Cats Thrash Dogs to Tighten Grip on Top Spot
GEELONG-A second-half onslaught has given Geelong a buffer at the top of the ladder after they emphatically defeated the second-placed Western Bulldogs 19.17 (131) to 10.10 (70) at Skilled Stadium.
In windy conditions, the match failed to live up to its top of the table status in the first half.
But a devastating 13-goal second half from the Cats demonstrated the reigning premiers remain very much the team to beat for this season's flag.
Despite missing Brownlow favourite Gary Ablett and star tagger Cameron Ling, the Cats showed off their midfield depth, with last year's Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel outstanding.
He was particularly good in the second half, with Bartel and fellow midfield star Joel Corey generating a heap of drive for the Cats in the third term as they took control of the game.
They outscored the Bulldogs 5.1 to 2.4 into the wind for the quarter, after the scores had been level at quarter time and half-time.
Geelong then ran rampant in the final quarter, piling on eight majors, before the Bulldogs finally managed a goal close to fulltime.
Key forward Cameron Mooney was another star for the Cats, providing a strong lead-up marking target, as well as scoring three goals.
Late inclusion Ryan Gamble, who replaced David Wojcinski in the starting line-up, chimed in with four goals, including two important majors in the third term.
The Cats were led in defence by veterans Darren Milburn and Matthew Scarlett, who were happy to peel off their opponents, to great effect, picking up 32 touches each to provide plenty of rebound.
Fellow tall defender Harry Taylor also played a solid game and kicked a gem of the goal in the third term, when he smothered the ball off the boot of Bulldogs little man Jarrod Harbrow and slotted a shot from 50m.
Max Rooke also deserved credit for moving nicely into Ling's regular tagging role, keeping Bulldogs midfield star Adam Cooney from having his usual impact.
Earlier in the game, both sides struggled to adapt to the windy conditions, with vigorous attack on the ball and opponents blighted by regular skill errors and free kicks.
The Cats had the better of things in the first term, managing to stay on level terms, 3.3 (21) apiece at the first change, despite kicking into the wind.
But, rather than capitalise in the second quarter, they conceded some cheap goals to allow the Bulldogs to surge into the lead.
Scarlett gave away a 50m penalty to put Bulldogs sharpshooter Scott Welsh within range for the first goal of the term and Paul Chapman gave away two 50m penalties, after Farren Ray was awarded a free-kick at halfback, with Ray goaling to put his side two goals up.
While the Cats controlled the game from then on, they were only able to work back on level terms by the long break, before steaming ahead in the third term.
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Swans Comeback Shores up top Four Berth
MELBOURNE-An undermanned Sydney pulled off a thrilling comeback win over Carlton at Telstra Dome to shore up their AFL top four spot and dent the Blues' finals hopes.
The Swans were down by 28 points at several stages during the second quarter, but took over in the second half and then survived a late Blues rally to win 18.13 (121) to 18.11 (119).
The victory gave Sydney a six-point buffer in fourth spot, after fifth-placed Collingwood's loss to North Melbourne on Friday night.
But it was not without cost, with full-back Leo Barry and full-forward Michael O'Loughlin both going off injured in the third term and failing to return in the final quarter.
Carlton dominated the match until midway through the second quarter, but although they built a handy lead, some missed chances meant their control of the game was not fully reflected on the scoreboard.
The Swans lifted in the midfield late in the second term, with Jude Bolton playing superbly in the clinches to repeatedly drive his team forward.
And they made the most of their chances, with Henry Playfair and Ryan O'Keefe scoring from snaps, while clever centring kicks from Kieren Jack and Ted Richards set up Jarrad McVeigh for the last two goals of the half to cut the margin to 16 points.
It was all Sydney's way early in the third term as they kicked the first three goals to take the lead 10 minutes into the quarter.
Carlton star forward Brendan Fevola then had a purple patch at the other end, kicking two goals and setting up two others in the space of nine minutes, as Carlton surged again.
But the Swans responded with three of the last four goals of the quarter to be within five points at the last change.
Despite the loss of O'Loughlin and Barry, they carried their momentum into the final quarter, kicking the first three goals to build a handy buffer before withstanding the Blues' late charge.
O'Keefe, who ran hard all day from half-forward and also kicked three goals, was superb for the Swans with Bolton's performance also critical, while McVeigh's four-goal effort was important.
For the Blues, youngster Bryce Gibbs was outstanding, keeping Sydney superstar Adam Goodes to just three touches in the first three quarters, although Goodes eventually did have some impact with two second-half goals.
Fevola was also very good for Carlton with five goals and some strong tackling, while Andrew Walker contributed well in his first game for the year after a shoulder injury.
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Riewoldt Inspires St Kilda Win over Hawthorn
MELBOURNE-St Kilda kept hold of their spot in the AFL's top eight with a 30-point upset win over Hawthorn at Telstra Dome thanks to Nick Riewoldt's magnificent kicking.
The Hawks had St Kilda's measure at halftime and led by 28 points, but Riewoldt booted three superb goals in the third quarter as his side turned that deficit into a nine-point lead at the final break.
The Saints skipper, who has endured his struggles with accuracy this season, finished with six goals, 10 marks and an inspirational return as his side powered away to win 18.11 (119) to 13.11 (89).
St Kilda's win was their fourth in succession and prevented Hawthorn from taking second spot on the ladder, following the Western Bulldogs' defeat to top side Geelong.
This win was the most impressive of that quartet, as the Saints found themselves unable to pierce Hawthorn's zone defence in the first half and struggling to contain the Hawk forwards.
But they broke the defensive shackles and Riewoldt set the tone for the remarkable turnaround, by slotting a good goal from an angle to start the third quarter and then snapping truly from the opposite flank a minute later.
Ruckman Jason Blake also struck a purple patch as he kicked three goals for the quarter and was crucial in giving St Kilda some clearance wins.
Far from run out of steam when they edged in front, St Kilda powered away.
Nick Dal Santo capped a fine game in the midfield with goals either side of three-quarter time from the difficult side for a left-footer, while two inspiring tackles almost lifted the roof.
First, Clinton Jones ran down Lance Franklin just as the Hawk star was about to unload for goal, and then David Armitage laid a strong tackle to set up Riewoldt's sixth goal.
When Stephen Milne snapped another, the Saints had booted 12 of 14 goals in the second half, in a concern for one of the form sides in the competition.
The Hawks looked to have all the answers in the first half, with Mark Williams, Franklin and Jarryd Roughead (all three goals) dangerous in attack, and the more meaningful possession.
But the Hawks looked panic-stricken after halftime when the pressure lifted, and made several bad errors, notably an interchange infringement which gifted Blake a 50-metre penalty and goal and a tentative Jordan Lewis kick-in, which was marked by Dal Santo.
Hawthorn midfielders Sam Mitchell, Brad Sewell and Luke Hodge were instrumental in building Hawthorn's lead early, but their St Kilda counterparts Dal Santo, Leigh Montagna, Luke Ball and Lenny Hayes finished much stronger.
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Kangaroos Stage Stunning Turnaround
MELBOURNE-North Melbourne staged an outstanding second-half fightback to beat Collingwood by 18 points in their crucial AFL match at Telstra Dome.
Drew Petrie was best afield, either in the ruck or around the ground, as the Kangaroos won 17.12 (114) to 14.12 (96).
North jumped from ninth to sixth with the win, half a game ahead of Adelaide, Brisbane and St Kilda.
Collingwood had kicked two goals to draw within 12 points late in the final term when a free was paid against the Magpies in the midfield.
A 50m penalty was paid against Shane O'Bree for abuse and Brent Harvey kicked a goal to seal the win.
The Kangaroos outscored the Magpies 12 goals to seven in the second half to secure one of their best wins this season.
North were in massive trouble at half-time, trailing by 13 points and struggling in attack and at the clearances.
But they kicked the first four goals of the third term to suddenly lead by two goals and wrench the initiative from the Magpies.
Collingwood responded with three goals to lead by seven points, but the Kangaroos kept coming and put through the last three goals of the term for a 10-point lead at the last change.
Players such as midfielder Daniel Harris, who only had three touches in the first half, lifted noticeably for the Kangaroos as they fought their way back into the game.
Daniel Wells and Campbell were also pivotal in North's comeback.
By contrast, Collingwood lost some of the "grunt" and hard work they had shown when they seemed on the verge of breaking the game open.
Magpies key forward Travis Cloke, who had appeared the key to this game, spent much of the third quarter on the bench.
Team-mate Paul Medhurst had kicked 5.5 last week, but he also had little impact for most of the match.
North defenders such as Michael Firrito and Josh Gibson were solid all night.
The Kangaroos had dropped key forward Nathan Thompson after his below-par form over the last few weeks and they struggled for scoring options early in the match.
But Petrie's everywhere contribution and their great workrate at the stoppages put the Magpies on the defensive by three-quarter time.
Coming into the game, Collingwood were half a game outside the top four and North were half a game from the top eight.
Collingwood utility Leon Davis was a late withdrawal from the side and Sharrod Wellingham took his place.
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Standings and Results-Round 16
AFL Ladder P W L D For Agst PC Pts
1. Geelong 16 15 1 - 1881 1221 154.1% 60
2. Western Bulldogs 16 13 2 1 1882 1482 127.0% 54
3. Hawthorn 16 13 3 - 1763 1407 125.3% 52
4. Sydney 16 10 5 1 1252 1261 125.3% 42
5. Collingwood 16 9 7 - 1748 1483 117.9% 36
6. Brisbane Lions 16 9 7 - 1665 1573 105.8% 36
7. St Kilda 16 9 7 - 1502 1475 101.8% 36
8. North Melbourne 16 8 7 1 1500 1564 95.9% 34
9. Adelaide 16 8 8 - 1486 1417 104.8% 32
10. Richmond 16 7 8 1 1664 1717 96.9% 30
11. Carlton 16 7 9 - 1587 1687 94% 28
12. Essendon 16 6 10 - 1558 1880 82.9% 24
13. Port Adelaide 16 5 11 - 1506 1617 93.1% 20
14. Fremantle 15 2 13 - 1274 1484 85.8% 8
15. West Coast 16 2 14 - 1199 1854 64.7% 8
16. Melbourne 15 2 13 - 1171 1814 64.6% 8
Yet to play-Melbourne Demons v Fremantle Dockers
GEELONG 3.3 6.11 11.12 19.17 (131)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.3 7.5 9.9 10.10 (70)
Goals: Geelong: R Gamble 4 S Johnson 3 C Mooney 3 J Bartel 2 M Stokes 2 A Mackie B Ottens H Taylor T Lonergan P Chapman. Western Bulldogs: D Giansiracusa 3 N Eagleton 2 F Ray B Johnson M Hahn S Welsh B Lake.
Best: Geelong: J Bartel C Mooney D Milburn M Scarlett J Corey R Gamble. Western Bulldogs: L Gilbee D Cross N Eagleton D Giansiracusa R Murphy A Cooney.
Umpire: C Donlon M Vozzo S Ryan.
Official Crowd: 24,801 at Skilled Stadium.
NORTH MELBOURNE 1.4 5.6 12.8 17.12 (114)
COLLINGWOOD 3.3 7.7 10.10 14.12 (96)
Goals: North Melbourne: C Jones 3 D Petrie 2 T Goldstein 2 S Grant 2 M Campbell M Firrito L Thomas B Ross B Harvey D Pratt D Hale S McMahon. Collingwood: J Anthony 4 S Wellingham 2 P Medhurst 2 S Pendlebury D Swan A Didak S O'Bree T Lockyer N Maxwell.
Best: North Melbourne: D Petrie B Harvey M Firrito J Gibson B Rawlings D Wells. Collingwood: A Didak J Anthony S Pendlebury S Burns.
Umpires: S McBurney M James S Jeffery.
Official Crowd: 46,610 at Telstra Dome.
ST KILDA 3.1 6.3 14.5 18.11 (119)
HAWTHORN 5.4 10.7 12.8 13.11 (89)
Goals: St Kilda: N Riewoldt 6 M Blake 3 A Schneider 2 N Dal Santo 2 S Dempster J Koschitzke C Jones J Gram S Milne. Hawthorn: M Williams 3 L Franklin 3 J Roughead 3 L Hodge 2 M Osborne 2.
Best: St Kilda: N Riewoldt N Dal Santo L Montagna C Jones J Blake M Hudghton A Schneider L Ball. Hawthorn: L Hodge S Mitchell B Sewell M Williams T Murphy.
Umpires: S McInerney S Meredith S Stewart.
Official crowd: 41,886 at Telstra Dome.
BRISBANE LIONS 5.4 11.5 14.7 17.11 (113)
WEST COAST 3.3 5.6 8.10 9.13 (67)
Goals: Brisbane Lions: D Bradshaw 4 J Brown 3 J Charman 3 T Johnstone 2 A Corrie 2 J Drummond M Clark A McGrath. West Coast: Q Lynch 2 M LeCras 2 A Hansen 2 J McNamara D Wirrpanda B McKinley.
Best: Brisbane Lions: J Drummond B Dalziell S Black J Charman A Corrie. West Coast: D Cox C Fletcher B Staker A Embley.
Umpires: M Nicholls M Ellis J Mollison.
Official crowd: 27,784 at the Gabba.
RICHMOND 5.2 11.5 12.9 16.12 (108)
ESSENDON 3.2 7.5 13.7 15.14 (104)
Goals: Richmond: M Morton 4 N Brown 3 B Deledio 3 T Simmonds 2 K Johnson R Tambling J Bowden C Hughes. Essendon: S Lucas 3 B Stanton 2 M Lloyd 2 L Jetta 2 K Reimers D Hille S Lonergan J Laycock H Slattery J Atkinson.
Best: Richmond: N Foley T Simmonds S Tuck B Deledio K Moore L McGuane. Essendon: B Stanton D Hille P Ryder K Reimers J Watson.
Umpires: B Rosebury H Ryan M Head.
Official Crowd: 56,746 at the MCG.
SYDNEY 2.1 8.5 14.10 18.13 (121)
CARLTON 5.5 10.9 15.9 18.11 (119)
Goals: Sydney: J McVeigh 4 R O'Keefe 3 D Jolly 2 J Moore 2 A Goodes 2 P Bevan 2 J Bolton H Playfair L Roberts-Thomson. Carlton: B Fevola 5 E Betts 3 C Judd 2 A Walker J Russell M Murphy M Kreuzer B Fisher S Grigg A Hartlett J Waite.
Best: Sydney: R O'Keefe J Bolton J McVeigh L Ablett D Jolly B Kirk. Carlton: B Gibbs B Fevola J Waite M Murphy A Walker A Carrazzo.
Umpires: M Stevic R Chamberlain C Kamolins.
Official crowd: 38,401 at Telstra Dome.
PORT ADELAIDE 4.5 6.6 9.13 13.14 (92)
ADELAIDE 3.0 6.8 7.11 11.14 (80)
Goals: Port Adelaide: D Motlop 4 B Ebert 4 D Pearce 3 N Lonie J Westhoff. Adelaide: S Goodwin 3 S Stevens 2 B Vince 2 M Doughty 2 K Tippett T Edwards.
Best: Port Adelaide: S Salopek D Cassisi D Motlop S Burgoyne D Pearce B Ebert K Cornes. Adelaide: M Doughty C Knights N Bassett B Symes.
Umpires: L Farmer S McLaren J Schmitt.
Official crowd: 31,662 at AAMI Stadium.
LEADING GOALKICKERS
73: L Franklin (Hawthorn) 3
64: B Fevola (Carlton) -
55: D Bradshaw (Brisbane) 4
54: J Brown (Brisbane) 3, M Pavlich (Fremantle) -
52: J Roughead (Hawthorn) 3
44: P Medhurst (C'wood) 2
39: M Lloyd (Essendon) 2, D Motlop (Pt Adel) -, M Richardson (Richmond) 0, J Akermanis (Bulldogs) 0
