
First Time In 12 Years Melbourne To Play Finals Football
Victor P Taffa
Reigning Premiers Richmond began round 22 with an undermanned side including Captain Trent Cotchin who was out injured and met Essendon who were desperate to win in order to maintain a chance at playing in this season’s finals matches.
However the depth and class of Richmond stood tall and won a tightly contested match.
Again the Jack and Josh show went on the rampage against Essendon. Both Jack Riewoldt and Josh Caddy are in the Top 10 of leading goalkickers and contributed half of Richmond’s goals scored.
Jack Riewoldt has kicked 60 goals for the season while Josh Caddy has kicked 43 goals which is a combined total of 103 goals.
Jack Riewoldt leads the race for the Coleman Medal ahead of North Melbourne’s Ben Brown on 58 goals.
Jack Riewoldt won the Coleman Medal in seasons 2010 and 2012. Coleman Medal is awarded to the leading goalkicker of the Home and Away Series.
Collingwood defeated Port Adelaide easily with a 7 Goal haul in the last quarter.
Geelong blew Fremantle out of the park in defeating them easily. However Geelong are desperate to make the finals and this was the main motivating factor in their large win.
Sydney overcame a tenacious Greater Western Sydney as both teams strive for a Top 4 berth going into the finals.
Brisbane squeaked home against Gold Coast in a match where both sides are a long way off from a finals berth this season.
Hawthorn fell over the line in defeating St. Kilda and did not kick a Goal in the last quarter. Hawthorn face Sydney next week where both teams will be desperate to make the Top 4 that gives teams a doubles chance in the finals.
Western Bulldogs defeated Carlton who have won the wooden spoon for season 2018 even with the last round yet to be played.
Adelaide overcame an enthusiastic North Melbourne who failed to kick a goal in the second quarter.
Melbourne defeated West Coast in Western Australia that has secured the Demons a finals berth for the first time in 12 years.
Melbourne Demons Angus Brayshaw would have been particularly satisfied with the club’s defeat of West Coast.
It was West Coast’s Andrew Gaff who broke the jaw of his brother Andrew Brayshaw 2 rounds ago. Andrew Brayshaw plays for Fremantle in Western Australia.
Whether it is a challenge by other football codes or not the West Coast players did not run out onto the ground beneath the usual banner created by club supporter groups. West Coast ran out through a large eagle that seemed to be an attempt to copy what other football codes do.
On top of the breaking of the jaw of Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw it would seem that West Coast are so arrogant that they think they are Premiers in season 2018 already.
Melbourne showed that West Coast are a long way off from being Premiers in season 2018.
Quarter By Quarter Scores
Richmond v Essendon
RICHMOND
Q1. 4.0
Q2. 5.6
Q3. 10.8
Q4. 12.9 (81)
ESSENDON
Q1. 2.3
Q2. 4.4
Q3. 7.5
Q4. 11.7 (73)
GOALS
Richmond:
Caddy 4, Martin 4, Riewoldt 2, Castagna, Baker
Essendon:
Hooker 3, Brown 2, Baguley, Colyer, Smith, Parish, Stringer, Bellchambers
Official Crowd: 76,424 at the MCG
Collingwood v Port Adelaide
COLLINGWOOD
Q1. 4.2
Q2. 9.7
Q3. 10.11
Q4. 17.13 (115)
PORT ADELAIDE
Q1. 4.1
Q2. 7.2
Q3. 9.4
Q4. 10.4 (64)
GOALS
Collingwood:
Stephenson 2, Phillips 2, Mihocek 2, De Goey 2, Sier, Varcoe, Adams, Oxley, Sidebottom, Cox, Grundy, Mayne, Thomas
Port Adelaide:
Ryder 3, Boak 2, Westhoff, Watts, Polec, R. Gray, S. Gray
Official Crowd: 46,286 at the MCG
Geelong v Fremantle
GEELONG
Q1. 1.5
Q2. 11.6
Q3. 17.9
Q4. 24.14 (158)
FREMANTLE
Q1. 3.2
Q2. 3.2
Q3. 3.5
Q4. 3.7 (25)
GOALS
Geelong:
Hawkins 6, Parfitt 4, Kelly 3, Tuohy 2, Menzel 2, Henry 2, Taylor, Menegola, Murdoch, Ablett, Thurlow
Fremantle:
Sheridan, Mundy, Hill
Official Crowd: 24,507 at GMHBA Stadium
Greater Western Sydney v Sydney
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
Q1. 3.3
Q2. 6.6
Q3. 7.9
Q4. 8.12 (60)
SYDNEY
Q1. 1.2
Q2. 4.3
Q3. 5.9
Q4. 11.14 (80)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney:
Cameron 2, Himmelberg 2, Lloyd 2, Shiel, Bonar
Sydney: Franklin 5, Jack 2, Parker, Jack, McCartin, Hayward
Official Crowd: 21,433 at Spotless Stadium
Gold Coast v Brisbane
GOLD COAST
Q1. 1.2
Q2. 6.4
Q3. 8.6
Q4. 11.8 (74)
BRISBANE
Q1. 3.5
Q2. 6.10
Q3. 7.15
Q4. 10.18 (78)
GOALS
Gold Coast: Sexton 4, Ainsworth, Bowes, Crossley, Fiorini, Holman, Lyons, Young
Brisbane: Taylor 2, Andrews, Beams, Christensen, Mathieson, McCluggage, Rayner, Starcevich, Walker
Official Crowd: 11,907 at Metricon Stadium
St. Kilda v Hawthorn
ST. KILDA
Q1. 4.4
Q2. 6.6
Q3. 10.9
Q4. 11.10 (76)
HAWTHORN
Q1. 1.3
Q2. 7.5
Q3. 12.6
Q4. 12.8 (80)
GOALS
St. Kilda:
Lonie 4, Membrey 2, Billings, Gresham, Newnes, Paton, Steele
Hawthorn:
Gunston 4, McEvoy 2, Breust 2, Burgoyne, Impey, Nash, Worpel
Official Crowd: 24,795 at Etihad Stadium
Carlton v Western Bulldogs
CARLTON
Q1. 2.2
Q2. 4.4
Q3. 5.6
Q4. 7.7 (49)
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Q1. 2.1
Q2. 4.2
Q3. 6.4
Q4. 10.6 (66)
GOALS
Carlton:
C. Curnow 2, Wright, De Koning, Simpson, Dow, Silvagni
Western Bulldogs:
Jong 2, McLean, Trengove, Hunter, Wallis, Gowers, Greene, Schache, Johannisen
Official Crowd: 24,143 at Etihad Stadium
West Coast v Melbourne
WEST COAST
Q1. 3.0
Q2. 5.4
Q3. 11.6
Q4. 14.7 (91)
MELBOURNE
Q1. 4.4
Q2. 7.6
Q3. 12.8
Q4. 16.12 (108)
GOALS
West Coast:
Rioli 4, Hutchings 2, Masten, Ah Chee, Cripps, Vardy, Sheed, Yeo, Venebles, LeCras
Melbourne:
Melksham 4, McDonald 3, Hannan 3, Weideman, Harmes, Brayshaw, vandenBerg, Jones, Kent
Official Crowd: 55,824 at Optus Stadium
Adelaide v North Melbourne
ADELAIDE
Q1. 3.4
Q2. 7.9
Q3. 10.13
Q4. 12.14 (86)
NORTH MELBOURNE
Q1. 3.2
Q2. 3.5
Q3. 6.7
Q4. 11.11 (77)
GOALS
Adelaide:
Jenkins 3, Greenwood 2, McGovern 2, Gibbs, Knight, Gallucci, Lynch, Betts
North Melbourne:
Waite 3, Goldstein 2, Atley 2, Walker, Simpkin, Wood, Ziebell
Official Crowd: 41,444 at the Adelaide Oval
G Goals worth 6 Points
B Behinds worth 1 Point
T Total Score
Round 23 Final Home And Away Matches
Port Adelaide v Essendon
Carlton v Adelaide
Geelong v Gold Coast
Richmond v Western Bulldogs
Sydney v Hawthorn
Brisbane v West Coast
St. Kilda v North Melbourne
Melbourne v GWS
Fremantle v Collingwood
Position Club Played Win Loss Draw Bye Points
1 Richmond 21 17 4 1 68
2 West Coast 21 15 6 1 60
3 Collingwood 21 14 7 1 56
4 Hawthorn 21 14 7 1 56
5 Sydney 21 14 7 1 56
6 GWS 21 13 7 1 1 54
7 Melbourne 21 13 8 1 52
8 Geelong 21 12 9 1 48
9 Port Adelaide 21 12 9 1 48
10 North Melbourne 21 11 10 1 44
11 Essendon 21 11 10 1 44
12 Adelaide 21 11 10 1 44
13 Western Bulldogs 21 8 13 1 32
14 Fremantle 21 8 13 1 32
15 Brisbane 21 5 16 1 20
16 St. Kilda 21 4 16 1 1 18
17 Gold Coast 21 4 17 1 16
18 Carlton 21 2 19 1 8
Wins worth 4 Premiership Points
Draws worth 2 Premiership Points
Abbreviations:
GWS Greater Western Sydney
MCG Melbourne Cricket Ground
SCG Sydney Cricket Ground
Gabba Brisbane Cricket Ground in suburb of Woolloongabba and known as Gabba
AFL Australian Football League