Round nine was conspicuous in that the result of almost every game went as expected, an occurrence which has been extremely rare so far in 2019. Top teams Collingwood, Geelong, West Coast and Greater Western Sydney all had wins to solidify their spots atop the AFANA AFL Power Poll, while Adelaide pushed Brisbane away from home but ultimately fell by a solitary point.
Richmond proved too strong for an injury hit Hawthorn, Port Adelaide stormed home for a big win over the Gold Coast and Essendon scrapped out an untidy win against Fremantle at Marvel Stadium. The Sydney Swans produced the weekends only true upset, amassing a handy lead early before holding on by just five points over the Kangaroos at Blundstone Arena in Tasmania.
Collingwood will keep their lead in the AFANA AFL Power Poll with Geelong right on its tail as we head into round eleven.
1. Collingwood Magpies (Last Week - 1)
The Magpies didn’t have it all their own way against Saint Kilda, but powered home late to record a 41 point win. Midfielders Adam Treloar and Steele Sidebottom were brilliant for Collingwood.
2. Geelong Cats (2)
The Cats barely had to get out of second gear against the in-form Bulldogs, rolling to a comfortable 44 point win at their fortress of GMHBA Stadium. Mitch Duncan (25 touches, 3 goals) was outstanding for Geelong in a victory that sees them retain top spot on the AFL ladder.
3. West Coast Eagles (3)
Not yet firing on all cylinders, the Eagles produced a scintillating final term in a come from behind win over a much improved Melbourne at Optus Stadium. Liam Ryan sparked the comeback with a spectacular mark over Melbourne big man Max Gawn.
4. Greater Western Sydney Giants (4)
Missing premier midfielder Stephen Coniglio, the Giants didn’t miss a beat in destroying Carlton by a massive 93 points. Lachie Whitfield returned from injury to dominate the Blues, amassing 40 possessions and booting three goals.
5. Brisbane Lions (6)
Brisbane passed a stern test with a red hot Adelaide Crows visiting the The Gabba on Saturday. Lachie Neale had a whopping 12 clearances among his 39 touches as the Lions held on by one point over the Crows in the match of the round.
6. Richmond Tigers (7)
The Tigers continue to win despite a burgeoning injury list, testament to the depth it has in the VFL. Nineteen year old Noah Balta came to the fore as Hawk big man Ben McEvoy went down with an ankle injury, giving Tiger fans a taste of the huge potential of the big but speedy Balta.
7. Adelaide Crows (5)
Adelaide missed the injured Matt Crouch against Brisbane as the Crows were shaded in the clearance game in a tight contest in Brisbane. The Crows kicked late goals to get within one point of the Lions, but ran out of time in a game they realistically didn’t deserve to win.
8. Port Adelaide Power (8)
Port had a bit of a scare at home in wet conditions as the upstart Gold Coast Suns held a four point half time lead. Travis Boak and Tom Rockliff however took control in the second half to lead the Power to a very solid 48 point win.
9. Western Bulldogs (9)
The Bulldogs were no match for a polished Geelong at MBHBA Stadium, despite breaking even in most statistical categories. Mitch Wallace had his best game for the season with 29 disposals including nine clearances.
10. Hawthorn Hawks (10)
Hawthorn wasted early chances in front of goal before losing ruckman Ben McEvoy to an ankle injury. After that, the Hawks failed to match the intensity around the ball of the Tigers who continued the Hawks alternate win-loss sequence.
11. Essendon Bombers (14)
The Bombers won ugly against Fremantle at home, but will be satisfied that they remain in striking range of the top eight after an up and down start to the season. Dylan Shiel will be a relieved man after scoring his first goals for the season after kicking 0.7 through the first eight games.
12. Fremantle Dockers (11)
The Dockers scoring woes continued against Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Saturday Night, losing its third game in a row while failing to break the 100 point mark since round five. David Mundy was once again best for the Dockers.
13. Melbourne Demons (12)
Melbourne looked to be heading for an against-the-odds win in Perth against the Eagles on Friday night, but failed to match the home team in the final quarter where they were outscored six goals to one. The frustrating season for the Demons continues.
14. Sydney Swans (15)
The Swans pulled off an excellent win against the Kangaroos in Tasmania, not an easy task given the Swans team was much younger and less experienced than their North Melbourne counterparts. Veteran Luke Parker was sensational with 29 touches and nine tackles.
15. St Kilda Saints (13)
The young Saints performed admirably against a very strong Collingwood, hanging in the game until a late flurry of Magpie goals blew the score out to a big win. Despite the loss, Alan Richardson’s men have gained plenty of fans in the face of injury issues this season.
16. North Melbourne Kangaroos (16)
The Kangaroos will be bitterly disappointed with the loss to Sydney, their fourth loss in the last five games. With one of the oldest lists in the competition, the road ahead looks rough.
17. Gold Coast Suns (17)
The Suns played some solid football in wet conditions at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, but could not sustain the effort as they were blown out late by a determined Port Adelaide. Brayden Fiorini (38 disposals, nine inside 50’s) continues his stellar season for the Suns.
18. Carlton Blues (18)
A horror show of a performance by Carlton on the road against the Giants, as they were basically uncompetitive from the opening bounce, eventually going down by 93 points.
Article last changed on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 6:16 PM EDT
