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