Round Eighteen Review

Written by Schwarzwalder on July 22 2019

(Written & Created By Dane)

 

Essendon vs Adelaide

 

A spirited second-half fightback further enhanced Essendon’s finals position on Friday night. Mitch Brown (117) was instrumental in the win, kicking 4 goals amongst his 23 touch game, while equally as important was Zach Merrett, who kicked 2 second half goals amongst his own 31 touches to top score for the Dons on 120 points. Dyson Heppell (95) was solid on return to finish with 20 touches and a goal, while Gleeson/Shiel (86), Stringer (83) and Redman (82) all played their parts in the win. Conor McKenna (80) continued his growth into a star AFL footballer, while still incorporating some of his Irish roots, while first-gamer Snelling (49) held his own to have 15 touches and a goal. Many peoples final upgrade Clarke performed well, picking up 19 touches and 6 tackles to score 77.

 

While the Bombers kicked into gear after half-time, the Crows faded out and now face a fight to secure a finals spot. Reilly O’Brien topped scored for them the day he signed a new contract, finishing his night with 27 touches (17 contested), 4 tackles, 39 hitouts and 148 points. Brad Crouch and Brodie Smith both had stellar games, with the former having 35 touches, 7 tackles and 127 points, while the latter had 29 touches, 3 goals and 129 points. The only other Crow in triple figures was the often unheralded Luke Brown, who used his touches well (91%) to register 116. Seedsman (97) and M.Crouch (90) had plenty of the pill and scored well enough for owners, but from there no one went above 75 for the Crows. Jenkins kicked 4 goals on the night while their skipper, Tex Walker, had an arm issue but ended up playing the whole game.

 

Question from the game: Are Essendon the surprise finals packet?

 

Supercoach query: How many risked it and put the VC on Reilly against a ruckless Bombers outfit?

 

Richmond vs Port Adelaide

 

The Tigers had a good win on Saturday afternoon to further enhance their chances of a top 4 spot. Tom Lynch was the star of the day, having 7 shots on goal for 3.4, while also having 19 touches to lead all scorers on the ground with 116. Next best was Bachar Houli, who used his 28 touches at 96% DE to finish on 111, while Martin had 30 touches for his 104. Dion Prestia (97) had 30 touches (13 contested) and a goal, Brandon Ellis (95) had himself 27 touches and a goal, while down back Dylan Grimes (91) delayed attack after attack. Up forward Lynch’s partner in crime Riewoldt also kicked 3 goals, while it’s also worth noting not a single Richmond player scored below 50, the same thing Adelaide did last week, an incredibly even game from Richmond.

 

For Port it was a disappointing loss in a game that they never got within striking distance of stealing. Karl Amon continued his impressive campaign with 28 touches and 2 goals for 102 points, making him the only Port player above 100. Travis Boak was next best on 97 for his 29 touch effort, while Tom Rockliff (94) also played his part with 26 touches and a goal. Plenty of players were in the 80’s, including popular picks Lycett (85) and Duursma/Westhoff (81), while others included Jonas (81), Broadbent (88) and Byrne-Jones (87). Separate knocks to forwards Howard (ribs) and S.Gray (corked thigh) further soured Ports day.

 

Question from the game: How far can the Tigers go?

 

Supercoach query: Is Byrne-Jones in the breakout contender category for 2020?

 

Carlton vs Gold Coast

 

A second win on the trot for the Blues, who are putting some ground between them and the bottom of the ladder. Ed Curnow has been in sublime form lately, and it continued with a 32 touch (15 contested), 9 mark, 5 tackle game that netted 116 Supercoach points. Liam Jones (108) and Jacob Weitering (100) both played very good games down back, while mature aged recruit Gibbons (101) kept his impressive season going with a 20 touch, 1 goal game. Sam Petrevski-Seton and Kade Simpson both finished on 93, while big forward Harry McKay kicked 2 goals and hauled in 10 marks for his 98. Other scores worth mentioning were Matthew Kennedy (83) for his 4 goals, Patrick Cripps for his underwhelming 73, Will Setterfield for his consistent 60+ scores (61 this game) and first gamer Delcua (29), who kicked a goal on his club debut.

 

Well unfortunately for the Suns another wooden spoon seems to be on its way, after such a promising start to the season. Touk Miller played a tremendous game to try to muscle his team over the finish line, racking up 27 touches, 9 marks and 10 tackles to lead all players on the ground with 122 points. Will Brodie (110) has established himself now as a good young player, and averages 89 on the season, (taking away his 19 vs the Crows), while Darcy Macpherson (105) is looking like he may push his average upwards of 95 next season, he had another stellar game of 25 touches and 10 tackles. Elsewhere for the Suns only Wright (90), Fiorini (87), Witts (82) and old soul Rischitelli (89) were above the 80 points mark. Multiple goal-scorers included Sexton with 3, and the previously mentioned Wright with 2.

 

Question from the game: Who will Gold Coast target with the 1st pick?

 

Supercoach query: Is the foot injury still hampering Cripps?

 

GWS vs Collingwood

 

A first quarter blitz all but ensured the win for GWS, who ended up with a 47 point win. Jeremy Cameron was the star, slotting 6 goals from his 20 touches and 9 marks to top score for the Giants on 134 points. Next best went to Lachie Whitfield (119), who despite missing games, continues to provide great scores for his owners, while Tim Taranto got the bronze medal for the Giants, after scoring 113 for his 31 touch, 14 tackle game (although 9 clangers held him back). Toby Greene (112) had his second great game in a row with 29 touches and 2 goals, while both of Zac Williams (26 touches, 10 tackles) and Harry Himmelberg (4 goals) also hit triple figures (102,107). Shaw (95), Reid (94) and Finlayson (98) all had decent games, with Finlayson also hitting the scoreboard with 3 goals. Second-gamers Hill (11 touches, 1 goal, 60 points) and Stein (6 touches, 34 points), played their part and would be unlucky to be dropped from a winning side, while Taylor and Himmelberg both had knocks throughout the day but played out the game.

 

After a great win last Friday the Pies may have been a little bit burnt out, but the loss still hurts there top 4 chances especially with Richmond breathing down their neck. Despite the loss, Brodie Grundy had a massive statistical game, picking up 31 touches (22 contested), 10 clearances, 9 tackles, 48 hitouts and a goal for a seemingly decreased score of 157, although it’s worth noting many other players had good scores in this game. Popular pick Adam Treloar (116) had 34 touches (18 contested) and 5 tackles against his former club, while another former Giant in Adams had 32 touches and 7 tackles for his 97. Other star mids in Sidebottom (104) and Pendlebury (97) played their part with 26 and 23 touches respectively, while Jeremy Howe took a couple of screamers to score 90 points. Pendlebury, Brown and Crocker all kicked 2 goals, while throughout the day knocks to Maynard, Aish and Mayne may cause some selection headaches.   

 

Question from the game: Is Whitfield a lock for All-Aus even though he missed games?

 

Supercoach query: Is Taranto a solid late year option with other star giant mids out?

 

North Melbourne vs Brisbane

 

Two late goals ensured another win for Brisbane, who took another step towards a top 2 finish. Jarryd Lyons is in sublime form, with his 3rd score over 130 in the past 4 weeks! This week it included a 30 touch (23 contested), 13 clearance, 2 goal, 165 point game to lead all scorers on the ground. Stefan Martin collected 14 touches and 27 hitouts for his 108, while Dayne Zorko (106) was helped by his ruckmans good form, picking up 22 touches and 7 tackles. Lachie Neale (98), Oscar McInerney (96) and Daniel Rich (94) in game 200, all played important roles in the win. Not much else to mention with plenty of players scoring in the 60-90 range, but multiple goal scorers included Lyons, McInerney, Cameron and McLuggage, who all kicked 2 goals, while Christensen kicked 3.

 

The loss put a massive dent in Norths very slim finals hopes. Todd Goldstein is in fantastic form, averaging 133 over the past month, with this weeks 124 being his worst in that time. The North Melbourne big man had 16 touches and 40 hitouts, which help set up his bullucking midfielder Cunnington (105) for 21 touches and a goal. Returning star Higgins had 28 touches and kicked the opening goal of the game for his 98, while big-forward Ben Brown kicked 3 goals amongst his 11 touches for 90 points. Jed Anderson had his 8th score in the 90’s from 14 games this season, while important players in Atley, Wood and Macmillan were all in the 80’s. Multiple goal scorers included Brown, Wood, Thomas and Larkey, while Thompson copped a big knock in the 3rd but played out the game.

 

Question from the game: I haven’t seen any highlights or video, but was the umpiring late in this game as bad as the Facebook comments said it was?

 

Supercoach query: Will Neale’s scores drop with the increasing amounts of physical attention?

 

Sydney vs Fremantle

 

Fremantle came away with a gritty 1 point win on Saturday Night to stop their losing streak.

Top scoring for them on the night were both Luke Ryan and Joel Hamling, both finishing on 117. Ryan’s score came from 21 touches and 9 tackles, while Hamling’s was sponsored by 18 touches and 7 marks, while using the ball at 94%. A point below them was Andy Brayshaw, who had 20 touches and 8 tackles, while the others in three figures were popular forward picks Walters and Mundy, each on 104. Reece Conca (89) had his best game for his new club, finishing the day with 26 touches, 5 tackles and a goal, while the sought-after Ed Langdon (87) upped his stocks with a 21 touch game. Rory Lobb (84) kicked 3 goals and both ruckman in Darcy (88) and Sandilands (96) played well.

 

Sydney just couldn’t seem to get going in this game, leaving Perth with a sour taste in their mouths. Jake Lloyd picked up 42 touches and used it at 78% to top score for them on 122, while the only other Swan above 100 was Luke Parker on 105. Dane Rampe (98), Callum Mills (97) and Zak Jones (90) found plenty of ball in transition, while Kennedy (87), Hewett (86) and Heeney (85) returned decent enough scores. Only Sam Reid kicked multiple goals for them, while debutant Hayden McLean (60) had 13 touches, 8 tackles and 16 hitouts in a promising debut.

 

Question from the game: Can Freo get on a run and clinch a lower finals position?

 

Supercoach query: Is Ryan going to recapture his form?

 

Geelong vs Hawthorn

Geelong’s loss against their fiercest rival came from bad set shot kicking, most notably 4 shots in a row just before half time that would’ve evened out the game. Mitch Duncan led the way Supercoach scoring wise for his team, using his 26 touches at 88% as well as a goal to provide his owners with 122 points to start the Sunday games. Patrick Dangerfield had a touch more than Duncan, but didn’t use it as well for his 106, while both Mark Blicavs (97) and Gary Ablett (90) were in the nineties club. Tom Hawkins joined Blicavs and Ablett, with his 2 goal, 17 touch game netting him 92 points, but from there scores drop for the Cats. Tim Kelly (74) and Tom Stewart (79) were the most prominent Supercoach players who failed, although the latter did have a big knock that hampered him throughout the day.

 

A win for the Hawks in their pursuit for an unlikely finals spot. In his 200th game Liam Shiels was the star, having 29 touches, 8 marks and 2 goals to lead all Supercoach scoring on the ground with 136 points. Next best was big Ben McEvoy (126), who used his 13 touches at 92% as well as adding 44 hitouts, while late in Daniel Howe (121) played a stellar game, having 23 touches and 10 marks on the day. James Worpel has been repaying owners who kept him at F6 over the past few weeks, once again going over 100 for his 24 touch game. Scully and Bruest were both in the 90’s, while plenty of Hawks fell between 75-85 points. The only bad news on the day was a bad looking knee injury to Jarman Impey early in the contest.

 

Question from the game: What’s the games best/most competitive current rivalry?

 

Supercoach query: Is Duncan the best POD in the midfield game?

 

Melbourne vs West Coast

 

A gallant effort from Melbourne couldn’t come away with the win up in the Northern Territory, although bad kicking for goal did not help their cause. Clayton Oliver (140) led the scoring for his team, picking up 34 touches (22 contested), 6 tackles and a goal, with Christian Salem being a point below him due to his 28 touch (22 kick) game going at a great 88% DE. Big Max Gawn had 13 touches and 5 tackles as well as 38 hitouts for his score of 132, while swingman Bayley Fritsch (121) was probably BOG for the day, putting on a clinic with his marking ability (14 marks), as well as kicking 4 goals. James Harmes scored 107 from his 29 touch game, with Hibberd just missing the ton by a single point for his 20 touch game that ran at 100% DE. No one else had notable Supercoach scores for the Dees, so finishing off, the multiple goal kickers bar Fritsch were Lewis and C.Wagner with 2 each, while Jack Viney’s day finished early with concussion.

 

The win keeps West Coast’s top 2 chances alive with 5 rounds to play. Dom Sheed kicked the sealer amongst his 34 touch game to reward anyone who still has him with a great score of 138. Jack Darling signed a new deal throughout the week and returned a great game of 4 goals, 9 marks and 16 touches for his 125, while across the wing Gaff had 27 touches to return a score of 114. Despite a tag Elliot Yeo scored the same as Gaff, with many points coming from his 9 tackles, with fellow midfielder Redden scoring exactly 100 to round up the triple figure scores. Shuey (90) and Sheppard (91) both played their parts, with forwards Kennedy and Petrucelle joining Darling in the multiple goal scorers club. Shannon Hurn was a late out which gave Francis Watson (73) a long awaited debut, to which he performed admirably, finishing with 14 touches and 8 marks.

 

Question from the game: Can anyone else really believe that Melbourne is 17th on the ladder?

 

Supercoach query: How many hitouts to advantage did Gawn have? because his other stats seem a little down to justify 132.

 

St Kilda vs Western Bulldogs

 

St Kilda snapped a 4-game losing streak under the roof during the Sunday Twilight fixture. Rowan Marshall top scored on the night for them on 142 points, courtesy of his 21 touch (14 contested), 32 hitout game, and now hasn’t gone under 110 since round 11! Next best was the 4 goal Lonie (128), who also picked up 20 touches in his half-forward role, with fellow forward Membrey (95) also chipping in with 4 goals. Jack Billings (112) kicked 2 goals and had 27 touches for the day to continue his strong form, while the same can be said of form for both Dunstan (107) and Gresham (102). Blake Acres scored 99 for his 21 touch game, while Hunter Clark (98) continued his rapid improvement with a 26 touch, 2 goal game. Carlisle (92) returned a good score for anyone who has him, while first-gamer Langlands kicked a goal on debut and picked up 12 touches for his 66.

 

For the Dogs it was a loss that means they now sit on the same number of wins as Hawthorn, Fremantle and Port Adelaide, who are all a game behind Adelaide for 8th place on the ladder, interesting times ahead! Josh Dunkely had a touch less than the week before (38 this week), but still returned a great score of 127 to finish the round, with Jack Macrae joining him in the 120 club due to his 34 touch, 6 tackle game. No one else really provided great Supercoach scores, with only Wood (96) and English (92) going above 90. Twin 87’s went to Dale and Lloyd, with the former having a career night with 5 goals, one goal better than veteran Dickson (73). Unwanted scores came from popular picks in the returning Daniel (68) and the rebounding Johannisen (36), as well as midfielder Bontempelli (70), although he did have the attention of Steele for some of the day. Josh Scache had his day end early due to a head knock, while both Trengrove and Suckling had issues throughout the day.

 

Question from the game: Who will take the final spot in the 8?

 

Supercoach query: Did anyone actually start the season with Marshall, and if so, why? A pure genius move!

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4 thoughts on “Round Eighteen Review”

  1. Was really happy to see Jarryd Lyons go to the lions over the off season. Underrated player.

    Also Finlayson doing well at GWS in the forward line is great to see. They were shopping him over the off season. Glad he found a niche in their system.

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  2. I think we all know the answer to the ‘best rivalry’ question… 😉

    As to the most competitive… in recent years, probably the Showdown.

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  3. Schwarz, it wasn’t just late in the game. It was horrible both ways all night long. That Hodge change of mind free kick in the 3rd was baffling and Brown’s ruck infringement free in front of goal was puzzling.

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