FRANKSTON 13.8 (86)
CARLTON 12.7 (79)
IT COULD be dubbed The Miracle On Kars Street.
Outclassed, outplayed and out-enthused, Frankston had only three goals on the board and trailed by 48 points at three quarter-time against top-four opponent Carlton in their Smithy’s VFL clash at Skybus Stadium on Saturday night.
But then something changed, and it would be too simplistic to say it was the withdrawal of returning Blues defender Caleb Marchbank at the final change after an impressive 20-disposal, five-mark, seven-rebound-50 performance.
There was still no sign of things to come when Jeremy Burton goalled at three-minute mark and then missed a couple of minutes later, but Tom Small added another on seven minutes and the floodgates opened with a strong breeze at their backs.
Best-on-ground Will Fordham (10), Kai Owens (12), Josh Begley (13 and 16), Connor Riley (19 and 20) and Liam Reidy (22) made it eight goals in 15 minutes and the sixth-biggest last-quarter comeback in VFA/VFL history - and the biggest since Port Melbourne beat Box Hill in Round 13, 2002 - was complete when Taylin Duman kicked a 10th for the quarter to give the Dolphins a 13-point lead at the 28-minute mark.
Sam Philp got one back for Carlton but Frankston professionally shut the game down for a win that lifted it back to 3-3 and could kickstart its season.
Fordham was a lone hand for the Dolphins for the first three quarters and it was fitting his third goal started that final term avalanche as he finished with 26 disposals, seven clearances, 11 tackles and those three goals to be a clear best-on-ground for the second time in three matches.
Skipper Josh Newman (23 disposals, eight marks, five inside-50s, six rebounds) was outstanding at both ends, with Sam Fletcher (22, five clearances, five tackles), Trent Mynott (20, six clearances, six tackles), Riley (19, seven tackles, two goals) and Jackson Voss (19, seven marks, five inside-50s) also continuing their fine seasons.
In-form Blue Paddy Dow was the catalyst for his team’s big lead, racking up another 33 touches, 10 clearances, five tackles and two goals, while Lachie Fogarty (27, six clearances, five inside-50s, 12 tackles, one goal) starred alongside him in the middle, Stefan Radovanovic (26, seven marks) was a great offsider for Marchbank down back, Alex Mirkov had a huge 56 hitouts and seven clearances and Ben Crocker kicked three goals.
WILLIAMSTOWN 12.9 (81)
GOLD COAST 9.17 (71)
WILLIAMSTOWN finally broke through for its first win of the season and climbed off the bottom of the ladder when it held out a fast-finishing but wasteful Gold Coast by 10 points at Williamstown.
After a tight first half in blustery conditions, the Seagulls kicked clear with 4.4 to 0.1 in the third term to lead by 33 points turning for home, only for a powerful Suns team to spring to life with the first four goals to get within eight points at the 16-minute mark.
But Williamstown had a sniff and goals to Noah Gown and Corey Rich against flow and the wind saw off the challenge to secure a long-awaited breakthrough win despite losing clearances by a massive 56-26 and inside-50s by 65-43.
The Seagull defence was stellar against the mountain of football coming towards them, with Teia Miles (31 disposals, 10 marks, 12 rebounds), Jake Greiser (21, 11 rebounds), Brayden Monk (17, six marks, six rebounds) and Daly Andrews (17, five marks, six rebounds) lifting the team onto their backs, while Liam Hunt (25, five clearances) was good in the middle, Max Philpot (18, one goal) had his best game at VFL level, Jordan Gallucci kicked three goals and Joel Ottavi took seven marks up forward but finished with 2.4.
Gold Coast took the field with just 22 players, but with 19 being AFL-listed the Suns would think it was one that got away as they kicked 6.7 in the last term to finish with 9.17.
They will be even more miffed when they consider the brilliant displays from Sam Flanders (36 disposals, five marks, 11 clearances, six inside-50s, five rebounds, five tackles), Charlie Constable (34, five marks, eight clearances, seven inside-50s, five tackles), Ned Moyle (20, six marks, 47 hitouts, seven clearances, seven inside-50s, one goal), James Tsitas (29, five marks, five inside-50s, 10 tackles), Jack Bowes (29, seven clearances, five inside-50s) and Elijah Hollands (27, five marks, 12 clearances, eight inside-50s) that went unrewarded.
WERRIBEE 4.8 (32)
SYDNEY 16.6 (102)
SYDNEY left Werribee’s season teetering on the brink at the one-third point with a devastating first half setting up a 70-point thrashing at Avalon Airport Oval.
The Swans went in with 17 AFL-listed players, and despite Sam Reid and Ryan Clarke being held over, they held the Tigers for the first 10 minutes before carving them up with their tall timber and precision ball movement, kicking 12 goals to two in to lead by 62 points at half-time.
Werribee managed to stem the flow in the second half, holding the Swans to just four more goals and even winning the last quarter to take something out of a game that saw it beaten in disposals (-52), hitouts (-29) and inside-50s (-26), thanks largely to another star turn from Liston medallist Tom Gribble (33 disposals, eight clearances, seven inside-50s, six rebounds, six tackles), while Bior Malual (24, nine marks), Shaun Mannagh (21, five clearances, 10 tackles, one goal) and Michael Sodomaco (22) all battled hard.
Tom Hickey played the full game in his return from a knee injury and dominated with 23 disposals, four marks, 26 hitouts, six clearances and a goal, while Colin O’Riordan was near impassable at half-back with 32 and six marks and Lewis Taylor (29, seven marks, five clearances, one goal), James Bell (29, five marks, seven clearances, five inside-50s, one goal), Dylan Stephens (27, six marks, five inside-50s, five rebounds) and Matt Roberts (23, six marks, nine inside-50s) carved Werribee up through the middle.
Joel Amartey (16, six marks, four goals) and Callum Sinclair (15, four marks, 17 hitouts, three goals) took full advantage up forward, kicking all seven of their goals in the first half when the game was on the line, with the only worry being a back injury to Marc Sheather that took him out of action before half-time.
PORT MELBOURNE 12.15 (87)
RICHMOND 19.10 (124)
RICHMOND banged on eight goals to one in the last quarter to shake off a dogged Port Melbourne by 37 points in an enthralling contest at ETU Stadium.
The teams traded 11 goals in a first-quarter shootout before the Tigers looked to take control with the first five goals of the second term to lead by 25, only for the Borough to gradually haul them back in with 5.12 to 1.3 from the 14-minute mark of that quarter to the final change.
But despite leading by eight points turning for home, the missed opportunities took their toll and Richmond blew them away to move into the top eight after Round 7.
Second-gamer Sam Tucker only had five kicks for the game but took full toll – all five of them were goals – finishing off the good work up the field of Jack Ross (30 disposals, eight clearances, five inside-50s, six tackles), Tyler Sonsie (30, seven inside-50s), Will Martyn (24, nine marks, one goal) and Thomson Dow (25, six clearances), while captain Lachlan Street (22, eight marks, 12 rebounds) was huge in defence, well supported by surprise inclusion Robbie Tarrant (18, eight marks, five rebounds) and Bigoa Nyuon (17, seven marks).
Tylar Young had one of his best VFL games in the ruck, finishing with four marks, 31 hitouts, six clearances and a goal, while Jake Aarts laid 10 tackles as the Tigers flew home despite being two men down after losing Matt Parker (hip) and Mykelti Lefau (knee) early.
Ethan Phillips was brilliant for Port Melbourne with a team-high 25 disposals, a whopping 16 marks and seven rebounds, while captain Tom O’Sullivan returned from a hamstring injury to gather 24 touches, six marks, five clearances, six inside-50s and a goal and Harvey Hooper (20, six marks, six inside-50s, six tackles, two goals), Eli Templeton (20, six marks), Marcus Lentini and Nash Holmes (21 each) were also good and Matt Signorello took seven marks and kicked four nice goals.
SANDRINGHAM 12.8 (80)
NORTHERN BULLANTS 6.14 (50)
AN EIGHT-goal to one first half was enough for Sandringham to put paid to the Northern Bullants as it cruised to a 30-point win at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval.
The Zebras took their chances when the Bullants did not, building an 8.2 to 1.8 advantage at the long break and despite the visitors kicking five goals to four in the second half in wet conditions they were never going to haul in the deficit.
The win was built on sheer weight of possession as Sandringham had the top six ball winners on the ground with its midfield getting an armchair ride from ruckman Tom Campbell (22 disposals, 36 hitouts, eight clearances, one goal), with Mitch Owens (32, 10 clearances, eight inside-50s), Jack Billings (30, one goal), Jack Bytel (25, seven clearances, seven inside-50s) and Hunter Clark (28) having big numbers.
When the Bullants did venture forward, they met a brick wall held up by Jarrod Lienert (31, eight marks, 10 rebounds), Tom Highmore (29, nine marks, nine rebounds) and Jarryn Geary (19, nine marks, five rebounds), despite the best efforts of Jack Boyd (three goals).
Northern is known for never giving up and Tom Wilson (25, six inside-50s, one goal), Matt King (25, five marks, seven rebounds), Will Mitchell (24, five clearances) in his first game of the year, Jean-Luc Velissaris (23, six rebounds) and Jackson Barling (17, 10 clearances, 11 tackles) ensured that would be the case again.
NORTH MELBOURNE 8.11 (59)
GEELONG 10.17 (77)
GEELONG kept in touch with the top teams after accounting for North Melbourne by 19 points in a lacklustre affair at Aegis Park.
The Kangaroos started strongly with the first three goals, but the Cats hauled them in by quarter-time before a slogging second term yielded 1.7 to 1.3.
The visitors sealed the win with five goals to one in the third quarter but went goalless in the last as North fought it out with two majors in the last led by Marty Hore again showing he is above the level with 35 possessions, 12 marks and 13 rebounds, with support coming from Jack Watkins (26, six marks), Dom Tyson (25, five tackles), Harry Jones (23, seven clearances), Tom Powell (23) and Josh Guthrie (20), while Mat Walker kicked three goals and second-game ruckman Zach Monkhorst had 25 hitouts and seven clearances.
Luke Dahlhaus put his hand up for a recall to Chris Scott’s AFL team with 27 touches, five clearances and six inside-50s for Geelong, with talented youngster Jye Chalcraft (23, five clearances, two goals) and Scott Carlin (22) also impressing and debutant ruckman Will Christie winning 24 taps to go with 17 disposals and five marks.
BRISBANE LIONS 16.13 (109)
COBURG 5.14 (44)
BRISBANE Lions took a year to reset after joining the VFL, but they are well and truly comfortable now, climbing to sixth on the ladder with a 65-point dismissal of Coburg at Moreton Bay Sports Complex.
The Queenslanders lost the corresponding fixture last year but wasted no time ensuring there would be no repeat with seven unanswered goals in the first term and the first nine of the game, leading by 55 points at the main change and 74 turning for home before the Victorians won the last quarter 3.4 to 2.1.
The Barometer Rhys Mathieson was in top form again for the home team, picking up 36 disposals, seven marks, eight clearances, seven inside-50s and a goal, while Mitch Robinson proved he was ready to return to the AFL team with 31 touches, nine marks, six tackles and three goals.
Lions fans are becoming increasingly desperate for father-son prodigy Will Ashcroft to agree to head north, starring with 29 disposals, six clearances and a goal in his second VFL game, while Deven Robertson (28, six marks, six inside-50s, one goal), Mitch Cox (27, eight marks, six inside-50s), and Carter Michael (23, five rebounds) also did as they pleased and Wylie Buzza also kicked three goals.
Sam Lowson was Coburg’s best with 17 disposals, six inside-50s and three goals, while Mitch Podhajski (19, six marks, five rebounds) and Braedyn Gillard (18, five inside-50s) also had their moments and Jacob Ballard picked up 16 touches and six marks in his final game after announcing his surprise VFL retirement during the week to take up a job opportunity in NSW.
SMITHY’S VFL LADDER, ROUND 7 – click here
SUNDAY: Casey Demons v Southport, Essendon v Box Hill Hawks. Bye: Collingwood, Footscray, GWS.
THIS WEEK
ROUND 8: Saturday, May 14: Collingwood v Footscray (AIA Centre, 2.05pm); Williamstown v Frankston (Williamstown, 7.35pm). Sunday, May 15: North Melbourne v Casey Demons (Aegis Park, 12pm); Northern Bullants v Port Melbourne (Preston City Oval, 1.05pm); Southport v GWS (Fankhauser Reserve, 1.35pm); Box Hill Hawks v Richmond (Box Hill City Oval, 2.05pm). Bye: Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Coburg, Essendon, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sandringham, Sydney, Werribee.
NEXT WEEK: ROUND 9: Saturday, May 21: Port Melbourne v Southport (ETU Stadium, 12.05pm); Footscray v Gold Coast (Victoria University Whitten Oval, 12.05pm); Coburg v Sydney (Piranha Park, 1.05pm); Brisbane Lions v Williamstown (Moreton Bay Sports Complex, 1.35pm); Richmond v Essendon (MCG, 3.05pm). Sunday, May 22: GWS v Werribee (Giants Stadium, 10.05am); Carlton v Sandringham (Ikon Park, 12pm); Northern Bullants v Geelong (Preston City Oval, 1.05pm). Bye: Box Hill Hawks, Casey Demons, Collingwood, Frankston, North Melbourne.
THEN: ROUND 10: Friday, May 27: Sydney v Richmond (Lakeside Oval, 2.05pm). Saturday, May 28: Southport v Brisbane Lions (Fankhauser Reserve, 12.05pm); Williamstown v Footscray (Williamstown, 2.05pm); Gold Coast v Box Hill Hawks (Austworld Centre, 3.05pm). Sunday, May 29: Essendon v Coburg (Windy Hill, 11.35am); Werribee v Collingwood (Avalon Airport Oval, 12pm); Geelong v GWS (GMHBA Stadium, 12.05pm); Northern Bullants v Carlton (Preston City Oval, 1.05pm); Frankston v Casey Demons (Skybus Stadium, 2.05pm); Sandringham v North Melbourne (Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval, 2.15pm). Bye: Port Melbourne.
Twitter: @BRhodesVFL
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 www.afl.com.au and the AFL Live and VFL apps. Radio 3WBC is again broadcasting Box Hill Hawks matches.
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