3 minute read
Melbourne snatched a miraculous win, Dane Rampe climbed a goal post and Gary Ablett is in match review trouble for the second-straight week.
WHAT HAPPENED IN ROUND EIGHT OF THE AFL:
THEY SAID IT: "Sometimes you need a kick in the guts and other times you sing the song." - A shattered Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew after his team let a six-point lead turn into a one-point loss in the last 40 seconds against Melbourne. It's the fifth match for the Suns decided by less than a goal and they've won three of them.
STATS THAT MATTER: Essendon have now lost nine of their past 10 clashes with Sydney.
MAN OF THE ROUND: In just his 20th AFL game, Adelaide defender Alex Keath won the Showdown Medal with an outstanding 26-disposal game that featured 14 contested possessions. There's growing speculation Keath's decision to give up cricket and concentrate on the AFL could mean an All-Australian blazer this season.
KEY MOMENTS: This was a weekend for the goal post. Tom McDonald's soccered shot that hit the post just before the final siren gave Melbourne the win when they looked gone barely a minute earlier against the Suns. David Myers' shot after the siren did not make the distance, meaning Essendon lost to Sydney in a chaotic finish where Swans captain Dane Sampe was warned by an umpire to stop climbing the goal post. Meanwhile, Carlton were on the verge of a massive upset win over Collingwood but the Magpies blitzed them with five goals in the last 12 minutes of the game.
TALKING POINT: Crowd violence is becoming a major issue. A week after a Melbourne fan allegedly assaulted a disabled Hawthorn supporter, there were ugly scenes in the stands at the MCG near the end of the Collingwood-Carlton match. The AFL is yet to comment on Saturday's dramas. On a much lighter note, five West Coast players had an interesting build-up to Saturday night's win over St Kilda when they got stuck in a lift at the team hotel for half an hour earlier in the afternoon.
TRIBUNAL WATCH: For the second-straight match, Geelong star Gary Ablett is in trouble for a raised forearm hit off the ball, this time on North Melbourne's Sam Wright. He was banned last week but successfully went to the tribunal and had it downgraded to a fine. West Coast defender Jeremy McGovern is also in strife for a bump well off the ball that felled St Kilda's Blake Acres. Hawthorn defender James Frawley was booked for shoving GWS opponent Jeremy Cameron into the MCG signage. Cameron hurt his shoulder but played out the match. Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe will attract Michael Christian's scrutiny for his high contact with Richmond key forward Tom Lynch.
KEY INJURIES: Michael Hurley (Ess, ankle) Tim English (WB, soreness) Zac Bailey (Bris, hamstring) Jarrod Berry (Bris, eye) Charlie Curnow (Carl, ankle) Chris Mayne (Coll, concussion) Josh Thomas (Coll, ankle) Sean Lemmens (GC, ankle) Michael Hibberd (Melb, collarbone) Jake Melksham (Melb, foot) Jordan Lewis (Melb, ankle) Ryan Burton (PA, hamstring) Matt Crouch (Adel, hip) Joel Selwood (Geel, leg) Gary Rohan (Geel, concussion) Jeremy Cameron (GWS, shoulder/head) Isaac Smith (Haw, foot) Toby Nankervis (Rich, groin) Jack Ross (Rich, ankle)
WHAT'S NEXT: With two wins under their belt but also several injuries, Melbourne will head to Perth for a big Friday night game against West Coast. Slumping Essendon host Fremantle and similarly St Kilda badly need a win against Collilngwood. Adelaide are on a roll and will fancy their chances against Brisbane at the 'Gabba, while Geelong recruit Luke Dahlhaus comes up against his old side the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.
