AFL (Aussie Rules)-Weekend in Summary for Split Round

Lions Upset by Bottom Side Melbourne

MELBOURNE—Brisbane's campaign for a top-four AFL finish suffered a massive blow in an incident-packed, one-point loss to bottom side Melbourne.

After a dire season on and off the field, it would have been soul-destroying had the Demons lost again.

They had led for the vast majority of the match but looked gone when Daniel Bradshaw put the Lions ahead by 11 points with only a few minutes to play at the MCG.

But there was just enough time left for Cameron Bruce and Brad Miller to goal at the other end and Melbourne won 14.9 (93) to 13.14 (92).

Their second win of the season means they are now just percentage behind second-bottom West Coast and Fremantle.

The Dockers suffered yet another close loss late this afternoon, going down to Essendon by four points at Subiaco.

Essendon scored their third-straight win, 14.11 (95) to 13.13 (91).

While the Demons try to rise off the bottom, of more significance is what the loss means to the Lions, who will slip to seventh if Collingwood beat Sydney next weekend in the second half of the split round.

And if the Swans win, Brisbane will be two-and-a-half games outside the top four with eight rounds to go.

But as poorly as the Lions played today, three separate incidents that each cost a point could well have been the difference between winning and losing.

They conceded a free kick and 50m penalty to Demon Paul Wheatley in the second quarter after Luke Power came off the interchange bench too quickly to replace Simon Black.

In the third term, a goal umpire incorrectly ruled that a curling shot for goal from Bradshaw had gone out of bounds on the full, even though it was clearly a point.

And in the final quarter, the Brisbane physiotherapist gifted Melbourne another 50m penalty when he mistakenly ran across the mark as Demons midfielder Lynden Dunn was about to take his kick.

"They were our mistakes and that's the rules," said Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews.

"But you have an interchange (and concede a) shot at goal and the physio runs across the mark and you have two free kicks against you.

"It's a bit of an indication of the type of day that's been had."

The Power-Black incident was the second if its kind in less than 24 hours, after Saints Luke Ball and Andrew McQualter made the same mistake in last night's 15-point win over North Melbourne.

"The penalty is maybe too severe, but the penalty is to stop you having 19 blokes on the field," said Matthews.

"The fact is every player in the competition should know that they can't go on until their interchange player has come off."

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Blues Overpower Tigers for Victory

Carlton Blues spearhead Brendan Fevola kicked four goals. (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images

MELBOURNE—Carlton ruined Richmond's AFL/VFL centenary celebration, overpowering them with a withering final term for a 30-point win at the MCG.

The Blues wrested control of a game which had hung in the balance for three quarters in the fourth, unleashing a seven goals to two term on the way to a 17.16 (118) to 12.16 (88) victory.

Spearhead Brendan Fevola kicked four goals - two at important stages in the final term as the Blues won the battle of the rebuilding clubs.

No team had managed a lead of more than three goals at any point until Fevola kicked his fourth at the 18-minute mark of the term.

The key to the win was Carlton lifting when they needed to as Richmond wilted in the heat of battle, with Nick Stevens dominating in the midfield for the Blues with 26 touches.

Richmond had started well enough in the match which marked their 100th year of league football, with midfielders Brett Deledio and Trent Cotchin excellent.

Forward Cleve Hughes kicked three goals in the second quarter as the Tigers pushed out to a 12-point halftime lead.

But Carlton rolled back the deficit in a see-sawing third quarter, though a Nathan Brown behind on the siren gave the Tigers a one-point lead at the final change.

Then Fevola - who had been well held by Tigers defender Kelvin Moore until that point - became a factor as Stevens, Bryce Gibbs and Marc Murphy overpowered Richmond in the midfield and laid on silver service.

Gibbs, who finished with three goals for the match, also kicked two in the term as the Blues moved to a 7-7 win-loss record and firmed as a genuine hope of making the finals.

Richmond's disappointing day is likely to have a dark post-script, with star forward Matthew Richardson leaving the field early in the fourth term with what looked to be a hamstring injury.

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Collated Results and Ladder-Round 14

• HAWTHORN 4.8 10.8 11.15 18.18 (126)
  
• WEST COAST 0.4 4.8 7.11 9.15 (69)
  

Goals: Hawthorn: J Roughead 6 L Franklin 5 L Hodge 3 G Birchall S Crawford M Osborne M Williams. West Coast: A Hansen 4 B McKinley 2 D Cox A Hunter B Staker. Best: Hawthorn: J Roughead M Osborne S Mitchell C Rioli L Hodge. West Coast: D Kerr D Cox A Hansen M Priddis. Injuries: Hawthorn: S Crawford (knee) S Dew (soreness replaced in selected side by T Clarke) L Hodge (calf) J Lewis (thigh). West Coast: B Ebert (concussion). Reports: B Renouf (Hawthorn) reported by field umpire C Donlon for striking A Selwood (West Coast) in the third quarter, L Franklin (Hawthorn) reported by field umpire C Donlon for wrestling A Hunter (West Coast) in the third quarter, A Hunter (West Coast) reported by field umpire C Donlon for wrestling L Franklin (Hawthorn) in the third quarter. Umpires: C Donlon L Farmer S Ryan. Official Crowd: 29,138 at MCG.

• CARLTON 1.5 5.9 10.12 17.16 (118)
  
• RICHMOND 2.7 7.9 10.13 12.16 (88)
  

Goals: Carlton: B Fevola 4 B Gibbs 3 E Betts 2 B Fisher 2 C Cloke J Edwards S Grigg M Murphy N Stevens S Wiggins. Richmond: C Hughes 3 M Morton 3 B Deledio K Johnson G Polak M Richardson J Riewoldt T Simmonds. Best: Carlton: N Stevens A Bentick A Carrazzo B Gibbs M Murphy J Waite. Richmond: B Deledio T Cotchin J Bowden K Moore N Brown. Injuries: Carlton: Nil. Richmond: M Richardson (hamstring) W Thursfield (replaced in selected side by J King). Reports: B Thornton (Carlton) reported by emergency umpire M Stevic for wrestling J King (Richmond) in the third quarter, J King (Richmond) reported by emergency umpire M Stevic for wrestling B Thornton (Carlton) in the third quarter. Umpires: B Rosebury C Kamolins S Wenn. Official Crowd: 73,503 at MCG.

• ST KILDA 0.3 4.3 6.7 12.12 (84)
  
• NORTH MELBOURNE 4.4 6.7 8.11 9.15 (69)
  

Goals: St Kilda: S Milne 4 J Koschitzke 2 D Armitage R Eddy S Fisher S King L Montagna N Riewoldt. North Melbourne: M Campbell 3 D Hale L Harding D Harris B Harvey D Petrie D Wells. Best: St Kilda: J Koschitzke N Riewoldt S Milne L Ball L Montagna. North Melbourne: D Petrie B Harvey M Campbell J Gibson. Injuries: Nil. Reports: Nil. Umpires: S McInerney D Sully M James. Official Crowd: 9,128 at Gold Coast Stadium.

• WESTERN BULLDOGS 3.4 11.9 16.12 20.15 (135)
  
• PORT ADELAIDE 2.2 4.6 9.10 11.15 (81)
  

Goals: Western Bulldogs: J Akermanis 4 B Johnson 3 S Welsh 3 R Griffen 2 J Hill 2 M Boyd N Eagleton D Giansiracusa L Gilbee M Hahn F Ray. Port Adelaide: R Gray 2 W Tredrea 2 J Westhoff 2 D Brogan N Lonie M Pettigrew D Rodan A Thomson. Best: Western Bulldogs: D Cross R Griffen J Akermanis D Morris A Cooney R Hargrave B Lake N Eagleton. Port Adelaide: K Cornes D Rodan D Pearce N Lonie A Carlile. Injuries: Western Bulldogs: R Griffen (dislocated finger) S Welsh (dislocated finger). Port Adelaide: Nil. Reports: Nil. Umpires: M Ellis S Ryan J Schmitt. Official Crowd: 11,373 at TIO Oval, Darwin.

• MELBOURNE 5.4 6.6 9.8 14.9 (93)
  
• BRISBANE LIONS 2.3 5.9 7.12 13.14 (92)
  

Goals: Melbourne: B Miller 4 C Sylvia 4 C Bruce 2 A Wonaeamirri 2 M Bate B Green. Brisbane Lions: J Brown 5 D Bradshaw 4 R Hooper 2 J Patfull M Rischitelli. Best: Melbourne: B Green C Bruce B Miller C Johnson S Valenti C Sylvia. Brisbane Lions: L Power S Black M Rischitelli J Brown J Brennan. Injuries: Melbourne: B McLean (ankle). Brisbane Lions: T Johnstone (hamstring) replaced in selected side by J Polkinghorne). Reports: Nil. Umpires: M Head J Armstrong S Jeffery. Official Crowd: 23,278 at MCG.

• ESSENDON 3.2 7.5 11.9 14.11 (95)
  
• FREMANTLE 2.5 7.6 8.9 13.13 (91)
  

Goals: Essendon: D Hille 2 S Lucas 2 A Ramanauskas 2 B Stanton 2 M Lloyd S Lonergan A Lovett A McPhee M McVeigh K Reimers. Fremantle: M Pavlich 6 C Mayne 2 C Tarrant 2 J Carr C Hinkley D Solomon. Best: Essendon: M McVeigh J Watson B Stanton A Lovett N Lovett-Murray. Fremantle: M Pavlich A Sandilands C Mayne A Grover P Bell. Injuries: Nil. Reports: Nil. Umpires: S McBurney S Stewart M Nicholls. Official Crowd: 34,239 at Subiaco Oval.

Playing next week, Geelong, Sydney, Adelaide and Collingwood

Leading Goalkickers

66: L Franklin (Hawthorn) 5

61: B Fevola (Carlton) 4

53: M Pavlich (Fremantle) 6

47: D Bradshaw (Brisbane) 4

46: J Brown (Brisbane) 5, J Roughead (Hawthorn) 6

39: D Motlop (Pt Adel) 0, M Richardson (Richmond) 1

36: J Akermanis (Bulldogs) 4

35: P Medhurst (C'wood) -