One of the AFL’s biggest clubs could be in for a shock result despite such a promising start to the season.
Plus their arch rivals could rub salt in the wound as their astounding rise continues.
Every team’s performance analysed and graded in foxfooty.com.au’s Round 21 Report Card.
ADELAIDE CROWS
The Crows shrugged off a week of turmoil to crash Josh Kennedy’s farewell party and record a big away win in Perth. Despite all the pre-game build up for Kennedy’s retirement, Adelaide shot out of the blocks with the first three goals of the game. And they stood tall when pushed by the Eagles in the final term to record their seventh win of the season. The Crows still managed 44 hit-outs, despite Nic Naitanui’s dominance and won the clearance count by two.
In the votes
Darcy Fogarty showed why he is the future for the Adelaide attacking end, with four goals - three of those coming with the match on the line in the final term. He took a number of contested grabs on the wing and provided a target coming out of defence. Rory Laird was brilliant in his 200th milestone match with 36 touches, 10 clearances and two goals. Jordan Dawson continued to gain metres for the Crows, with almost 700m gained against the Eagles from his 27 disposals. Shane McAdam popped up with three goals to keep the scoreboard ticking over when the Eagles were on top.
Room for improvement
The Eagles’ game plan was obvious - go to Kennedy in his final game. Yet the Crows failed to find a match up capable of stopping a man who was retiring. Jordon Butts and Nick Murray didn’t have any answers for Kennedy’s remarkable run. Taylor Walker was completely blanketed by Eagle Tom Barrass and had just one disposal to half time. He finished with five on a quiet night but did manage a goal late.
Grade
A
BRISBANE LIONS
It wasn’t without a late scare, but the Lions did what they had to do and kept their impressive record at the Gabba intact. They’re in a good spot now regarding their top four hopes and are doing just enough to get through to September where they can hopefully hit a new level, which will be needed if they’re to go deep in the finals. On Sunday, things panned out as expected.
In the votes
Lachie Neale had a day out with his 32 disposals and a goal, while Zac Bailey was fantastic with four goals a week after being sent to hospital following an incident against Richmond. Oscar McInerney dominated in the ruck, while Rhys Mathieson refuses to get sent back to the twos, putting in another great performance. Daniel McStay kicked four goals along with Bailey.
Room for improvement
Things got dicey in the final term as the Blues piled on the scores, which goes to show the danger of leaving the door ajar against a side that will punish you if given the chance in the middle. The Blues slightly edged the Lions at stoppage. Hugh McCluggage had a lot of it but was uncharacteristically wayward with his disposals at times.
Grade
A
CARLTON
It’s crazy to think we were talking the Blues up as a top-four contender given they’re now well and truly in danger of missing the finals altogether. Barring a late surge from the Blues it was a meagre performance and one that didn’t do them any favours from a percentage standpoint. Their game is so clearance-reliant that sides have begun to expose them and go to work on nullifying their strengths. Patrick Cripps could be the latest midfielder to be ruled out of a depleted engine room depending on how his incident with Callum Ah Chee is graded.
In the votes
Sam Docherty was one of the lone contributors in defence who didn’t panic under Lions pressure. Patrick Cripps started slowly but worked his way into the match along with Sam Walsh. Adam Cerra had a decent day and Zac Fisher had a fair bit of impact with his 16 disposals.
Room for improvement
It was an extraordinary demolition in the middle of the ground. The Lions won clearances by 11 and centre clearances by 16. If you beat Carlton there, everything else follows. Paddy Dow struggled to have an impact while Tom De Koning may face selection pressure from Marc Pittonet given his lacklustre performance along with Jack Silvagni.
Grade
D-
COLLINGWOOD
The Pies proved they are no “one trick pony” and put aside any premiership doubts with a thrilling win over the reigning premiers Melbourne on Friday night. After Ed Langdon’s accusation that the club was “all duck, no dinner”, Collingwood once again found the will to win and overcame a 23-point deficit to notch up their 11th straight victory. Remarkably, the Pies were beaten in a host of stats like contested ball, clearance and disposals, but their “remarkably efficient” attacking end ensured they had 21 scoring shots from just 42 entries inside 50. Collingwood played with an unrivalled confidence as they held the Demons to just three goals after half time. They led for less than 17 minutes of the entire contest, but were on top when it mattered at the final siren.
In the votes
Jamie Elliott had three first-half goals to keep his side in the contest when Melbourne were on top in all aspects of the match. Two of those Elliott goals came from him locking the ball inside the attacking end. He finished with 13 disposals and four goals. Mid-season recruit Ash Johnson also showed he belonged on the big stage as he kicked four goals for the night - including two in a seesawing final quarter. Jordan de Goey only pushed his asking price up for 2023 and beyond with his impressive 25-disposal game, which included nine clearances, six score involvements and a goal. Nick Daicos racked up 31 touches and 10 intercepts while Brayden Maynard put his body on the line repeatedly to ensure the Pies hung on in the seven-point win.
Room for improvement
If Collingwood can get first hands on the footy from the centre, they’ll be devastating. Instead, they were smacked in the middle and were down 13-4 in the centre clearance count by half time. By the end of the match, that figure didn’t look much better at 21-7 - despite the Pies winning the hit outs +5.
Grade
A
ESSENDON
It probably wasn’t an ideal week to come up against GWS, who were clearly fired up and keen to respond to caretaker coach Mark McVeigh’s brutal post-game criticism after last week’s Sydney derby loss. But the Bombers were ultimately overwhelmed by the Giants’ pressure and couldn’t get their natural game going or any momentum despite solid stretches. It comes after a strong stretch from Ben Rutten’s side where it’d won four of its previous five games, with the only loss coming to the red-hot Magpies — and after the siren.
In the votes
Matt Guelfi bopped up with a rare (and career-best) four-goal performance. Darcy Parish racked up 28 disposals in a solid return in the midfield, but the Bombers unfortunately didn’t have many other notable performances.
Room for improvement
The Bombers had been the number one ranked side in the competition since the bye in ball movement, but couldn’t get their kicking game going. It saw the Bombers finish with just 38 inside 50s and one tackle 50 — their worst return in both areas this season. Although he wasn’t the only Bomber down on the day, Zach Merrett was held to just 19 disposals in a shutdown role from Harry Perryman, after a scintillating stretch from the star midfielder.
Grade
D
FREMANTLE
The Dockers are the real deal in 2022, but there’s concerns over the fitness of both forwards Matt Taberner and Rory Lobb. Taberner was subbed out of the match with a calf complaint - and not for the first time this season, while Lobb looked sore despite taking the match away from the Dogs in the first half. Fremantle’s back line held strong, limiting the influence of the Dogs’ big forwards like Aaron Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. The change of game style to go short and slow from defence really opened up the opposition, and they continued to hit targets by going at a remarkable 82.7% efficiency for the match - up +7% on their season average.
In the votes
Rory Lobb could not have auditioned any better for the Dogs, if he does decide to leave the Dockers as reported at the end of this season. Lobb finished with just seven disposals, but kicked 4.2. Michael Frederick used his pace to break the game apart, and get on the end of a number of forward drives. He ended up with three straight goals from nine touches. Luke Ryan was outstanding down back with 32 disposals, more than 370m gained and seven intercepts. Jordan Clark had 26 disposals and put his body on the line repeatedly in the final term when the match went on the line. Andy Brayshaw may have been down on disposals with 21, but he still managed five clearances and eight tackles, plus he kicked the goal to keep the Dockers’ breathing space to start the third term.
Room for improvement
Griffin Logue has proved a great swingman for the Dockers in 2022, but his accuracy is still a worry. Logue showed clean hands for his eight marks, but sprayed his two set shots. Brennan Cox had a couple of skill errors that could have really cost the Dockers. Nathan O’Driscoll was ill-disciplined, coughing up three free kicks. His decision not to bend down and rush the footy with his hands - rather than kicking it out on the full - cost the Dockers all the momentum in the third term in a move labelled “lazy” by commentator Jason Dunstall.
Grade
A
GEELONG CATS
The Cats just keep on keeping on. Where Collingwood’s 11-match winning streak has been defined by tight finishes, Geelong’s has been typified by scoring bursts that blow opponents off the park and it happened against St Kilda in the second half on Saturday night. There are very few chinks in the Cats’ armour and they’ve begun managing players like Joel Selwood in preparation for a huge tilt at the premiership. As long as the Cats keep on keeping on like this, it’s hard to be too critical of anything.
In the votes
Isaac Smith kicked three goals and continues to age like fine wine. Rhys Stanley was great, picking up from where he left off against Port Adelaide before a minor injury setback. Zach Guthrie is playing some brilliant football at the moment and was superb once again, stepping up to cover for Tom Stewart who was tagged. Tom Hawkins kicked three goals, while in defence Sam De Koning blanketed Max King.
Room for improvement
Very little. Most of the clearance numbers were in favour of the Saints, but the way the Cats scored on turnover made it far from a big concern. Tom Stewart was tagged out of the game by Mitch Owens but again it didn’t mean much in the context of the match.
Grade
A+
GOLD COAST SUNS
The Suns’ season was already over realistically, but Saturday’s loss just rammed the point home. They’ve fallen off the pace slightly but it’s far less than how steeply they’ve dropped off in past seasons. Even on Saturday they ran out the game incredibly well, nearly running over the top of the Hawks in Tassie.
In the votes
With Touk Miller well held by Finn Magninness, David Swallow stepped up to try fill the void, while Elijah Hollands has been hugely impressive in his opening AFL games. Jarrod Witts was great in the ruck too even though the Hawks nullified the dominance in the middle for most of the day.
Room for improvement
They went down by 27 points at one stage in the second quarter and, like Hawthorn, their lapses in games can be very costly on the scoreboard. Minimising the damage of those lulls is crucial. Touk Miller was well held but he isn’t the first to fall victim to Finn Maginness and still applied plenty of pressure. They were pretty inefficient going inside 50.
Grade
C+
GWS GIANTS
The Giants responded to caretaker coach Mark McVeigh’s scathing assessment of last week’s Sydney derby loss — where he said players checked out — with an emphatic 27-point win over Essendon. GWS had a different look about it from the opening bounce, playing with a renewed ferocity and intensity not displayed in some time. The leaders were set the tone early and others followed, leading to the Giants winning inside 50s (53-38), contested possessions (127-115), clearances (36-30) and even the tackle count (54-47) as well as tackles inside 50 (16-1).
In the votes
Jesse Hogan booted an equal season-high four goals as a reliable forward target all day. Lachie Whitfield was back to some of his best form, racking up 29 touches with one goal, and Stephen Coniglio led from the front brilliantly with 20 touches, seven tackles and a goal.
Room for improvement
In one of the Giants’ best performances for the season, they hardly stepped a foot wrong. While GWS didn’t maximise its opportunities in front of goal at times — including kicking 3.5 in the first term when it probably should’ve led by more than two points — it mattered not in the end.
Grade
A
HAWTHORN
There’s a fair bit of monotony about several sides’ seasons now that finals are well and truly out of the question, but credit to Hawthorn for doing what they couldn’t do last week and get the win in a tight contest. This time it was the Suns coming home with a bullet rather than the Hawks, but they continue to show encouraging signs, with their win-loss record perhaps underselling them given how good they’ve been at times in some of those losses.
In the votes
He didn’t have an amazing stats sheet, but Finn Maginness’ most important role was nullifying the influence of Touk Miller and he did that with aplomb all afternoon. Dylan Moore’s season continues to impress, while Jack Gunston kicked four first-half goals and five overall. James Sicily worked his way into the game down back.
Room for improvement
It’s patches that are concerning for Hawthorn rather than the method as a whole. This time around it was the fourth quarter and they were lucky the Suns continued to miss golden chances in front of goal. The stats sheet showed the Suns thrashing Hawthorn in the contest and inside 50 count in the final term, so there’s a lot of work to do to iron out those lapses.
Grade
B+
MELBOURNE
The Demons should have beaten Collingwood. They smacked them through the middle (+14 in centre clearance) and had +24 inside 50s but just couldn’t convert their chances. Melbourne led for all by the opening minutes and patches in the final term, and could now slip out of the top four altogether in a shock result. It’s not alarm bells yet for the Dees, but they need to find their best footy more consistently than what they showed against Collingwood.
In the votes
Angus Brayshaw continues to impress wherever coach Simon Goodwin plays him. After a move to halfback to cover Christian Salem’s injury early this season, he started back in the midfield against the Pies. He finished with 32 touches and nine inside 50s. Clayton Oliver was a clearance beast for Melbourne with 14 for the match. That went with his 42 disposals, eight tackles and seven score involvements. And if not for his very wayward radar in front of goal, Max Gawn could have been best on ground with his 31 disposals, 10 clearances, a game-high 27 hit-outs and 10 marks.
Room for improvement
The Demons wasted a number of opportunities in front of goal - with Max Gawn one of the biggest offenders. Melbourne should have had the Pies put away by half time, but left the door ajar with inaccuracy. The Demons couldn’t stop Collingwood when they did break through the defensive zone, and the Magpies couldn’t win the ball back in the dying stages when the match was on the line. Melbourne’s forward line has issues, with Ben Brown and Bayley Fritsch the only multiple goal scorers with two apiece.
Grade
B-
NORTH MELBOURNE
The Roos came out with renewed energy and life and applied great pressure against the Swans early in the game, but when the Swans upped the ante, North couldn’t match them. It included conceding six goals to Sydney in a decisive third quarter as it threatened to get ugly before the Roos actually ran out the game well and didn’t stop trying until the final siren. They fell to 2-18 on the season to remain 18th on the ladder.
In the votes
Nick Larkey was enormous with an equal-career best 7.0 in a brilliant performance from the Roos forward. Luke Davies-Uniacke also had a big day in the middle, racking up 30 disposals, 14 contested, and one goal to continue his brilliant season.
Room for improvement
The Roos really struggled to defend one-on-one in their defensive 50, not helped by Ben McKay (shoulder) being a late out. North will also be lamenting its finish to the second quarter, conceding three goals late to suck the life out of the young side after such a promising performance until that point while instilling belief in the Swans.
Grade
D
PORT ADELAIDE
It is a harsh call to say the Power didn’t make the grade against the Tigers, but Port Adelaide had no answer after half time for Richmond’s ability to go forward. Despite making it a real contest in the opening two terms, the Power coughed up seven goals in the third term and allowed Richmond to have the game sealed by three-quarter time. Port Adelaide had 84 turnovers on Saturday night and lost the stats that matter including contested ball, clearance, tackle and goals in the 38-point loss.
In the votes
Ollie Wines shrugged off a heavy Trent Cotchin tackle in the first term to rack up 32 disposals, nine intercepts, six score involvements and four clearances. Charlie Dixon was a beast early as the Tigers struggled to find the match up for him. But he was pushed higher up the ground when the Power couldn’t get the ball forward of centre and lost his potency in front of goal. Brynn Teakle showed he has potential for the future with 21 hit-outs and eight tackles.
Room for improvement
Trent McKenzie had a dirty night on big Tom Lynch. Despite Mark Ricciuto calling for the defensive switch to be made with Aliir Aliir, McKenzie was given the tough task against the Tiger who was in hot form from the first bounce. Port also had no answers for Shai Bolton and struggled in their handover as the Tigers came from the midfield into attack.
Grade
D
RICHMOND
The Tigers will be a real threat if they can hang on to eighth place and lock in a finals berth. They showed they have weapons in attack with Tom Lynch and Shai Bolton enjoying a night out in Adelaide. Richmond racked up 62 inside 50s and 45 clearances away from home and finished +31 in the contested ball count. A number of players put their bodies on the line in the must-win game to ensure they remain alive in season 2022.
In the votes
Shai Bolton was the player of the match, and could have finished with an absolute bag of goals if not for his inaccuracy. He still ended up with an equal career high of four goals, but also landed five behinds. Tom Lynch was devastating in attack as he racked up 4.1 from his 16 disposals. Dan Rioli also showed what he is capable of if needed in attack with two goals in his 25 disposals. Fox Footy’s David King believes Dion Prestia is the key to Richmond’s success in 2022 after he collected 32 disposals and 10 clearances.
Room for improvement
The Tigers didn’t have a match up for big Charlie Dixon when he was deep in the square. And that could be a concern for Richmond heading into the final two rounds. Marlion Pickett had a quiet night with just the eight disposals, but even he silenced the crowd with a brilliant goal from the boundary. Nathan Broad coughed up two goals from two defensive errors. The first when he punched the ball through for a behind and was penalised, and the second for insufficient attempt to keep the ball in play inside his defensive 50.
Grade
A+
ST KILDA
Brett Ratten was perplexed by the “half-empty” view of the Saints last week after a tight win over Hawthorn, but perhaps Saturday’s loss underlined why there’s been some pessimism around Moorabbin. They just can’t match it with the best sides consistently and fold too easily when the game isn’t on their terms. Ultimately it means a finals berth is highly unlikely and this delicately poised list will fall well short of premiership success once again.
In the votes
Brad Crouch has had an impressive season despite the fluctuations of the Saints side and was good once again on Saturday night. Rowan Marshall also had his moments and continues to enjoy being the go-to man in the ruck. Jack Sinclair was one of the best players on the ground, while Brad Hill had more of the footy and Mason Wood had a good game.
Room for improvement
They were blown off the park in the second half. It was similar to what St Kilda did to Geelong the last time these sides met, but this time the tables were turned completely and it was the Saints left in the dust. Max King was completely dominated by Sam De Koning and the Saints turned the ball over far too often and it led to scores an alarming number of times.
Grade
D+
SYDNEY SWANS
The Swans flexed their muscles against North, using a six-goal third quarter to take ascendancy in the contest and claim their fifth-straight win. Although they only beat the 18th-placed Roos, Sydney is really finding form at the right time of the year to soar in pundits’ premiership calculations. It comes ahead of a huge showdown with the red-hot Magpies at the SCG next weekend where the winner will consolidate a top-four spot, and the Swans could climb as high as second.
In the votes
Buddy Franklin responded to a week of headlines on speculation on his future emphatically, booting a team-high four goals to lead the Swans sensationally. Luke Parker (29 touches, nine tackles) and Chad Warner (20 disposals, three goals) were also instrumental through the midfield and got great service from Tom Hickey (38 hit-outs) in the ruck.
Room for improvement
The Swans’ best footy looked powerful, and the 38-point margin was clearly significant, but they both started the finished game in less than convincing fashion. Such has been the criticism towards Sydney this season that it hasn’t consistently been able to tie strong form together. They also let Nick Larkey get off the leash with an equal-career best seven goals to well and truly win the battle against Tom McCartin on the day.
Grade
B
WEST COAST EAGLES
The Eagles wanted to send club great Josh Kennedy out a winner. But sadly, it was the same old story for West Coast as turnovers and the inability to win ball for four quarters cost them a chance at the four points. The Eagles may be anchored at 17th, with only North Melbourne below them, but they still drew more than 50,000 fans to the clash against Adelaide as Kennedy bowed out of the game. Despite winning +60 more disposals than the Crows, the Eagles butchered their opportunities too often to finish -2 in inside 50s.
In the votes
Josh Kennedy was the absolute standout for the Eagles with a remarkable eight goals in his final match. It’s the most goals kicked in a game by a player this season, but the star forward remained humble until the end, claiming it was because his teammates looked for him too often. Tim Kelly racked up a team-high 26 disposals despite not appearing to be at full fitness. While Nic Naitanui showed what he is capable of with a dominant performance in the middle and Tom Barrass completely shut Taylor Walker out of the game to extent his rich vein of form.
Room for improvement
The Eagles decision-making has been an issue in 2022, and it was on show again against the Crows. Too often players including Tim Kelly, Jamaine Jones and Jack Redden coughed up ball in the corridor to allow Adelaide easy avenues to goal. Bailey Williams butchered a couple of opportunities in the last quarter when the match was on the line. Zac Langdon couldn’t get near it despite the Eagles locking the ball in their front half for two quarters.
Grade
C
WESTERN BULLDOGS
The Dogs needed a win to ensure they remained in the finals race, but now their season is on life support after the 17-point loss to the Dockers. The Western Bulldogs couldn’t stop the chip-kick game that Fremantle brought to Marvel Stadium. The Dogs finished -50 in marks but had +7 clearances, +5 in inside 50s and +29 contested possessions. But for all their work, they weren’t efficient inside forward 50 and it cost them the win.
In the votes
Josh Dunkley and Bailey Smith both racked up possessions and hit the scoreboard against the Dockers with 33 and 30 disposals respectively. Aaron Naughton had three goals from his nine touches, while Cody Weightman added three goals of his own. Young debutant Sam Darcy showed why he is considered one of the talents for the future. He started on Matt Taberner and held him goalless before switching over the Griffin Logue. Darcy showed clean hands in a number of contests and other than a shaky first disposal, looked solid down back in promising signs.
Room for improvement
The Dogs weren’t switched on to Fremantle’s shorter game style and they were made to pay for it. When the short option was on, the Dockers took it as they slowly edged their way into attack. The Dogs weren’t able to stop the run of Fremantle’s small forwards either.
Grade
C
