A record-breaking Anzac Day to remember caps off key takeouts from round six

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Western Bulldogs d Fremantle

When Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs faced off in an elimination final, dour, low-scoring and defensive football played into the Dockers’ hands. But the game style appears to have gone past Fremantle since, after the Bulldogs’ relentless pressure and high-disposal game ended in a 49-point drubbing on Thursday night. Marcus Bontempelli was at his sensational best, and when Adam Treloar, Jack Macrae and Tom Liberatore are also up and going, the Bulldogs’ midfield is among the competition’s best. It’s also led by perhaps this year’s All-Australian ruckman in Tim English, who was beaten by Sean Darcy in the first term, but had the last laugh by the final siren.

Rory Lobb was the centre of attention throughout the match.Credit: Paul Kane, Getty Images

Fremantle had just 45 inside-50s, and questions will continue to rage over whether their slow ball movement tactics can take them beyond a semi-final appearance after they slumped to 2-4, having beaten just West Coast and Gold Coast this season. Rory Lobb received a lot of attention in his first match against his old side, but kicked 1.3 and played his role in the win.
– Damien Ractliffe

Gold Coast Suns d North Melbourne

An injured Touk Miller after the game.Credit: Russell Freeman, AFL Photos

Gold Coast Suns coach Stuart Dew will be a relieved man: he was going to be the coach in the hot seat this week if his team went down to the struggling Kangaroos. Not that the pressure will ease that much in the weeks ahead, with the Suns desperately needing a win away from home, starting at Marvel this week against Richmond.

Losing Touk Miller to a potentially serious knee injury is a massive blow. As for the Kangaroos, after starting the season so brightly, they’re back in the doldrums, with precious little positivity to take out of the last two weeks. Their best few players were their oldest, starting with milestone man Todd Goldstein, let down in his 300th game. Their younger leaders need to take ownership of that.
– Andrew Stafford

Port Adelaide d West Coast

Soon after the Power recorded their comfortable win over the Eagles, the reality would’ve set in that they are experiencing a big man crisis. Ken Hinkley’s side headed into Saturday’s clash without Charlie Dixon (knee) and Scott Lycett (dropped), but during the match they lost another key forward in Todd Marshall, who was subbed out due to concussion and will enter protocols, ruling him out of their blockbuster clash against St Kilda on Friday night, while captain Tom Jonas copped a suspension for his hit on West Coast youngster Jai Culley.

And it got worse for the Power on Sunday when potential Marshall replacement Mitch Georgiades ruptured his ACL while playing in the SANFL. He will miss the rest of the year. The Power are optimistic Dixon will be fit, but can’t guarantee it, so Lycett might have to be recalled to help Jeremy Finlayson. Meanwhile, spare a thought for West Coast captain Luke Shuey who just can’t seem to catch a break. He was subbed out in his return game after injuring himself again, this time his ankle, continuing a wretched run for the 33-year-old, who has only managed 28 games since the end of 2020.
– Ronny Lerner

Brisbane Lions d GWS

In the first quarter of the season there has been much talk about which team might have the most potent forward line in the competition, and the consensus was seemingly a two-horse race between Adelaide and Carlton. But, putting Geelong’s rejuvenated and scary attacking set-up to one side for a moment, the Brisbane Lions seem to have been overlooked in this debate. Perhaps it was because of the slow start made by the likes of Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood to 2023? In any case, with those two firing on all cylinders of late, Charlie Cameron fresh from a career-high seven goals, and the likes of Cam Rayner, Jack Gunston and Lincoln McCarthy buzzing around, the Lions hold their own in this debate, as the struggling Dockers look set to find out in the most brutal of ways next round at the ‘Gabbatoir’.
– Ronny Lerner

Tackle watch: Callan Ward was penalised for bringing down Brisbane’s Lachie Neale.Credit: Fox Footy / Twitter

Geelong d Sydney

Geelong repeated the damage on Sydney that they inflicted in last year’s grand final, claiming the rematch by 93 points on the night they unveiled the 2022 premiership flag. Across the park the Cats smashed the Swans, with Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron kicking five goals each against a depleted Swans backline. Callum Mills was pulled from the midfield to play on Hawkins, but that didn’t help, and the Swans also took a player from their forward line to play as a spare in defence. But that just made it more difficult for the Swans to score, as they went goalless in the second half.

Tom Hawkins.Credit: Dylan Burns, Getty Images

Aaron Francis made his debut for Sydney but spent three quarters at full-forward, filling the void left by Lance Franklin, before playing as the loose man in defence in the final term. They’ll desperately require Tom McCartin and Dane Rampe when fit, while Franklin’s return will provide them with some structure ahead of the ball. Tom Hickey will also be a welcome return in the short term. Patrick Dangerfield was terrific in the victory, which sent a warning sign to the competition that the Cats are back.
– Damien Ractliffe

Adelaide d Hawthorn

It was a clutch goal from Darcy Fogarty that handed the in-form Crows their fourth straight win – this time by a mere three points – but wooden spoon favourites Hawthorn gave them quite the fright. It was a frantic finish at the University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston, as the pair battled it out with less than a goal in it on Sunday afternoon. Adelaide’s Taylor Walker kicked four goals and Rory Sloane had a game-high 30 disposals, but it was the young Hawks who really impressed as they demonstrated how they’re able to stay in game, even if they can’t yet find a way to win.

Jai Newcombe tackles Rory Sloane. Credit: Steve Bell, Getty Images

And the answer to that is seemingly with tackles – plenty of them. Hawthorn had their best quarter of tackles in five years with 32, more than any other side this season for the opening term. They finished with 88 for the game. It was an intense midfield battle between Adelaide’s Sloan, Rory Larid, Jake Soligo and Lachlan Sholl and Hawthorn’s Conor Nash, Jai Newcombe, Karl Amon and developing youngster Cam Mackenzie. While the Crows are the best they’ve looked since coach Matthew Nicks took over in 2020, they next face top-eight sides Collingwood, Geelong and St Kilda, which will provide a good indication of finals hopes realities.
– Marnie Vinall

St Kilda d Carlton

There is something pretty special happening at St Kilda. Sure, the Saints started last season with a 5-1 record, too, but they are more convincing this year. They have not conceded more than 74 points in any of their six games and performed against in-form teams as well as those out of sorts to start the season. But most impressive on Sunday was how St Kilda was challenged early and beaten comfortably in contested ball, only to find a way to get the match on their terms and eventually score a fairly convincing victory. And Ross Lyon’s men did it without big contributions from Callum Wilkie or Jack Steele. Jack Sinclair and Bradley Hill led the way, as they have for much of 2023, but this was exactly how the coach described it: “a weight of numbers performance.” The Saints will be awfully tough to beat if their collective buy-in on effort and Lyon’s system continues.

Carlton’s Patrick Cripps is tackled by Saint Brad Crouch.Credit: Dylan Burns, AFL Photos

As for Carlton, there is an element of worry about their spotty start. Coach Michael Voss put a positive spin on the result, pointing mostly to the vast improvement in their contested ball and stoppage work. This must be the cornerstone of their success, Voss told us. But if Harry McKay can’t be just as impressive with his finishing as his aerial work, it might not matter. The Blues cannot expect Charlie Curnow to carry such a goalkicking burden, especially without an obvious third scoring option.
– Marc McGowan

Match-winning Melbourne forward Jacob van Rooyen and his great grab in the Anzac Day eve win over Richmond.Credit: Channel Seven and Getty Images

Melbourne d Richmond

Richmond’s 2023 is not going according to plan with injuries to key talls Tom Lynch, Toby Nankervis, Robbie Tarrant and Josh Gibcus leaving them just short of beating the best teams, with coach Damien Hardwick making an important, albeit qualified, concession post-game to where they are at this season. “What we deal with now we feel will keep us in good stead at some stage, whether it is next week, the week after, six weeks down the track, 12 months down the track we are not too sure. What we do know is that we like a lot of the things that we can see,” Hardwick said. They are in a transition stage whereas Melbourne are primed to win the flag now if they can improve their scoring firepower and get Steven May and Tom McDonald back into form after a scratchy few weeks. Their midfield remains outstanding, and Brodie Grundy is improving them right now. Max Gawn is a champion ruckman and could be dangerous up forward if he kicks straight. Melbourne wants to peak at the end of the season, having learned last season that timing is everything, while Richmond is in a re-education phase with a three-year time frame.
– Peter Ryan

A record crowd of 95,179 attended this year’s Anzac Day blockbuster.Credit: AFL Photos

Collingwood d Essendon

It’s too glib to say that what Collingwood took out of this is that they can win from anywhere, because that’s well established. But they’ve also learned a little about their depth and the integrity of their system, and that will please coach Craig McRae as much as the win. Soon, but not immediately, they will have back Darcy Cameron, Mason Cox, Jeremy Howe, Dan McStay, Nathan Murphy and Pat Lipinski. The other takeaway is that it is a long time since a player has made such an impression in his first 30 games as Nick Daicos.
While rubbing their wounds, Essendon’s consolation will be that for three quarters they outplayed Collingwood. Coach Brad Scott says he’s measuring the Bombers’ progress by their performances against flag contenders. He’ll learn fast; in the immediate future, they play Geelong, Port Adelaide and Brisbane. Zach Merrett will be a welcome return next week from suspension.
– Greg Baum

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