Few upsets this weekend which is good as it shapes the top 8 and with West Coast winning and finding some form, the battle for the Wooden Spoon is also alive.

Mark LeCras kicked 12 goals to sink the hapless Bombers and write himself into history

Adelaide defeated Geelong by 11 points

This was the first of the upsets of the weekend and anytime Geelong loose it throws open the premiership hopes for other teams.

Adelaide have been brilliant in the last two months and are making a last minute dash for the top 8. While it was Adelaide’s night it was not Geelongs, their trainer had a heart attack, Gary Ablett struggled (with only 19 possessions) and after a good start to the game Adelaide kicked four goals to Geelongs 2 goals in the third quarter. It set up a great last quarter and Geelong floundered kicking 2.6 while Adelaide only had 3 shots at goals but they were all goals and Adelaide got the win they needed.

Vince was the clear winner on the ground with 32 possessions and 10 marks, Goodwin also had 29 possessions and Walker kicked four goals to be the most damaging forward on the ground. For Geelong Selwood was outstanding as he gathered 35 typical Selwood hard contested disposals and Taylor took 16 marks and had 30 possessions down back.

Collingwood defeated St Kilda by 48 points

This was the game of the round or so we were told, no one told Collingwood this as they out tackled and gave St Kilda a finals football lesson. Riewoldt is struggling but if he can get 5 solid games in before the final series the year may not be a complete waste. Collingwood had all the stats in their favour with 23 more tackles, more marks and while St Kilda had more handballs it was because of the pressure they were continuously under.

Collingwood bounced out of the blocks with four first quarter goals and St Kilda could only manage an inaccurate 1.4. Collingwood outscored St Kilda in every quarter but in the third they mounted a challenge after Riewoldt’s half time goal but in only kicking 1.6 it was a wasteful performance. Swan continues to gather 30+ possessions and is now the must have for Dreamteamers.

Hawthorn defeated Brisbane by 75 points

Seven goals in a quarter is a big statement and with Franklin and maybe Ladson and Hooper to come back into their 22, they are gathering a nice team together and the best part of their recent winning streak is their midfield is gathering momentum and form. Burgoyne continues to improve with his best game yet with 30 classy disposals and add him to the hardness of Hodge, Sewell and Lewis it is a midfield that can challenge the best of the competition.

Brisbane on the other hand are a shadow of their first month when they won 5 games in a row and where in the top four. Voss and Brisbane are really struggling with rumours of player and official disrupt and injuries to their key personal.

West Coast defeated Essendon by 32 points

There is a battle going on with the result of this game and that is who will get the attention of the media this week Mark LeCras with his amazing solo effort of 12 goals or will it be the fallout of Essendon’s coach Matthew Knights amazing terrible effort in the coaches box?

It was a laughable first quarter with the Eagles dominating general play but Essendon had four of the first five goals from turnovers and then enter left LeCras who kicked four first quarter goals. After quarter time Essendon never looked a chance and this was when Knights showed his short comings as a coach.

I can understand why he does not play Fletcher on him straight away as he needs to develop the next generation of defenders but Hocking? I like him as a player but a defender on someone like LeCras? Surely McVeigh would have been a better option…

Western Bulldogs defeated Port Adelaide by 36 points

Five first quarter goals saw Port again get out to a great early lead but they could not withstand the effort. Although Hall was missing, Grant kicked his 2 and he is fast becoming a great foil and who better to learn the role from? The Bulldogs midfield of Cooney (24 possessions), Boyd (35 and 2 goals), Cross (33) and Griffen (20) are stating to take that next step and for them to make a difference in the finals, they cannot rely on Johnson, Eagleton and Aker if he comes back.

Kane Cornes continues to get plenty of the ball but apart from him the midfield looks thin. Pearce looks to have found some consistency and Cassisi always plays a captain game.

Sydney defeated Carlton by 39 points

Apart from a five goal third quarter inspired by captain Judd it was a bleak afternoon which could see them slip outside of the top 8 going on with their current form.

Sydney started fast with six goals and had a great spread of goal kickers with Bolton, Moore, McVeigh, Shaw, Meredith, MyGynn and White all kicking multiple goals. For Carlton only Hampson looked lively up forward and even though Sentana has struggled in the last few weeks, I think he is the key to their forward line.

Judd only had 8 possessions to halftime but finished the game with 28 and while Gibbs, Murphy and Scotland had plenty of the ball, unless the aboriginal boys star and kick a bag, they really are struggling without the Fev machine. Its like him leaving has made two teams suck more.

North Melbourne defeated Richmond by 50 points

Richmonds last month has been exciting, brash and has people believing of them again finishing at their favourite spot 9th and even has one Kick2Kick writer thinking they could finish 8th. Lets face it they were winless for nine rounds and this big loss will get them back to earth and reality as North is a team that you do not want to take for granted.

North is an even team and had 11 individual goal kickers with Hansen and Campbell kicking two each. For Richmond besides Riewoldt (3 goals) and Conners with 30 possessions it was a game to forget and while they are a young and inexperienced team you give them room for inconsistent game but only managing to kick one point in a term is unacceptable.

Fremantle defeated Melbourne by 11 points

Fremantle romped away with a 39 point lead at half time yet could only end up winning by 11 points, what happened? Lets see if we can sort out what happened and if the Freo of old are back.

Fremantle initially rediscovered the high-pressure, highly-skilled game that had driven them into the top four and kicked nine of the first 11 goals, appearing destined for a comfortable win. However Melbourne kicked seven goals 6 behinds to Freo’s 2 goals 8 behinds and without Ballantyne kicking an important last quarter goal Fremantle could have lost their hold on fourth spot.

A worrying trend for Fremantle is Matthew Pavlich’s and Aaron Sandilands form slump, if they struggle I see a worrying end to the season.

For Melbourne Brad Green (20 possessions and a goal) was inspiring in the Demons’ second-half fightback, while James Frawley kept Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich goalless. Tom Scully (22) was impressive in an even battle with Stephen Hill and Nathan Jones had the better of Rhys Palmer in the second half.

The battle for the finals after Round 16

Doing something different from now on as we list the teams who are within a chance of making the finals.

1. Collingwood: 50 points – 135.06%
2. Geelong: 48 points – 142.73%
3. St Kilda: 48 points – 121.31%
4. Fremantle: 44 points – 118.87%
5. Western Bulldogs: 40 points – 133.47%
6. Sydney: 36 points – 111.28%
7. Hawthorn: 36 points – 108.21%
8. Carlton: 32 points – 104.51%
9. North Melbourne: 32 points – 85.15%
10. Adelaide: 28 points – 93.58%

Round 16 Talking points

1. Are Geelong slipping?
   • Sure are looking like it and I do not know if they are slipping but they definitely are not the standout team they used to be.
2. Are Adelaide a serious threat for the finals if they make the top 8?
   • Just making up the numbers..
3. Will we see Matthew Knights sacked this week?
   • Last time the bosses of Essendon came out like this, Sheedy was coach.
4. Do you think Mark LeCras will get recognition after his 12 goals from the Eastern States media?
   • You would hope so but I think his 12 goals will be over shadowed by Knights and the poor performances of his team. However LeCras kicked 12, the best individual tally of the year and the best individual score kicked by anyone since 2000 and the equal best at the Dome ever! You would think he will get the recognition now after kicking 50 goals twice in a row.
5. Who will finish top? Collingwood? Geelong or St Kilda?
   • I think Collingwood may do it, I hope not but they look ok at the moment.
6. Who will finish fourth? Bulldogs or Freo?
   • The Dogs, they are finishing better at the end of the year than Fremantle.
7. Who will finish 16th and win the wooden spoon?
   • West Coast are still a game behind everyone else so they should still be favourite but they do have better percentage than Port and Richmond so its still anyones.
8. Will the Hawks inform midfield pose a threat to the way the final 8 is shaped?
   • Yes, Burgoyne adds class
9. Can Carlton find enough form to stay in the top 8?
   • If the loose to West Coast next week, I reckon it will be finals good bye.
     

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