Recent news

The list of season-enders grows and grows

BRISBANE
Injury Update:
Haydn Kiel, hamstring, 1-2 weeks
Matt Austin, achilles, season
Mitch Clark, quad, season

Charges from conduct to gestures

Max Rooke (GEEL): rough conduct against North Melbourne’s Sam Power: assessed as negligent conduct (one point), high impact (three points) and body contact (one point), equaling five activation points, a Level Three offense, 225 demerits and a two game suspension. His previous record of one game suspended within the past three years increases the penalty 10% to 247.50 demerits, still a two-game suspension. He accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 185.63 demerits and a one game suspension.

The season begins to wind down...

Several days prior to the game, a Bulldog player commented in the media that the players needed to get there mojo back. The Bulldogs certainly did that in a big way against a struggling Essendon. The Bombers started with retiring defender Mal Michael at full forward and Lloyd at center half forward. Through much of the first term, the Dogs looked like continuing their downward spiral with some sloppy play.

Scrapes, scratches and season-enders

BRISBANE
Injury Update:
Haydn Kiel, hamstring, 1-2 weeks
Mitch Clark, quad, 2-3 weeks
Josh Drummond, thigh, 3-5 weeks

...and don't do that again!

Justin Westhoff (PA), wrestling Collingwood's Nick Maxwell: fined $1200 for a first offense. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% TO $900.

Nick Maxwell (COL), wrestling Port Adelaide's Justin Westhoff: fined $1200 for a first offense. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% TO $900.

St. Kilda hangs on to their spot on the Ladder

Round 20 produced some of the biggest upsets of the 2009 AFL season. When the Brisbane Lions toppled the third placed Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, St Kilda were ousted from eighth position on the Ladder. This turned their Sunday afternoon encounter with Fremantle into a must win game in their Finals campaign. St Kilda came in as underdogs due to their very poor record at Subiaco Oval. Fremantle were playing for pride and tradition at the end of a horribly inconsistent season.

Queensland team gets senior coach, more season-end retirements

Former Eagle and current Collingwood assistant coach Guy McKenna has been appointed as the senior coach for the new Gold Coast team on a two year contract. The GC17 team, as it is known at present until a permanent name is decided upon, is hoping to be granted an AFL license in October with 2011 as the target date for their AFL debut.

Cats stay on top in the march to the Finals

COL  5.3   9.6   13.7    16.10 (106)
PA   4.4   8.5   10.12   10.15 (75)

GOALS: COL - Cloke 4, Swan 3, Anthony 2, Clarke, Cook, Fraser, Maxwell, Thomas, Davis, McCarthy; PA - Ebert 2, Thurstans 2, Cassisi, Surjan, Gray, M. Westhoff, Pearce, K. Cornes

BEST: COL - Davis, Lockyer, Swan, Cloke, Clarke, Maxwell, O'Bree, Fraser; PA - S. Burgoyne, Boak, K. Cornes, Lade, Cassisi, Surjan, Gray 

INJURY: COL - Anthony (shoulder/head), Thomas (knee); PA - Motlop (adductor) replaced in selected side by Gray, Brogan (shoulder) replaced in selected side by Thurstans

Bombers fail to detonate under West Coast assault

In a long-awaited return to form, the West Coast Eagles put paid to Essendon’s slim chances of making the Final Eight in an entertaining Round 19 game at Subiaco Oval. West Coast were inspired by Quinten Lynch playing in the midfield, ably supported by experienced campaigners Michael Braun and Chad Fletcher. In his much-anticipated clash with Essendon counterpart David Hille, ruckman Dean Cox’s superiority was another deciding factor in the West Coast’s win.

Where does it hurt?

ADELAIDE
Injury Update:
Jason Porplyzia (concussion/brain bruising), ongoing assessment
Trent Hentschel, hamstring, 3 weeks