A review of all the action from Round 10 of the 2024 Smithy’s VFL season.
COLLINGWOOD vs FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS
COLLINGWOOD 4.1 5.6 6.8 8.11 (59)
FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS 5.3 7.6 11.10 14.13 (97)
FOOTSCRAY defended its unbeaten start to the season and moved two games clear atop the Smithy’s VFL ladder, easing away from a gallant but undermanned Collingwood in the second half to win by 38 points at Marvel Stadium on Friday.
The Bulldogs won every quarter after conceding the opening two goals and never looked in any danger without ever putting the Magpies to the sword.
Cooper Craig-Peters, who was mentioned as a mid-season draft contender before being overlooked, enhanced his reputation in a dominant display.
Craig-Peters, who had not won 20 disposals in a VFL game before this season, has not been below that number in 2024 and he broke the 30 barrier for the first time in his second career-best effort in a row and his fourth of the year.
He finished with 36 touches (24 contested), 15 clearances and 10 tackles in a remarkable triple-double that ensured Collingwood wouldn’t be challenging for an upset.
Oskar Baker (21 disposals, six tackles, three goals), Trent Bianco (28 disposals, five tackles, eight inside-50s, one goal) and Jedd Busslinger (24 disposals, 11 marks) also continued their dominant form.
Ethan Hunt (25 disposals, six marks, one goal) and Sam Willoughby (22 disposals, 10 tackles, six entries) also broke new ground, Dom Bedendo kicked three goals and Lachlan Smith (15 disposals, 29 hitouts, five clearances, five tackles) took advantage of the Magpies’ makeshift ruck division.
Ryan Sparkes was also in career-best touch for Collingwood with 30 possessions, seven marks, six clearances, five tackles and five entries.
Magpies skipper captain Campbell Lane (25 disposals, 10 marks, eight rebounds), Cooper MacDonald (20 disposals, 10 marks, six rebounds), Harry Flynn (22 disposals, six marks), Nathan Kreuger (eight marks, three goals) and fill-in ruckman Ben Silvagni (10 disposals, 24 hitouts, five clearances, one goal) also performed well.
COBURG vs CASEY DEMONS
COBURG 2.3 9.6 14.6 16.12 (108)
CASEY DEMONS 4.6 5.8 9.9 12.10 (82)
COBURG star Flynn Gentile responded to his reported near-miss in the mid-season draft with a stunning display to steer his side to its first win over the Casey Demons in 10 years.
The classy 26-point result also gave the Lions their 500th victory at Piranha Park.
Gentile had the ball on a string both under the packs and on the outside as he piled up 25 disposals, nine clearances and two classy goals in the first half alone on his way to match tallies of 43 possessions (16 contested) at almost 80 per cent efficiency, 11 clearances, 12 inside-50s and two majors.
Coburg was handball happy early and coughed up plenty of turnovers with those and long dump kicks forward to taller Demon defenders in the first quarter as it fell 15 points behind.
However, the Lions fixed up both issues at the break and launched a seven-goal assault in the second term that has been extremely rare in recent years.
Leading by 22 at the main break, the home side answered a mini rally from Casey midway through the third and were never seriously threatened after that, beating the Demons for the first time in 3570 days (August 24, 2014) and crossing the 100-point threshold for only the second time in five years for their highest score since 2019.
Gentile had plenty of support in the middle, with ruckman Liam Podhajski (16 disposals, 30 hitouts, eight clearances, three goals) dominating Will Verrall and Tom Fullarton in his first game of the year.
Joel Trudgeon (33 disposals, seven clearances, five tackles, five entries), Donovan Toohey (29 disposals, seven marks, five entries, five rebounds), Hugo Bromell (26 disposals, nine clearances, five entries, one goal) and Braedyn Gillard (23 disposals, six entries, one goal) all got involved.
Down back, skipper Jesse Corigliano (22 disposals, eight marks, six rebounds, one goal), Lachlan Walker (22 disposals, six marks, one goal) and club debutant Josh May (19 disposals, nine marks) all impressed, while Kyle Weightman was ever dangerous up forward with three goals, with the performance even more sparkling given they lost Tom McKenzie to an ankle injury in the second quarter.
Mitch White once again played a terrific captain’s knock for Casey to be his team’s best with 31 touches, nine marks, five clearances and seven entries. Blake Howes (32 disposals, nine marks, 13 rebounds), Bailey Laurie (27 disposals, five clearances, six entries) and Koltyn Tholstrup (21 disposals, six marks, nine tackles, seven entries, one goal) were also effective and Fullarton still contributed 19 touches, 18 hitouts and two goals in his 50th VFL game.
GEELONG CATS vs RICHMOND
GEELONG CATS 3.4 8.5 10.6 11.11 (77)
RICHMOND 1.4 4.6 7.9 8.12 (60)
GEELONG climbed to second on the ladder with a five-goal burst either side of quarter-time enough to see off Richmond by 17 points at GMHBA Stadium.
The win came despite strong performances from both of the Tigers’ mid-season draftees.
Scores were level entering time-on of the first quarter, but the Cats cut loose with five goals in 16 minutes to take a game-high 30-point lead.
They were able to cruise from there, even though the Tigers did give them some nervous moments when No.16 pick Campbell Gray kicked his second goal to cut the deficit to nine in the second minute of the last quarter.
Ted Clohesy produced a sparkling display for Geelong with 27 disposals, five marks, eight tackles, six inside-50s and three goals.
Brandan Parfitt (34 disposals, 12 clearances, five tackles six entries), George Stevens (32 disposals, seven clearances, five entries) showed off the AFL depth and Darcy Edmends (21 disposals, eight marks, five rebounds) and captain Dan Capiron (17 disposals, 11 marks) fired off the VFL list.
No.2 pick Jacob Blight was excellent in defence with 20 touches and nine marks while Gray took seven marks and kicked 2.2 at the other end.
But it was Richmond’s rookies who really stood up, led by second-gamer Harry Scott (25 disposals, seven clearances, seven tackles, one goal) and ninth-gamer Lachlan Wilson (20 disposals, five marks), while Chad Harris (20 disposals, seven marks, seven rebounds) also worked hard.
FRANKSTON vs SANDRINGHAM
FRANKSTON 4.2 5.4 6.10 7.12 (54)
SANDRINGHAM 0.1 3.5 5.6 8.7 (55)
COOPER Sharman went from well beaten early to the absolute hero as Sandringham took advantage of Frankston’s profligacy in front of goal to pinch a nerve-wracking one-point win in its first trip to Kinetic Stadium for nine years on Saturday night.
Sharman had just one handball to his name midway through the second quarter as Max Williams dominated him early.
That helped the Dolphins kick four goals to none in the first term, with Tom Murphy (30 disposals, seven clearances, seven entries) and Seb Quirk (23 disposals) brilliant in the middle, Jackson Voss (25 disposals, six rebounds), ex-Zebra Tyson Milne (21 disposals, six clearances, five rebounds) and Taine Barlow (18 disposals, six marks, five rebounds) impassable in defence and Matt Johnson (two goals) causing havoc in attack.
But their accuracy once again deserted them after the break and they managed just 3.10 for the rest of the night, keeping the Zebras within striking distance.
Max Heath (17 disposals, 59 hitouts, eight clearances, five tackles) had a field day in the ruck, Brad Crouch (31 disposals, 11 clearances, 12 tackles, one goal) showed his class in the middle, Arie Schoenmaker (26 disposals, six marks, 11 rebounds) provided drive from defence and Angus McLennan shut Noah Gown out.
And they Zebras struck through Sharman, who had worked himself into the game before kicking two brilliant roving goals from the pocket in the space of four minutes to take the lead for the first time 24 minutes into the last term.
He then went behind the ball to take two crucial intercept marks in the dying stages to help his side consolidate a top-six spot, with Angus Hastie also making a crucial play by intercepting a risky Gown pass towards Johnson in the goal square.
Sharman finished with 17 disposals, six marks and three goals in a crucial contribution, but Frankston now has kicked 80.122 for the season and it has finally cost the Dolphins four points they should not have given away.
GOLD COAST SUNS vs WERRIBEE
GOLD COAST SUNS 5.0 7.5 9.6 11.7 (73)
WERRIBEE 4.3 8.6 10.9 13.12 (90)
WERRIBEE gained the slightest modicum of satisfaction after last year’s Grand Final defeat, outclassing its conqueror Gold Coast by 17 points in their first meeting since at People First Stadium on Sunday.
The Tigers were the better team throughout as they continued their love affair with Queensland, only finding themselves behind at quarter-time to the Suns’ efficiency (5.0).
The home team stretched their lead to 17 points early in the second term on the back of second goals to Jake Rogers and Brandon Ellis, but Werribee fought its way back into the game with the next four goals to take a lead at half-time that it wouldn’t relinquish, going goal-for-goal through the second half until kicking clear late.
Jack Henderson was the standout for the Tigers with 25 disposals, seven marks, nine clearances, seven tackles and three goals.
Louis Pinnuck (28 disposals, 14 marks, five entries, six rebounds, one goal), Riley Bice (23 disposals, seven marks, six rebounds) and Jesse Clark (17 disposals , 10 marks) also played leading roles.
Ellis did as he pleased in a losing cause for Gold Coast, finishing with 32 possessions, 11 marks and two goals and Levi Casboult (six marks, four goals) and Sam Day (four marks, three goals) broke away from the league’s best defence.
Connor Budarick (22 disposals, eight marks, six rebounds) was strong in the back half and Alex Davies, Jack Mahony and James Tsitas did well through the middle.
ESSENDON vs BOX HILL HAWKS
ESSENDON 0.2 0.4 3.7 5.10 (40)
BOX HILL HAWKS 3.3 10.6 12.9 16.16 (112)
NICK Watson showed exactly why he was taken at pick No.5 in last year’s national draft with a starring role on VFL debut as Box Hill Hawks took the frustration of last week’s big loss out on a hapless Essendon, thrashing the Bombers by 72 points at Windy Hill.
“The Wizard” has spent the first third of the season playing for Hawthorn after leapfrogging straight into the AFL team but dropped back for his first game at State league level and kicked four goals from 22 disposals and eight marks.
Goalless and trailing by 62 points at half time, Essendon rallied to win the third term but the Hawks regained control in the last and should have won by more given they kicked 4.7 in the fourth quarter.
Watson had plenty of mates put their hands up for recalls into the flying Hawthorn team, with Chad Wingard’s comeback from an achilles injury gathering steam with six marks and four goals.
Max Ramsden enjoyed the absence of Nick Bryan to have 23 touches, nine marks, 27 hitouts, six clearances and two goals, while Finn Maginness (39 disposals, six marks, eight clearances, seven entries, one goal), Harry Morrison (36 disposals, nine marks, 10 rebounds) and Josh Ward (33 disposals, nine marks, seven entries) contracted a case of leather poisoning that has afflicted Callum Brown (37 disposals, eight marks, six entries) all year.
Mid-season draftee Saad El-Hawli was outstanding for Essendon with 25 disposals and five rebounds off half-back, while Will Setterfield made a terrific return from injury for 29 touches, six clearances, seven tackles, seven entries and two goals). Dylan Shiel (26 disposals, six clearances, six tackles) and Sam Weideman (nine marks) also played well.
NORTHERN BULLANTS vs CARLTON
NORTHERN BULLANTS 7.3 8.6 13.11 14.11 (95)
CARLTON 2.3 4.10 6.11 11.17 (83)
NORTHERN Bullants landed one of its sweetest wins since coming back into the VFL as a standalone club, climbing off the bottom of the ladder and relegating former partner Carlton into that position with a 12-point victory in front of a big crowd at Genis Steel Oval.
Jean-Luc Velissaris ran the stats man’s pen dry in a stunning individual performance as the Bullants slammed on the first five goals and seven in the first term – including three to John Jorgensen – to stun the Blues before holding firm to lead by 20 points at half-time.
The Ants blasted another five goals to two in the third to take what appeared to be a match-winning 42-point lead turning for home, but Carlton finally came to life, kicking four goals in the first 11 minutes of the first term to put the fans on edge.
The Blues were able to draw within 13 points in the 24th minute, before Will Elliott, who earlier took another hanger to turn AFL recruiters’ head again, won a free kick at the top of the goal square and sealed the win – finishing with 2.3 from 16 touches and five marks.
Velissaris, however, was one of the stories of the day as he piled up 45 disposals, six clearances and 12 inside-50s in a best afield display, while Patrick Fairlie (34 disposals, five marks, nine clearances, 11 tackles) covered plenty of ground.
Co-captains Liam Mackie (28 disposals, 10 rebounds) and Matt King (22 disposals, seven rebounds) continually turned Carlton back and Jorgensen backed up his early goals to have 21 possessions and eight marks.
Former St Kilda star Sam Gilbert also made his presence felt in his first VFL game in five years, providing great leadership and finishing with 12 disposals and almost taking the mark of the day late in the last quarter.
Jack Carroll was sensational for the Blues backing up from his substitute appearance in the AFL on Thursday night to win 32 disposals, six clearances and seven inside-50s.
Archie Stevens (29 disposals, five marks), Billy Wilson (26 disposals) and Luke Nelson (23 disposals) also played well and Liam McMahon (three goals) threatened to take the game away from the Bullants, but the home team held on and Carlton became the first AFL-aligned team to be bottom of the ladder after Round 10 this millennium.
PORT MELBOURNE vs WILLIAMSTOWN
PORT MELBOURNE 6.1 11.2 14.7 20.9 (129)
WILLIAMSTOWN 1.4 4.6 6.7 10.9 (69)
PORT Melbourne will be talking about this day for years.
Celebrating their 150th birthday and the life and contribution of volunteer club great “Pug” Tucker against their arch-rival Williamstown at ETU Stadium on Sunday, the 15th-placed Borough turned in a performance for the ages to smash the second-placed Seagulls by 60 points and resurrect their finals hopes.
It happened from the start, with Jimmy Miller kicking the opening goal inside three minutes and Port having five on the board before Williamstown could blink.
And unlike the VFLW game earlier, there was no coming back as the home team answered everything the Seagulls threw at it to extend its lead at every change and got out by as far as 12 goals early in the last.
The Borough was only +21 in disposals, but its pressure led to a 65-34 inside-50 count and a 49-37 clearance win despite losing hitouts 63-35 to VFL great Tom Downie.
Tom Highmore (16 disposals, seven marks) won the Frank Johnson Medal and skipper Harvey Hooper proudly wore the No.150 guernsey to 27 possessions, 12 clearances, 12 entries and two goals in a marvellous display of leading from the front.
Josh Green (20 disposals, 10 clearances, one goal) and Robbie McComb (21 disposals, five entries) starred through the middle, while Archi Manton celebrated his recall with his 50th VFL goal among a haul of four and Anthony Anastasio turned back the clock with four of his own.
Frosty Miller medallist Brodie McLaughlin played a lone hand up forward for Williamstown with five goals.
Downie (15 disposals, 60 hitouts, 11 tackles) was a powerhouse in the ruck, Jack Toner (21 disposals, five tackles, one goal) tried hard in the middle and Jake Greiser (22 disposals, eight marks, nine rebounds) did his best to hold the backline together, but there wasn’t much else to get excited about in a disappointing display.
BYES: Brisbane Lions, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Southport Sharks, Sydney Swans
