In front of a sell-out crowd at the MCG, Collingwood and Essendon went head to head on Friday night. There was a lot at stake for both clubs and the intensity of the game was a testament to this. No more than three goals separated the two teams all night, but it was Collingwood who was too strong in the end and took the four points. Josh Fraser was outstanding in the ruck for the Pies as was the skipper Nathan Buckley through the middle.
Sydney confirmed a spot in the top four on Saturday afternoon when they defeated Melbourne by 34-points. But it wasn’t all good news for the Swans when star player Michael O’Loughlin pulled a hamstring in the dying moments of the game. After a poor first half, the Swans recovered well to kick 11 goals to Melbourne’s four in the final two quarters.
Brisbane put an end to the Western Bulldogs dismal season last night at The Dome. The Lions dominated all game and were too strong for the bottom side. Ashley McGrath was outstanding up forward for the visitors and finished with six goals. Jason Akermanis was back to his brilliant best form and integral to the 86-point win. The win came at a price for Brisbane with star defender Chris Johnson injuring his shoulder in the last quarter.
Geelong finished the season on a high note when they took the points against St.Kilda yesterday at Skilled Stadium. The Cats recovered well from a slow start to win by 19-points. Gary Ablett junior led the way for Geelong kicking three goals. Matthew Scarlett also had a good day, keeping Fraser Gehrig to just one goal.
The Western Australian derby between home-town rivals Fremantle and West Coast lived up to expectations. It was a hard fought and intense contest played at a ferocious pace. The four-points were up for grabs in the final term, but it was Fremantle who took the honours. Small forward Paul Medhurst kicked the goal that sealed the victory in the dying minutes to give his side a 14-point victory and the right to host a home final next weekend.
Hawthorn and Richmond had a hard fought battle today at the MCG. Hawthorn led at every change but Richmond came home strongly in the final term to go down by just four points. Nathan Thompson kicked five goals for the victors and the skipper Shane Crawford topped off an outstanding season with 27 disposals.
Carlton couldn’t have been happier when the final siren sounded today at the Dome. It not only put an end to a season they would rather forget, it also put an end to the match against the Kangaroos. The Kangaroos destroyed Carlton today by 124-points. A seven-goal second quarter ensured the Kangaroos finished the season on a high note. In his final match, Matthew “Spider” Burton kicked two goals.
Port Adelaide capped off its outstanding season with a 16-point victory against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium earlier today. Kicking against the breeze, they outscored Adelaide in the final term to record their seventh straight win against their home-town rival. Byron Pickett and Brett Montgomery proved a lethal forward combination for Port – booting six goals between them.
