A happy Kyle Langford after one of his five goals for Essendon against Gold Coast on Sunday. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
CARLTON 13.12 (90) defeated GEELONG 12.10 (82)
The MCG was rocking with Charlie Curnow kicking goals at one end, Jeremy Cameron playing Superman at the other and more than 55,000 fans going ballistic as the Blues resisted a late fightback from the reigning premier. Cameron kicked six majors, including three in the final term, as the Cats threatened to run over the top. But Carlton, fired by Curnow’s five-goal haul, ended a run of horror results in tight finishes by standing firm in the dying stages. Harry McKay had a quiet night in attack but came up big in the back half with a series of match-saving marks. Matt Owies kicked three important goals for Carlton, off-season recruit Blake Acres impressed on a wing and dashing defender Adam Saad (29 disposals) starred at half-back.
BRISBANE 14.9 (93) defeated MELBOURNE 13.4 (82)
The Lions had this clash in their keeping until the Gabba lights went out. In scenes reminiscent of the 1996 Waverley Park affair, play was held up for almost 40 minutes before the teams came back out to finish the last 12 minutes of play. Brisbane led by 40 points at the stoppage but conceded five unanswered goals as Melbourne, with nothing to lose, threw caution to the wind. Clayton Oliver and Angus Brayshaw were among the Dees’ best but it was the Lions’ midfielders who bossed the contest when it counted. First-year gun Will Ashcroft (31 disposals, nine clearances) starred alongside Josh Dunkley (26, nine), Lachie Neale (27, eight) and Hugh McCluggage (21, six). Joe Daniher booted four goals in a tally matched by Melbourne’s Ben Brown at the other end.
COLLINGWOOD 21.9 (135) defeated PORT ADELAIDE 9.10 (64)
Craig McRae’s entertaining Magpies were likened to the Harlem Globetrotters in the post-match press conference after Scott Pendlebury and co. pulled out the party tricks. Nick Daicos (32 disposals, two goals) made light work of taggers Lachie Jones and Sam Powell-Pepper and Josh Daicos (26, two) stood up in a dominant midfield. Tom Mitchell, Steele Sidebottom, Jack Crisp and Taylor Adams were all strong contributors. Brody Mihocek (three goals) was the most prolific of 14 Magpie goalkickers before dislocating a finger. Port veteran Charlie Dixon kicked three goals but the visitors had few winners, and boom recruit Jason Horne-Francis was jeered all day by merciless Collingwood fans.
ADELAIDE 10.16 (76) lost to RICHMOND 17.6 (108)
Bad kicking is bad footy and while the Crows cut a 45-point margin at the main break back to one solitary point in the final quarter, they’d left themselves with too much work to do. Darcy Fogarty (three goals), Taylor Walker, Josh Rachele and Izak Rankine (two each) all helped drag Adelaide back from the brink. But Tom Lynch and young tall Samson Ryan, who kicked three goals each, helped steady the ship as the Tigers booted the final five majors of the match. Nathan Broad’s dangerous tackle on Patrick Parnell was a big talking point after it left the young Crow concussed and cost the Richmond defender a trip to the tribunal.
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WESTERN BULLDOGS 5.11 (41) lost to ST KILDA 14.8 (92)
What was it we said about bad kicking? The Dogs never stood a chance with that level of inaccuracy, but the real damage was done earlier as the Saints posted the first five goals of the match to grab the early ascendancy. Second-gamer Mattaes Phillipou kicked the first goal in each of the first three quarters but was beaten to the punch by Mitch Owens in the fourth as both young forwards finished with three majors, and Anthony Caminiti two, with St Kilda’s attack again defying predictions it couldn’t post winning scores without injured guns Max King and Tim Membrey. There was a sour note in the aftermath, with scans confirming Saints skipper Jack Steele requires surgery to fix a broken collarbone. He will be sidelined for at least a month.
FREMANTLE 10.12 (72) lost to NORTH MELBOURNE 11.7 (73)
It was immediately dubbed ‘Sirengate 2.0’ as controversy reigned in the west, where umpires decided not to award Fremantle a free kick for Daniel Howe’s deliberate kick out of bounds on the final siren. The AFL later ticked off on the call, declaring its umpires handled the situation correctly. Fremantle could have had a long shot to win or draw the match after the siren, however, coach Justin Longmuir admitted they didn’t deserve it anyway. The Kangaroos led for most of the night until three late goals gave the home side a sniff. Nick Larkey (four goals), Harry Sheezel (30 disposals), Luke Davies-Uniacke (30 disposals, 11 clearances) and former Fremantle defender Griffin Logue were among North’s best as they claimed another confidence-boosting scalp, advancing to a 2-0 record under Alastair Clarkson.
SYDNEY 17.16 (118) defeated HAWTHORN 4.13 (37)
Tall forwards Logan McDonald (five) and Joel Amartey (four) stepped up in suspended superstar Lance Franklin’s absence, combining for nine goals in a rout of the battling Hawks. Callum Mills (28 disposals, two goals) and Luke Parker (27, one) had a field day with Errol Gulden (28 disposals) as the Swans improved to 2-0 since last year’s grand final horror show. Sydney goal sneak Tom Papley is best known for his work at ground level but hauled in a spectacular high mark when he soared over teammate Chad Warner and Hawthorn’s Finn Maginness. Accuracy eluded the Hawks, who had four individual goalkickers and posted their lowest score since playing shorter quarters in 2020.
ESSENDON 16.12 (108) defeated GOLD COAST 11.14 (80)
Makeshift forward Kyle Langford stole the show with a career-best haul of five goals as the Bombers piled on five to one in the final term to break a tight game wide open. Will Setterfield (28 disposals, nine tackles, one goal) impressed and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher was solid in opposition to Ben King (two goals) before being helped off late with an ankle injury. Dylan Shiel (27 disposals, two goals), Darcy Parish (30 disposals, 11 clearances) and Zach Merrett (31, four) were all important contributors for the home side. Levi Casboult also kicked two goals for the Suns as co-captain Touk Miller (31 disposals) and fellow midfielder Lachie Weller (24), in his first game back from a long-term knee injury, won plenty of the ball.
WEST COAST 14.16 (100) defeated GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 11.15 (81)
Made to look second-rate in round one, West Coast bounced back in strong fashion on home soil as Jake Waterman bagged a career-best four goals. Jamie Cripps (three goals) and Oscar Allen (two) also got in on the scoring act as experienced midfielders Tim Kelly (32 disposals, five clearances) and Dom Sheed (26, seven) gave influential performances to help the Eagles get on top in the engine room with Jamaine Jones (27, four). GWS co-captain Toby Greene kicked four goals and fellow forward Jesse Hogan three, both constant threats in attack, but the Giants, who lost Jacob Wehr to a shoulder injury, were outclassed across the ground.
