Flag fancies find a way in AFL furnace

Geelong's one-point victory over North Melbourne and Melbourne's win over Carlton have capped off a weekend of tight contests in the AFL.

George Horlin-Smith of the Cats

The Cats have enjoyed a thrilling one-point AFL win over North Melbourne. (AAP)

Geelong's Dangerwood duo have shown their class under pressure again, driving the Cats to a thrilling one-point AFL win over North Melbourne in a weekend stacked with close finishes.

The Cats trailed at every break of Sunday's clash at Etihad Stadium but booted six of the last seven goals to steal a memorable 17.10 (112) to 17.9 (111) victory.

Midfield superstars Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood were well held for most of the game but stepped up when the heat was on, gathering a combined 22 touches in the final term.

The brilliant comeback, sealed by George Horlin-Smith's cool free kick, added to the collection of clutch wins under Chris Scott - in games decided by 12 points or fewer since 2011, the Cats have won 28, lost 13 and drawn one.

"Everyone, including us, rates the players who stand up when it counts the most, the highest," Scott said.

"Clearly, if those two play well, we're a hard team to beat."

The Kangaroos weren't the only side left to regret missed opportunities.

Carlton threatened to pull off a massive upset against Melbourne at the MCG but gave up the lead during the final quarter.

The Demons' 22-point victory means they will start the season with consecutive wins for the first time since 2005.

Port Adelaide made it two wins from as many starts this season, thrashing Fremantle by 89 points at the Adelaide Oval.

Robbie Gray kicked six goals for ladder-leaders Port in their 22.13 (145) to 8.8 (56) victory.

The winless Dockers are anchored to the bottom of the ladder after another heavy defeat.

St Kilda appeared on course to beat West Coast at Domain Stadium on Saturday night but wilted under pressure.

Reigning Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy roared to life in the final quarter after a quiet start, booting three of his four goals to hand the Eagles a hard-fought 19-point win.

Friday night's grand final replay, at Etihad Stadium, was packed with drama.

Down by 22 points at three-quarter time, the Swans stole the lead when superstar Lance Franklin booted three goals in 10 minutes.

But some late heroics from Marcus Bontempelli and a contentious goal to Liam Picken helped the reigning premiers claim a 16.14 (110) to 13.9 (87) victory.

With the Bulldogs up by four points late in the final term, Picken was awarded a free kick directly in front after Sydney's Callum Mills was pinged for a deliberate rushed behind.

Replays showed Mills was within the goal square when he punched the ball over but the decision stood.

If the Bulldogs are the form team in the competition after two rounds, Adelaide can't be far behind.

After beating Greater Western Sydney in round one, Adelaide claimed their first win over Hawthorn since 2011 with a 24-point triumph at the MCG.

The rebounding Giants posted their highest-ever score in their 24.16 (160) to 8.10 (58) drubbing of the Gold Coast.

Essendon beat Brisbane by 25 points and Richmond saw off Collingwood to continue their strong start.

Sydney's Zak Jones and North's Braydon Preuss will face the match review panel, while St Kilda's Jack Steven (punctured lung), Hawthorn's Grant Birchall (fractured jaw) and the Swans' Kurt Tippett (ankle) headline the weekend's injuries.


Share

3 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world