It’s time for Collingwood’s must-win game against the Kangaroos at Docklands, after the Saints’ win over the Suns on a jam-packed Saturday of AFL.
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North Melbourne vs Collingwood
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Giants keep climbing with narrow Dons win
AAP: Brendon Thorne
)GWS has pipped Essendon by two points at Giants Stadium, where Kyle Langford threatened to snatch victory after kicking two goals in the final two minutes of a dramatic AFL clash.
The Giants started strongly, steadied after a second-quarter slump then held on during a frantic goal-laden finish to triumph 16.11 (107) to 16.9 (105), making it four wins in five weeks for Leon Cameron’s side.
Essendon Bombers led briefly after Peter Wright booted an opening-minute goal then conceded six consecutive majors as they struggled to deal with the home side’s rapid ball movement.
The Bombers, having woken up at dawn to ensure they could fly in and out of Sydney on the same day because of the city’s recent COVID-19 cases, responded with multiple epic comebacks.
The visitors, who were forced to substitute star Jake Stringer in the third quarter because of a leg injury, finished strongly and kicked four of the game’s final five goals.
But they ran out of time, with Langford’s third of the game coming with just four seconds remaining in the match.
A contentious umpiring call to not award key forward Cale Hooker a free kick in the final stages is already being hotly debated among pundits.
Langford also trimmed GWS’s buffer to two points with two minutes remaining, only for GWS midfielder Jacob Hopper to nail a snapped goal that effectively secured the four competition points.
Jeremy Finlayson proved sinner and saviour for the home side.
He supplied two steadying goals in a dominant third term, stepping up alongside Toby Greene.
Finalyson’s composed third quarter was in sharp contrast to his undisciplined elbow in the first quarter.
The key forward was reported for felling Zach Merrett after the midfielder kicked the ball, meaning he is at risk of missing the Giants’ round-nine clash with Richmond at Docklands.
“One week for dumbness,” Gerard Healy quipped in the Fox Sports commentary box.
Stand-in skipper Greene had a hand or foot in the majority of his side’s most impressive moments, teeing up a couple of goals and kicking two himself.
Veteran Callan Ward also starred on the day he became GWS’s all-time games record holder, while defender Sam Taylor’s game-high 12 intercepts were also decisive.
GWS midfielders Ward, Tim Taranto, Josh Kelly and Tom Green tallied a combined 110 disposals, while Essendon on-ballers Merrett and Darcy Parish were also dominant.
Saints late run eclipses Suns at Carrara
AAP: Dave Hunt
)St Kilda have extended their dominance over Gold Coast Suns with a gutsy nine-point AFL win at Carrara, launching a final term comeback after a half-time melee.
The Saints sealed back-to -back wins with the 8.15 (63) to 7.12 (54) result, registering their fifth straight victory over the Suns to maintain a winning run that stretches back to 2016.
The visitors outlasted the Suns, reeling in a 15-point final-term deficit to keep themselves in touch with the top eight with a 4-4 record.
After holding a three-point lead in the third term, the Saints did not get in front again until Paddy Ryder kicked truly midway through the final quarter to give the visitors a 57-53 advantage and set the stage for a thrilling finish.
In the end the Saints held on after launching a final-term resurgence with goals by Jack Billings, Jack Higgins, Ryder and Brad Crouch.
It was a memorable end to a game marred by a fracas after the half-time siren.
As the dust settled on a scrappy first half, frustrations appeared to boil over when Saints ruckman Ryder floored Sam Collins.
It escalated quickly after Gold Coast’s 100-game milestone man Sean Lemmens crash tackled Dan Butler, with every player except Saint Jack Higgins at one stage involved in the resulting fracas.
Both teams face a nervous wait to see whether they will cop fines for the drama, in which Collins and Saints’ Zac Jones featured heavily.
It was yet another nail-biter between the two sides with St Kilda notching their fifth successive victory by nine points or fewer against the Queensland club.
St Kilda would have been backing themselves to extend their dominance over the Suns after making just one change to the line-up that thrashed Hawthorn last round, with Mason Wood coming in for Seb Ross who was a late withdrawal after his wife gave birth to twins on Friday.
However they appeared on the back foot from the outset in a scrappy first term in which Ben King kicked the only major to give the hosts a 10-3 buffer at the opening interval.
The game was locked up at 3.7 (25) to 3.7 (25) at the main break before the visitors grabbed the lead early in the third 35-32.
However, Gold Coast hit back with goals by Josh Corbett, Nick Holman and Lachie Weller to grab a 7.9 (51) to 4.12 (36) buffer at the final interval.
For St Kilda, Crouch and Jones had 30 touches each while Billings kicked two goals and had 25 disposals.
For Gold Coast (3-5 record), King won the family battle with his twin — Saints forward Max — scoring three goals to his brother’s one in only his second game against his sibling.
Melbourne vs Sydney Swans
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Port Adelaide vs Adelaide Crows
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