Buddy cracks 300 again in Sydney win, Pies, Power, Roos and Dons get points
Related Story: Crows get the better of the Bulldogs in the Adelaide wet
Lance Franklin reached another landmark in Sydney's win over Fremantle but could miss weeks after an errant elbow, while Collingwood got the points over St Kilda, after wins for the Bombers, Power and Kangaroos.
Franklin joined another great Sydney forward Tony Lockett in the record books with the Swans smashing Fremantle by 59 points at the SCG.
Back after missing three games with a bruised heel, Franklin kicked 3.1 as the Swans won 17.9 (111) to 7.10 (52), to notch their second win in five home games this year.
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With his second goal in the third quarter, the former Hawk joined legendary Saint and Swan Lockett as the only men to kick 300 goals for two VFL-AFL clubs.
It won't go down as one of Franklin's best games. He looked a little rusty early and an elbow which caught Joel Hamling on the chin in the second quarter may attract the attention of Match Review Officer Michael Christian.
It happened in the second quarter and Hamling didn't return after half-time.
Franklin's former Hawthorn teammate and current Sydney captain Josh Kennedy marked his 200th game for the Swans with an equal career-best three goal haul.
External Link: Swans v Dockers summary
An impressive Swans side recorded their biggest win of the season, while it was the Dockers' fourth interstate loss in as many 2018 games, each by more than 30 points.
For the second straight week Swan back Jake Lloyd notched a career-high in disposals, tallying 41, of which only five were contested possessions, as Freo's forwards exerted little pressure.
Freo won plenty of ball but but poor field and goal kicking negated their good work in the contest and a far more clinical Sydney made them pay.
Dockers' ruckman Aaron Sandilands dominated the hitouts and kicked two goals after being pushed up to full forward in the final quarter.
Freo's midfield prime movers Lachie Neale, Nat Fyfe and David Mundy had little impact despite racking up 80 touches between them.
External Link: Swans v Dockers stats
Sydney's Zak Jones came off the ground with an injury in the final quarter.
The wasteful Dockers hit the post three times in their first four shots, with Michael Walters the chief culprit with two.
Despite his wastefulness, Waters was Freo's most dangerous player early on and kicked their only first half goal.
By quarter time Freo were down by 17 points despite leading by 10 in contested possessions and hitouts and by six in clearances.
It was a similar story in the second, with Sydney kicking four goals to one despite Freo finishing the half with 21 more hitouts and 10 more clearances.
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De Goey kicks six as Pies beat Saints
Jordan de Goey's stocks have continued to rise, with the mercurial Collingwood forward kicking a career-high six goals in the Magpies' 28-point AFL victory over slumping St Kilda.
Out of contract at the end of 2018, de Goey picked the perfect time to showcase his wares against one of the teams expected to chase his signature if he decided on a change.
But having also booted five majors a fortnight ago in a tight win against Brisbane, de Goey's value to the Magpies is also rising by the day.
The former number five draft pick had made a belated start to the 2018 campaign, due to a club-imposed ban for drink-driving and a hamstring strain, but is firing on all cylinders.
External Link: St Kilda v Collingwood summary
The Saints came into Saturday night's encounter at Etihad Stadium desperately in need of a change of fortunes, having won only one of their opening eight matches.
St Kilda held their own in a tight opening two terms and shot out to an eight-point lead 50 seconds into the third quarter. Surprise packet Jack Newnes booted his fourth goal – the first time in his 122-game career he had managed more than two in a match.
But rather than inspire St Kilda, it sparked the Magpies, who kicked seven of the remaining eight goals for the term, including a flying effort by de Goey on the three-quarter time siren.
The final quarter was pretty much a non-event, with both teams managing a goal apiece in junk time.
External Link: St Kilda v Collingwood stats
The 15.10 (100) to 10.12 (72) victory was the improving Collingwood's fifth win in their past seven matches.
And they were able to get the job done after playing one short for most of the night.
Forward Alex Fasolo – back in the senior line-up for the first time this year – limped off early in the second quarter with a leg injury and did not return.
The Magpies were best served by skipper Scott Pendlebury, Jack Crisp, Steele Sidebottom and de Goey, who was a model of efficiency with six goals from his nine kicks.
Luke Dunstan was clearly St Kilda's best player with 18 contested possessions among his 32 disposals, while Jack Steele had a game-high 10 tackles to go with his 22 possessions.
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Power too strong again in Shanghai
Port Adelaide has continued its unbeaten record in China, accounting for the Gold Coast Suns by 40 points on a damp day in Shanghai.
It was a difficult day for football — although the expected heat didn't materialise, the rain made it difficult to control the football.
The Suns were looking to show more for than the equivalent game last year when they were pumped by 72 points by the Power.
Matt Rosa (who was a late inclusion for the ill Jack Martin) got Gold Coast off to a great start when he steered a goal through after 90 seconds, but the Power soon steadied.
External Link: Suns v Port Adelaide summary
Goals to Chad Wingard, Sam Gray and Tom Rockliff put the Power in front, before debutant Jacob Heron answered for the Suns.
The first quarter ended with Port leading by nine points, but the second term was much more of a slog with only two goals scored and the lead was out to 13 points.
The Power missed opportunities, but the Suns were bringing as much pressure as they could in the conditions.
The problem for the Suns as the game wore on was that they had far less forward entries than Port Adelaide, and when they did go forward quite often the ball was chopped off by the Power's solid defence.
External Link: Suns v Port Adelaide stats
Port Adelaide ended up with nine marks inside 50 to the Suns' one — a sign, perhaps of the absence of talls for Gold Coast like the injured Tom Lynch and Peter Wright and the suspended Sam Day.
That lead was out to 20 points by the final change, and Gold Coast's young side tired in the final quarter, failing to score as Port Adelaide finished things off with a three-goal final term.
Both sides will now have the bye in round 10, before the Suns will breathe a sigh of relief as they finally get to play a game at their home ground at Carrara — the stadium has been out of bounds for the first part of the season due to the Commonwealth Games.
Meanwhile Ken Hinkley's men have kept up their challenge for the top four, although Melbourne and Hawthorn could still overtake them by the end of the round.
Bombers bounce back to stun the Cats
Essendon has rebounded from a week of heavy scrutiny to thump Geelong, ripping up the form book with a 34-point win at the MCG.
The Bombers were unrecognisable from their previous month's efforts in the 12.12 (84) to 7.8 (50) success.
John Worsfold's side came into the contest on the back of a loss against previously-winless rivals Carlton, sacking key assistant Mark Neeld in the aftermath.
Their clash with the third-placed Cats wasn't supposed to be close.
And it wasn't.
External Link: Essendon v Geelong summary
Zach Merrett and Dyson Heppell were heroic in midfield, high-pressure specialist Devon Smith led a fleet of tackle-hungry Bombers and Shaun McKernan was the game's dominant forward with a four-goal haul, all in the first half.
Cale Hooker was super in defence and first-gamer Jordan Ridley had 25 disposals but the Bombers had few passengers.
From the outset Essendon brought a ferocious intensity Chris Scott's side couldn't handle, both out-tackling them and seeing more of the footy.
The Bombers were ruthless hunters and clean users.
Time and again they took the game on, kicking through the corridor and getting their reward with goals over the back.
External Link: Essendon v Geelong stats
The Cats just couldn't get started and saw the game slip away during an awful second term, scoring just one point.
A behind scored by Gary Ablett prevented the Cats from their first point-less quarter in eight years.
Geelong's Brownlow Medallists Patrick Dangerfield (23 disposals, two goals) and Ablett (15 disposals) had little impact on the contest, with Dangerfield even spending time in the ruck.
The Cats had few winners and didn't take a mark inside 50 until time-on in the last term.
Four goals in the fourth quarter, including three from Tom Hawkins, saved the Cats from a low score of historic proportions.
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Kangaroos bounce the Giants in Hobart
A five-goal third term from Ben Brown has inspired North Melbourne to a 43-point win over an understrength Greater Western Sydney in Hobart.
Kept scoreless in Saturday afternoon's first half, Brown starred in the 'premiership quarter', as the Kangaroos powered home to a 17.10 (112) to 9.15 (69) victory.
The Tasmanian native, who extended his lead in the race for the Coleman Medal, was supported by a four-goal haul from veteran Jarrad Waite.
In a match that swung towards whoever had the breeze, North Melbourne opened up a 33-point lead heading into the last quarter.
GWS had the wind behind them in the final term at Bellerive Oval but couldn't track the Roos down.
External Link: North Melbourne v GWS Giants summary
The win backs up North Melbourne's strong showing last weekend against Richmond and strengthens the Kangaroos' top-eight claims.
They were stronger in the clearances, while Shaun Higgins finished with a game-high 28 touches.
Waite — a last-minute inclusion after overcoming a corked hip — was in the thick of the action early.
He kicked three goals for the opening quarter, opening a 34-11 lead at the first break.
The Giants grabbed the momentum in the second quarter, kicking four-straight goals and hitting lead midway through the term.
Mason Wood nabbed a goal with his first touch to help GWS to a slender 52-47 advantage at half-time.
External Link: North Melbourne v GWS Giants stats
Brown had been kept quiet by the returning Tim Mohr but put his stamp on the match with back-to-back goals to open the third quarter.
He put the exclamation mark on a dominant quarter with his fifth moments before the siren, giving the Kangaroos a 92-59 lead.
Trent Dumont landed a crucial first blow for North against the wind in the last term before the Giants fell away.
GWS again struggled to convert their chances without a host of key players including co-captain Phil Davis, Josh Kelly and Brett Deledio.
Stephen Coniglio led the touches for GWS with 25, while Jacob Hopper was also strong.
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External Link: AFL 2018 ladder
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