AFL Round-Up: Swans show no signs of slowing down, Cats stumble again and Eagles cop a reality check

The Swans reserve profitable, the Dockers clutch a draw in opposition to the Magpies, the Cats stoop to some other loss and the Eagles come crashing again to earth.

We wrap up spherical 11 within the AFL.

1. Historical past says Swans shall be brilliant finalists

Thursday evening was once now not Sydney’s preferrred efficiency of 2024, however it was once just right enough quantity to get the win over an injury-ravaged Western Bulldogs.

The Swans have seven wins in a row heading into later weekend’s bye and take a seat lonely on manage of the ladder.

The win method the Swans have began the season with 10 wins and one loss for simply the 5th while of their historical past. 

That is the primary while they’ve achieved it because the Sydney Swans, year it was once completed 4 occasions year based totally in South Melbourne. 

And when the Swans get started 10-1, they put together a deep run within the ultimate. 

The Swans gained the premiership in 1918, had been semifinalists in 1932, and had been crushed through Collingwood within the 1935 and 1936 brilliant finals.

If historical past is anything else to move through, Swans avid gamers shall be ingesting H2O on Brownlow Medal evening with a brilliant ultimate behind their minds.

ABC participant of the 12 months votes:

3. Chad Warner (Sydney)

2. Brodie Grundy (Sydney)

1. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)

(Votes are compiled through the ABC Recreation radio statement crew next every duel)

2. Pulsating draw some other case of ‘What if?’ for Dockers

Fremantle’s genre of play games has been a polarising matter for almost all of this season, with Justin Longmuir’s aspect proceeding to misspen cold and hot.

Friday evening’s exciting draw in opposition to Collingwood was once Fremantle’s season in a microcosm — some dominant play games jumbled together with patches of errant target kicking and uninspiring ball motion. 

The Dockers appeared headed in opposition to some other disappointing loss in opposition to a massively undermanned Collingwood aspect till they clicked into equipment once they had incorrect alternative choice.

Upcoming spending the vast majority of the evening both kicking sideways or backwards when in ownership, Fremantle took the sport on next falling in the back of through 25 issues halfway in the course of the ultimate quarter, and the effects had been fast. 

Fremantle started taking part in on and all prices, handballing and operating in waves at a Collingwood defence that appeared a slight rattled when they didn’t have enough quantity while to arrange their zones in the back of the soccer. 

It’s steadily tough to resolve which crew appears at a draw as two issues misplaced or two issues won. On one hand, the Dockers have a proper to consider they’ve stolen two issues having been second-best for almost all of the evening.

Alternatively, at the alternative hand, Longmuir should surprise if his aspect performed with the reckless leave they did within the ultimate quarter if the outcome would’ve been a at ease victory.

ABC participant of the 12 months votes:

3. Nick Daicos (Collingwood)

2. Jeremy Bright (Fremantle)

1. Josh Daicos (Collingwood)

3. Curnow, Andrew throw unwell in a out of date competition

One of the most primary causes AFL lovers steadily reminisce over the 90s because the blonde time of soccer is because of the vintage one-on-one contests between forwards and defenders.

Wayne Carey and Glen Jakovich’s duels become mythical, as did the likes of Jason Dunstall, Tony Lockett, Tony Modra and Gary Ablett tussling with probably the most preferrred defenders in their while comparable to Stephen Silvagni and Dustin Fletcher. 

Recreation making plans has develop into way more subtle within the many years that experience handed, with zonal-style defences hardly making an allowance for distant contests, however that in short modified on Saturday afternoon.

Carlton’s accident in opposition to the Gold Coast noticed reigning Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow manned through Suns younger gun Mac Andrew, and the competition throughout the game was once one to behold. 

Andrew ruled the primary 1/2, protecting Curnow goalless year breathing in intercept mark next intercept mark.

Alternatively, as champion avid gamers do, Curnow spoke back in type in the second one 1/2, assisted through the Suns in short taking Andrew off him, as he kicked 4 objectives to whisk his run of kicking no less than one target in a competition to 58. 

At simply twenty years of year, there’s no telling simply how dominant a defender Andrew might be when his frame ultimately fills out. He’s blessed with a unprecedented mix of dimension and pace that permits him to preserve virtually any form of participant within the Gold Coast’s defensive 50, however marries up his athletic items with a degree of soccer nous this is hardly viewable in younger avid gamers.

Date the Suns succumbed to a 29-point loss, thank you in large part to Curnow’s second-half explosion, Andrew completed with 17 touches and 11 marks and left lovers craving for his later match-up with the AFL’s manage canine.

ABC participant of the 12 months votes:

3. Sam Walsh (Carlton)

2. Tom De Koning (Carlton)

1. Zac Williams (Carlton)

4. Horne-Francis reminds Roos what may just’ve been

There was once a ruthless twist of irony for the Kangaroos on Saturday afternoon once they had been pitted in opposition to Jason Horne-Francis for his fiftieth profession competition. 

Upcoming a scratchy 17 video games with North in his first season on the AFL degree, Horne-Francis has begun to grasp the possible that made him one of the crucial hyped Incorrect.1 selections within the terminating few seasons with Port Adelaide. 

The 20-year-old midfield dynamo completed with 24 disposals, 10 clearances and a target in his milestone duel, and wasn’t afraid to get within the faces of a few of his timeless teammates as Port ran out with a at ease 59-point win in Hobart. 

North’s avid gamers gave a just right account of themselves for a 1/2, however as they’ve tended to do, they couldn’t put 4 just right quarters of soccer in combination. 

The loss in opposition to Port Adelaide made it 11 instantly for Alastair Clarkson’s males, and it’s dehydrated to look the place the luminous on the terminate of the tunnel is at this time for the AFL’s perennial strugglers.

As they watched Horne-Francis rack up clearance next clearance on Saturday, Kangaroos lovers needed to be questioning the place this was once when he was once within the blue and white. 

West Coast’s Harley Reid has been touted through some professionals as the most productive Incorrect.1 pick out of all-time next a scintillating begin to his personal AFL profession, however it’s simple to disregard that Horne-Francis entered the league with an identical quantity of hype.

This gained’t put together any Roos lovers really feel higher, however there’s an alternative universe the place each are operating round dominating video games for North Melbourne in combination. 

ABC participant of the 12 months votes:

3. Jason Horne-Francis (Port Adelaide)

2. Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide)

1. Todd Marshall (Port Adelaide) 

5. Leek Aleer has his Leo Barry generation

It was once within the brilliant ultimate 19 years in the past when Swans defender Leo Barry etched his identify into AFL folklore with a fantastic intercept mark to seal Sydney’s premiership win over West Coast. 

On Saturday, it was once some other defender from Sydney dressed in Incorrect.21 who rose above a bundle to whisk a tall mark as his combatants pressed overdue – GWS Giants teen Leek Aleer. 

The Giants, aiming to snap a three-game shedding streak, discovered themselves in a finals-like game in opposition to Geelong, which was once hell-bent of breaking out of its personal three-game stoop. 

Kardinia Soil has been a graveyard for a number of golf equipment, however the Giants have weirdly loved luck there of overdue, profitable their terminating 3 contests in Geelong heading into this one. 

Halfway in the course of the 3rd quarter, when Jesse Hogan goaled to position the Giants up through 31 issues, it seemed like a regimen win was once at the playing cards, however the Cats have made a addiction of falling unwell weighty at habitat ahead of clawing their long ago. 

It seemed like Geelong was once moving to thieve the sport all the way through a enraged run between Hogan’s target on the nine-minute mark of the 3rd quarter and Toby Greene’s eventual competition winner on the 23-minute mark of the fourth, because the Cats stormed again, spurred on through a heaving public in attendance.

With the Cats trailing through 4 issues within a tiny left, there was once one terminating foray ahead, just for Aleer to sky above the bundle to whisk the eventual match-sealing snatch.

GWS’ win made it the primary while within the Chris Scott time that the Cats have misplaced 4 video games at the trot, and year 3 of the losses were through unmarried digits, the alarm bells shall be ringing on the Cattery.

ABC participant of the 12 months votes:

3. Leek Aleer (GWS)

2. Sam Taylor (GWS)

1. Max Holmes (Geelong)

6. Returning Ridley is helping Essendon live on large scare

It’s simple to disregard that Essendon’s unexpected arise up the ladder has include two of its maximum notable avid gamers having in large part interrupted seasons to this point this 12 months.

Peter Wright and Jordan Ridley are the one non-Zach Merrett avid gamers to win the membership’s preferrred and fairest award within the terminating 5 seasons. Wright is again next serving a four-game abeyance and Ridley made his long-awaited go back from repeated quad accidents on Saturday evening in opposition to Richmond with aplomb. 

The cultured defender racked up 31 touches, 14 intercepts, 12 marks and a target to be named the most productive on grassland and fortified what’s having a look like an excessively ambitious again six for the Bombers. 

With low season contract Ben McKay taking the opposition’s preferrred ahead, Ridley and Jayden Laverde were in a position to tackle less-imposing assignments, one thing they didn’t have the posh of doing in years age. 

Many noticed the accident in opposition to Richmond as a big percentage-boosting alternative for the Bombers, however what no person accounted for was once the truth that the Tigers stars would arise for a fixture this is now the spotlight in their season and not using a finals at the horizon.

It’s incorrect miracle that Dustin Martin (23 touches and 3 objectives) appeared as energised as ever, year premiership stars Shai Bolton, Dion Prestia and Toby Nankervis had been all magnificient. 

In spite of being moment at the ladder, Essendon continues to be very a lot a piece in walk, in particular in the course of the grassland and in the future the place there’s nonetheless a disconnect now and then between its midfielders and forwards.

Alternatively, a key trait to groups that win and win weighty within the finals is the power to assemble a worthy again six, and Ridley’s go back is some other step in opposition to Essendon having a defence it may store on on the act terminate of the season. 

ABC participant of the 12 months votes:

3. Jordan Ridley (Essendon)

2. Nic Martin (Essendon)

1. Zach Merrett (Essendon)

7. Hawks display backbone to dance again from agonising loss

Hawthorn’s 25-point win over the Brisbane Lions would possibly not finally end up serving to them go back to the finals, however it did display Sam Mitchell’s troops have a steely get to the bottom of.

They might have licked their wounds and felt sorry for themselves next given up a at ease manage in opposition to Port Adelaide in terminating era’s harrowing one-point defeat.

However in opposition to the Lions, the Hawks overcame an early onslaught to manage at half-time, ahead of doing enough quantity to reserve their noses in entrance on the ultimate alternate next the guests made a fee within the 3rd time period.

When it gave the impression fatigue would possibly play games an element, the Hawks lifted with a 5.2 to two.3 ultimate quarter to say their fourth win of the season.

A number of the many causes for Mitchell to really feel happy was once the truth the win was once constructed at the performances of skilled campaigners, comparable to Jack Gunston (4 objectives), and the more youthful brigade, highlighted through Will Pace (one target, 26 disposals).

Finals is also a bridge too a ways for the Hawks in 2024, however there’s enough quantity to indicate they’re shifting within the correct course beneath Mitchell.

The place does the outcome let go the Lions?

They’re 10 issues adrift of the manage 8 in thirteenth park at the ladder, with a 4-6-1 file via 11 rounds.

The Lions had been made to pay for inaccuracy in opposition to the Hawks and it’s going to be an uphill combat for terminating 12 months’s runner-up to proceed their run of finals appearances.

ABC participant of the 12 months votes:

3. Will Pace (Hawthorn)

2. Karl Amon (Hawthorn)

1. Jack Gunston (Hawthorn)

8. Saints’ woes proceed as Demons dominate

St Kilda may just whisk few positives clear of its 38-point loss to Melbourne, its 3rd defeat in a row.

The Saints couldn’t assemble on a promising moment quarter, wherein they outscored the Demons 3.3 to one.2, as they fell away next half-time.

Their 3-8 go back via 11 rounds doesn’t encourage self assurance amongst Saints lovers, some degree now not misplaced on professor Ross Lyon.

“I feel for our fans and our members, and I just said to our players we need to stick together,” Lyon mentioned next the duel.

“We’ve really fallen away a bit, so we’ve got to go away and assess, keep a cool head, take the heat that comes and stay true to working hard and keeping a safe environment for the players.”

For the Demons, it was once notable they bounced again next terminating era’s injury 35-point loss to West Coast in Perth and the win over the Saints lifts them to fourth spot at the ladder.

Max Gawn, who was once beneath an damage cloud ahead of the duel with a calf criticism, was once large for the Demons with a target, 27 disposals, 10 clearances and 7 marks.

The goal-kicking tasks had been shared round, with Jacob van Rooyen grabbing 3, and Bayley Fritsch Christian Petracca, Jack Viney every claiming doubles.

The Demons gained’t have it simple later weekend once they go to Alice Springs to stand a skilled Fremantle squad.

In the meantime, the Saints will wish to regroup forward in their highway travel to stand fellow strugglers West Coast in Perth.

ABC participant of the 12 months votes:

3. Max Gawn (Melbourne)

2. Steven Would possibly (Melbourne)

1. Christian Salem (Melbourne)

9. Truth bites for Eagles as Crows dish out thrashing

The promise “revival” was once bandied round in media circles when the Eagles took unwell the Demons in a large dissatisfied terminating weekend.

The Eagles’ win over one of the vital premiership contenders was once noteceable however it proved to be a fraudelant morning time within the wake of the 99-point hammering they won from Adelaide within the ultimate duel of Sir Doug Nicholls Spherical.

The Crows blew the Eagles off Adelaide Oval within the first quarter once they established a 7.5 (46) to 0.2 (2) manage they usually stretched their merit to 61 issues through half-time.

The Eagles made slight impact within the ultimate two quarters once they had been once more outscored through their combatants who had been driving a tide of self assurance.

Harley Reid equipped some flashes of brilliance, comparable to a impressive mark overdue within the fourth time period, however the injury at the scoreboard intended there was once slight for Eagles supporters to remove from the duel.

The Crows, coming off their slender four-point loss to the Magpies on the MCG, had been glad to dine out in opposition to the Eagles and file their fourth win of the season.

Their preferrred mode suggests a finals berth is an opportunity however their needy begin to the season – highlighted through fourth consecutive defeats – is ready to return again to chew them on the business-end of the home-and-away marketing campaign.

ABC participant of the 12 months votes:

3. Jordan Dawson (Adelaide)

2. Darcy Fogarty (Adelaide)

1. Lachy Sholl (Adelaide)