8, their worst run of losses since 1901. Parkin enjoyed the irony of also leading Carlton to their best winning streak, in 1995. The Blues were without Bradley, one of their few remaining experienced men, with a thigh strain and Massie was axed, Fraser Brown returned from suspension and Beaumont got a go. The Roos lost Allison and Martyn with leg injuries, Crocker was selected but didn't play. In came Welsh and Simpson.
The Blues opened with the stiff breeze and rattled on 5 consecutive behinds. Brown, Ratten, Pearce, Beaumont and Whitnall all squandered Carlton's early dominance and then Roo Stevens kicked forward for Longmire, at his old position of full forward, to mark and goal. Stevens kicked one himself and the Blues had wasted any early advantage. But they pressed on in the second term and briefly led when Koutoufides (remember him?) converted after outmarking McKernan. North took charge late in the quarter. Carey was shifted to CHB - History's Greatest Full Back followed - and Welsh came on to kick a goal and play well across half-forward. Abraham and Harvey goaled too. Blue Murphy snapped a major early in the third after Longmire comically lost sight of the ball but North clogged their backline with Carey, Longmire and McKernan all down there, while the forward line was left to small men like Abraham, Harvey and Bell. Carlton couldn't score although it didn't help that Whitnall and Pearce were off the ground injured. The Kangas romped home with the breeze.
Longmire turned back the clock to kick 4 goals as the focal point, with Sexton as his opponent. Running half-backs King (20 disposals) and Blakey were good. Rover Rock had 23 touches and the rest of the forward line functioned well against the Blues' once impregnable back half. Welsh was useful and Abraham and Bell, with 3 goals each, played very well. Silvagni was Carlton's best, stopping Carey at both ends and kicking a goal. Ratten and Brown had 61 disposals between them, Brown also kicked 2 goals. McKay was good off half back and Franchina tagged Grant effectively. Murphy snaggled 2 goals. Parkin said "The skill deficiency is obvious now...we've been fairly inept. We're working hard but we're going to have to turn players over...hard work's not going to be enough." In case you were feeling sorry for the Blues, John Elliott was on TV last week railing against the salary cap and demanding free agency for players after 4 years' service. Careful drafting, astute trading and player development are for other clubs, obviously. Pagan said "We haven't played super footy all year but I thought our attack on the ball was superb...our direct brand of football paid dividends today."
Geelong 0.3 2.6 4.10 5.14.44 West Coast 0.3 5.7 6.8 9.11.65
Another high-scoring skillfest at KP. Although to say it was windy would be to say Indonesia is a little unsettled. Average windspeed was a cyclonic 55kmh with gusts up to 90 kmh. The lower deck of the Hickey Stand was closed for the first half as loose advertising signs on the top were secured. Eventually the Eagles had a handy win at a ground that's been good to them over the years. Geelong might have beaten at the selection table where their already depleted midfield was further weakened by the losses of Kilpatrick with an injured thumb, Corrigan with concussion and promising Finocchiaro with illness, Rahilly was dropped. Replacements were Biddiscombe, Hall, Steinfort and new man Justin Wood from Glenorchy. The Weegs had Read suspended after he pleaded guilty to hitting Hulme last Sunday and Crabb was dropped. Braun and Holmes were selected to replace them but didn't and later Wirrpunda withdrew too, so Evans, Lewis and Stone ended up playing (phew). West Coast captain Jolly John Worsfold played his 200th game, the third "original" Eagle to do so.
Hurricane Sleepy, blasting across the oval, stopped anything happening in first term. Geelong's Hargreaves kicked the first goal of the match 6 minutes into the second but the Eagles soon overhauled them, the difference obvious in the middle. Cousins, Banfield and Evans ran long and moved the ball short, Ball played well as a ruckman. Gehrig kicked a couple of goals, Donnelly escaped for one and Peter Matera, playing at full forward, got a sausage too. The Cats came back in the third, Ayres moved Riccardi away from Matera and into the middle and Colbert went there too. Barnes played better and Burns kicked an early goal as the Cats locked the ball in their forward line. But they found goals difficult to come by and on a rare forward venture Morrison scrambled a goal for the Eegulls, after Metropolis took several years to decide where to kick it. Quick hands from McKinnon and Stoneham let Lowther spear another major for the Catters, but they had the job ahead. Colbert drove them on at the start of the final quarter and Stoneham slotted an early goal to put the Cats within a goal. But veteran Lewis snared a major, then Fewster came off the bench to add two more and finish it.
Cousins and Evans, with 22 disposals each, and Banfield with 11 kicks were key players for the winners, doing more with the ball than their inexperienced opponents. The winds helped McIntosh's effort in keeping former teammate Spinks goalless. Ball played well with 22 possessions and 5 contested marks in the tricky conditions, Morrison a handy forward with 2 goals. Gehrig and Fewster also kicked 2 each. For the locals Colbert worked hard with 20 handlings and Barnes was good in the ruck, Mensch's revival continued as he had 20 touches and Riccardi was handy too - one can only wonder why he started at full back. Stoneham, a recent target of the outer crowd at Kardinia Park, wasn't bad considering with 12 touches, 5 marks and 2 goals. Ayres had the reasons. "55 times inside 50m to 34...that's the disappointing factor. It wasn't anything else bar that 12-15 minute period in the second quarter where they kicked 5 goals." Ah, that bit. Malthouse said the players did it for Worsfold. Players from other clubs want to do it to him.
Footscray 5.2 6.4 9.5 13.10.88 Richmond 4.2 7.5 10.7 11.9.75
Most impressed with the Bulldogs' last quarter effort. At 3/4 time I was fairly confident the Tigers would go on and win, but some superb running from the Dogs and the ability of their top players to find something extra proved the difference. The Puppies were unchanged from last week, Richmond lost Merenda for a month with a recurrence of his groin trouble and McKee and Proctor were discarded. Replacements were Ryan, Chaffey and Broderick.
More wind at Waverley, blowing across the ground. Despite that it wasn't a bad game at all, the lead swapping regularly. The Dogs bounced out with the first two goals from Romero and Hudson, but the Tiges hit back with Powell goaling on the run and Richardson drifting forward to mark unopposed in the goalsquare. Loose defenders Harrison and Turner were getting plenty of the ball and Richardson dobbed two more goals as he outmarked Croft five times in the first quarter. Southern replaced Croft. Johnson and Romero were similarly busy for the Dogs, they got some goals from marks to small men Kolyniuk and Wira, Romero gave them a lead when Duncan Kellaway spilled a kickout. Footscray kicked the first goal of the second term, Wynd tapping perfectly for Johnson to stab it through from point blank. But the Tiges gained a narrow ascendency as Gaspar stopped Grant and Turner and Torney did well at the back. Powell goaled from a free after Wynd tried to break 15 tackles and then Evans kicked two majors from good leads, both passes coming from Chaffey. Dent was reported for elbowing Ryan in the head - copped 3 weeks. The Dogs kicked the first two goals of the third term, a nice effort from Montgomery then Curley drifted down to put the Bulldogs in front. However the Tigers controlled the game for the rest of the quarter, Daffy and Campbell worked hard in the middle and Knights got involved as his minder, Kretiuk, departed with a hamstring strain. Knights snapped a nice left-foot goal to put Richmond ahead again and Richardson speared one after kicking out on the full from an easier shot. Johnson replied with an excellent shot for the Dogs after sharking a throw-in, then Daffy snapped truly and Richmond led by 8 points coming home with the breeze.
But the Dogs raised their game. In the rain-soaked early last quarter defenders Dent and Cameron and midfielders Garlick and Romero ran furiously to support their teammates, Wynd lifted, West tagged Knights and Smith went well at full forward. Richmond cunningly declined to give Darcy an opponent and he jogged about gathering the ball at will. A chain of quick handpasses saw Hudson kick an early major, then after some messing around Dent put the Puppies in front. Richmond's kicks forward tumbled into the arms of Curley or Montgomery. Grant took a few marks but missed his shots. Smith didn't. Richmond drew within 8 points when Evans marked the ball with his elbow, but Romero sealed it.
A team effort for Footscray. Midfield runners Johnson (18 touches, 2 goals), Romero (21 possessions, 3 goals) and Garlick were very good. Dent (26 disposals, a goal) and Cameron rebounded well from defence. Darcy, allowed the freedom of the Park, was useful with 11 marks and Wynd shaded B.Gale. Southern did a good job on Richardson after quarter time, Hudson kicked 2 goals. Gaspar played superbly against Grant, holding the Bulldog to 6 marks and no goals. Campbell played well with 28 touches and Daffy continually cleared the centre, he had 14 kicks and a goal. Prescott did an excellent stopping job on West, Torney was good and Knights handy. Richardson kicked 4 goals and Evans 3, Powell booted 2 goals. "We were in a good position...that's the disappointing thing," said Gieschen. "You're playing the top side, looking for a bit of credibility...we put ourselves in a beautiful situation where we could have gained some respect." Wallace was chuffed. "We lost three quarters of the game. To come in at 3/4 time and be behind, without the breeze...it takes a bit of character to get out of that."
Essendon 4.2 9.6 12.10 18.14.122 Melbourne 4.3 6.6 9.10 12.12.84
Essendon's "strongest team since 1996" (Sheedy) led all night, more or less, for a good win over the injury-troubled Demons, who are showing marked inconsistency - the symptom of inexperience. It's better than being young and hopeless, though. For the Bombers Jim Hird was back, squeezing a game of footy in between his radio, TV and print commitments and Michael Long resumed in the reserves. Fletcher also played and Solomon returned. O'Donnell withdrew with a calf strain, Doolan and Johnson were dumped. Melbourne lost Farmer with a hamstring and discarded Bishop, Shanahan pulled out with a groin strain. In came Lyon, back from an ankle, Lamaro and new player Troy Longmuir from West Perth.
A fairly even start, Misiti and Mercuri won the ball for the Bombers and inconsistent Dons like Calthorpe and Olarenshaw were also prominent. Melbourne had the Febeys and Leoncelli battling hard. Hird started across half back opposed by Woewodin. The Bombers broke the game open with 4 consecutive goals in the second quarter, Lloyd lurked away from Seecamp for a pair and Lucas was also busy. Demon Johnstone was forced off with a thigh strain and Viney tore a hamstring as he kicked a badly needed goal in the shadow of half time. Both had been among the Dees' best 'til then. Melbourne attempted a rally in the third term, Stynes worked hard around the ground and Lyon was shifted from defence, where he'd been covering for Melbourne's lack of height there, to the forward line. Lyon kicked an inspirational goal after bullocking clear of a throw-in, unfortunately the most inspired was Don Bewick, who booted all three of Essendon's goals for the term. The Bombers eased clear in the last quarter, Hird joining in with a goal.
All of the Dons' pieces clicked. They dominated possession with 26 more kicks and 41 more handpasses. Misiti and Calthorpe collected a bundle of touches in the centre (34 and 24 respectively), Prior and Olarenshaw were similarly prolific on the wings. Lucas had 16 kicks, 9 marks and 2 goals at half-forward. Eastaugh continues to prove a better ruckman than Somerville and Wellman again played well in defence. Bewick kicked 3 handy goals, Lloyd also bagged 3 and the excellent Mercuri and Prior each kicked 2. All due to greater confidence derived from the presence of Hirdy, supposedly, who had 19 disposals, 7 marks and a goal. Melbourne struggled badly in attack. Schwarz opined that he should be dropped after 3 kicks, no marks and no score, Smith kicked 2 goals but hurt himself again, Grgic couldn't match last week's heroics. Johnstone and Viney each had 16 possessions in a half and Leoncelli played well throughout. Yze (20 kicks) and Seecamp were good at the back, Woewodin had 19 touches against Hird and Stynes boxed on. Lyon kicked 2 goals. As against Richmond, Melbourne fell flat after a big win the previous week. Quoth Daniher "We just need to step back and think about this...it's disappointing...but we were disappointing against the Tigers and regrouped." Sheeds said "It's pleasing to finally get some of these quality players back...I don't mean to be disrespectful to any of the boys who've been hanging in there, but it's pleasing...it'll give the boys a bit of confidence back."
Brisbane 2.6 3.6 6.9 6.14.50 Adelaide 4.3 11.6 12.10 14.14.98
A win which had the Crows and the c-word being used in conjunction...er, that's "character", not the other one which we folks in Melbourne always use when describing the Crows. The Lions can just about be written off, this being their third home loss in four and their form is generally dreadful. Brisbane overused the ball ridiculously, indulging in pointless short passes which betrayed a lack of confidence in their forwards. Brisbane had five changes from last week, Keating, Lawrence and Leppitsch were out with leg injuries and Notting and Tristan Lynch were dumped, but returning were experienced key players in Lambert, Champion, Clarke and Bews plus young Black. Mal Blight reacted strongly to last week's loss to Richmond, axing his Keating, Ormond-Allen, Thiessen and Rintoul. McLeod and Johnson missed with injury. Replacements were useful though, Tregenza, Robran, Goodwin and Sampson plus Downsborough and a debutant from Norwood, Sudjai Cook.
Brisbane made a reasonable start with Lappin and Voss prominent but their kicking for goal was again poor, only McRae and Bradshaw getting on target. Adelaide delivered better as Bickley and Tregenza got the ball, big forwards Robran, Downsborough and Jameson kicked goals. The Camrys ended the game in the second term with 7 goals to 1 as Rehn, Tregenza and Ricciuto took charge in the middle. Early on a Robran handpass created a goal for Sampson. Brisbane exerted some pressure without any dividend before Corolla defender Ben Hart drifted forward for rare goal. Ricciuto followed with consecutive running goals, the second created by a perfect centre square clearance by Rehn and Tregenza. Jarman jogged through the middle and bounced a kick through from 70m and the Lions were in some trouble. The fourth-in-line Pittman marked and converted from point blank. Champion finally broke the Lion scoring drought as Lambert's scrappy kick fortuitously hit him, but Jarman closed the half by snapping miraculously as he was slung through the air. Brisbane rallied briefly in the third term. Voss kicked an early goal and Al Lynch was shifted from full back to full forward. He missed two easy shots and Jarman rubbed it in by goaling after spinning classically out of trouble. The Lions got the next two goals, from Lynch and Shaun Hart, to make it relatively interesting. But the match was ended early in the last quarter when Bews's long kick-in rebounded for Jameson to goal and Dion Scott and Johnson missed shots. The Crows were well served by their centre-square crew, Rehn had 16 diposals and 20 hitouts as he dominated the disappointing Clarke, Tregenza was good with 22 touches and Bickley was useful too. Ricciuto finished the game with some sort of groin strain, but still had 30 disposals and 2 goals. Jarman was in full-on lair mode as he booted 4 goals and Jameson kicked 2. Bassett comfortably held Molloy. Smart was reported for whacking McRae, an incident which Doug Hawkins dismissed as "nothing". Smart got two weeks. Few good players for Brisbane, leaders Voss (33 disposals, a goal) and Lappin (35 touches) tried very hard and Hart wasn't bad, defenders Kennedy and White played alright and Ashcroft fired briefly in the third quarter. The embattled Northey said "a very, very undisciplined performance which I'm in charge of and which I take responsibility for. We're fairly well sheltered up here...perhaps we don't get enough criticism from the media." No quote from Blight, unfortunately, who stayed until the end this time. Bickley said "we matched them in most departments, especially in the second quarter when we finished off our good work which we haven't done recently."
Sydney 3.4 7.8 10.12 17.15.117 Hawthorn 3.5 5.7 9.13 11.14.80
In the lead-up to this game the meedya waxed elegiac over the possible final joint appearance of legendary full forwards Lockett and Dunstall. I've never understood this 'shootout' thing...it's not as though one full forwards' performance effects the other's. In the end Plugger grabbed the glory by booting eleven goals, including his career 1200th. Six of those came in the last quarter as the Swans finally shrugged off the determined Hawks. In selection Sydney lost full back Dunkley, suspended 3 weeks for clobbering Carey last week (I'd give him a handshake and free holiday) and Stafford withdrew with 'flu. Ahmat was out with a hammy, but Stevens was OK. Carey and Barry returned with Dale Lewis, the last's first game since round 1. Hawthorn lost Tallis with an ankle and dropped Kilmartin for Krummel and former Swan Justin Crawford.
Slow start to the game. Sydney lost Warfe after a few minutes with a shoulder and Kelly and Schwass were shackled by Shane Crawford and Woods. Plugger was involved early by missing some easy shots, Schwass kicked their first before Lockett got on target and Bayes livened the crowd with a speccy at CHB. Kappler and Taylor were busy for the Hawks, Crawford and Dixon lurked for goals. The match continued tight into the second term, Dunstall kicked his first and added another after crashing a pack apart, Cresswell got one for Sydney. Defenders had most of it. The Swans got a break late in the term, Lockett kicking 2 more goals. The second, threaded from the left forward pocket, was Lockett's 1200th career goal. He's only the third man in history to pass the mark, after Dunstall and Gordon Coventry. Lockett was warmly applauded by the locals. Licuria came off the bench to add another and the Swans had a handy lead. Dunstall kicked the first goal of the second half but soon Luff was running off him and O'Loughlin got involved. Barry kicked a goal and lovely passes from Cresswell gave goals to Mooney and Lockett. Sydney led by 4 goals but the Hawkers boxed on tenaciously, led by Crawford. Dixon kicked consecutive sausages from a mark and a free respectively and Dunstall got another. Big Jase majored again early in the final term to level the scores, then Salmon put the Mayblooms ahead after he was crudely tackled by McPherson. Enter Plugger. He spilled a mark but recovered, shrugged off tacklers and snapped emphatically to put the locals ahead by a point. Two more followed from conventional leads and marks, the second coming after the Bloods whipped the ball from end to end, Schwass heavily involved. Mooney led, marked and converted, the home team led by 3 goals. Lockett got another from lead and his tenth came from an excellent shot after the swirling wind dragged Harford's kick out on the full.
Lockett's full stats were 11.6 from 17 kicks and 12 marks. And four pointless handpasses. He was allowed to keep the match ball and later guaranteed another season as he and Dunstall persue Coventry's career goalkicking record of 1299 (Dunstall's on 1236). Cresswell was very good with 36 disposals and a goal and was a key in the last quarter. O'Loughlin's skill was a highlight, he had 20 touches. Back flankers Nicks and McPherson ran hard and stand-ins Luff (full back) and Carey (ruck) were good. Roos has the Midas touch in reverse, every time he touches the ball he messes it up. Shane Crawford played very well for Hawthorn although his disposal could've been better. He had 24 touches, 2 more than Kelly, and kicked a goal. Woods was handy and Holland played well up forward and in defence. Dixon did well to kick 3 goals and Dunstall booted 4. Rawlings performed well at CHB before being shifted onto Lockett in the final quarter - Jonathan Robran had the job before then. The Hawks failed to block Lockett's leading area as North did last week. Can't find a quote from Judge, but he couldn't question his mob's effort. Eade said "I was actually pretty pleased today, it was windy and Hawthorn don't allow you much space so you don't get a free flowing game."
Port Adelaide 1.6 3.11 7.12 11.14.80 Collingwood 1.1 4.2 5.5 9.9.63
There's been plenty of recent debate over what the packed-defence tactics of many modern coaches has done to the standard of football. Some dismiss it, pointing at team like the Swans who run the ball skilfully and excitingly up the ground and still kick plenty of goals. Others say it produces scrappy, pack-bound, low-scoring yawnfests. They could cite either of Port Adelaide Power's last two games. I dunno how Cahill coached his SANFL teams, but if it's anything like this AFL version, I pity them croweaters. Still it was enough to beat the Pies, who are due for their annual winter hibernation. In selection Port lost Bond for an extended period with a knee and Burgoyne with a thigh strain, Paxman withdrew and Fiegert was dropped. In came Heaver, Daniels, Dew and Dickie. Collingwood were without injured trio Watson, Tape and Monkhorst, Pugsley was dropped. Replacements were Osborne, back from injury, plus Wild, Gibson and Kinnear.
Port started with a breeze at their backs and fairly dominated the first quarter. But they brought the ball forward in haphazard fashion, their two-man forward line (Cummings and Poole) battling against the Maggies' stacked backline (yeah, they do it too), resulting in snaps under pressure or set shots from too far out. Power kicked 5 behinds before their first and only goal of the quarter, Morton snapping truly from a pack. Collingwood's only attack of the quarter resulted in a goal for Fuller right on the first siren and they could be pleased with their efforts, especially when Sav Rocca and Williams kicked goals early in the second stanza. Eagleton responded for Port with an excellent running kick but the Pies got another to lead by 9 points. Port missed some chances before Cummings, looking low on confidence, held a one-grabber and converted to put Port back in front on half-time. Collingwood redoubled their efforts in the third term, but after Crow goaled from close range their continued pressure came to nothing as the Roccas struggled. Eventually Port broke the game open after Cummings marked and smacked the ball through post-high from 50m. From the following bounce a slick Breuer handpass sent Eagleton away for a long, running goal and when the Pooer cleared the next bounce Stevens kicked long for Cummings to mark and convert again. Stevens, already a Port favourite, kicked a lovely major on the run as Port dominated. Wanganeen goaled after a strong mark early in the last but the Pies had one last tilt. The previously invisible Anthony Rocca goaled after the Pies received a downfield free, then Sav got one to put the Maggies within 13 points of their South Aussie rivals. The now rampant Cummings shunted Michael aside for a Port steadier, then Sav missed two opportunities to pressure Port some more. Lockwood snapped a goal for the Flowers and Cummings kicked one more to put the home team 5 goals up. Collingwood got some late consolation.
Cummings booted 5 goals in a welcome return to form and ruckman Lade drifted effectively across half-back taking 12 marks. Port folks are raving about Nick Stevens who's played four very good games so far, here he had 29 disposals and kicked a goal. Of course he's good. He's a Victorian. Eagleton's running power and 2 long goals were a highlight, Francou played well and Mead fixed A. Rocca. Buckley had a whopping 41 disposals for Collingwood but most of 'em were deep in defence, chipped kicks to nearby teammates. And his opponent, Breuer, played pretty well. Williams (18 kicks, a goal) and Crosisca (22 touches) exerted attacking pressure and Patterson did a stopping job on Wanganeen. Burns did well after coming off the bench at quarter time. Sav Rocca kicked 3. "We were still in it at the 15-minute mark of the last quarter, but a couple of blokes (ie. S. Rocca) dropped marks you should take...a couple of skill errors were costly," said Shaw. Cahill said "I think we had a little more leg power today and that's what kept us in the game...it's nice to beat Collingwood, they initially stopped us, they say, from getting into the AFL."
Cheers, Tim.
This site is sponsored by 