Port Melbourne 8.10 (58) def. by Footscray 15.17 (107)
A slow start saw Footscray end the opening quarter with 1.3, but another four goals in the second term kick started the dominance for the rest of the game. After holding Port Melbourne to only one point in the third term, the Dogs went on to win by 49-points.
After suffering a partial ACL tear 106 days ago, veteran player Dale Morris made his return to football and finished the game unscathed. The defender moved well, gathering 11 disposals as well as five rebound 50s.
After recording 30 disposals and two goals in a best on ground performance, Toby McLean places himself in a good position for a senior recall. Also standing out was Ban Cavarra. The mature-age recruit slotted four goals down forward whilst also collecting 17 disposals.
Other notable mentions include Rhylee West and Will Hayes. West continues to perform consistently in another 20 disposal and six tackle display, while Hayes finished the day with 19 disposals and a goal.
Footscray are tasked with the mission of defeating Richmond next round. They host the top side at VU Whitten Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Casey Demons 12.12 (84) def. Box Hill Hawks 7.8 (50)
The Casey Demons and Box Hill battled it out in atrocious winter conditions on Saturday afternoon. Casey was dominant from the opening quarter and led at every break, before going on to defeat Box Hill by 34-points.
Braydon Preuss asserted his dominance in the ruck with an outstanding 64 hitouts as well as 17 disposals and six marks.
“Preussy’s contest work was brilliant.” Casey Demons head coach Sam Radford told Melbourne Media.
Jay Kennedy Harris also had an outstanding performance; the leading goal scorer for the game snagged three goals from his 24 disposals and continues to play his way into senior side contention. Corey Maynard (23 disposals and 13 tackles) and Oscar McDonald (19 disposals) both played well after returning from a few weeks off.
Round 14 will see Casey Demons host the Northern Blues as they look for back-to-back wins.
Unfavourable conditions and hungry Demons saw the Hawks fall short by 34-points at Casey Fields. Harrison Jones shone despite the loss, leading the way with 29 disposals on top of eight tackles and a goal.
Mitch Lewis continues to work towards senior selection and his performance this week puts him one step closer. The big man had 17 hitouts, 16 disposals and a goal. Harry Morrison and Teia Miles continued their fine form with Morrison recording 23 disposals and eight tackles after being omitted and Miles gathering 20 disposals.
Box Hill looks to redeem themselves this week when they host Geelong on Saturday afternoon.
Northern Blues 8.10 (58) def. by Geelong 10.12 (72)
Difficult conditions saw the game go back and forth between the Blues and Geelong. In the end Geelong got the better of the Blues, defeating them by 14-points at Ikon Park.
The Blues weren’t able to come away with a winning result seeing them slip to 5-5 after 13 rounds. Despite the loss, positives can be found through the likes of Darcy Lang and Jarrod Garlett. Lang emerged as the leading ball-getter with 25 disposals along with eight tackles. Garlett played up front this week, the versatile player booted three goals from only seven disposals.
Despite the wet conditions, Hugh Goddard and Josh Deluca found plenty of the ball, finishing with 21 and 20 disposals respectively. Alex Fasolo was also influential, recording 20 disposals, five marks and a goal.
The Northern Blues now turn their attention to Round 14 where they will face the Casey Demons who are hungry for another win.
With weather conditions at their worst in the final term, Geelong was able to make the most of minimal opportunities and secure the win over the Blues.
Scott Selwood finished among the Geelong’s best with 21 disposals, nine tackles and a goal. Equally impressive was youngster James Parsons, who also emerged as one of the best with his 26 disposals.
A had knock for Ryan Abbott saw him watch the second half from the sidelines, leaving the ruck work to big man Zac Smith. Smith finished with 29 hitouts and two goals from his 13 disposals.
Geelong will travel to face Box Hill this round, with both sides looking to continue to climb higher within the top eight.
Collingwood 9.7 (61) def. North Melbourne 6.6 (42)
Collingwood have won consecutive matches for the first time in the 2019 season after defeating North Melbourne by 19-points on Saturday afternoon.
Leading at every break, Collingwood made use of their time up forward and converted their pressure on to the scoreboard.
Ben Crocker shone up forward, finishing with three goals from 15 touches. Veteran Tyson Goldsack also hit the scoreboard with a goal as well as 15 disposals and five marks.
Tim Broomhead, who badly broke his leg last year, remained unscathed and finished the game with 18 disposals, six tackles and a goal.
Collingwood look to continue their momentum this week when they travel to face Werribee on Saturday afternoon.
Missed chances were the cause of North Melbourne’s defeat, falling to Collingwood by 19 points.
Jamie Macmillan and Paul Ahern were prolific for the Roos, finishing with 33 and 30 disposals respectively. Macmillan also laid eight tackles whilst Ahern contributed a goal to the scoreboard.
Also among North Melbourne’s best was big man Tom Campbell. The ruckman finished the day with 26 hitouts, 26 disposals, five tackles and a goal.
North Melbourne will have the opportunity to make up for missed opportunity when they come up against Sandringham on Sunday.
Sandringham 7.11 (53) def. by Richmond 10.8 (68)
Sandringham was held scoreless in the opening term whilst Richmond blazed away with six goals. Despite the slow start the Zebras worked their way into a two goal game at three quarter time, but a thrilling last quarter saw Richmond hold on to the lead and win by 15-points.
After 123 consecutive AFL matches, Jack Newnes was demoted to the VFL side. The strong defender responded well to his omission with 21 disposals and a behind. Fellow defender Nathan Brown was also strong across the back line with 18 disposals and seven marks.
New recruit Jack Mayo performed well scoring 1.1.
Sandringham will hope for a stronger start when they face North Melbourne this week, as both sides look to redeem themselves from Round 13 losses.
Despite asserting their dominance in the opening term, the Zebras soon caught up, but the Tigers were able to hold their own and secure the win.
Jacob Townsend, Jack Higgins and Maverwick Weller all hit the scoreboard in the Tiger’s 15-point win. Townsend starred with three goals off the back of 19 disposals whilst Higgins and Weller scored two and one goal respectively with both players gathering over 20 disposals each.
Patrick Naish had 19 disposals whilst youngster Liam Baker finished the day with 18 disposals and a goal of his own.
Richmond are 10-1 going in to Round 14 and look to secure another win when they face Footscray at Whitten Oval.
Werribee 13.9 (87) def. by Essendon 16.3 (99)
A big first half from both sides saw Essendon lead by 10 points at the main break. The battle continued in the second half as Werribee closed the gap but Essendon were too strong and held on to win by 12-points.
A 12-point victory was celebrated alongside David Myers 30th birthday. The veteran midfielder finished the game with 21 disposals.
Will Snelling was picked up during the mid-season draft and has since been influential. Snelling finished with 20 disposals against Werribee and booted the match-winning goal late in the final term, helping his team get over the line in a nail-biting fourth quarter.
Zac Clarke (33 hitouts and 14 disposals) and Michael Hartley (23 touches and two goals) were both impressive in Essendon’s 12-point victory.
Essendon come up against Coburg this week on Sunday afternoon at Piranha Park.
Sturt 3.5 (23) def. by Adelaide 6.8 (44)
Wet conditions made for a low scoring affair, but Adelaide made use of their opportunities up forward seeing them over the line with a 21-point victory.
Rookie Patrick Wilson was prolific for Adelaide, finishing with 24 disposals, eight marks and an astounding 22 tackles. Chayce Jones was also strong defensively, laying nine tackles and gathering 19 disposals.
David Mackay has bounced between AFL and the SANFL the past few weeks, but after another omission he returned to the SANFL side where he recorded 19 disposals and a goal.
Adelaide holds on to their top spot and will come up against Norwood this week who are hungry for a win are two straight losses.
North Adelaide 6.6 (42) def. by Port Adelaide 13.6 (84)
With scores level at quarter time, Port Adelaide went on to dominate the remainder of the match, recording their third straight win with a 42-point victory over North Adelaide.
Tom Rockliff returned from a hamstring injury last week, with the midfielder playing an incredible game upon return. Rockliff collected an insane 57 disposals along with 14 clearances, 12 tackles and eight inside 50s.
Justin Westhoff and Sam Powell-Pepper both impressed with 37 and 33 disposals respectively. Westhoff also bagged three goals and took nine marks.
Other notable mentions include Todd Marshall (16 disposals and a goal) and Paddy Ryder (34 hitouts, 12 disposals and two goals).
Port Adelaide look to continue their winning streak when they come up against West Adelaide later this week.
Brisbane 25.19 (169) def. Redland 10.12 (72)
Brisbane remains undefeated after 13 rounds of football, securing yet another astounding win over Redland. Leading at every break the Lions went on to defeat their opposition by 97-points.
Ryan Bastinac put on a best on field performance for the Brisbane Lions. The experienced midfielder worked across the ground collecting 36 touches and nine marks.
Midfielder Nick Robertson and Irishman James Madden linked up to make a dangerous duo across the forward line with both players booting five goals each. Ben Keays (three goals) and Lewis Taylor (two goals) also contributed greatly to the Lions’ victory.
Brisbane will travel to face the GWS Giants on Sunday where they look to continue their perfect start to the season.
Sydney 12.5 (77) def. by Gold Coast 16.9 (105)
Sydney were dominant in the opening term, walking into the half time break with an 11-point lead, but Gold Coast came out firing in the second half taking the lead from right under Sydney allowing them to win by 28-points.
As the Swans struggled, Robbie Fox starred. The Swans midfielder continued his fine form with 27 disposals, eight tackles as well as a goal, earning himself a spot among Sydney’s best for the day.
Kieren Jack had another successful match in his second game since returning from a hip injury. The veteran finished the day with 18 disposals and six tackles.
After playing his first three AFL matches Daniel Menzel was omitted from the senior side. The stylish forward recorded 13 disposals and a goal for the Swans NEAFL side.
The Swans have the chance to make up for their loss when they travel to face NT Thunder, who currently sit at the bottom of the ladder.
Gold Coast came from behind to seal the deal and defeat Sydney by 28-points in Round 13.
Josh Corbett, who is in his first year, continues to impress for Gold Coast. The mature-age forward slotted six goals to help his team come out on top. Corbett also had 17 disposals and 13 marks for the day. Joining Corbett was Connor Nutting, who hit the scoreboard with three goals of his own.
Izak Rankine returned from a long-term hamstring injury, gathering eight disposals and a goal in his first game back.
George Horlin-Smith impressed in the midfield, finishing the game with 27 disposals, five marks and five tackles. Horlin-Smith was omitted from the senior side after playing six AFL games since moving from Geelong this year.
Gold Coast looks to keep their momentum rolling as they work towards another win against Redland this Saturday.
Sydney Uni 8.6 (54) def. by GWS Giants 7.14 (56)
With the biggest lead at any break being a mere eight points, Sydney Uni and GWS Giants fought tirelessly the whole game. The Giants came out of the hard fought battle victorious, defeating Sydney Uni by two points.
A late goal from draftee Ian Hill saw the Giants lead by two points and hold on to the lead until the final siren. The small forward finished the game with 15 disposals and seven tackles, he also kicked 2.5.
Nick Shipley and Isaac Cumming found plenty of the ball, finishing with 31 and 27 disposals respectively as well as a combined 12 tackles. Daniel Lloyd and Aiden Bonar added strong defensive pressure with the pair laying 13 tackles each.
Not as prolific was Matt Buntine and Jake Stein were quiet. The omitted duo finished the game with only eight and six disposals respectively.
The Giants will hope to hand Brisbane their first loss for the season when they host the Lions on Sunday afternoon.
Peel Thunder 19.11 (125) def. Swan Districts 7.4 (46)
Peel Thunder started the game off strong, booting six goals in the first quarter and only allowing Swan Districts a single point. Thunder continued their momentum and ended the game with a 79-pont victory.
Mitch Crowden played nine games in his debut season last year, but is yet to break in to the AFL side for 2019. He continued his fine form in the WAFL and inched himself closer to an AFL call up after a stellar performance against Swan District. The young midfielder recorded a team-high 29 disposals along with 10 tackles and a goal.
Taylin Duman and Travis Colyer were both busy with 21 and 22 disposals respectively. Lloyd Meek also had his hands full in the ruck, winning the ruck battle with 36 hitouts on top of 20 disposals and two goals.
Peel Thunder aims for their third straight win this week. They will host West Coast this Saturday at David Grays Arena.
South Fremantle 8.9 (57) def. by West Coast 11.12 (78)
Leading at every break, West Coast worked relentlessly to overpower South Fremantle. The visitors made use of the ball in front of the goals to defeat South Fremantle by 21-points.
Jake Waterman and Josh Smith were accurate in front of goal. Dominating the forward line, Waterman kicked four goals from his 11 disposals whilst Smith recorded 27 disposals on top of two goals of his own.
Hamish Brayshaw was strong around the ground, finishing the day with 17 disposals and a goal, whilst also laying 11 tackles. Big man Nathan Vardy also kicked a goal.
West Coast will travel to face Peel Thunder this week. The game promises to be exciting with both teams searching for their third consecutive win.