Each round of the AFL thus far keeps throwing up surprise results and exciting attacking football.
Round 3 delivered us plenty of talking points and lots to report on, so find out what happened.
The Crows have been a hard team to make a judgement on this season as they lost their opening game at home against the Hawks and followed it up with a win away to the Swans. Prior to this game the Cats had won their first two games. They proved that those wins weren’t an aberration with a four-goal win over the Crows.
Crows team lifter: Wayne Milera
Cats team lifter: Gary Ablett
Gryan Miers of the Cats (Mark Brake/Getty Images)
This was the battle of two of the five winless teams coming into Round 3. The Demons appeared to lack players with speed as the likes of Orazio Fantasia tore the game open in the Bombers favour. Melbourne club stalwarts like Nathan Jones may be good characters and leaders, but they shouldn’t be playing midfield. The Bombers ball movement proved too quick for Melbourne, while the pressure will now continue to mount on the hapless Demons.
Demons team lifter: James Harmes
Bombers game changer: Orazio Fantasia
The AFL couldn’t have planned it if they tried. This game featured two other teams that hadn’t won a game in their first two games of the season. Remarkably the Blues lost the game by 19 points even though they had one more shot on goal than the Swans. The endeavour was evident from a Carlton point of view and the game was there to be won, but they came up short.
Blues team lifter: Ed Curnow
Swans team lifter: Isaac Heeney
Isaac Heeney of the Swans (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
The Giants and the Tigers were both one win and one loss coming into this contest. Richmond were missing players through injury and suspension, but that’s no excuse as they were comprehensively outplayed by GWS, as reflected by the 49-point margin.
Giants team lifter: Jeremy Finlayson
Tigers team lifter: Daniel Rioli
This game was just about the game of the round, and that’s no surprise given both teams were undefeated coming into this contest. That changed due to a fantastic performance by a Brisbane team that appears to be finals bound already. Of course injuries and other external factors can wreak havoc, but if the Lions continue to play the way they have in the first three rounds, they will be in finals calculation when the regular season reaches its climax.
Lions team lifter: Lachie Neale
Power team lifter: Cameron Rozee
Brisbane Lions players Lincoln McCarthy and Charles Cameron (Jono Searle/AFL Photos/Getty Images)
The Magpies appeared to be in ominous form early, but they failed to keep the intensity up. It appeared as if the Eagles implemented the game plan constructed by coach Adam Simpson to perfection – after quarter time, that is. Their system appeared to be working well, with their big-name players stepping up. Collingwood couldn’t stop West Coast’s momentum and thus the team from the west were victorious at the MCG with another quality display.
Magpies team lifter: Jordan de Goey
Eagles team lifter: Jamie Cripps
The Bulldogs came into this game undefeated but were slow to get out of the blocks, which indicates at least on the surface that the Suns were hungrier at the start of the game. Credit to the Bulldogs, they kept Gold Coast to just a solitary goal in the second quarter as well as the third quarter, and they could have won the game had their kicking for goal been more accurate.
Bulldogs team lifter: Matthew Suckling
Suns team lifter: Lachie Weller
For the second week in a row the Kangaroos managed to lose a game they could well have won. North Melbourne restricted the Hawks to just one goal in the first quarter, but Hawthorn managed to win a tight contest by 16 points in the end.
Hawks team lifter: Luke Breust
Kangaroos team lifter: Trent Dumont
This was a close contest. Both teams would have seen this as a winnable game, and this attitude shone through they way each side performed. The game ebbed and flowed and it was a tough and tight contest throughout.
Dockers team lifter: Michael Walters
Saints team lifter: Jade Gresham
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