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Premiership Season 2015 - Round 13 Review

Total Crowd 212,088 (Avg 35,348)

The last of the bye rounds for this season produced a couple of thrillers and a come-from-behind upset in Sydney, where Richmond staged a remarkable comeback against the Swans to record a three-goal win, having been 32 points behind at the long break. The Tigers' greatest comeback from half time since 1973 propelled them into sixth place and top-four contention. The thrillers saw Fremantle send Collingwood out of the top four (replaced by an ominous Hawthorn) with a hard-fought win over the Pies, and the Western Bulldogs climb back into the top eight with a nail biting win over St Kilda.

At Subiaco on Thursday evening, Fremantle and Collingwood went goal-for-goal for most of the night, to the point where their goal totals were identical at the end of each of the first three quarters. The Magpies edged ahead with two of the first three goals of the last term, but the Dockers closed out the match was the last two goals to sneak home by seven points and establish a two-game break at the head of the ladder.

Friday night saw Sydney spend the first half of its match at the SCG seemingly reenforcing what was seen to be the natural order against Richmond. The Swans made short work of the Tigers in the first two quarters to establish a comfortable 32-point lead at the long break before the match was unexpectedly turned on its head. The Tigers came out full of run after the break, and had grabbed a two-point lead at the last change. They then went on with the job in the final quarter to record a three-goal win and stamp themselves as worthy top-four hopefuls.

Hawthorn and Essendon had played out a nail-biter at the MCG in round two and, at half time in their return bout, it looked very much like they would do do again, with the Dons trailing by just one point. But the Hawks flexed their muscles in the third term, kicking six goals to two, and went on to record a comfortable win and move into the top four. The loss left Essendon struggling in 13th place with a 4-7 record.

17th-placed Brisbane looked winners for three quarters in their match against Adelaide at the Gabba in Saturday's twilight game. Aided by some poor kicking for goal by the Crows, the Lions looked to be in control when they turned for home 24 points clear, but they fell away badly under a Crow onslaught in the final term. Adelaide kicked six goals to Brisbane's none and sneaked home by 13 points to maintain its place in the top eight. 

The Saints and Western Bulldogs produced a thriller for the second time this season, but with a style of play vastly different to their round six encounter. Where their first meeting had featured free-flowing fast-break footy but this time around it was a dour affair, no less tense, but with goals coming at a premium. St Kilda was three points ahead at the long break, but the Bulldogs broke away briefly in the third term to lead by 10 points before holding off a fast-finishing Saints to win by six points. 

Sunday's only match pitted Carlton against Gold Coast, and the Blues overcame a 14-point quarter-time deficit to defeat the hapless Suns by 34 points and give caretaker coach Johnny Barker his second consecutive win. Some good news for the Suns is that skipper Gary Ablett finally looks like returning from his shoulder injury in their next match against North Melbourne. 

Round 14 will see the AFL return to a full round of nine matches, with the Collingwood versus Hawthorn match at the MCG on Friday night a feature. A win to the Pies would see them reclaim fourth place, while a Hawk win could see them climb as high as second of other results fell their way.

LEADING GOALKICKERS AFTER ROUND 13

46 – Josh Kennedy (WCo)
36 - Lance Franklin (Syd)
35 - Jeremy Cameron (GWS), Eddie Betts (Adel)
34 - Jack Riewoldt (Rich)
32 – Josh Bruce (StK)
31 - Travis Cloke (Coll)
29 - Cam McCarthy (GWS), Taylor Walker (Adel)
27 - Luke Breust (Haw), Jamie Elliott (Coll)

Footnotes

Video sourced from YouTube, courtesy of the AFL.

R-13, Ladder

Team GP PTS %
FREO 12 44 135.53
WCE 12 36 153.53
SYD 12 36 131.70
HAW 12 32 152.66
COLL 12 32 127.34
RICH 12 28 109.28
ADEL 12 28 109.11
WBULL 12 28 104.52
GWS 12 28 101.03
GEEL 12 24 98.42
NTH 12 24 96.31
PORT 12 20 97.76
ESS 12 16 84.75
STK 12 16 80.60
MELB 12 16 78.34
CARL 12 12 73.25
BRIS 12 8 66.26
SUNS 12 4 66.29

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.