VFL
Box Hill Hawks 16.12 (108) def. Coburg 8.9 (57)
Box Hill Hawks hold onto the ANZAC cup in the traditional fixture against Coburg. The 51-point win was thanks to 11 second half goals and repeat efforts across the field.
Harry Morrison was demoted to the VFL side this week but responded with class. The speedy Morrison made a statement with his 32 disposals and three goals. Small forward Dylan Moore also added three goals to the scoreboard, along with 17 disposals and six marks.
Marc Pittonet had a field day in the ruck, finishing with 42 hit-outs, 29 disposals and a goal. His stellar performance also saw him awarded with the ANZAC Medal.
Conor Glass and David Mirra worked tirelessly across the backline, collecting 19 and 23 disposals respectively.
The Hawks will enjoy a week off before coming back to face Footscray on Sunday the 12th of May.
North Melbourne 9.15 (69) def. by Port Melbourne 19.10 (124)
The 10 AFL-listed players were not enough last weekend, with North Melbourne suffering a 55-point loss to Port Melbourne.
Jy Simpkin provided drive through the midfield and was rewarded with plenty of the ball. The 21-year-old finished the game with 33 disposals and one goal. Fellow midfielder Paul Ahern also found plenty of the ball, finishing with 32 touches.
Tom Campbell rotated into the ruck and was strong both in the air and on ground with 26 disposals and 26 hit-outs. Taylor Garner played his third game since coming back from injury finishing with 10 touches and a goal – his first since returning.
North Melbourne will face the Northern Blues next week, who are also coming off a loss in round 4.
Casey Demons 8.3 (51) def. by Richmond 7.10 (52)
Casey Demons fought hard in the fourth quarter, entering the final term down by 18-points they held Richmond to one goal but it wasn’t enough. The nail-biting match saw the Tigers walk away victorious in the 1-point thriller.
Oscar McDonald rose to the occasion, knocking at the door of the AFL selection team as he collected 22 disposals and remained consistently strong down back.
Brothers Josh and Corey Wagner earned themselves spots in Casey’s best, as both were damaging across the ground and finished the game with 20 disposals each.
Casey Demons hope to leave with the four points this weekend when they host Footscray on Sunday afternoon.
Richmond was able to hold onto their lead at three quarter time despite the immense pressure placed upon them by the Demons, and secure their third win for the season.
With Jack Riewoldt sidelined with injury yet again, Shai Bolton comes to mind as an appropriate replacement in the senior side. Bolton produced a best on ground performance after laying 11 tackles, collecting 25 touches and finishing with a goal.
Riley Collier-Dawkins and Connor Menadue also provided some run for Richmond, with Collier-Dawkins collecting 18 disposals and laying seven tackles and Menadue finishing with 23 disposals.
The win saw returning player Maverick Weller only play a half due to back soreness. Jack Graham was also unable to finish the game due to a hamstring injury, seeing Richmond two men short in the final half.
Richmond will travel to Williamstown this weekend where they will face Williamstown who also enter the week with a round 4 win.
Northern Blues 7.9 (51) def. by Werribee 17.7 (109)
The Northern Blues were outrun by Werribee over the weekend suffering a devastating 58-point loss. Two quick goals from Werribee early in the opening term saw the Blues fall from the start.
Draftee Liam Stocker was rewarded a best-on-field performance for the Blues. The defender provided plenty of run down back and into the midfield, finishing the day with 17 disposals.
Tom Williamson returned from injury, still regaining his match fitness Williamson was able to provide run off the half back and collect 14 disposals. Fellow rookie Hugh Goddard also collected 14 disposals.
Matthew Kennedy continued his strong performance from last week, fighting hard in the middle of the ground. Kennedy led the Carlton disposal count, collecting 24 touches as well as seven tackles.
The Northern Blues host the winless North Melbourne this week as both sides look to redeem themselves from losses in round 4.
Essendon 15.12 (102) def. Collingwood 9.11 (65)
Essendon hold onto their position at the top of the ladder after a 37-point victory against Collingwood.
Ben McNiece is yet to play a game for the senior side this year but continues to work hard and perform consistently in the VFL side. McNiece finished with a team high 26 disposals alongside five marks, rightfully earning the Anzac Medal.
Kyle Langford used his experienced and run to collect 25 disposals and a goal, whilst Dylan Clarke showed his football smarts through strong decision making, earning him 24 touches and one goal.
Jordan Houlahan, now in his second year, was Essendon's leading goal scorer finsihing with three off of 10 disposals. Aaron Francis also had 10 disposals and kicked two goals.
Essendon play on the big stage this week. They will host the Geelong Cats at the MCG as a curtain raiser for the AFL round 7 clash.
Unable to match the pressure placed upon them, Collingwood fell short in round 4 of the VFL competition. However, despite this loss, there were some promising signs.
Ben Reid continues to improve, looking good both on the ground and in the air. He was able to kick two goals from 22 disposals whilst also taking 12 marks and eight hit-outs as a reserve ruck.
Rupert Willis (28 disposals) and Isaac Quaynor (21) both gathered 20+ disposals in the fight against Essendon. Daniel Wells continues to build after returning from injury, finishing with five marks and a goal to accompany his 20 disposals.
A bye this week will allow Collingwood to work on their weaknesses before coming back to face Sandringham Zebras in round 6.
Williamstown 9.10 (64) def. Footscray 6.12 (48)
Footscray were handed their first loss of the 2019 season after an upsetting 16-point loss to Williamstown.
Whilst the loss was upsetting, the game saw Laitham Vandermeer and Buku Khamis return from injury. Both players were influential, with Vandermeer finishing with 13 disposals and three marks whilst Khamis collected 17 disposals and six marks.
Tom Boyd continues to improve after a slow return from long-term back injury. The Grand Final player finished the day with 19 hit-outs and eight disposals.
Pat Lipinski puts his hand up for contention; he continues his consistent form after another great performance seeing him finish with 19 touches, six marks and two tackles. Also pushing his case for senior recall is Lewis Young. The defender took four marks and finished with 22 hit-outs.
Western Bulldogs will travel out to Casey Fields this week where they will find themselves up against the Casey Demons who are hungry for another win.
