This wrap of the Round 21 Sunday games would not be complete without a colossal apology to the Western Bulldogs’ Dale Morris.
In an earlier article, I said that he would not play next year as he would be one of the oldest players ever for the Bulldogs and would not make 250 games. He will and he did.
He will play on next year because his form warrants it and his importance to the development of the younger players around him is estimable.
I have no doubt that the reason the Western Bulldogs were able to come from behind to beat a worthy opponent focused on playing in the finals is due to the desire of the whole team to make his 250th game a memorable occasion.
If he has a successful season next year, and plays through to the end, he will become the third oldest player to ever play for the Bulldogs and be less than one year younger than the oldest – Alby Morrison – who started his career in 1928 and played his last game in 1946.
After four years at Werribee, Dale Morris was added to the Bulldogs’ rookie list in 2004 and elevated in 2005, playing 17 games in his first year.
Unspectacular in many ways (one Brownlow vote and three goals in his career so far), he shows an ability to play on opponents of any size.
It was this flexibility and his natural speed that were important factors in the team’s 2016 premiership in which he played in the grand final with two fractured vertebrae.
He was an All-Australian in 2008, and a runner-up Best and Fairest at the club in 2016.
As a result of the Bulldogs victory, the finals hopes of three contenders were all dealt a severe blow on Sunday with North Melbourne, Melbourne and Adelaide all now possibly missing the finals.
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The Kangaroos and the Crows will almost certainly miss out, and the Demons will need to reverse their form against top teams to make it.
From the last game, here are some individual highlights:
Ben Brown’s four goals took him back to the top of the goalkicking list with Jack Riewoldt who kicked ten on Saturday.
Jesse Hogan drew level with Mark Jackson on Melbourne’s all-time goalkicking list.
Tom McDonald became top 70 on the Demon’s games played list, and Neville Jetta earned top 80 and last but not least, Shaun Higgins cemented himself as a top 80 goal scorer at the Kangaroos.
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There's an old saying that you should never argue with an idiot, because they'll drag you down to their level and then beat you…
The ball hit the boundary umpire's leg and rebounded back into play, leading to debate over whether a throw-in should have been called for.
Poor Jacob Hopper just can't catch a break.
The Dees will be hoping it doesn't prove costly!
Spicy stuff at the MCG!
