BOX HILL Hawks won’t want to remember their 1350^th VFA/VFL match fondly after it reached the milestone in Sunday’s Smithy’s VFL elimination final loss to Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

The Hawks put up a strong fight against the Suns but couldn’t repeat their Round 10 win on the same ground, going down to Gold Coast for the first time in their history and finishing the season on 610 wins, 720 losses and 20 draws in their history in the State league competition.

Carlton, meanwhile, could have gone one of two ways, running out for its Suburban Throwback elimination final against Collingwood at Victoria Park remarkably sitting on 99 away wins and 99 away losses in the VFA/VFL (plus 15 draws), with the Blues’ victory meaning they hit the right triple figure milestone first.

Sydney reached an unwanted milestone, recording its 50^th VFA/VFL away loss in the convincing reverse to Casey Demons at Casey Fields, and the Swans will be hoping for a happier day when they play their 350^th VFA/VFL game in this Sunday’s sudden death semi-final against Gold Coast at Blacktown International Sport Park aiming for their 222^nd win to go with just 82 losses and 46 draws (all of which came in the previous scoring era of the late 1800s when behinds did not count to the result of the game.

It was a historic week of finals, with the Swans, Suns, Brisbane Lions and Southport all playing their first VFA/VFL finals, although South Melbourne did appear in a premiership playoff in 1896 when first past the post was declared the premier unless two teams were locked on the same number of wins, while Carlton played its first VFL final since 2001 while playing a VFA/VFL match at Victoria Park as an unaligned team for the first time in 126 years.

In Round 22, it was Gold Coast full-forward Chris Burgess who won the shootout for the Jim “Frosty” Miller Medal, kicking five goals including the first 50^th major in the VFL since 2013 and the matchwinner that sealed the Suns’ finals berth, while Hawk Fergus Greene finished with 0.4 against the Swans and had to wait until the elimination final to break Box Hill’s 20-year wait for a half-century goalkicker.

Jordan Lisle (40, 2019), Nick Larkey (41, 2018), Lisle (46, 2017), Ahmed Saad (49, 2016), Sam Grimley/Lisle/Liam McBean (42, 2015) and Dan Connors/Grimley (38, 2014) are the medallists since Port Melbourne’s Dean Galea kicked 55 in 2013 (and 65 in 2012).

Gold Coast’s thrilling win at Arden St was North Melbourne’s 350^th VFA/VFL loss in its 867^th match while other significant final round occurrences included Sandringham beating Williamstown at Williamstown for the first time in 12 years led by a retiring great of both clubs in Sam Dunell, North Melbourne’s Kade Answerth reaching 100 VFL games in his last match after announcing his retirement, Southport’s Mitch Johnson kicking his 150^th State league goal, Footscray and Werribee setting all sorts of records in their huge wins over GWS and Northern Bullants and Richmond scoring its fifth straight win over Frankston despite kicking its lowest score against the Dolphins (and the visitors their highest).

There’s quite a bit more on the line than just two preliminary final berths in this week’s semi-finals, with Carlton trying to avoid its 100^th away loss against the Brisbane Lions at Moreton Bay, Sydney as mentioned playing its 350^th VFA/VFL game against Gold Coast at Blacktown and Lion Connor McFadyen playing his 50^th NEAFL/VFL game as his captain Wylie Buzza hopes to sneak up from his new home at full back to kick his 100^th VFL goal.

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

FROSTY MILLER MEDAL LEADING GOALKICKER

54 Chris Burgess (GC) 5 (R22), 2 (F1) – WINNER
53 Fergus Greene (Box) 0, 4
41 Ben Cavarra (Box) 4, 0
36 Joel Amartey (Syd) 4, 0
36 Ben Crocker (Car) 1, 3
35 Mitch Brown (Cas) dnp, 5
35 Jacob Townsend (Sou) 4, 0
33 Shannon Neale (Gee) 1, X
33 Jacob van Rooyen (Cas) 4, 1
32 Sam Day (GC) dnp, dnp
32 Hudson Garoni (Wer) 5, X
31 Josh Schache (Foo) 7, X
30 Alex Sexton (GC) dnp, 3
29 Billy Gowers (Sou) 0, dnp
29 Joel Ottavi (Wil) 2, X
28 Kade Chandler (Cas) 1, 2
28 Ned Cahill (Car) 2, 3
28 Ben Ronke (Syd) 3, 4
27 Shaun Mannagh (Wer) 6, X
27 Max Pescud (Sou) 0, 3
25 Sam Fowler (Col) dnp, 0
25 Tom Fullarton (BL) 1, 2
25 Matt Signorello (PM) 2, X
24 Kaine Baldwin (Ess) bye, X
24 Jack Boyd (NB) 0, X
24 Josh Corbett (GC) 1, 4
24 Noah Cumberland (Ric) dnp, X
24 Jake Gasper (PM) 0, X
24 Brodie McLaughlin (Fra) 2, X
23 Ollie Henry (Col) dnp, 1
22 Blake Coleman (BL) dnp, 0
22 Bailey Laurie (Cas) 0, 0
22 Hayden McLean (Syd) 3, dnp
22 Jean-Luc Velissaris (NB) 0, X
22 Boyd Woodcock (Sou) 1, 2
21 Kye Declase (Wer) 5, X
21 Sam Glover (Sou) 1, 2
21 Ryan Hebron (GWS) 2, 0
21 Harry Morrison (Syd) 2, 1
20 Francis Evans (Gee) 1, X
20 Tom Fields (Sou) 0, 1
20 Oliver Lowe (San) 0, X
20 Mat Walker (NM) dnp, dnp

SMITHY’S VFL QUARTER-FINAL PLAYER MILESTONES

• 50 VFL matches: Charlie Constable (Gold Coast/Geelong)/14 goals. Jay Lockhart (Southport/Casey)/28 goals
• 50 goals for the season: Fergus Greene (Box Hill Hawks)/17 matches
• 50 NEAFL/VFL goals: Tom Fullarton (Brisbane Lions)/46 matches (21 N/30 V)

SMITHY’S VFL QUARTER-FINAL CLUB MILESTONES

• Box Hill Hawks played their 1350th VFA/VFL match (610-720-20)
• Carlton recorded its 100th VFA/VFL away win (100-99-15)
• Sydney/South Melbourne recorded its 50th VFA/VFL away loss (79-50-24)
• Collingwood v Carlton happened at Victoria Park for the first time in the VFL (0-1) and the first time in the VFA/VFL for 126 years (September 9, 1896) 

• Gold Coast, Southport and Brisbane Lions played their first VFL finals
• Sydney/South Melbourne played its first VFA/VFL minor final (0-1)
• Carlton played its first VFL final since 2001 and squared its record (3-3)

• Southport squared its NEAFL/VFL minor finals record (5-5)
• Collingwood lost its fourth consecutive final (4-9 overall; last win 2016 QF v Williamstown)
• Gold Coast defeated Box Hill Hawks for the first time (1-3 overall, 1-1 at Carrara)
• Gold Coast squared its NEAFL/VFL home record overall (37-37) and at Carrara (33-33)
• Southport squared its NEAFL/VFL away record (47-47)
• Southport squared its NEAFL/VFL record v Brisbane Lions (9-9)
• Southport played Brisbane Lions away in the VFL for the first time (1-0)
• Southport defeated Brisbane Lions away in the NEAFL/VFL for the first time (1-4)

SMITHY’S VFL QUARTER-FINAL RECORDS

(Figures in brackets are the previous record)

• 15.10 100 Carlton's highest score v Collingwood at Victoria Park (7.7, May 24, 1892)
• 32 Carlton's biggest win v Collingwood at Victoria Park (4 goals, May 24, 1892)

• 5.8 38 Brisbane Lions' lowest score v Southport at Moreton Bay (18.12 120, 2014)
• 15 99 Casey Demons' highest score v Sydney (12.13 85, Casey, 2021)
• 47 Casey Demons' biggest win v Sydney (40, Casey, 2021)
• 13.16 94 Gold Coast's highest score v Box Hill Hawks (13.11 89, Carrara, 2022)
• 12.15 87 Southport's highest score v Brisbane Lions at Moreton Bay (6.11 47, 2014)
• 7.10 52 Sydney's highest score v Casey Demons (6.9 45, Casey, 2021)

SMITHY’S VFL QUARTER-FINAL DEBUTS

(QF total: 0. Season total: 311. NEAFL games counted)

SMITHY’S VFL QUARTER-FINAL FIRST GOALS

(QF total: 0. Season total: 270. NEAFL goals counted)

SMITHY’S VFL ROUND 22 PLAYER MILESTONES

• 100 VFL matches: Kade Answerth (North Melbourne-Sandringham)/41 goals
• 50 VFL matches: Harry Jones (North Melbourne-Box Hill)/17 goals
• 150 NEAFL/VFL goals: Mitch Johnson (Southport)/59 matches (112 N/39 V)
• 50 goals for the season: Chris Burgess (Gold Coast)/17 matches
• 50 VFL goals: Chris Burgess (Gold Coast)/17 matches. Hudson Garoni (Werribee)/28 matches.
• 50 NEAFL/VFL goals: Chris Burgess (Gold Coast)/23 matches

SMITHY’S VFL ROUND 22 CLUB MILESTONES

• North Melbourne suffered its 350th VFA/VFL loss (448-350-69)
• Sandringham defeated Williamstown at Williamstown for the first time since April 24, 2010 (7 losses)

• Box Hill Hawks v Sydney happened for the first time (0-1)
• Brisbane Lions v Casey Demons happened for the first time (1-0)
• Carlton took the lead in VFL matches v Collingwood (2-1)
• Carlton defeated Collingwood at a neutral venue for the first time (1-1)
• North Melbourne v Gold Coast happened for the first time (0-1)
• North Melbourne squared its VFL win-loss record at Arden St (9-9)
• Richmond defeated Frankston for the fifth time in a row (last loss April 23, 2016)
• Southport v Coburg happened for the first time (1-0)

SMITHY’S VFL ROUND 22 RECORDS

(Figures in brackets are the previous record)

• 181 Northern Bullants' biggest away loss (160 v Brunswick, Brunswick Park, 1911)
• 181 Werribee's biggest win v Northern Bullants (160, Preston City Oval, 1991 & 2021; 119, Chirnside Park, 1992)
• 0.10 10 Werribee's lowest score conceded at Chirnside Park (1.9 15 v Williamstown, 1996)
• 0.10 10 Northern Bullants' lowest score v Werribee (2.7 19, Preston City Oval, 2001; 3.15 33, Chirnside Park, 2014)
• 181 Werribee's biggest win at Chirnside Park (148 v Frankston, 2002)
• 23.18 156 Footscray's highest score v GWS (21.9 135, Blacktown International Sports Park, 2021)
• 116 Footscray's biggest win v GWS (72, Blacktown International Sports Park, 2021)
• 10.9 69 Frankston's highest score v Richmond at Punt Road (7.8 50, 2016)
• 6.4 40 GWS's lowest score v Footscray (10.3 63, Blacktown International Sports Park, 2021)
• 5.12 42 Port Melbourne's lowest score v Geelong at Kardinia Park (9.4 58, 2013)
• 9.18 72 Richmond's lowest score v Frankston (11.15 81, Punt Road, 2016)

SMITHY’S VFL ROUND 22 DEBUTS

(Round 22 total: 7. Season total: 311. NEAFL games counted)

• Geelong (28): Sam Donegan
• GWS (23): Daniel Gauci, Joshua Lee
• North Melbourne (19): Brandon Leary
• Sandringham (17): Matthew Harms
• Werribee (8): Emmanuel Ajang, Flynn Young

SMITHY’S VFL ROUND 22 FIRST GOALS

(Round 22 total: 10. Season total: 270. NEAFL goals counted)

• Box Hill Hawks (15): Mitchell Sruk (4th)
• Footscray (18): Jamieson Ballantyne (2nd), Hugo Bromell (4th)
• Frankston (11): Josh Butland (3rd)
• Geelong (18): Ben Worme (7th)
• Gold Coast (12): Cody Harrington (4th)
• GWS (17): Angus Edwards (2nd)
• Sandringham (13): Matthew Harms (debut)
• Werribee (12): Charlie Ham (22nd), Flynn Young (debut)

SMITHY’S VFL SEMI-FINAL MILESTONES

• 350 VFA/VFL matches: Sydney/South Melbourne (221-82-46)

SMITHY’S VFL POSSIBLE SEMI-FINAL MILESTONES

• 100 VFA/VFL away losses: Carlton (100-99-15)
• 50 NEAFL/VFL matches: Connor McFadyen (Brisbane Lions)/37 goals (23 N/26 V); Sam Naismith (Sydney)/44 goals (47 N/2 V)
• 100 VFL goals: Wylie Buzza (Brisbane Lions/Werribee/Geelong) needs 1
• 50 VFL goals: Paddy McCartin (Sydney/Essendon/Sandringham) needs 5
• 50 NEAFL/VFL goals: Hayden McLean (Sydney/Sandringham) needs 8

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

All Smithy’s VFL matches in 2022 are live streamed free. The match of the round is screened on Channel 7 and 7Plus, while all other matches are live and available on demand via afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. Radio stations 3WBC 94.1 and Casey Radio 97.7FM also broadcast matches.
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