The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

The ten best Round 10 games from the past ten years

St Kilda are young and enthusiastic. But perhaps a tad vanilla. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Roar Guru
26th May, 2017
0

Welcome to another edition of my weekly column with which we take trip down memory lane and revisit some of the classic AFL matches that correspond with the upcoming round.

Let’s take a look at the ten best games from Round 10 in the past ten years.

10. Collingwood 17.7.109 vs West Coast 15.11.101 (2014)
With the Magpies and Eagles sitting in eighth and ninth spot on the ladder respectively, this Saturday evening encounter at the MCG was incredibly hard to tip.

In a high-scoring first half West Coast looked the better outfit, capitalising on Collingwood’s injury misfortune as they lost key defenders Jack Frost and Nathan Brown. The Eagles weren’t without their issues, with Elliot Yeo having two of his teeth knocked out in a collision with Jarrod Witts, while Mitch Brown also spent a considerable time on the bench.

Trailing by 17 points halfway through the third term, the Magpies lifted, kicking eight of the final 12 goals of the contest to claim an eight-point win. Dayne Beams was pivotal for Collingwood with 31 disposals and two goals.

9. Carlton 16.8.104 vs Geelong 12.13.85 (2016)
After starting their first season under coach Brendon Bolton 0-4, Carlton made a remarkable recovery, winning four games in a row to remain a chance for a most unlikely top eight berth. Heading into their Round 10 clash with Geelong with a 4-5 record, they were expected to fall well short of the 7-2 Cats.

Amazingly, the Blues led by 20 points at half time over a sluggish and uninterested Geelong outfit who were also struggling for accuracy in front of goal. They extended their lead to five goals in the final term, holding off a Geelong comeback to prevail by 19, making it their fifth win from their last six games. It would prove to be one of the upsets of the season, with the Cats making a preliminary final while the Blues finished in 14th position.

(Image: AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Advertisement

8. Brisbane 13.10.88 vs Collingwood 11.14.80 (2010)
In the midst of a five-game losing streak, the Brisbane Lions were in dire need of a win when they came up against the red-hot Magpies at the Gabba on a Saturday night. In what was a close and entertaining contest, Collingwood led by 15 points at half time, but the Lions managed to storm back into the contest, trailing by just three at the final break.

Thanks to veteran midfielder Luke Power, Brisbane hit the front for the first time in the game in the fourth quarter, with Brendan Fevola sealing a memorable Brisbane win by kicking two of the final three goals of the game. Fevola and Jonathan Brown were the heroes, booting 8.5 between them.

7. North Melbourne 13.7.85 vs West Coast 10.15.75 (2015)
Fresh off a loss to Collingwood in which they surrendered a 39-point lead at half time, North Melbourne headed south to their home away from home in Hobart looking to get back on the winners list against West Coast, who sat second on the ladder. With tricky conditions greeting the players as they took their positions on Blundstone Arena, it was the Roos who adjusted first, leading by three goals at the first break.

With the aid of a strong breeze, West Coast grabbed the lead by seven points at half time; however, it could have been a bigger margin if not for some inaccuracy in front of goal. Trailing by 12 points late in the third term, the Roos looked set for another defeat having not taken advantage of their opportunity to kick with the wind. However, a late quarter surge saw them produce three goals to jump into the lead.

In a seesawing final term North prevailed against mother nature, kicking 4.1 to 3.3 to win by ten points. Shaun Higgins was incredibly classy for the winners, kicking four goals, while Nic Naitanui was left to rue his missed opportunities, finishing with four behinds.

(Image: AAP Image/Julian Smith)

6. Hawthorn 10.19.79 vs Sydney 11.11.77 (2010)
Before these sides developed a fierce rivalry born from multiple September clashes and the famous Lance Franklin defection, they played an absolute thriller at the MCG in front of 36,003 fans. In a scrappy first half the quality of the contest wasn’t high, but the game was close, with just five points separating the two teams on the scoreboard.

Advertisement

The Hawks broke the game open in the third term thanks to three consecutive goals, but Sydney replied with two majors before the final break. A goal to Michael Osborne late in the game had Hawthorn out by 13 points and in a very winnable position. However, the Swans came again, with consecutive goals to Henry Playfair and Adam Goodes (as well as a behind to Rhyce Shaw) levelling the scores.

In a frantic final couple of minutes Hawthorn managed to score two points, which proved to be the final margin. It was a very important win for Alastair Clarkson’s men, allowing them to get out of the bottom four.

5. Brisbane 16.6.102 vs West Coast 15.10.100 (2012)
On top of the ladder with an 8-1 record, West Coast were heavily favoured to notch up another win when they travelled to the Gabba to face the struggling Brisbane Lions.

A gutsy performance from Brisbane had them in front at both breaks in the first half, but West Coast managed to shake them in the third term, kicking 5.2 to 1.1. With two early goals in the last quarter, the Eagles led by 21 points, and all signs pointed towards a percentage-boosting win.

However, Brisbane sparked into action, slamming on four consecutive goals to grab back the lead. West Coast responded, getting back out to a ten-point advantage late in the match. A goal to Josh Green cut the margin to under a kick, with the Lions managing to stop the Eagles from getting another major score on the board in a dramatic final few minutes.

Seizing his opportunity, James Polkinghorne let fly with a torpedo 65 metres from goal and watched as it sailed through, putting Brisbane in front to the raucous home crowd as they watched a memorable win.

(Image: AAP Image/Ben Macmahon)

Advertisement

4. Port Adelaide 15.10.100 vs Hawthorn 13.8.86 (2014)
With both sides occupying the top two positions on the ladder, all eyes were on the Adelaide Oval as the Power and Hawks went head-to-head in front of a near-record crowd of 52,233.

Holding a 23-point lead at half time, Port Adelaide looked the goods, but Hawthorn responded as all good teams do, cutting the deficit to just seven points at the final change. However, with consecutive goals to Hamish Hartlett, Port Adelaide built a handy enough lead to withstand Hawthorn’s advances, claiming a 14-point win.

These sides would later meet in a preliminary final at the MCG, with the Hawks winning a classic by just three points.

3. Fremantle 17.10.112 v Richmond 17.13.115 (2009)
Not many would have predicted this game to be very memorable from the outset, with the 3-6 Dockers hosting the 1-8 Tigers on a Saturday night at Subiaco Oval. With a 14-point lead at half time, the home side had the advantage over the lowly Richmond.

That was until the third quarter, when the Tigers exploded with an incredible eight-goal burst to jump out to a lead of 33 points. Fremantle managed to kick the final three of the term to remain in the game. In a frenetic and high-scoring final quarter, the Dockers edged their way closer and closer before finally snatching back the lead off the boot of Michael Johnson.

Looking for one last effort, the Tigers managed to take the ball from end to end, with Mitch Morton taking a mark inside 50. Almost immediately he played on and snapped the winning goal.

(Image: AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Advertisement

2. St Kilda 16.17.113 vs Richmond 18.13.121 (2012)
With the season heating up, the Saints hosted Richmond in a Friday night blockbuster at Etihad Stadium as they looked to retain their spot in the top eight. The first quarter proved to be a bit of a stalemate, with Richmond holding a three-point advantage, before a high-scoring second term still saw the Tigers with their nose in front.

The Saints controlled most of the play in the third quarter but couldn’t capitalise on the scoreboard, kicking a dismal 1.8 to Richmond’s 3.3. In a high-pressure final term St Kilda grabbed the lead as the game approached time-on. However, the Tigers stood firm, kicking three of the final four goals of the contest to claim a memorable eight-point win. In one of his best games in the yellow and black, Jack Riewoldt was the star, booting eight goals.

1. Sydney 11.7.73 v Essendon 11.8.74 (2007)
With only percentage separating both sides as they occupied eighth and ninth positions on the ladder, a win was crucial for both Sydney and Essendon’s finals hopes. It was the Bombers who silenced the crowd with an amazing start, kicking the first four goals of the match.

However, it didn’t count for much, with the Swans managing to grab the lead by two points by half time. With 1.0 to 0.5 in the third term, the contest tightened up considerably before opening back up in the last term. With the first three goals of the fourth quarter Essendon jumped back out to a 16 point advantage.

Sydney fought back yet again, but the Bombers weren’t done yet. Matthew Lloyd, hemmed in on the boundary line, sent a kick into the forward pocket. With camera angles clearly showing Lloyd was out of bounds when he kicked, many eyebrows were raised when the boundary umpire didn’t blow his whistle. From the resulting kick, Mark McVeigh pounced and kicked a sensational goal from a tight angle to seemingly seal victory for Essendon.

Unfortunately for the red and black army, there was one final charge from the Swans to come yet. With the last two goals of the game, they reduced the margin to under a goal. With all the momentum, Amon Buchanan swooped on a loose ball inside 50 and sent a quick snap towards a vacant goalsquare. The ball bounced up high, brushing slightly against the fat bit of the goal post to the dismay of the Sydney players and supporters.

In a heart-stopping final minute Essendon locked the ball in and managed to pull off a famous win, with Sydney supporters baying for the blood of the boundary umpire who never blew his whistle on Lloyd.

Advertisement

Thanks for reading, and be sure to tune in to my team of the week article at the conclusion of Round 10!

close