HIGHLIGHTS FROM ROUND SIX IN THE AFL
THEY SAID IT: “These boys are now men and they want to play a good, ferocious brand of footy,” Greater Western Sydney coach LEON CAMERON was suitably impressed with his side’s 75-point win over Hawthorn.
STATS THAT MATTER: 0-6. Fremantle’s 33-point loss to Adelaide meant the Dockers became the first club in AFL history to finish minor premiers then start the next season with six consecutive defeats.
MAN OF THE ROUND: Jarrad Waite. Kicked four goals in North Melbourne’s 16-point win over Western Bulldogs. It was a decisive hand in a low-scoring and scrappy contest between the sides that were first and second on the ladder.
KEY MOMENT: Nathan Krakouer returned from a club-imposed suspension with a bang, booting a clutch goal in Port Adelaide’s 35-point win over Richmond. The Tigers were threatening a third-quarter comeback when Krakouer kicked truly off one step from beyond the 50m arc.
TALKING POINT: The competition has rarely been so even in recent years, with almost every side having produced a mix of magnificent and mediocre in the opening six rounds. The Hawks remain premiership favourites with bookmakers but few would feel confident picking the genuine flag contenders at this point.
TRIBUNAL WATCH: North Melbourne’s Lindsay Thomas could be punished for a high tackle on Western Bulldogs midfielder Lachie Hunter. Bulldogs young gun Marcus Bontempelli suggested Thomas’ coathanger was malicious, not ungainly.
KEY INJURIES: K Turner (NM, hamstring), Sam Wright (NM, ankle), C Salem (Melb, concussion), R Laird (Adel, toe), J Frawley (Haw, concussion), K Lambert (Rich, punctured lung), T Cotchin (Rich, fractured cheekbone), T McKenzie (GC, ankle), S Day (GC, back), N Smith (Syd, knee), C Sinclair (Syd, knee), J Weitering (Carl, shoulder)
WHAT’S NEXT: The Tigers’ troubles are likely to get a whole lot worse when they face the Hawks at the MCG on Friday night. Geelong host West Coast on Saturday in what shapes as the likely game of the round, while Western Bulldogs are up against Adelaide at Etihad Stadium.
