Pies draftee close to AFL debut; ex-Don sends reminder with "unbelievable" outing

Richmond had a dalliance with being a standalone club for a week due to its catastrophic injury list – and went within two seconds of a monumental standalone upset.

Fielding zero AFL-listed players – the first time in memory an AFL club has had to do that without having a choice – and leading powerhouse opponent Box Hill Hawks by 18 points as the clock ticked into time-on at Box Hill City Oval, the Tigers looked every bit a winner.

But the Hawks have made fast-finishing an artform in recent years, kicking four goals to one in red time and all-but committing highway robbery when last-quarter hero Jack Dalton won a free kick and split the middle with just one second on the clock.

Dalton kicked two of his three goals in the decisive period to go with 24 disposals, while Ollie Greeves (33, one goal) and Cody Anderson (three goals) were also important.

Tigers debutant Kai Stewart turned heads with two classy goals, matched by MSD contender Sam Toner, fourth gamer Aaron Sharkie (25), defender Mutaz El Nour (19, 10 marks), Leo Connolly (27 marks) and captain Lachlan Street (21) led the way in what was possibly Richmond’s best performance since the 2019 Grand Final.

Southport bounced back from its disappointing performance last week to hand Tasmania a lesson in what it needs to do to challenge for a debut VFL premiership, dishing out a 53-point hiding at North Hobart Oval on Saturday.

The Sharks were rocked by the loss of prolific star Jesse Joyce (ACL) for the season early in last week’s shock loss to Coburg, but it didn’t take long to pull themselves together, going blow-for-blow with the impressive Devils before blowing them off the park with seven unanswered goals in 12 minutes late in the last quarter to return to the top 10.

And it was their experienced superstars who led the way – Liston medallist Jacob Dawson (41 disposals, 21 contested, 12 clearances, one goal), Zac Foot (27, 10 tackles, three goals), Boyd Woodcock (23, three goals) and Max Spencer (25, nine marks, 15 rebounds) wore Tasmania down and put it to the sword.

Harry Elmer (27, seven tackles, one goal), Brandon Leary (25, two goals) and Jye Menzie (25, 1.3) starred to keep the Devils in it until the late ambush.

Frankston captain Trent Mynott sent a reminder of his many talents with a stunning display as the Dolphins thrashed Gold Coast by 39 points at People First Stadium on Saturday.

MSD hope Jackson Voss (30, one goal), key forward Corey Ellison (five goals) and Tyson Milne, the son of St Kilda great Stephen (27, nine rebounds), were also terrific for the Dolphins.

Sydney recruit Mitch Mellis may have put himself into MSD calculations with a stunning performance as the Swans proved too experienced and classy for an undermanned Collingwood by 52 points at Tramway Oval.

Draftee Sam Swadling was sensational for Collingwood, racking up 40 disposals, nine marks and a goal in a well-beaten team … could he make his debut in Scott Pendlebury’s record-breaking game?

Giants Academy graduate Riley Hamilton kicked an ice-cool conversion in the dying stages to help GWS escape with a thrilling three-point win over a gallant Sandringham at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval.

The lead changed eight times, including four in a heartstopping last quarter, and the Zebras looked like claiming a major scalp in their 1800th VFA/VFL game when Jack Ferraro gave them the lead deep into time-on, but the Giants burst from the next centre ball-up and Hamilton took a diving mark on the behind line before snapping the winner.

Jack Ough had 39 disposals and Jaxon East 32 for GWS, which had Ollie Hannaford and Callum Brown boot three goals each, while Lachie Riley (31), Darcy Chirgwin (29) and Andreas Stefanakis (28) were terrific for Sandringham.

Port Melbourne overturned a 29-point half-time deficit to beat North Melbourne by 13 for a third-straight win and a spot in the top 10 at ETU Stadium on Saturday, a win engineered by five goals from former Bulldog Dom Bedendo and four to ex-Bomber Kaine Baldwin, while luckless Kangaroo Brayden George and Ollie Lowe kicked three each for the losers.

Jack Bowes had the best possible response to being dropped by piling up 42 disposals, seven marks, seven clearances, nine inside-50s and two goals to lead Geelong to a 66-point away thumping of the Brisbane Lions, helped by MSD contender Marcus Herbert (35), George Stevens (34, one goal) and Mitch Knevitt (33, one goal).

Carlton moved into the top two with fifth consecutive win, kicking seven goals to none in the third quarter to upset Footscray by 20 points at Ikon Park to tip the Bulldogs out of the top 10 on the back of brilliant games from Blake Acres (34, one goal) and Ben Camporeale (31), while Adam Treloar, Cooper Craig-Peters and Luke Cleary had 27 each for the reigning premier.

Euro-Yroke blasted Casey Demons with a devastating seven-goal opening-quarter blast that set up a 43-point lead before cruising to a 48-point win at RSEA Park on Saturday, with Mason Wood responding to his own omission with 28 disposals and three goals and recruit Ethan Phillips (27 disposals) pulling in 16 marks in defence, while AFL 250-gamer Tom McDonald’s 33 touches and eight marks saved the Demons from a second demoralising thrashing in a row.

The only charge issued this week was to Port Melbourne’s former Saint James Van Es accepted his reprimand, fined $150 for misconduct against North Melbourne’s Isaiah Markovsky.