The moment: Much had been made pre-match about North Melbourne’s alternative strip resembling that of the Argentinian soccer team, and Drew Petrie suggested the similarity was more than skin-deep. One-out in the goal square in the second quarter, Petrie threw his foot at the ball and watched sailed over his head for a goal. Diego Maradona would be proud.
2 – Fremantle 13.9 (87) d West Coast 9.20 (74) at Subiaco
The moment: Just six games into his AFL career and Stephen Hill has turned running goals from beyond 50m into his trademark. He split the middle twice on Saturday, his first effort icing a brilliant move begun by Garrick Ibbotson, Matt de Boer and Byron Schammer. It captured perfectly why Freo thought him worth their No.3 pick in last year's NAB AFL Draft.
3 – Hawthorn 16.10 (106) d Carlton 15.12 (102) at the MCG
The moment: With just seven disposals and no goals it’s fair to say Cameron Cloke didn’t have his greatest ever Saturday. No play better typified his plight than a marking duel with Beau Dowler midway through the third quarter. The ball bounced off Cloke’s head straight to Dowler, who combined with Brad Sewell and Sam Mitchell for a slick Mark Williams goal.
4 – Port Adelaide 15.15 (105) d Adelaide 12.7 (79) at AAMI Stadium
The moment: Controlling a ground ball, one-handed, while running at full tilt? It’s a hard ask, but not if you are Power midfielder Danyle Pearce. His goal in the Showdown win began with a 30m sprint and a deft one-two with Warren Tredrea. The finish – a scything checkside on the run – will go down as one of the best of the season.
5 – Brisbane Lions 17.9 (111) v Essendon 9.14 (69) at the Gabba
The moment: For years Matthew Lloyd has thrilled Bombers fans with his quick leading, strong marking and deadly accurate goalkicking. After several botched attempts on Saturday night, he finally joined a club befitting his record. Going back to take a trademark overhead grab, Lloyd composed himself and calmly slotted his 900th career goal. He is just the eighth man to reach the milestone.
6 – Sydney Swans 14.10 (94) d Richmond 11.9 (75) at the SCG
The moment: The Swans pride themselves on desperation and in the closing stages of a tense match, Marty Mattner epitomised the club’s spirit. Tiger forward Jack Riewoldt looked certain to level the scores before ‘Super Marty’ – as coach Paul Roos dubbed him – launched a last-gasp dive. Riewoldt failed get his kick away and the Tigers’ challenge evaporated in that instant.
7 – Geelong 15.21 (111) d Melbourne 10.8 (68) at the MCG
The moment: Plenty of people missed it, but Gary Ablett provided one of the highlights of the match with the match just nine seconds old. The little master swooped on a loose ball from the first bounce and streamed forward. With one foot on the 50m arc he set sail and split the middle for one of the quickest goals you are ever likely to see.
8 – St Kilda 14.20 (104) d Western Bulldogs 11.10 (76) at Docklands
The moment: Nick Riewoldt couldn’t buy a goal as the Saints struggled to put their dominance on the scoreboard. Leading Dale Morris a merry dance, the skipper shanked his first three set shots. Then, hemmed in on the boundary just before half time, Riewoldt finally kicked through the ball, and his extravagant banana sailed through the middle, giving the Saints 27 points’ breathing room at the break.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
