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AFL top 100: Round 8 selection highlights

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Roar Guru
6th May, 2022
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By Sunday night, the 2022 home-and-away season will be more than a third completed and the chances of the 15 clubs trying to squeeze into the final eight will start to become clearer.

Well, make that seven as to my mind, Melbourne are already there.

The critical game this weekend is eighth versus ninth when Richmond take on Collingwood in the battle for eighth spot temporarily.

And with Richmond being in top form and adding Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin to the team, while the Magpies will be missing the long-term injured Jamie Elliott and Brodie Grundy, it doesn’t augur well for Collingwood.

In addition, the Tigers have historical milestones to celebrate: Jack Riewoldt will join legend Jack Dyer on 311 games, the second most number of games by a Richmond player, and Trent Cotchin will pass ‘The Flea’ Dale Weightman to become the outright tenth greatest player at the Tigers.

For Collingwood, Jack Crisp will play his 165th game in a row and equal the games tally of Tyson Goldsack.

Jack Crisp runs.

(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

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Friday night’s game at the Adelaide Oval was a good one for the hyphens. Sam Powell-Pepper played his 100th game, and Darcy Byrne-Jones equalled the game tally of turn-of-the-century ruckman Matthew Primus. Also, Griffin Logue played his 50th game.

At the Bulldogs, Tom Liberatore equalled Mitch Hahn.

Fremantle were short-priced favourites to beat North Melbourne despite their reduced list, which gave an opportunity to debutante Jye Amiss, originally from Busselton via East Perth.

Sydney are also short-priced favourites to overcome the Suns at the SCG. In this game Dane Rampe continues his climb up the games-played list as the Swans, passing Irishman Tadhg Kennelly and equalling Ben Matthews.

The Greater Western Sydney versus Geelong game has the pundits scratching their heads despite the fact that GWS have won only four of their 13 encounters.

Geelong are taking the opportunity to introduce Cooper Stephens, their first-round pick in 2019 who came from Colac. Injury kept Stephens out for all of 2021.

Essendon have already won 100 games against Hawthorn, but the Hawks will be looking for their 67th win on Saturday night at Docklands.

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Tom Mitchell of the Hawks speaks with AFL Field Umpire, Hayden Gavine after a 50 metre penalty was awarded to Geelong during the 2022 AFL Round 05 match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Geelong Cats at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 18, 2022 In Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Dyson Heppell will pass champion centre half forward Ken Fraser, and move to within one game of 200. Jack Gunston, who has already passed the 200-game total at the Hawks, will pass Geoff Ablett and Ben Stratton and draw level with Ben Dixon.

Brisbane have won only 15 of 51 games against the Eagles but in recent times have been working on this imbalance, and as the shortest price favourite on the weekend against the severely depleted West Coast team, they will be expected to score plenty of goals even without Joe Daniher.

Daniel McStay will move up the list ahead of Brad Scott, while Harris Andrew will pass Robert Copeland, and at West Coast, Jack Darling will pass Ashley McIntosh and join Dean Kemp on the list of the ten greatest game players of all time at the ‘Big Birds’.

Melbourne will have the luxury of introducing Bailey Laurie to the big time, strengthening their already great depth of senior players by one more. 

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