1. Essendon 15.9 (99) d Western Bulldogs 14.6 (90) at Etihad Stadium
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The moment: Checkside kicks are usually frowned upon in general play, but Bulldog Jarrad Grant pulled off a perfectly bended pass in the second quarter. Forced on to his non-preferred left boot on the wing, Grant elected to kick a banana 40m up the ground to Daniel Cross. The ball came perfectly to Cross and would have resulted in a goal - had he not dropped an easy chest mark.
2. Richmond 10.17 (77) d Port Adelaide 3.12 (30) at AAMI Stadium
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The moment: There is nothing like a hard hit on a wet day, but for Luke McGuane it wasn’t an opposition player that would leave him sucking air. Legs wide apart, McGuane slid across the slippery ground after a ball and collected the goal post in a very uncomfortable manner. As the Tigers celebrated their year's first win, at least one man would have been smiling through the pain.
3. Geelong 18.13 (121) d Melbourne 10.7 (67) at Skilled Stadium
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The moment: On his way to his fourth bag of five goals in his debut season, Geelong cult hero James Podsiadly almost brought the new stand at Skilled Stadium crashing to the ground. Taking a contested mark 50m out early in the third term, Pods played on and kicked a beautiful goal that brought the Geelong faithful to its feet.
4. Brisbane Lions 13.10 (88) d Collingwood 11.14 (80) at the Gabba
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The moment: As well as cementing the Lions' victory, Brendan Fevola’s fourth goal was a Fev special. Joel Patfull burst through a pack of three players, handing off for Simon Black who grubbered it forward. Fevola scooped the ball up and snapped over his shoulder, somehow rolling the ball through from 40 metres out.
5. St Kilda 19.9 (123) d Adelaide 12.4 (76) at Etihad Stadium
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The moment: After a Stephen Milne snap from the boundary, Rhys Stanley looked to be in the right place at the right time as he toe-poked his second major from the goal square. But it wasn't to be. The dribbling ball hit the goal umpire, who was standing over the goal line and refused to register a score. Play on was the call in one of the season's most bizarre pieces of play.
6. Hawthorn 10.19 (79) d Sydney Swans 11.11 (77) at the MCG
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The moment: It was a matter for debate as to who would get the job on Hawthorn spearhead Buddy Franklin, and his strength and athleticism soon proved problematic for Lewis Roberts-Thomson. Using body strength to nudge out LRT, Buddy collected the ball and sprinted like a gazelle to snare his second major in as many minutes.
7. Carlton 15.15 (105) d West Coast 11.10 (76) at Etihad Stadium
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The moment: If there was one glaring distinction between the two sides on Sunday afternoon it was the difference in pace. The point was driven home in the third term when Andrew Embley strolled out of the backline looking for options. Livewire forward Jeff Garlett closed the gap in a blink of the eye and trapped the 2006 Norm Smith Medalist. Garlett won the free kick, kicked truly and gave the Blues an insurmountable 43-point lead.
8. Fremantle 21.13 (139) d North Melbourne 11.12 (78) at Subiaco Oval
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The moment: Whether at Essendon or Fremantle, Kepler Bradley has been one of the most maligned players in the AFL, but he turned on a show against the Roos. Late in the second term, Hayden Ballantyne kicked towards goal and Bradley took a strong mark in between the goal and point posts. He went back and checksided the ball through for his third goal - crystallising an outstanding day for man and club.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
