FOOTBALL
AFL EXPORTS
By TOM HAYES
WHAT a crazy week of football we saw at AFL level.
With only six games going ahead due to the byes filtering through Round 14, we certainly weren’t short of action across the weekend.
Changkuoth Jiath (Morwell), Hawthorn Hawks
PERHAPS outshone was Morwell’s Changkuoth Jiath, who celebrated his 50th AFL game for Hawthorn at the weekend, sharing the day with Richmond superstar Dustin Martin, as he played his 300th.
Martin became the seventh Tiger to reach 300 games, joining the great Jack Dyer, Kevin Bartlett, Francis Bourke, Jack Riewoldt, Shane Edwards and Trent Cotchin.
Stepping onto the MCG, the crowd was packed full of 92,311 spectators – the eight-highest crowd for a home-and-away game ever, and the biggest crowd Hawthorn and Richmond had played in front of together.
Martin fittingly kicked the first goal of the game, before Hawthorn claimed their fourth win in a row, 14.13 (97) to 6.13 (49).
Hawthorn kicked four goals to two in the opening term to walk out to a two-goal lead. They would add the pressure in the second quarter, but Richmond remained in the game, just 19 points behind.
After halftime is when Hawthorn found their groove. With five goals added to the Tigers’ one, the Hawks had a 44-point buffer up their sleeve going into the last quarter.
The game just about came to a halt in the final term, with Hawthorn kicking two goals to one to close out 48-point winners.
In game number 50, Jiath had 12 disposals, six marks, three tackles and 306 metres gained. He even drifted forward on occasion, but couldn’t find the big sticks, kicking two behinds.
Tew Jiath (Morwell), Collingwood Magpies
AN almighty effort from North Melbourne was undone by the reigning premier in a final quarter for the ages.
North Melbourne led by as much as 54 points during the third quarter on Sunday, only to collapse at the hands of Collingwood, who claimed an astonishing one-point win, 18.11 (119) to 19.4 (118) at Marvel Stadium.
Making his debut was Changkuoth’s brother, Tew Jiath, who slid into Collingwood’s half back line.
The Kangaroos led by 35 points at quarter time, thanks to four goals from Nick Larkey. Things did not get any easier for the Magpies in the second term either, with North Melbourne applying more pressure, with the lead extending to eight goals.
After kicking the first goal of the third term, North Melbourne led by 54 points, but Collingwood, in keeping with their recent tag of ‘comeback kings’ always knew they were a chance.
The Magpies kicked six goals to four in the third term to bring the margin back to 31 points at three quarter time.
You suspected that North Melbourne would just need a few more goals to see the game out, but they couldn’t find what they were looking for. They found just one major.
Collingwood on the other hand kicked another six goals. You do the math.
The Magpies hit the front with a fair amount of time remaining, but the lead traded hands multiple times before the final siren.
With the Magpies up by two points, North Melbourne were still a chance.
A controversial non-call for a 50-metre penalty (the non-call was backed by the AFL) in the dying stages left pundits with some questions, but nonetheless the Kangaroos spurred themselves forward.
A ball found its way to rebounding defender Zac Fisher outside the contest, who spun and snapped as time expired. His shot hooked too far right, through for a behind, leaving Collingwood ahead by a point, in possession with just a second remaining.
They would go on to break North Melbourne hearts, claiming four points and moving up to third on the ladder in Brayden Maynard’s 200th game.
Jiath would claim the first win of his career on debut, a game I’m sure he won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
He managed five disposals, three tackles and one goal assist, improving as the game progressed.
THE Latrobe Valley Gold Coast trio of Sam Flanders, Bailey Humphrey (both Moe) and Ben Ainsworth (Morwell) had the bye, while Traralgon’s Tim Membrey was omitted from St Kilda’s team that lost to the Brisbane Lions.
Yarram product Josh Dunkley had 23 touches for the Lions in their 20-point win at the Gabba on Friday night.
