

For all St Kilda’s success in the past couple of years, Essendon has remained a bogey team for the Saints. It
was the Bombers who ended St Kilda’s 19-game winning streak in 2009, and the Bombers beat the Saints
twice last year before the two sides played a thrilling draw as a part of the triple-header in the opening round
of this pre-season. And when the two sides played again in the semi final, it was again the Bombers who
would take the game ahead of their more fancied rivals, getting the early jump and going on to complete a 39-
point victory.
It took less than a minute for the Bombers to get the opening goal, and shortly afterwards Sam Fisher
copped a nasty knock to the face in accidental friendly fire, departing under the blood rule and with a
suspected broken cheekbone did not return. It was the start of a dirty opening quarter for the Saints, as the
Bombers raced away to a 25-point quarter time lead.
The Saints never looked like getting back into the contest as the Bombers slowly but surely drew even further
ahead. The Bombers were more committed, going in first to the ball, and the Saints found themselves
constantly chasing the runaway Bombers. By half time the lead was 37 points and by the last change it was
out to 44 points. So out of sorts were the Saints that they were only able to manage three goals before three-
quarter time; and although the Saints won the last quarter, by then it was too late.
And so the Bombers are through to the final, their first pre-season grand final since 2000. James Hird in his
first pre-season looks to have formed a disciplined, well-drilled team playing with plenty of spirit and
passion; and although pre-season form is a notoriously unreliable indicator, it will give the Bombers plenty of
confidence for the year ahead.
Essendon 0.5.3 0.8.6 0.10.10 0.12.12 (84)
St Kilda 0.1.2 0.2.5 0.3.8 0.6.9 (45)
Nine-Point Goals : Essendon – Nil. St Kilda – Nil.
Goals : Essendon - Jetta 2, Ryder 2, Zaharakis 2, Melksham, Reimers, Hurley, Howlett,
Melksham, Crameri. St Kilda - Riewoldt, Jones, Milne, Gamble, Lynch, Archer.
Best : Essendon - Melksham, Jetta, Watson, Hooker, Bellchambers, Hibberd, Stanton,
Hardingham. St Kilda - Dal Santo, Gwilt, Goddard, Peake, Geary.
Injuries : Essendon – Nil. St Kilda - Fisher (cheek).
Reports – Nil. Umpires - Nicholls, Wenn, Jennings.
Crowd - 17,632 at Etihad Stadium.
Defending premiers Collingwood are through to another grand final, with the Magpies defeating West Coast
by 24 points at Subiaco on Saturday night to give themselves a crack at Essendon and a shot at some more
silverware.
Early goals to Nic Naitanui and Mark LeCras gave the Eagles a good start, but the Magpies turned up the
intensity. A super-goal to Sharrod Wellingham and a goal to Travis Cloke put the Magpies six points up at
quarter time. In the second quarter, the Magpies kicked the first three goals and threatened to run away with
the contest, but the tenacious Eagles wouldn’t let the Magpies’ lead race out of control.
The margin had been pegged back to 15 points at half time, and by three-quarter time the Collingwood
lead had been cut to 7 points. The Eagles were building momentum well in the third quarter, getting
themselves to within a super-goal. But the Magpies steadied during the three-quarter time break, and
their defence tightened to hold the Eagles to only one scoring shot in the final quarter, a term in which
the Magpies landed three goals to extend the final margin to 24 points.
It was a victory that came at a heavy cost for the Magpies, with captain Nick Maxwell suffering a shoulder
injury. Maxwell will miss the NAB Cup final next week, and is in doubt for the start of the home and away
season.
Collingwood 1.1.5 1.4.10 1.6.12 1.9.17 (80)
West Coast 0.2.2 0.4.4 0.7.8 0.8.8 (56)
Nine-point goals : Collingwood - S Wellingham. West Coast - Nil.
Goals : Collingwood - T Cloke 2, C Dawes 2, J Bolton, B Sinclair, D Swan, D Thomas, A
Toovey. West Coast - Goals - M LeCras 3, J Kennedy, N Naitanui, M Nicoski, L Shuey, A
Smith.
Best : Collingwood - S Pendlebury, S Wellingham, B Johnson, A Krakouer, S Buckley, D
Thomas. West Coast - D Cox, M Priddis, M LeCras, A Selwood, L Shuey.
Injuries : Collingwood - T Hunter (shoulder), N Maxwell (shoulder). West Coast - M
Rosa (hamstring) replaced in selected side by B Jones, N Naitanui (shoulder), M Brown
(shoulder).
Crowd – 15,359 at Patersons Stadium.
NAB CHALLENGE
Carlton 3.2 8.4 11.6 15.10 (100)
Adelaide 5.3 6.5 9.8 11.10 (76)
Goals : Carlton - Garlett 4, Waite 2, Simpson 2, Gibbs, Robinson, Betts, Collins,
Hampson, Thorton, Ellard. Adelaide - Walker 4, McKernan 3, Knights 2, Dangerfield,
Jaensch.
Best : Carlton - Yarran, Judd, Garlett, Waite, Betts, Duigan. Adelaide - S Thompson,
Walker, Johncock, Doughty, McKernan, Knights.
Injuries : Carlton – Nil. Adelaide - Tippett (ankle), Henderson (concussion), Callinan
(bicep), Martin (knee).
Reports : Carlton - Jamison for rough conduct on Henderson in the first quarter.
Adelaide – Nil.
Crowd - 3000 (est.) at Visy Park.
Hawthorn 3.5 8.10 10.13 12.17 (89)
Richmond 2.1 4.3 6.5 7.6 (48)
Goals : Hawthorn - Osborne 3, Franklin 2, Roughead 2, Hale, Savage, Shiels, Young,
Mitchell. Richmond - Vickery 2, Cotchin, Morton, Graham, Nahas, Miller.
Best : Hawthorn - Rioli, Osborne, Roughead, Hale, Mitchell, Cheney, Shiels. Richmond -
Cotchin, Martin, Vickery, Conca, Graham, Foley.
Injuries : Hawthorn – Nil. Richmond - Farmer (ankle), McGuane (concussion).
Reports – Nil.
Crowd - 6,108 approx. at Deakin Reserve, Shepparton.
Port Adelaide 3.4 10.10 13.16 19.21 (135)
Geelong 3.5 4.7 6.9 7.9 (51)
Goals : Port Adelaide - D Stewart 3, Pearce, Boak, Salopek, Broadbent 2, Motlop,
Cassisi, Schulz, P Stewart, Irons, Westhoff, Gray, Hartlett. Geelong - Hawkins 2, West,
Brown, Cowan, Duncan, Schroder.
Best : Port Adelaide - Boak, Trengove, Cassisi, Rodan, Salopek, Irons. Geelong -
Stokes, Kelly, Taylor, T Hunt, Simpkin.
Injuries : Port Adelaide – Nil. Geelong - Motlop (ankle).
Crowd - 4,110 at AAMI Stadium.
Brisbane 3.4 7.8 13.9 16.11 (107)
Melbourne 4.2 6.4 9.5 12.6 (78)
Goals : Brisbane - Power 3, Clark 2, Bewick 2, O'Brien 2, Rockliff 2, Polkinghorne 2,
Beams 2, Lester. Melbourne - Maric 3, Watts 2, Martin, Jetta, Dunn, Sylvia, Petterd,
Jamar, Bate.
Best : Brisbane - Rich, Clark, Adcock, Rockliff, Power, Collier, Lester. Melbourne - Jetta,
Sylvia, Jones, Bail, Maric, Tapscott, Jamar.
Injuries : Brisbane – Nil. Melbourne – Nil.
Reports – Nil. Umpires - Findlay, Ryan, Fila.
Crowd – 3,000 (est.) at Visy Park.
Sydney 3.8 6.11 11.11 14.11 (95)
Gold Coast 2.0 3.3 3.4 3.5 (23)
Goals : Sydney - Goodes 6, Everitt 2, Bolton, McGlynn, Moore, McVeigh, Hannebery,
Sumner. Gold Coast - Patrick 2, May.
Best : Sydney - Goodes, McVeigh, Jetta, Bolton, Everitt. Gold Coast - Fraser, Patrick,
Dixon, McKenzie, Jolly.
Injuries : Sydney - Rohan (achilles). Gold Coast – Nil.
Reports – Nil. Umpires - Vozzo, McKenzie, Kamolins.
Crowd – 2,859 at Southport.
North Melbourne 6.4 12.9 15.13 18.15 (123)
Greater Western Sydney 0.0 2.1 4.2 8.2 (50)
Goals : North Melbourne - Wright 4, Harvey 2, McKinley 2, Hansen 2, Warren 2, Harper
2, Kennedy 2, Norris, Campbell. GWS - Giles 2, Harding, Ugle, Reid, Sargent, Shiel, Leslie.
Best : North Melbourne - Harvey, Wright, Thomas, Hansen, Urquhart, Harper, Kennedy,
L Delaney. GWS - Giles, Shiel, Clifton, Bruce, Bugg.
Injuries : North Melbourne - Kennedy (knee). GWS - Cooyou (ankle).
Reports – Nil.
Crowd - 6,122 approx. at Lavington Sports Ground.
Western Bulldogs 0.3 7.11 7.11 14.14 (98)
Fremantle 5.7 6.7 9.12 9.14 (68)
Goals : Bulldogs - Z Skinner 4, J Hill 2, C Howard, P Veszpremi, M Hahn, L Jones, J Tutt, A
Hooper, J Mulligan, W Minson. Fremantle - R Crowley 3, R Palmer 2, A Sandilands, A
McPhee, K Bradley, M Johnson.
Best : Bulldogs - D Cross, Z Skinner, B Stack, M Hahn, C Howard, J Hill, J Tutt. Fremantle
- R Palmer, A Sandilands, A Silvagni, T Mzungu, K Bradley, N Lower, N Fyfe.
Umpires - D Margetts, J Dalgleish, S Stewart.
Crowd – 5,500 (approx) at Hands Oval, Bunbury.
2011 NAB CUP FINAL Friday 11th March Essendon v Collingwod (7:45pm, Etihad Stadium)
NAB CHALLENGE Friday 11th March Richmond v Adelaide (4:00pm, Visy Park) Hawthorn v Melbourne (7:00pm, Aurora Stadium) Saturday 12th March North Melbourne v Western Bulldogs (1:00pm, Eureka Stadium) Carlton v Geelong (1:00pm, Visy Park) Fremantle v West Coast (2:00pm, Fremantle Oval) Port Adelaide v Greater Western Sydney (4:30pm, Willaston Oval, SA) Sydney v St Kilda (7:00pm, Coffs Harbour) Sunday 13th March Gold Coast v Brisbane (4:00pm, Southport Qld)
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