AFL final round wrap
The AFL finals fixture for next weekend has been confirmed after Collingwood’s loss to North Melbourne today ensured the Magpies will stay in sixth spot.
They’ll play Port Adelaide in an elimination final at the MCG on Saturday night, with Richmond to face Carlton in the other elimination final at the MCG on Sunday.
Hawthorn and Sydney will play a qualifying final at the MCG on Friday night, with Geelong to host Fremantle in the other qualifying final at Simonds Stadium on Saturday.
THEY SAID IT: “(I was) looking out for the police, we probably did steal it.” Carlton coach Mick Malthouse after his side came back from 39 points down to win by a point and clinch the last finals berth.
STATS THAT MATTER: Hawthorn have won 13 of their past 14 matches without Lance Franklin. There’s every chance they’ll need to do so again if they are to win their way through to a home preliminary final.
MAN OF THE ROUND: Carlton captain Marc Murphy led the way for the Blues, with three goals and 23 disposals to inspire his side’s thrilling comeback. Hawthorn’s Jarryd Roughead also must be mentioned, clinching the Coleman Medal with his match-winning four-goal performance against Sydney on Friday night.
KEY MOMENT: Saturday’s two thrillers were both decided by missed shots for goal in the final seconds. Brisbane’s Ryan Lester’s late snap against Geelong was rushed over the line. Port Adelaide’s Matthew Broadbent’s last-gasp shot hit the post. The Cats and Blues both held on by a point. Had the two results been reversed Brisbane, not Carlton, would be playing finals.
TALKING POINT: There are plenty. Will Franklin cop a ban and if so how many finals will he miss? Can Chris Judd return from injury for Carlton? Can Fremantle defy history in Geelong? Will Richmond handle the pressure in their first final in 12 years?
TRIBUNAL WATCH: Franklin will almost certainly be cited over his high bump on Sydney’s Nick Malceski. Port Adelaide’s Domenic Cassisi also has a nervous wait over a sling tackle on Murphy. Essendon’s Jake Melksham should have a delayed start to next season after his forearm to the nose of Richmond’s Daniel Jackson.
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KEY INJURIES: Nathan Brown (Coll, knee), Quinten Lynch (Coll, ankle), Clancee Pearce (Freo, calf), Matt White (Rich, hamstring), Mark Blicavs (Geel, concussion).
UNDER PRESSURE: All eight finalists will obviously be feeling the heat. But Richmond might be feeling it the most, given many of their players have never played finals, they’ll be warm favourites against a Carlton side which just scraped in and they’ll be surrounded by huge hype and an enormous crowd.
HAWTHORN 2.2 7.5 11.6 17.10 (112)
SYDNEY 5.2 9.2 13.4 16.4 (100)
Goals: Hawthorn: J Roughead 4 J Gunston 2 L Breust 2 L Franklin 2 B Lake D Hale G Birchall J Anderson J Lewis P Puopolo S Mitchell. Sydney: J White 3 L Parker 3 G Rohan 2 S Mumford 2 B McGlynn J Bolton K Jack M Morton M Pyke T Mitchell. Best: Hawthorn: J Roughead S Mitchell B Sewell L Hodge S Burgoyne G Birchall. Sydney: J Kennedy K Jack S Mumford L Parker R O’Keefe J White. Injuries: Hawthorn: M Bailey (general soreness) replaced in selected side by M Spangher. Sydney: N Malceski (foot) K Tippett (tight hamstring) replaced in selected side by M Morton. Reports: Hawthorn: L Franklin (Hawthorn) for engaging in rough conduct against N Malceski (Sydney). Sydney: Nil. Umpires: Brett Rosebury, Shane McInerney, Dean Margetts. Official Crowd: 37,980 at ANZ Stadium.
ST KILDA 4.4 9.6 12.9 16.16 (112)
FREMANTLE 0.0 4.3 5.5 6.5 (41)
Goals: St Kilda: T Lee 3 L Montagna 2 N Riewoldt 2 S Milne 2 B McEvoy J Blake J Steven L Hayes S Ross T Curren T Ledger. Fremantle: H Crozier J Hannath J Simpson M De Boer M Pavlich M Taberner. Best: St Kilda: J Steven L Montagna C Jones N Dal Santo T Curren J Geary L Hayes. Fremantle: R Crowley T Mzungu M Barlow M De Boer A Silvagni. Injuries: St Kilda: D Roberton (ankle). Fremantle: C Mayne (rested) and G Ibbotson (calf) replaced in selected side by J Simpson and C Moller. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Justin Schmitt, Scott Jeffery, Sam Hay. Official Crowd: 22,476 at Etihad Stadium.
GEELONG 5.5 7.11 12.20 15.22 (112)
BRISBANE 3.3 9.5 11.6 17.9 (111)
Goals: Geelong: J Caddy 2 P Chapman 2 T Varcoe 2 A Christensen H Taylor J Bartel J Kelly J Podsiadly J Selwood M Duncan S Johnson T Hawkins. Brisbane: A McGrath 6 J Lisle 3 D Zorko 2 J Green 2 R Lester 2 M Golby R Bewick. Best: Geelong: J Bartel S Johnson M Stokes M Duncan J Caddy P Chapman J Selwood. Brisbane: A McGrath M Golby T Rockliff J Redden D Rich E Yeo. Injuries: Nil. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Stephen McBurney, Chris Kamolins, Heath Ryan. Official Crowd: 27,483 at Simonds Stadium.
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CARLTON 1.5 3.7 7.12 15.14 (104)
PORT ADELAIDE 4.3 8.9 12.11 15.13 (103)
Goals: Carlton: M Murphy 3 C Yarran 2 E Betts 2 J Garlett 2 B Gibbs E Curnow J Waite K Simpson M Kreuzer T Bell. Port Adelaide: Brad Ebert 4 J Schulz 4 J Westhoff 2 A Monfries A Young C Wingard T Boak T Logan. Best: Carlton: M Murphy B Gibbs A Walker E Betts E Curnow C Yarran. Port Adelaide: K Cornes Brad Ebert J Schulz S Colquhoun J Westhoff M Broadbent. Injuries: Carlton: H Scotland (thigh) replaced in selected side by N Duigan. Port Adelaide: R Gray (thigh) replaced in selected side by B Renouf. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Troy Pannell, Simon Meredith, Mathew Nicholls. Official Crowd: 45,127 at AAMI Stadium.
RICHMOND 4.1 5.7 11.9 15.14 (104)
ESSENDON 2.4 3.6 5.8 9.11 (65)
Goals: Richmond: A Edwards 4 T Vickery 4 D Jackson 2 J King 2 D Martin S Grigg S Tuck. Essendon: J Melksham 2 L Jetta 2 M Hurley 2 B Howlett L Dalgleish N Lovett-Murray. Best: Richmond: D Jackson B Ellis T Vickery T Cotchin T Chaplin A Edwards. Essendon: B Goddard J Melksham M Hibberd J Watson B Stanton N Lovett-Murray. Injuries: Richmond: M White (back tightness). Essendon: J Carlisle (back spasms). Reports: Nil. Umpires: Chris Donlon, Jeff Dalgleish, Luke Farmer. Official Crowd: 60,979 at MCG.
ADELAIDE 4.4 8.7 15.10 19.15 (129)
WEST COAST 0.3 3.7 4.8 5.13 (43)
Goals: Adelaide: A Otten 3 M Grigg 3 P Dangerfield 3 B Crouch 2 R Sloane 2 S Thompson 2 B Smith I Callinan N van Berlo R Tambling. West Coast: S Tunbridge 2 A Smith B Dalziell S Wellingham. Best: Adelaide: P Dangerfield B Crouch S Thompson R Sloane D Talia B Smith A Otten. West Coast: M Priddis D Cox E MacKenzie S Selwood. Injuries: Adelaide: Nil. West Coast: J Darling (hamstring) replaced in selected side by B Dalziell. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Stuart Wenn, Nicholas Foot, Craig Fleer. Official Crowd: 29,416 at Subiaco.
GOLD COAST SUNS 6.1 12.3 16.7 22.14 (146)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS 2.4 5.4 7.8 9.9 (63)
Goals: Gold Coast Suns: A Boston 4 G Ablett 4 D Stanley 3 H Bennell 2 J Harbrow 2 M Rischitelli 2 A Hall C Dixon D Prestia J Gillbee K Hunt. Greater Western Sydney Giants: J Cameron 2 A Kennedy A Tomlinson C Hampton J Giles L Sumner S Coniglio T Adams. Best: Gold Coast Suns: G Ablett D Prestia A Boston M Rischitelli D Stanley M Weller. Greater Western Sydney Giants: A Tomlinson T Adams S Coniglio J Giles. Injuries: Nil. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Robert Findlay, Andrew Mitchell, Matthew Leppard. Official Crowd: 13,080 at Gold Coast Stadium.
NORTH MELBOURNE KANGAROOS 8.1 10.5 15.9 19.11 (125)
COLLINGWOOD 5.4 10.8 14.11 17.12 (114)
Goals: North Melbourne Kangaroos: J Ziebell 4 L Thomas 3 A Black 2 D Petrie 2 D Wells 2 T Goldstein 2 B Cunnington B Harvey J MacMillan R Bastinac. Collingwood: B Reid 5 T Cloke 5 J Thomas 2 S Pendlebury 2 A Didak P Seedsman S Dwyer. Best: North Melbourne Kangaroos: J Ziebell B Harvey R Bastinac D Petrie S Atley D Wells A Black. Collingwood: S Pendlebury A Didak B Reid T Cloke D Swan J Thomas P Seedsman. Injuries: North Melbourne Kangaroos: L Greenwood (foot) replaced in selected side by T Garner. Collingwood: B Reid (thigh) N Brown (knee) Q Lynch (ankle) H O’Brien (flu) replaced in selected side by J Russell. Reports: Nil. Umpires: Matt Stevic, Shane Stewart, Jacob Mollison. Official Crowd: 50,958 at MCG.
LEADING GOALKICKERS
68: J Roughead (Hawthorn) 4 66: T Cloke (C’wood) 5 62: J Cameron (GWS Giants ) 2 60: J Kennedy (West Coast) 0 58: L Franklin (Hawthorn) 2 57: J Riewoldt (Richmond) 0 53: L Thomas (Kangaroos) 3 50: N Riewoldt (St Kilda) 2 48: D Petrie (Kangaroos) 2 46: T Hawkins (Geelong) 1
