RICHMOND 9.10 (64)
CASEY DEMONS 13.10 (88)

CASEY Demons stand alone at the top of the Smithy’s VFL ladder after overcoming a fast-starting Richmond by 24 points at Swinburne Centre on Sunday.

The Tigers had knocked off last year’s top two teams in Footscray and Southport on their home deck and looked like claiming another huge scalp when they rushed out to a 26-point lead just five minutes into the second quarter.

Having also beaten Casey by a big margin in a pre-season clash at the same venue, Richmond had every right to be confident at that stage, but the unbeaten Demons flexed their muscles with 4.5 to nothing to lead at half-time.

The Tigers stuck with their more fancied opponents for a while but were ultimately overwhelmed by the Demons kicking the first five goals of the last term to secure a fifth straight win on the back of a starring role from former captain Mitch White (28 disposals, nine clearances, six inside-50s, two goals) and Jimmy Munro (21 disposals, nine tackles, two goals), while Corey Ellison pulled in nine marks in defence.

A host of Melbourne players who would get a game in most AFL teams were also crucial to the win – Tom McDonald, who responded to his omission with three first-half goals, Oskar Baker (24 disposals, seven marks, five inside-50s, six tackles), Jake Melksham (23, eight marks, seven inside-50s, one goal), Kade Chandler (20, six marks, five clearances, six tackles, one goal), Fraser Rosman (22, five marks) and Adam Tomlinson (17, six marks, eight rebounds).

Richmond captain Lachlan Street continues to show leadership agrees with him to be easily the Tigers’ best player with 28 touches, 11 marks and nine rebounds, while draftee Tyler Sonsie (25, five rebounds) is closing on an AFL debut, Jake Aarts (21, 10 tackles) is getting back to his harassing best and Samson Ryan had 47 hitouts against Majak Daw (28).

Judson Clarke and Sydney Stack had 17 and a goal each, Biggie Nyuon (nine, plus seven rebounds) and Sam Banks (eight) shared 17 marks in defence and Will Martyn laid 10 tackles.

COBURG 6.7 (43)
BOX HILL HAWKS 8.19 (67)

BOX HILL Hawks were forced to fight all the way before overwhelming Coburg in the last quarter to win by 24 points at Piranha Park on Sunday.

The Lions roared out of the barriers with Edyn Sibbald kicking three of four early goals to take a 22-point advantage entering time-on of the first quarter before the Hawks got on the board from a crucial turnover late in the term.

From there, the game slowly turned around with James Blanck shutting Sibbald out of the game, Jordan Cunico, James Parsons and Callum Porter (28 disposals, five marks, seven clearances, seven inside-50s) taking over in the middle, Ed Phillips (23, 10 marks) and Mason De Wit (22, nine marks) waxing beautifully on the outer wing and Damian Mascitti (28, six marks, seven rebounds) Dan Howe (21, six marks, seven rebounds) and Hugh Beasley (22) putting up a wall in defence, while Lachlan Bramble (16, six marks, five inside-50s) looked good in half a game on return from injury.

The Hawks kicked the only goal of the second term as both teams got a severe case of the yips (1.4 to 0.5) that continued into the third quarter when the visitors sprayed nine behinds without a major to go to the final change nine points down with a woeful 2.16 on the board.

But Cunico got on the end of a clever tap from Emerson Jeka three minutes into the final term and when Parsons (26, eight marks, five clearances, two inside-50s) banged home the first of his two last-quarter long goals to take the lead, Box Hill swamped the Lions with six goals to one to win the first Anzac Cup clash in three years running away.

Cunico claimed the Gibbs-Lines Medal, named in honour of ex-servicemen and club greats Ron Gibbs (Box Hill) and Eric “Tiger” Lines (Coburg), for his 25 disposals, five marks, six inside-50s and one goal, while Jack Saunders (20, eight marks, one goal), Seamus Mitchell (17, 11 marks) and Ned Long (seven marks, 10 tackles) also played their parts.

Jhye Baddeley-Kelly played his best VFL game to be named Coburg’s best player with 24 disposals, six marks and nine rebounds), while key defender Jack Maibaum (24, nine marks, eight rebounds) was virtually impassable for most of the day.

Mitch Podhajski (19, nine marks) was strong as the loose man in defence, Luke Bunker (27, six marks) quietly accumulated another strong performance, Dylan Thomas (21, five rebounds) impressed on club debut and Adam Swierzbiolek (five marks, 30 hitouts) had the better of the ruck duel against gallant Hawks debutant Dave Brinker-Ritchie, who showed some promising signs in the centre circle.

FRANKSTON 15.14 (104)
NORTH MELBOURNE 8.12 (60)

FRANKSTON went a fair way to rebuilding its night-time fortress at Skybus Stadium by cruising to a 44-point win over North Melbourne on Saturday night despite a dominant display from Callum Coleman-Jones.

The Dolphins conceded the first goal but booted the next seven to take total control as former Kangaroo Will Walker reminded his old club why they originally drafted him with three of his four goals in the first term and Josh Begley added two of his three.

While North was able to close the gap to 21 points by the main change, the Dolphins took control again after the break with eight goals to four to move within percentage of the top eight.

Josh Newman dominated through the middle for Frankston with 34 disposals, seven marks, nine inside-50s and six rebounds, Connor Riley rediscovered his 2021 form with 29 touches, five marks, seven inside-50s and six tackles, Ryley Stoddart (26 possessions, seven marks, five inside-50s, five rebounds and Will Arthurson (21, six marks, seven rebounds) mopped up in defence and Will Fordham (23, six clearances, eight tackles) and Trent Mynott (21, six clearances, 10 tackles) also did well.

North Melbourne ruckman Coleman-Jones had strong claims for top votes, finishing with 24 disposals, five marks, 37 hitouts, eight clearances, seven inside-50s and seven tackles, with Tom Powell enjoying the armchair ride to grab 29 touches, nine clearances and eight tackles and Jack Watkins (21, two goals) and Dom Tyson (20, seven clearances, eight tackles) also worked hard.

ESSENDON 10.13 (73)
COLLINGWOOD 20.11 (131)

TRENT Bianco booted five goals as Collingwood brushed Essendon aside by 58 points in their Anzac Day clash at Windy Hill.

The Bombers stuck with the Magpies for the first half and took the lead on three separate occasions, but the visitors flexed their muscles with 12 goals to three in the second half.

Bianco (17 disposals, six marks, 5.1) twice regained the lead for Collingwood in the second quarter and his fifth early in the last put the skids on a late rally before his team banged on four more in time on to blow the final margin out.

Sam Fowler (17, nine marks, 4.0) kicked three first-half goals to keep the Magpies in the box seat and Jacob Booth bobbed up late to boot three, finishing off the excellent performances of Tyler Brown (28, 10 clearances, 10 inside-50s, one goal), Finlay Macrae (21, seven inside 50s, one goal) and Harvey Harrison (22, one goal).

Tom Hird presented brother Alex with his debut guernsey and went on to be the Bombers’ best player with 27 disposals, eight marks, five tackles and two goals), with the younger Hird kicking a goal from nine touches.

Devon Smith responded to his AFL omission with a team-high 28 touches and eight inside-50s, Brayden Ham challenged Tom Hird’s game with 27, six marks, five inside-50s and 10 tackles, Joel Fitzgerald continues to impress with 20 possessions, five marks and five rebounds and Zach Reid found some form with eight marks.

BRISBANE LIONS 11.18 (84)
PORT MELBOURNE 6.9 (45)

BRISBANE LIONS moved into the VFL’s top eight with an untroubled 39-point win over Port Melbourne at Moreton Bay Sports Complex on Sunday.

The Lions had 29 scoring shots to 15 and extended their lead at every change despite the Borough managing to stop them blowing the game out of the water in the second half.

Rhys Mathieson was the constant force for the Lions as he powered his way to 36 possessions, 10 marks, 11 inside-50s and a goal, while James Tunstill (22, seven marks, three first-half goals) did the damage early, Blake Coleman (18, three goals) cashed in late and Ryan Lester (22, eight marks), Thomas Berry (24, six marks, six tackles), Deven Robertson (24, five clearances, five tackles, one goal), Ely Smith (24, six inside-50s) and Carter Michael (25) proved too much for Port to handle.

The Borough stuck at their task manfully though, led by Marcus Lentini (31 disposals), seven marks, seven clearances, five inside-50s, six rebounds) and Eli Templeton (29, six clearances) after the late withdrawal of Paul Hunter (soreness) and the early loss of Corey Wagner (hamstring), while Ethan Phillips (19, 11 marks, seven rebounds) and second-gamer Lachie Modica (18, nine rebounds) kept the pressure on down back.

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

SMITHY’S VFL LADDER, ROUND 5 – click here

THIS WEEK

ROUND 6: Saturday, April 30: Coburg v Collingwood (Piranha, 1.05pm); Carlton v North Melbourne (Ikon, 2.05pm). Sunday, May 1: Gold Coast v Werribee (Metricon TO, 11.05am); Western Bulldogs v Essendon (Whitten, 11.35am); Geelong v Williamstown (GMHBA, 12pm); Sydney v Brisbane Lions (SCG, 1.05pm); Northern Bullants v GWS (Preston, 1.35pm); Box Hill Hawks v Casey Demons (Box Hill, 2.05pm); Sandringham v Frankston (Trevor Barker, 2.05pm). Bye: Port Melbourne, Richmond, Southport.

NEXT WEEK: ROUND 7: Saturday, May 7: Brisbane Lions v Coburg (Moreton Bay, 12.35pm); Port Melbourne v Richmond (ETU, 12.35pm); Werribee v Sydney (Avalon, 1.05pm); Sandringham v Northern Bullants (Trevor Barker, 2.05pm); Williamstown v Gold Coast (Williamstown, 2.05pm); North Melbourne v Geelong (3.05pm, Aegis); Frankston v Carlton (Skybus, 7.05pm). Sunday, May 8: Casey Demons v Southport (Casey, 12.35pm); Essendon v Box Hill Hawks (Windy Hill, 2.10pm). Bye: Collingwood, Footscray, GWS.

THEN: ROUND 8: Saturday, May 14: Collingwood v Footscray (AIA, 2.05pm); Williamstown v Frankston (Williamstown, 7.35pm). Sunday, May 15: North Melbourne v Casey Demons (Aegis, 12pm); Northern Bullants v Port Melbourne (Preston, 1.05pm); Southport v GWS (Fankhauser, 1.35pm); Box Hill Hawks v Richmond (Box Hill, 2.05pm). Bye: Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Coburg, Essendon, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sandringham, Sydney, Werribee.

All VFL matches in 2022 are live-streamed free. The match of the round can be viewed on Channel 7, while all remaining games are streamed live and on demand via the AFL Live and VFL apps. Radio 3WBC is also again broadcasting Box Hill Hawks matches.
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