St Kilda needed a win over reigning premiers West Coast to keep their finals hopes alive; and the Saints got off
to a flying start that raised the hopes of the long-suffering St Kilda faithful. Leading by 22 points at the long
break, hopes were high of an upset, but the Eagles steadied after the break; and after a string of behinds
early in the third term it was Quentin Lynch who lifted up forward, with 5 second-half goals giving the Eagles
the lead. A late goal to Riewoldt gave the Saints a sniff, but they were unable to regain the lead; and their
defeat ends their 2007 finals dream.
West Coast 1.1 6.4 11.9 16.10 (106)
St Kilda 5.5 9.8 10.9 14.14 (98)
Goals : West Coast - Q Lynch 5 D Wirrpanda 3 M LeCras 3 R Jones 2 C Fletcher M Priddis A Hansen. St Kilda
- N Riewoldt 4 J Koschitzke 3 F Gehrig 2 X Clarke L Fisher B Voss L Ball A Fiora.
Best : West Coast - M Priddis Q Lynch D Glass B Cousins D Cox D Wirrpanda. St Kilda - L Hayes N Riewoldt N
Dal Santo S Fisher R Clarke.
Umpires: S McBurney B Allen S McInerney.
Crowd - 38,183 at Telstra Dome.
Kangaroos veteran Glenn Archer took the field for the 307th time on Saturday, beating the long-standing club
record of Wayne Schimmelbusch. And he celebrated in style, being among the Kangaroos' best players as they
demolished the hapless Carlton by 82 points. After an inaccurate opening term, the Kangaroos booted home 6
goals to 2 in the second term to race to a handy lead that the Blues were never a chance to peg back. The
Kangaroos are in 5th place, and if they win and Hawthorn lose next week will wrap up a double-chance.
Kangaroos 3.8 9.11 17.14 24.17 (161)
Carlton 2.2 4.9 8.11 11.13 (79)
Goals : Kangaroos - A Edwards 4 D Petrie 4 E Sansbury 3 S Grant 2 A Swallow 2 D Hale C Jones L Brown B
Rawlings B Harvey D Wells A Simpson S McMahon E Lower. Carlton - J Waite 3 R Jackson 2 L Whitnall 2 S
O'hAilpin B Gibbs J Kennedy C Ackland.
Best : Kangaroos - B Harvey D Wells E Sansbury D Pratt D Petrie A Edwards D Harris H McIntosh. Carlton - A
Bentick J Waite A Walker A Carrazzo C Ackland L Whitnall.
Umpires - M Avon R Chamberlain G Fila.
Crowd - 29,334 at Telstra Dome
A club record second quarter set Fremantle up for a comfortable 59-point win over Melbourne at Subiaco.
After an even first quarter, the Dockers ran through 9 goals to 1 in the second to open up an unassailable
lead. Luke McPharlin was the star up forward with 5 goals, while Pavlich and Farmer were also prominent -
Farmer not only for his successful play but also for his celebrations when scoring a last-quarter major against his
old club.
Fremantle 5.4 14.6 18.7 22.12 (144)
Melbourne 5.4 6.7 9.13 12.13 (85)
Goals : Fremantle - L McPharlin 5 J Farmer 3 M Pavlich 3 B Peake 2 A Foster 2 J Carr D Gilmore C Tarrant D
Solomon P Bell S McManus D Mundy. Melbourne - R Robertson 3 D Neitz 2 B Green 2 B Miller J Bode B Pickett
R Ferguson M Newton.
Best : Fremantle - M Pavlich J Farmer P Bell D Mundy L McPharlin. Melbourne - R Robertson N Brown B
McLean C Sylvia C Bruce.
Umpires - C Donlon L Farmer K Nicholls.
Crowd - 34,549 at Subiaco Oval.
Sydney's hopes of a third straight grand final are in tatters after a disappointing showing in their 25-point
loss to Collingwood on Saturday night. It was all tied up at quarter time, but with a 6 goals to 3 second
term the Magpies opened a break they were able to maintain for the rest of the night. In a boost to
the Magpie fortunes on the eve of the finals, Nathan Buckley returned to the side; playing a full game
and featuring prominently in the possession count. With over 63,000 fans in attendance, Collingwood
has broken the record for the highest-attended team in a home & away season.
Collingwood 3.6 9.8 12.10 15.11 (101)
Sydney 4.0 7.4 8.6 11.10 (76)
Goals : Collingwood - S Rusling 4 A Rocca 3 A Didak S Pendlebury S Burns P Medhurst J Clement D
Thomas D Swan C Bryan. Sydney - B Hall 4 N Davis 2 A Schneider R O'Keefe D Jolly M O'Loughlin B Kirk.
Best : Collingwood - D Swan S Pendlebury S Rusling S Wakelin T Goldsack N Buckley. Sydney - A
Goodes B Kirk J Bolton N Malceski B Hall.
Umpires - M Vozzo S McLaren M Ellis.
Crowd - 63,842 at the MCG.
Veteran Crow Mark Riccuito was playing his last game in Adelaide, and it was a night to remember for
the number 32, with the Crows taking a 26-point victory with Riccuito afforded a lap of honour after the
game. The Adelaide defence was magnificent, holding the Brisbane forward line to just 2 goals in the
middle 2 quarters. The result propels the Crows back into the top 8, but sees the end of Brisbane's
dramatic late-season surge. No finals appearance this year for the Lions, but with the momentum built
up in the second half of 2007 hopes will be high for next year.
Adelaide 3.2 6.7 10.13 12.14 (86)
Brisbane 3.0 3.1 5.8 8.12 (60)
Goals : Adelaide - S Goodwin 2 N Bock 2 N Gill S Thompson T Edwards S Welsh G Johncock A McLeod
B Burton J Porplyzia. Brisbane - S Black 2 R Copeland 2 M Clark T Notting J Brown C Stiller.
Best : Adelaide - S Goodwin R Shirley A McLeod S Stevens B Hudson S Thompson B Rutten B Reilly.
Brisbane - L Power J Adcock D Merrett T Selwood.
Umpires - M Stevic S Jeffery D Goldspink.
Crowd - 46,507 at AAMI Stadium
Hawthorn went into the match against Western Bulldogs needing a win to maintain their position in the
top 4, and with a strong second half were able to do just that. But it wasn't looking that way early,
with the Bulldogs running through 5 first-quarter goals and leading by 6 points at the long break. After
the restart it was a different story, as the Bulldogs slowed to a walk and the Hawks hit top gear,
running through 16 goals to 2 to cruise to a 84-point win. Luke Hodge booted 6 in a best-on-ground
performance that sees the Hawks' double-chance destiny in their own hands; and which ends the
Bulldogs' dream of participating in the 2007 finals.
Hawthorn 1.7 6.9 13.14 22.19 (151)
Western Bulldogs 5.3 8.3 10.6 10.7 (67)
Goals : Hawthorn - L Hodge 6 J Lewis 4 J Roughead 3 B Dixon 3 L Franklin 2 R Campbell G Birchall C
Brown C Young. Western Bulldogs - L Gilbee 3 L Darcy 2 D Giansiracusa F Ray W Skipper A Cooney J
Akermanis.
Best : Hawthorn - L Hodge J Lewis S Mitchell C Brown B Sewell S Crawford R Campbell L Franklin.
Western Bulldogs - S West N Eagleton B Harris D Cross.
Umpires - S Grun D Margetts D Sully.
Crowd - 32,734 at Telstra Dome.
Geelong's winning streak is finally over, but it took a thrilling effort from second-placed Port Adelaide to
end the winning run. After a see-sawing opening half, the Power took control in the third to open up a
19-point lead at the last change. But spurred on in the last quarter by a capacity crowd at Skilled
Stadium, the Cats came charging home; and when Gary Ablett scored with just a minute to go to give
the home side a 1-point lead it looked like the winning streak would continue. It wasn't to be, as Port
got the centre break and Dominic Cassisi slotted home the winner with just 4 seconds left on the clock.
For the second week in a row, the Power have left it to the final seconds to pull off thrilling wins; which
maintain their hold on second place and a home qualifying final.
Port Adelaide 5.2 9.3 13.8 16.10 (106)
Geelong 2.1 8.4 10.7 15.11 (101)
Goals : Port Adelaide - S Burgoyne 3 B Ebert 3 D Motlop 3 W Tredrea 2 S Salopek 2 J Westhoff 2 D
Cassisi. Geelong - S Johnson 3 N Ablett 3 M Stokes 2 A Mackie T Varcoe J Kelly J Corey C Mooney G
Ablett P Chapman.
Best : Port Adelaide - S Burgoyne K Cornes B Lade C Cornes S Salopek T Thurstans. Geelong - G
Ablett M Scarlett A Mackie S Johnson C Enright B Ottens.
Umpires - M James H Kennedy M Head.
Crowd - 24,331 at Skilled Stadium.
Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy and former captain James Hird were in action for the last time in
Melbourne; and a crowd of over 88,000 was on hand - an amazing number for a game between two
teams out of the finals race. But it was Richmond who overcame a slow start to spoil the Bombers'
party, hitting the lead shortly before half-time and going on with it in the second half to record a
27-point win - a result that keeps the Tigers in with a chance to avoid the wooden spoon. Sheedy and
Hird were honoured with a presentation after the match; but the celebrations of these fine Bombers
would have been so much more had the Bombers been able to take the points.
Richmond 3.3 7.9 10.15 17.17 (119)
Essendon 5.3 7.5 9.11 13.14 (92)
Goals : Richmond - B Deledio 2 J Riewoldt 2 C Newman 2 K Pettifer 2 J Bowden N Brown N Foley K
Johnson G Polak M Richardson R Tambling G Tivendale S Tuck. Essendon - M Lloyd 4 J Hird 2 D Hille 2 M
McVeigh A Lovett C Dempsey B Stanton S Gumbleton.
Best : Richmond - M Richardson K Johnson B Deledo K Moore L McGuane C Newman. Essendon - A
Lovett C Dempsey N Lovett-Murray J Hird B Stanton A McPhee.
Umpires - B Rosebury S Wenn S Ryan.
Crowd - 88,468 at the MCG.