THEY SAID IT: "Didn't get himself into trouble this week, which is nice. He was a bit more of a 'reasonable' player in his tackling." - GWS coach Adam Kingsley has a cheeky dig at the tribunal after forward Toby Bedford was available to play against Gold Coast after overturning a three-match dangerous tackle ban.
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PLAYER OF THE ROUND: Hawthorn livewire Jack Ginnivan relished the big stage by starring in a huge win over his former club Collingwood. The small forward had a career-best 31 disposals and four clearances, and kicked two second-half goals that sparked wild celebrations among his teammates.
THE MOMENT: Adelaide forward Josh Rachele conceded he had some bad moments at crucial stages when the Crows last met the Bombers in round six. But Rachele redeemed himself in the best way, snapping a brilliant goal with 50 seconds left to pinch a heroic win for the Crows after they trailed Essendon by 17 points with seven minutes left.
THE MOMENT PART 2: There had been four lead changes in the final term at the Gabba as the Swans and Lions wrestled for the four points in the Sunday sunshine when a ball popped loose from a marking contest with less than three minutes to play. Callum Ah Chee pounced on the Sherrin, scooping it up and blasting the ball home to put the Lions ahead for the final time as Brisbane secured a seventh-straight win and a bumper crowd of 33,924 went berserk.
TALKING POINT: Collingwood's dream of snaring back-to-back flags for the first time since 1935-36 looks almost certainly over after a 66-point thrashing from Hawthorn left them 13th. It was the heaviest defeat of premiership coach Craig McRae's tenure. The Magpies face Richmond next round before a tough run home against Carlton, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
CAREER REVIVAL: Could Rory Lobb the defender be the missing piece in the Western Bulldogs' puzzle? The big man has gone from battling as a ruck/forward in the VFL, with trade rumours swirling, to one of the league's in-form key defenders. Lobb kept Geelong spearhead Jeremy Cameron to one goal and six touches and racked up 21 disposals, 14 intercept possessions and nine marks himself in the Bulldogs' 47-point win at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night
STAT OF THE ROUND: Melbourne recorded just three clearances to Fremantle's 24 in the first half of their clash in Perth. It marked the first time since Champion Data started recording the stat in 1999 that a team has posted less than five clearances in an opening half.
TRIBUNAL WATCH: Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard can escape with a $2500 fine for his high elbow fend-off against Jack Ginnivan. Hawks forward Nick Watson can accept a $2500 fine for a high bump on Maynard. Eagles forward Liam Ryan was cleared of wrongdoing over a high bump on St Kilda's Liam Stocker.
KEY INJURIES: I Cumming (GWS, hamstring), N Kreuger (Coll, concussion), C Rozee (PA, corked hip), J Dawson (Ade, concussion), M Guelfi (Ess, hamstring), J Caldwell (Ess, ribs), L Henry (SK, knee), Dane Rampe (Syd, calf), Tom Papley (Syd, ankle), Will Hayward (Syd, ankle), T Nankervis (Rich, concussion), C Wagner (Frem, ribs), A Pearce (Frem, arm), L Jackson (Frem, corked calf)
WHAT'S NEXT: Carlton and Port Adelaide kick off round 20 with a hugely important clash at Marvel Stadium on Friday night. Saturday marks a double dose of derbies, with Gold Coast taking on rivals Brisbane and Fremantle up against arch nemesis West Coast. Melbourne host GWS on the same day, with North Melbourne facing Geelong in Tasmania and Essendon taking on St Kilda. Collingwood's season will be on the line when they go up against Richmond at the MCG on Sunday, while Sydney host the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide take on in-form Hawthorn.
Australian Associated Press
