Only a flesh wound

In this crazy, bittersweet year, Hawthorn vaulted to the top of the ladder again only to learn that dynamic Cyril Rioli’s year may be done. Such is the life of a team trying to go back-to-back in a tough competition like the AFL.

The Hawks have been extraordinary in their title defence, losing the likes of Brendan Whitecross for the season and then Sam Mitchell and Josh Gibson for extended periods, not to mention their coach going down with an auto-immune illness.

Brendon Bolton stepped in for Alastair Clarkson and clocked up five straight wins by the time Hawthorn eclipsed Gold Coast Suns in the wet and wind of Launceston on Saturday, and it seems he will now pass the baton back to Clarkson.

But they will be without Rioli, whose hamstring tendon injury mimics Mitchell’s from earlier in the year (see the video below). Eight to 10 weeks rehabilitation is the diagnosis; with Rioli, seven hamstring injuries say it is a chronic problem. Technically, he could be back for the finals, but only if every moment of his return goes swimmingly.

Hawthorn just keep finding a way, fending off the barbs like the Black Knight of Monty Python fame. On Saturday they worried not a jot about Gary Ablett; seemingly, the Hawks allowed ‘Little Gaz’ to find the footy (45 times), and moved on with their business.

The top position was vacated for the first time in two months by Port Adelaide, which was uncharacteristically out-hustled at Adelaide Oval by the crosstown Crows. Brenton Sanderson’s team has a sniff of the finals and left themselves just a game out of the top eight after their best win of the season.

Swans’ streak best since 1935

Three teams – Hawthorn, Port and Sydney – share the top billing with 11 wins although the bookmakers have never rated the Power; the competition frontrunner for the first half of the season has been fourth-favourite all along.

The Swans moved in behind Lance Franklin to avenge an earlier defeat by Greater Western Sydney to take their streak of wins to 10, a mark unmatched by the club since 1935, when South Melbourne was all-conquering.

The club record of 12 straight is in sight, and the savaging of the Lance Franklin deal from interstate is relegated to the distant past. Franklin kicked five, including one from his best vintage, trapping the Sherrin on the wing, surging forward and bombing.

Pies-Blues crowd worst since 1921

The AFL’s scheduling is under question after the Sunday night Carlton-Collingwood clash drew the most sparse crowd for an MCG match between the old rivals since in 1921 – just 40,936 people. Granted, it was a miserable day and Carlton is not contending, but the Sunday night scheduling was an accident waiting to happen.

Then again, the television ratings will probably be strong, and in the minds of the AFL’s administrators, perhaps it is justified. The KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) priniciple of scheduling surely applies.

Collingwood won a scrap by 15 points after Carlton made a late surge. The game was alive until the closing minutes when Ed Curnow’s speculative, inboard kick was cut off, leading to a Steele Sidebottom goal. Sidebottom was close to best-afield upon his return from the purgatory of suspension, and the Magpies clung to a spot in the top six.

Mitch Robinson’s punch to the face of Collingwood’s Taylor Adams will cost him a couple of weeks, and it will be his second suspension of the year. Robinson is a serial offender in the discipline stakes, and undoes all his fine in-under work with his failure to understand that he is letting down his teammates in other areas.

Somehow, Carlton mostly seems to close its eyes and ignore this along with other ill-disciplined acts.

The feisty Lion & the feisty former Lion

The surprise of the weekend was North Melbourne’s defeat at the Gabba by Brisbane Lions, a match notable for the tributes paid to the retiring Jonathan Brown. While the ‘Brown Dog’ necked Crownies in a corporate box, his younger teammates did him proud, holding off a fast finish by the unpredictable Kangaroos.

North remains in the top eight and its best is excellent; the Roos have beaten Sydney, Port Adelaide and Fremantle this year. Its worst, exhibited in the second quarter of Saturday night’s game, is pitiful and it has a tendency to whingeing.

There was a sharp exchange on the siren between Tom Rockliff, the feisty Brisbane midfielder, who appeared to taunt North’s veteran Brent Harvey. After Harvey took exception, coach Brad Scott found himself among the Lions’ players during an official presentation to Brown, and could not help himself from taking it up with Rockliff.

The incident itself amounts to very little, a few nasty words spoken in the emotion of a close win, just a few seconds after the siren. Rockliff himself admitted it was “my fault”, while Scott danced around questions at his press conference, suggesting that “there’s humble in victory and gracious in defeat”.

But his former coach, Leigh Matthews, did not think much of Scott’s intervention. “I think that’s a big mistake,” said Matthews, on Channel Seven’s Gameday.

Cotchin answers critics

Trent Cotchin responded to some personal criticism with a magnificent, career-high five-goal haul for Richmond against St Kilda. It is easy to feel some sympathy for Cotchin, still a young man but thrust into leadership responsibilities in the absence of a more obvious candidate.

But ultimately he is a champion and a fine individual and he will find his way. As for the Saints, they are headed for the wooden spoon which at least sets the club up for its first No. 1 draft pick since Nick Riewoldt’s arrival nearly 15 years ago.

Fremantle fended off West Coast at Subiaco to remain in the top four with the best draw in the run home of any of the contenders. Ross Lyon’s team certainly is in the mix, while Geelong hung in with a hard-fought win over Essendon on Friday night that was finished in clinical fashion by the brilliant Steven Motlop with two late goals.

Young Dog shows his wares

Western Bulldogs were the feel-good story of Sunday, with top draft pick Marcus Bontempelli kicking the last two goals to beat Melbourne.

Here was the mix of contributions that coach Brendan McCartney craves; a best-afield performance by veteran Matthew Boyd on Bernie Vince augmented by the growing Mitch Wallis’ outstanding tag job on Nathan Jones and leggy colt Bontempelli’s heroics, which included a snap from the forward pocket to ice the game that will be a contender for goal of the year (see the video below).

The Bulldogs led by almost six goals early but gifted Melbourne a place in the match, and conceded the lead deep into the final quarter. That they were able to reconstitute and finish the job was impressive, albeit against a Melbourne team that is scarcely a premiership contender.