A review of all the action from Round 19 of the 2024 Smithy’s VFL season.
FOOTSCARY BULLDOGS vs CASEY DEMONS
FOOTSCRAY BULLDOGS 5.6 8.6 12.10 19.10 (124)
CASEY DEMONS 1.1 5.4 8.5 10.8 (68)
WESTERN Bulldogs stars Ryley Sanders and Jack Macrae kept the pressure on their AFL selectors with statement performances as Footscray put itself in the box seat to secure a top-two finish with a 56-point win over Casey Demons at Mission Whitten Oval on Friday.
One of football’s next big things, Sanders did as he pleased as he racked up 39 disposals (16 contested), seven clearances, seven inside-50s and three goals, while Macrae also stuffed the stats sheet with 43 possessions (18 contested), 10 clearances, nine entries and six tackles.
The pair combined with wingmen Oskar Baker (31 disposals, 13 marks, two goals) and Harvey Gallagher (25 disposals, nine clearances, two goals) to show a clean pair of heels to an outclassed Demons outfit that clung on gamely for three quarters before being swamped in the last term.
The home side piled on seven goals to two in the final quarter to record its highest score and biggest win over the Demons at home.
Casey battled gamely despite struggling to get its hands on the ball – losing the disposal count by a whopping 145 – to only allow the Bulldogs to convert that into a +7 inside-50 advantage.
Adam Tomlinson (23 disposals, five marks, 11 rebounds) and Marty Hore (16 disposals, eight marks, 10 rebounds) again proved assured behind the ball and Bailey Laurie (29 disposals, eight clearances, 10 tackles) worked overtime in the middle.
Matt Jefferson booted four goals in a strong game, while Tom Fullarton (20 disposals, 28 hitouts, one goal) did well around the ground despite losing hitouts to young Bulldogs ruckman Lachlan Smith, while Shane McAdam bobbed up for two goals from 15 touches.
FRANKSTON vs PORT MELBOURNE
FRANKSTON 6.1 11.2 14.7 17.10 (112)
PORT MELBOURNE 6.1 7.2 9.5 13.7 (85)
FRANKSTON is all-but assured of playing in the Wildcard Round as it hunts a first finals appearance since 2008 after outlasting a Billy Gowers masterclass to defeat Port Melbourne by 27 points at Kinetic Stadium on Friday night.
The Borough was celebrating the 150th game of popular speedster Anthony Anastasio and it was Gowers who turned on a show to honour his teammate with seven goals to regain the lead in the Frosty Miller Medal with two rounds remaining.
It was an old-fashioned shootout in the first quarter as the teams piled on six goals each, with Gowers hitting the board inside 20 seconds and Anastasio sending Borough fans into raptures when he kicked the first of his two goals minutes later.
Gowers had three by that stage and saw off late inclusion Kyle Stainthorpe before beating Taine Barlow as the game drew on.
The Dolphins kept firing in the second term but tightened up their defence, adding five goals to one in the game-breaking move before Port kept the margin in check in the second half without being able to stop the home team passing 100 points for the first time since Round 15, 2022 and sealing its first winning season since 2006.
Trent Mynott (27 disposals, nine clearances, two goals), Tom Murphy (24 disposals, 10 clearances), Seb Quirk (21 disposals, nine tackles) and Lachie Riley (22 disposals, one goal) again starred through the middle for Frankston.
George Grey (21 disposals, one goal) and Jackson Voss (21 disposals, seven marks) burst off half-back, while Matt Johnson (three goals) kept his own Frosty Miller Medal chances alive.
Former Dolphin Jimmy Miller was brilliant in the ruck for Port Melbourne with 25 disposals, 39 hitouts, eight clearances and a goal. Josh Green (23 disposals, six clearances) worked hard in his 50th VFL game and Anastasio marked his milestone with 13 touches and two goals.
CARLTON vs BRISBANE LIONS
CARLTON 1.5 4.6 8.8 10.11 (71)
BRISBANE LIONS 3.1 7.3 11.6 14.10 (94)
BRISBANE Lions cruised to a comfortable 23-point win over Carlton at IKON Park on Saturday to put last week’s bad loss to the Suns behind them.
Playing in their 200th VFA/VFL home match, the Lions kicked the opening two goals and were able to hold a persistent home side at arm’s length all day to record their highest score and biggest win in head-to-head matches.
Deven Robertson (36 disposals, 13 clearances) and Jarryd Lyons (29 disposals, 13 clearances, nine tackles, two goals) again dominated for the visitors, as did Luke Beecken (25 disposals, 12 marks).
Jack Manly (23 disposals, eight marks, one goal) had a career day and James Tunstill (20 disposals, two goals) impressed before leading the field on a stretched following an accidental collision with a field umpire that resulted in a head clash.
Defender Lewis Young (23 disposals, seven marks) was Carlton’s best, especially after Caleb Marchbank was injured before half-time.
Mid-season draftee Cooper Lord (27 disposals), Jack Carroll (24 disposals), Will White (21 disposals, one goal) also performed well, while at the other end it was Harry Lemmey who impressed with 16 disposals, nine marks and three goals.
Dom Akuei had nine disposals in his 50th VFL game.
GOLD COAST SUNS vs COBURG
GOLD COAST SUNS 2.3 7.7 10.9 16.12 (108)
COBURG 3.3 6.4 9.7 11.8 (74)
GOLD Coast kept its top-six hope alive but had to work overtime before recording its first win over Coburg by 34 points at People First Stadium.
The Lions took a 2-0 record into the game and kicked the first three goals to raise hopes of a hat-trick. Those hope were at their highest when they repeated the dose in the second term to build a 24-point lead when Mitch Podhajski hit the target in the 14th minute.
Leo Lombard then sparked the reigning premiers into action, winning seven disposals and kicking three goals in the next 11 minutes as the Suns booted the next eight goals to earn a four-goal gap of their own.
Coburg didn’t give up and produced a third three-goal run to get back within eight points turning for home – and could have been in front if they hadn’t missed a couple of gettable shots.
The Suns had the legs and kicked six goals to two in the final quarter to seal that maiden win, but the Lions would have carried a power of confidence onto the plane home – and the knowledge that they are well and truly on the right track.
Rory Atkins (36 disposals, nine marks) was the standout for Gold Coast, but Suns fans continue to salivate at the prospects of Lombard, the premiership player at 16 who will join the AFL list in this year’s Draft, after he gathered 22 touches and kicked three goals.
Tom Berry (25 disposals, six marks) was strong in his 50th State league game, while Darcy Macpherson (28 disposals, one goal), Oskar Faulkhead (28 disposals, nine tackles), Hewago Oea (20 disposals, two goals) and Mal Rosas (four goals) were also prominent.
Lions captain Jesse Corigliano showed fellow defender Ryan Sturgess that he is just as proficient in a rare stint in attack, matching his mate’s four goals from the Port Melbourne game of a couple of weeks ago – an amazing achievement given his previous 114 matches had yielded just 10 majors.
Flynn Gentile (29 disposals, eight entries), Joel Trudgeon (27 disposals, one goal), Sturgess (24 disposals, 10 marks), Josh D’Intinosante (24 disposals, seven marks, eight clearances) and Lachlan Walker (25 disposals, eight marks) all performed well for Coburg, as did Cooper Keogh (18 disposals, 45 hitouts) while Podhajski kicked three goals.
WERRIBEE vs SOUTHPORT SHARKS
WERRIBEE 1.1 2.5 5.6 8.7 (55)
SOUTHPORT SHARKS 0.9 2.11 4.12 8.13 (61)
SOUTHPORT snapped ladder-leader Werribee’s 11-match winning streak and put itself on the brink of locking away a top-six position with a thrilling six-point triumph over the Tigers at Avalon Airport Oval.
The Sharks were in danger of dropping into the Wildcard Round spots but responded in the best possible fashion to win on the road against a team that hadn’t lost in three months.
But they almost blew it in the first quarter, spraying nine behinds without a major, including a run of five in four minutes to lead by just two points despite an extra seven scores.
Jay Lockhart and Wylie Buzza finally found the radar early in the second term to give the Sharks a six-point lead at half-time, before the visitors kicked the first two of the third term for a game-high 17-point advantage.
Werribee responded through Aidan Johnson and Hudson Garoni (twice) to square it up turning for home.
Riley Bice gave the Tigers the lead in the eighth minute before Southport made the game-breaking move – goals to Matt Shannon, Jacob Heron and Jackson Edwards in the space of three minutes to go 13 up – only for Zac Banch and Johnson to respond with goals for the home side immediately after to set up the grandstand finish.
But the visitors wouldn’t be denied this time and former Tiger Buzza sealed a famous win with a 55m bomb in the 30th minute to continue a streak that means all four games between these teams have been won by the visitors.
Southport won the game in the middle as Brayden Crossley bounced back to form with 16 disposals, 10 tackles and 66 hitouts to help his team win that count 80-39 and claim a 50-33 win in the clearances.
It gave an armchair ride to best afield Jacob Heron (27 disposals, seven tackles, three goals), Jacob Dawson (34 disposals, seven clearances, 12 tackles) and Boyd Woodcock (31 disposals, 11 clearances, 11 tackles), who were outstanding with and without the ball.
Dom Brew (34 disposals, nine clearances, 10 tackles) was the one Tiger to split the Shark ball winners, with Sam Azzi playing his best VFL game in defence on Hugh Dixon and Johnson continuing his strong touch with seven marks and three goals, with Garoni’s double keeping him level with Gowers in the leading goalkicker race.
Bice (21 disposals, one goal) and Louis Pinnuck (21 disposals) also did well for the Tigers, but after holding it off for those three months, they finally suffered the 550th loss of their history and still need to win their Round 21 game to lock away the minor premiership.
NORTHERN BULLANTS vs ESSENDON
NORTHERN BULLANTS 2.1 4.3 9.3 12.5 (77)
ESSENDON 5.5 8.8 13.12 18.13 (121)
A STAR-studded Essendon claimed its seventh victory of the season and continued its trend of coming good late in seasons with a 44-point win over Northern Bullants at Genis Steel Oval – the Bombers’ 11th over the Bullants in a row.
A midfield of Todd Goldstein, Will Setterfield, Ben Hobbs and Elijah Tsatas was always going to be the testing material for the Bullants, especially with the home team not having a recognised ruckman.
Goldstein most regularly faced up against former AFL defender Sam Gilbert and had 43 hitouts to Gilbert’s three, with the overall tally 54-8 in the Bombers’ favour.
It allowed Setterfield (43 disposals, seven marks, eight clearances, eight entries), Hobbs (34 disposals, eight tackles, one goal) and Tsatas (32 disposals, six clearances, six entries) to cash in, while Matt Foley (35 disposals, 11 marks), Archie Perkins (26 disposals, one goal, 10 goal assists) also had a field day.
Up forward, Peter Wright had 19 touches, took eight marks and booted three goals and Oskar Smartt also snagged three from five marks.
But the biggest head-turner was the debut of potential first-round draftee Jobe Shanahan, who showed good leading patterns and strong kicking skills to kick 4.0 from nine disposals.
Jean-Luc Velissaris will be a contender for more votes on Liston Medal night after a brilliant 39 possessions, eight marks, eight entries and three goals. Felix Dreher (24 disposals, seven marks, 12 rebounds) and Harry Grace (six marks, three goals) had breakout games and Patrick Fairlie (29 disposals) and Liam Mackie (20 disposals, seven entries) again put in strong shifts.
GWS GIANTS vs BOX HILL HAWKS
GWS GIANTS 0.3 3.8 5.11 10.17 (77)
BOX HILL HAWKS 5.2 6.5 10.9 11.12 (78)
BOX HILL Hawks moved back into the top-four after a brilliant start and a desperate finish saw them hold on for a thrilling one-point win over GWS Giants at Blacktown International Sports Park on Sunday.
The result left the Giants needing a miracle to make the finals ahead of two tough matches to finish the home and away season.
The Hawks jumped out of the blocks with a three-goal blitzkrieg inside the first five minutes and had 6.5 on the board before the home team finally got its first goal through Matt Harms in the 14th minute of the second term.
In their 50th game at Blacktown, the Giants had the last eight scores of the quarter to cut the margin to 15 points but despite Box Hill having lost Tyler Brown (leg) and Cooper Stephens (concussion) before half-time, it responded with 4.4 to 2.3 in the third term for a 28-point lead.
Amazingly it was exactly the same three quarter-time score as the AFL game between the teams later in the day.
Chad Wingard took a seat for the last quarter on managed minutes, leaving the Hawks with just two on the bench as the Giants launched their final assault.
And like the AFL match, GWS dominated the last quarter and drew within three points at the 13-minute mark, but unlike the AFL, the home team couldn’t kick straight with its last five scores behinds as the visitors clung on valiantly for the crucial four points.
Ethan Phillips took two intercept marks on the goal line as the Giants pressed, while Denver Grainger-Barras got up high to punch a rushed behind as the siren sounded.
Finn Maginness (32 disposals, nine marks, 10 entries, two goals) was best on ground for the Hawks and Cam Mackenzie (32 disposals, six marks), Henry Hustwaite (28 disposals, 15 contested) starred through the midfield.
Seamus Mitchell (23 disposals, 11 marks, 10 rebounds), Jai Serong (20 disposals, nine marks) and Phillips (16 disposals, eight marks) were important in defence and Jasper Scaife capped it off with four goals from limited opportunities.
Nick Haynes couldn’t have done more to get GWS over the line with another brilliant effort off half back that yielded 39 disposals and 12 marks, with James Leake (35 disposals, five marks, eight clearances) also racking them up and Conor Stone (25 disposals, seven marks), Adam Kennedy (22 disposals, seven marks) and Lachie Keeffe (14, one goal, 18 hitouts) making strong contributions.
WILLIAMSTOWN vs NORTH MELBOURNE
WILLIAMSTOWN 2.4 4.11 5.12 9.13 (67)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.3 5.4 10.7 11.9 (75)
NORTH Melbourne smashed a 104-year drought in stunning style and virtually ended Williamstown’s hopes of making the top-six with a remarkable eight-point upset at DSV Stadium.
Playing their 100th match of the VFL era, the Kangaroos sung the song in the Point Gellibrand rooms for the first time since May 26, 1920.
The win was set up by a brilliant third quarter that left the home team’s supporters shellshocked, having arrived knowing they had to win following Southport’s victory over Werribee the day before.
The Seagulls led by a point at quarter-time but sprayed 2.7 to 3.1 in a crucial second term to miss a golden opportunity to build a handy advantage.
Having been boosted by a Miller Bergman goal on the half time siren, North made the home side pay in the premiership quarter, banging on 5.3 to 1.1 to get out by as far as 30 points.
The Kangaroos held firm for most of the last term, with a Jack Watkins major putting them 27 clear in the 11th minute and despite that being their final score, Williamstown’s three late goals weren’t going to be enough.
Charlie Lazzaro was a workhorse all day for North with 24 touches, 13 tackles and a goal, with Watkins (26 disposals, eight marks, one goal) and Hugh Greenwood (23, 12 tackles, one goal in his 50th State league game) also important.
Defender Louis Butler (21 disposals, 10 marks) was a tower of strength and Finnbar Maley made a crucial contribution with two goals despite being thrashed in the hitouts by Tom Downie.
Downie had 56 hitouts to go with 13 possessions, with Luke Parks (15 disposals, 11 marks) and Joel Fitzgerald (21 disposals, five marks) keeping their team in it down back, while Jack Toner (17 disposals, seven clearances), Riley Collier-Dawkins (19 disposals, 10 clearances) and Corey Ellison (three goals) also played well.