Australian Football

Round 16

Premiership Season 2015 - Round 16 Review

Total Crowd 298,471 (Avg 33,163)

Round 16 saw top two sides Fremantle and West Coast continue on their merry winning way but it is Hawthorn that has been well and truly installed as premiership favourites in the minds of most, after the Hawks made Sydney look second-rate at Stadium Australia on Saturday night. Having thrashed the Dockers and the Swans over the past three weeks, Hawthorn has now won seven games in a row to move into third place, and it would be a brave person to tip against them in any match for the remainder of this season.

The round kicked off with North taking on Essendon at Docklands on Friday night. The Kangaroos were challenged by the young Dons in the second term but a big third term saw them take a 15-point lead into three-quarter time and win comfortably by 25 points. It was North's third win in a row against the Bombers and, in a statistical oddity, the third consecutive time the Kangaroos had kicked a score of 93 against them. 

Geelong played a crucial game against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon. The Cats, who had won only one of four games at the venue in 2015 prior to this one, needed a win to stay in touch with the eight. In a scrappy affair, they held of a tenacious Dogs outfit that never quite clicked at any stage, to win by eight points and more to within a game eighth.

At Carrara, Gary Ablett showed again that he is back to his best, with 30 disposals and an amazing 17 tackles against GWS. However, that wasn't quite enough to get the Suns over the line, the Giants edging them out by 15 points it sneak up to seventh place. Devon Smith had a great game for the winners, who remain in contention despite being decimated by injury in the last month. 

Saturday's twilight match at Docklands saw Collingwood suffer its fourth loss in a row, this time against West Coast. The Pies, whose previous three losses has been by narrow margins, stayed with the Eagles for three quarters but the loss of Travis Cloke, who limped off very early in the match with a calf injury, eventually caught up with them as West Coast kicked away to win 31 points, its fifth victory in a row and one which keeps the Eagles a game clear of the rampaging Hawks.

Those rampaging Hawks were on full display at Stadium Australia on Saturday night. Sydney was shellshocked by the Hawks' six-goal-to-nil first term, but mounted somewhat of a challenge in the second quarter, kicking four goals in a row - three to Buddy Franklin - to get within three goals. However, the Hawthorn machine fired back after half time and the reigning premiers eventually trounced Sydney by 89 points, a result as likely to leave the Swans with as many mental scars as last year's Grand Final did.

In Saturday night's other match, Fremantle had a relatively comfortable win over Carlton. The Blues kept in touch with the Dockers for three quarters but Fremantle blew them away in the last quarter. Carlton didn't register a score in the term and the Dockers' winning margin would have been far greater than 42 points had they not kicked a lamentable 2.9 in the final term. The news wasn't all good for Freo, though, with Hayden Ballantyne sustaining a torn pectoral muscle that will keep him out until at least the finals. 

There were three matches on Sunday and the first of those, Melbourne versus Brisbane at the MCG, was unfortunately one that brought the phrase "worst game of all time" out of the woodwork, particularly on social media. The game produced just 12 goals, and only three for each team after quarter time. The Demons won the match of 24 points, on the back of a five-goal-to-one first term. 

Fortunately Sunday's second match was the perfect antidote to the first. The Showdown between Port Adelaide and Adelaide produced a high-scoring, free-flowing thriller. The teams scored 35 goals between them with the Crows withstanding a withering last-quarter burst from the Power to win by three points. Port's total of 113 was the highest AFL losing score since 2013. The inaugural Phil Walsh, names in honour of the late Crows coach, was awarded to Adelaide's Scott Thompson.

The last game of the round was given the name "Maddie's Match" in honour of Madeleine Riewoldt, sister of St Kilda's Nick and cousin of Riewoldt's Jack, who died earlier this year of bone marrow failure. Jack and Nick embraced emotionally after the match, which Richmond won after withstanding a last-quarter onslaught from the Saints. The 16-point win keeps the Tigers in fifth place and within sight of a possible top-four finish. 

Some crucial games loom in round 17. GWS and Geelong, who are perhaps both fighting for the one spot in the top eight, meet at Manuka Oval on Saturday, while the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood, who are arguably doing the same, will clash at Docklands on Sunday. Meanwhile, four of the top five will face off against each other, with Richmond hosting Fremantle at the MCG and West Coast taking on Sydney at Subiaco. 

LEADING GOALKICKERS AFTER ROUND 16

53 - Josh Kennedy (WCo)
44 - Jeremy Cameron (GWS)
42 - Lance Franklin (Syd)
41 - Jack Riewoldt (Rich)
40 - Josh Bruce (StK)
38 - Eddie Betts (Adel)
36 - Luke Breust (Haw)
35 - Taylor Walker (Adel), Chad Wingard (Port)
32 - Cam McCarthy (GWS), Travis Cloke (Coll)

R-16, Ladder