ESSENDON skipper Zach Merrett has moved to within eight votes of Sydney's Isaac Heeney in the race for the AFLCA's Champion Player award after another 10-vote game in round eight.
With Heeney, the runaway leader after his hot start to the season, getting just one vote in Sydney's win over Greater Western Sydney on Saturday, Merrett has closed the gap after his best on ground display against West Coast in Perth.
>> SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL THE VOTES
Merrett was one of seven players to get a perfect score from round eight, along with Adelaide's Jake Soligo, Collingwood's Nick Daicos, Sydney's Chad Warner, St Kilda's Jack Sinclair, Fremantle's Hayden Young and Brisbane's Dayne Zorko.
Warner got 10 votes for the Swans at the SCG while teammate Errol Gulden, who won the Brett Kirk Medal as best on ground, picked up six.
Daicos got a perfect 10 for Collingwood's win over Carlton, while four other players got four votes.
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Adelaide v Port Adelaide
10 Jake Soligo (ADEL)
6 Zak Butters (PORT)
5 Mark Keane (ADEL)
4 Matt Crouch (ADEL)
3 Izak Rankine (ADEL)
2 Darcy Fogarty (ADEL)
ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS
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01:26
Crows, Power stand together against gender-based violence
Adelaide and Port Adelaide players lead a moment of reflection for women killed by men ahead of the Showdown
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00:41
Fogarty on fire with powerful early double
Darcy Fogarty takes a pair of big clunks and finishes truly to earn the first two goals of the game
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00:39
Charging Crows cooking up storm in tantalising term
Taylor Walker and Ned McHenry are afforded a wealth of space and burst towards goal for a pair of exciting majors
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00:36
Rankine works the crowd after typical magic
Izak Rankine gets the Crows faithful up and about again with a stunning finish
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00:45
Power play with fire as hampered Rozee gets subbed out
Port skipper Connor Rozee is forced out of the game hurt after a much-publicised midweek decision to play him goes awry
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00:41
Horne-Francis tries to ignite Port with two big moments
Power young gun Jason Horne-Francis produces a pair of crucial majors to give his side some hope
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00:45
Ridiculous Rankine provides ultimate show to end party
Izak Rankine delivers one more piece of individual brilliance to send the Crows fans into a frenzy
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06:02
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02:07
Soligo’s super showing earns Showdown medal
Crows young gun Jake Soligo continues to grow his reputation in the midfield with another stirring performance landing him a Showdown medal
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00:55
Special scenes as Sloane says goodbye
Adelaide champion Rory Sloane gets chaired off the ground after announcing his retirement from the game earlier this week
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10:32
Full post-match, R8: Crows
Watch Adelaide’s press conference after round eight’s match against Port Adelaide
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09:05
Full post-match, R8: Power
Watch Port Adelaide’s press conference after round eight’s match against Adelaide
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13:58
Mini-Match: Adelaide v Port Adelaide
Extended highlights of the Crows and Power clash in round eight
Carlton v Collingwood
10 Nick Daicos (COLL)
4 Jack Crisp (COLL)
4 Harry McKay (CARL)
4 Nicholas Newman (CARL)
4 Sam Walsh (CARL)
3 Scott Pendlebury (COLL)
1 Darcy Moore (COLL)
ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS
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02:20
Robbie Williams leads pre-game tribute for cancer fight
A special rendition of ‘Angels’ blares around the ‘G in honour of those battling cancer
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00:33
Maynard’s mighty missile gets Pies cooking early
Brayden Maynard receives the handball from Jamie Elliott before launching a rocket to earn the opening goal
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00:27
Daicos at dazzling best bursting through in a flash
Nick Daicos wows the Collingwood faithful with a stunning collect and finish out of the ruck contest
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00:45
Harry creating havoc with hat-trick in first term
Harry McKay is proving a handful for the Magpies with three goals in the opening quarter
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00:41
Beau blow after brutal knee to face forces sub
Collingwood is dealt a cruel injury headache in the second term with Beau McCreery subbed out after copping an errant knee
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00:55
Sullivan’s stunning debut moment sends ‘G into raptures
Collingwood first-gamer Lachie Sullivan snares the sweetest of goals shortly after being subbed into the contest
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00:57
Tensions spiral after Maynard’s tackle deemed dangerous
Brayden Maynard gets penalised for a dump tackle on Matthew Owies, who gets stuck into the Pies after nailing his set shot
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00:39
Bobby’s bag of tricks on display in mesmerising major
Bobby Hill lights up the stadium with a spectacular finish from the toughest of angles
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00:51
Clutch Daicos owns occasion with epic match-winner
Nick Daicos sends the MCG into a frenzy with a ridiculous finish to edge his side in front in the dying minutes
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04:28
Last two mins: Daicos dazzler sees Pies pinch victory
The thrilling final moments between Carlton and Collingwood in round eight
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06:51
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01:59
Nick’s night out: Daicos bags Richard Pratt Medal
Magpies superstar Nick Daicos amasses 32 touches and boots two goals in a clutch victory to be awarded the Richard Pratt Medal
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09:29
Full post-match, R8: Blues
Watch Carlton’s press conference after round eight’s match against Collingwood
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09:00
Full post-match, R8: Magpies
Watch Collingwood’s press conference after round eight’s match against Carlton
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14:29
Mini-Match: Carlton v Collingwood
Extended highlights of the Blues and Magpies clash in round eight
Sydney v Greater Western Sydney
10 Chad Warner (SYD)
7 Dane Rampe (SYD)
6 Errol Gulden (SYD)
5 Will Hayward (SYD)
1 Isaac Heeney (SYD)
1 Jack Buckley (GWS)
ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS
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00:38
Cadman cannon catches all by surprise
Aaron Cadman unloads a mammoth effort from distance to land his side’s opening goal
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00:42
Jordon bounces home beauty from some distance
James Jordon launches a terrific effort from outside 50 to edge the Swans back in front
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00:29
Giant blow as Green subbed out with ankle issue
GWS suffers a massive injury headache in the first quarter with star midfielder Tom Green forced out of the contest after injuring his ankle
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00:46
McCartin down after Brown’s brutal bump, MRO scrutiny looms
GWS forward Callum Brown looks set to come under MRO fire after collecting Tom McCartin in the second term
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00:41
Hayward hypes up Swans with silky soccer shot
Will Hayward shows his craft around the goals with a clever finish off the deck
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00:33
Heeney conjures typical gold to provide sweet icing
Isaac Heeney adds yet another highlight to his impressive season with this stunning finish to put the result beyond doubt
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06:24
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08:13
Full post-match, R8: Giants
Watch GWS’s press conference after round eight’s match against Sydney
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11:43
Full post-match, R8: Swans
Watch Sydney’s press conference after round eight’s match against GWS
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13:59
St Kilda v North Melbourne
10 Jack Sinclair (STK)
8 Darcy Wilson (STK)
4 Aidan Corr (NMFC)
3 Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (STK)
3 Bradley Hill (STK)
1 Callum Wilkie (STK)
1 Marcus Windhager (STK)
ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS
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00:38
Wardlaw's fantastic flash a super start
George Wardlaw hits the footy at pace and drills it through with precision
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00:48
Webster, Simpkin clash after Saint's early blunder
Returning from a long ban, Jimmy Webster gifts Tom Powell an early major to North Melbourne's delight
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00:29
Hayes swarmed after special return major
Jack Hayes converts truly on his long-awaited return from injury and his teammates flock to him
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00:30
Shiels' risky bump fells young Saint
Liam Shiels appears to leave the ground and make high contact with Angus Hastie
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00:33
Hastie shapes it to perfection for maiden big-time major
Angus Hastie works the angle beautifully for his first career goal
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00:52
Electric Roos run the gauntlet to keep door ajar
Cam Zurhaar rams home his third after a slick North Melbourne handball chain
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00:37
Wilson, Wardlaw collide in bone-crunching collision
Darcy Wilson is met by a big George Wardlaw bump as they both attack the footy at pace
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06:42
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09:47
Full post-match, R8: Saints
Watch St Kilda’s press conference after round eight’s match against North Melbourne
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13:24
Full post-match, R8: Kangaroos
Watch North Melbourne’s press conference after round eight’s match against St Kilda
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14:22
Mini-Match: St Kilda v North Melbourne
Extended highlights of the Saints and Kangaroos clash in round eight
Melbourne v Geelong
8 Max Holmes (GEEL)
6 Zach Guthrie (GEEL)
5 Jake Lever (MELB)
4 Kysaiah Pickett (MELB)
3 Max Gawn (MELB)
3 Steven May (MELB)
1 Harrison Petty (MELB)
ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS
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00:38
Slick Stengle snap gets Cats purring early
Tyson Stengle reads the crumb to perfection and curls it home for Geelong's first
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00:33
Pickett picks the pocket and deposits a ripper
Kysaiah Pickett intercepts Zach Guthrie's handball at pace and finishes with a bang
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00:30
Insane deadlock finally broken after behind bonanza
Kade Chandler just squeezes it home after 14 consecutive behinds in the match
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00:51
Sizzling Stengle and flying Zach sparks match alive
Zach Guthrie takes a brilliant high-flying mark before Tyson Stengle provides a special moment of magic
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00:38
Clark’s quick shot rolls on as MCG roars
Jhye Clark finds a pocket of space and drills through his first career goal at a timely moment
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00:41
Max's outrageous monster raises decibel meter
Max Gawn winds up from beyond the paint and launches through a magnificent missile
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00:38
Phenomenal Fritsch dribbler a worthy match-winner
Bayley Fritsch bends through a breathtaking GOTY contender to seal a spirited Melbourne win
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00:36
Cameron's uncharacteristic late misses prove costly
Jeremy Cameron squanders a couple of crucial set shots in the final term as Geelong loses its first match of 2024
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06:12
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08:06
Full post-match, R8: Demons
Watch Melbourne’s press conference after round eight’s match against Geelong
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07:31
Full post-match, R8: Cats
Watch Geelong’s press conference after round eight’s match against Melbourne
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14:53
West Coast v Essendon
10 Zach Merrett (ESS)
7 Nic Martin (ESS)
5 Tim Kelly (WCE)
4 Jake Waterman (WCE)
3 Darcy Parish (ESS)
1 Samuel Durham (ESS)
ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS
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00:42
Waterman continues making waves with cracking mark
Jake Waterman adds to his fine form with a solid grab and finish to bag his side’s first of the contest
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00:37
The Yeo show gets fans going in 200th game
Elliot Yeo snares a goal in his milestone match to create plenty of noise around the stadium
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00:36
Durham drives through with speed and bags beauty
Sam Durham hits the contest at pace and lands a super goal for the Bombers
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00:36
Merrett makes the difficult look easy once again
Essendon skipper Zach Merrett continues his fine season with the craftiest of goals
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00:38
Chesser piles on pressure after Don’s disaster
Campbell Chesser makes the Bombers pay full price for not clearing the footy in the goalsquare
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00:52
Harley’s double ‘don’t argue’ sends home crowd wild
Harley Reid delivers two consecutive fend-offs which eventuates in a team-lifting goal to Jack Darling
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03:54
Last two mins: Bombers survive late scare from plucky Eagles
The thrilling final moments between West Coast and Essendon in round eight
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02:12
Merrett magic: Skipper’s super three save the day
Essendon captain Zach Merrett produces another inspired performance with a trio of goals helping his side hold on for a gutsy win
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06:48
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07:50
Full post-match, R8: Eagles
Watch West Coast’s press conference after round eight’s match against Essendon
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11:24
Full post-match, R8: Bombers
Watch Essendon’s press conference after round eight’s match against West Coast
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14:06
Mini-Match: West Coast v Essendon
Extended highlights of the Eagles and Bombers clash in round eight
Richmond v Fremantle
10 Hayden Young (FRE)
8 Caleb Serong (FRE)
6 Luke Ryan (FRE)
4 Andrew Brayshaw (FRE)
1 Josh Treacy (FRE)
1 Jordan Clark (FRE)
ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS
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00:34
Lefau wins early Pearce battle for terrific Tiger start
Mykelti Lefau takes front position against Alex Pearce and threads the first major of the match
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00:30
Treacy's powerful pluck propels Freo forward
Josh Treacy gets the sit and converts nicely as Fremantle takes control in the second term
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00:54
Tigers faithful fume as Darcy benefits from tough call
Sean Darcy is gifted a 50-metre penalty right on half-time after Thomson Dow fails to hand the footy back
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00:47
Freddy keeps on running and gunning with super snap
Michael Frederick follows up on his initial contest and drills a cool curler on the burst
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00:42
Freo furnace heats up as Johnson delivers another
Matthew Johnson breaks through and snaps a ripper to finish Fremantle's relentless attack
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00:30
Mansell's gritty spinning bender provides late hope
Rhyan Mansell wins a tough contested ball and snaps through his first major
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00:56
Treacy's final-term hat-trick seals dominant Docker day
Josh Treacy provides a presence and drills three majors in the fourth quarter
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00:30
Young's double delight an elite way to finish
Hayden Young nails a pair of classy majors to put a full stop on Fremantle's fantastic day
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01:23
Rock-solid Ryan slams door shut on Tigers
Luke Ryan produces a memorable defensive display to accumulate a career-high 39 touches
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06:32
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10:33
Full post-match, R8: Dockers
Watch Fremantle’s press conference after round eight’s match against Richmond
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09:43
Full post-match, R8: Tigers
Watch Richmond’s press conference after round eight’s match against Fremantle
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14:03
Mini-Match: Richmond v Fremantle
Extended highlights of the Tigers and Dockers clash in round eight
Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn
9 Jarman Impey (HAW)
9 Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
5 Dylan Moore (HAW)
3 James Sicily (HAW)
2 Blake Hardwick (HAW)
2 Conor Nash (HAW)
ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS
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00:59
Ridiculously rapid Vandermeer driller comes within 15 seconds
Laitham Vandermeer nails the running finish as the Western Bulldogs explode from the opening bounce
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00:30
Brilliant Bont catches fire with incredible launch
Marcus Bontempelli loads up from beyond 50 and drills a trademark running missile
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00:33
Emotions spill over with Dear's special maiden moment
Calsher Dear, the son of late Hawks great Paul Dear, kicks his first career goal and his teammates flock to him
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00:45
Newcombe off a step is off the charts as Hawks run hot
Jai Newcombe sets himself and bangs through a huge major for Hawthorn
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00:32
Is Libba in trouble for this tackle?
Tom Liberatore is penalised for a dumping tackle on Will Day in the third term
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00:51
Macdonald and Weddle's dazzling double gets Marvel roaring
Connor Macdonald and Josh Weddle drill back-to-back bending rippers to extend the margin
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00:34
Young Hawks guns provide the spark with slick pair
Dylan Moore drills his first from the angle before Connor Macdonald makes the Bulldogs pay
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03:47
Last two mins: Hawks handle heat to hold out Dogs
The thrilling final moments between Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn in round eight
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06:51
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12:42
Full post-match, R8: Bulldogs
Watch Western Bulldogs’s press conference after round eight’s match against Hawthorn
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10:48
Full post-match, R8: Hawks
Watch Hawthorn’s press conference after round eight’s match against Western Bulldogs
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14:54
Mini-Match: Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn
Extended highlights of the Bulldogs and Hawks clash in round eight
Brisbane v Gold Coast
10 Dayne Zorko (BL)
7 Harris Andrews (BL)
7 Josh Dunkley (BL)
4 Hugh McCluggage (BL)
2 Lachie Neale (BL)
ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS
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00:30
Lions disaster with gun forward down clutching knee
Lincoln McCarthy leaves the ground with trainers following a suspected knee injury
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00:47
Injury havoc continues as Answerth cops brutal head knock
Noah Answerth has entered concussion protocols after taking a knee to the head in the opening term
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00:34
Sharp’s banana brilliance brings Brisbane another
Harry Sharp nails a terrific goal off one step to extend the Lions’ lead further
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00:36
Luckless Lions lose another as Gardiner goes down
Brisbane suffers another cruel injury blow with Darcy Gardiner leaving the field with a suspected knee injury
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00:43
Miraculous Morris debut has its magic moment
Logan Morris, in his second football match for the day, kicks a brilliant goal on debut against the Suns
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00:42
Suns find ray of hope through Ainsworth major
Ben Ainsworth kicks an important goal to keep the Suns within touch late
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01:33
Zorko’s ridiculous 35-kick outing leads Lions revival
Dayne Zorko stuffs the stat sheet as he takes home the Marcus Ashcroft Medal to go with 35 kicks off half-back
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06:00
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06:12
Full post-match, R8: Suns
Watch Gold Coast’s press conference after round eight’s match against Brisbane
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12:11
Full post-match, R8: Lions
Watch Brisbane’s press conference after round eight’s match against Gold Coast
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13:45
Mini-Match: Brisbane v Gold Coast
Extended highlights of the Lions and Suns clash in round Eight
LEADERBOARD
55 Isaac Heeney (SYD)
47 Zach Merrett (ESS)
40 Caleb Serong (FRE)
36 Max Gawn (MELB)
33 Errol Gulden (SYD)
32 Jeremy Cameron (GEEL)
31 Tom Green (GWS)
30 Zak Butters (PORT)
30 Nick Daicos (COLL)
29 Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
28 Matt Rowell (GCFC)
27 Noah Anderson (GCFC)
27 Patrick Cripps (CARL)
27 Harry McKay (CARL)
27 Gryan Miers (GEEL)
27 Elliot Yeo (WCE)
25 Max Holmes (GEEL)
25 Christian Petracca (MELB)
24 Connor Rozee (PORT)
24 Hayden Young (FRE)