Six games over five days means there’s plenty of scope for analysis, but with three games involving teams no longer in the hunt, Round 13 really only holds interest on Thursday night, Saturday night and Monday – unless, as has happened most weeks this year, there is an upset that disturbs the status quo.
Richmond should make Port Adelaide’s finals push even less likely than it already is with a good win at the MCG on Thursday night and throw wide open the race to be the newest member of the AFL top 100 game players between Richmond’s Shane Edwards and Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield.
Fit and in reasonable form after his two goals against Sydney in Round 11, Edwards would be expected to play his 293rd game this week. This will take him to level with Dangerfield, and Geelong has a bye this weekend. If Dangerfield is over his injury and plays next week in Round 13, and if Edwards survives Round 12 unscathed, then both players will play their 294th game in Round 13. As 294 is current the total at which the bar to entry into the top 100 AFL game players is set, both players will join current incumbents Jack Titus (Richmond) and Keith Greig (North Melbourne) in the hot seat in a four-way tie for 100th place.
This week is also a big game for Trent Cotchin, as he will draw level with Matthew Knights as the ninth greatest game player of all time at Richmond. For Port Adelaide, another set of milestone twins (Tom Jonas and Ollie Wines) will pass Michael Wilson and join Hamish Hartlett in equal tenth place on Power’s games played list.
On Friday night Carlton would be expected to consolidate their top-eight position with a win over Essendon. Dyson Heppell has endured much during his career at the Bombers, and this game will see him pass Mark Thompson on the games played list, while Patrick Cripps will continue his climb up the Blues elite list, passing Gary Crane and drawing level with Laurie Kerr.
The first game on Saturday will see the Dockers trying to maintain their recent excellent form and beat the Hawks, who fell just short against Collingwood last week. They should be able to do this at home.
Also at home, at Fortress Gabba, the Lions will be looking to get back on the winners list with a convincing win against the circling Saints. For St Kilda, Tim Membrey will equal the games tally of Luke Ball.
North Melbourne has not had much to cheer about this season, and it’s unlikely a home-ground advantage in the Sunday game against Greater Western Sydney at Docklands will be enough to score them their second win for the season. Cause for celebration and contemplation, however, is stalwart Luke McDonald’s 150th game. He draws level with John Lewis, who is listed as the club’s ninth player in their first game in the VFL in 1925, and already McDonald has recorded 40 more wins as a Kangaroo player than Lewis did over his whole career of 150 games.
Melbourne’s comeback game after two surprising defeats will be eagerly watched, and it would turn the whole 2022 season upside down if they lost three in a row. While Collingwood has shown a lot of spunk and talent in beating three of the top-eight sides so far, they are still a work in progress, and a polished Melbourne side should prove too strong in the end.
Stephen Shortis
Roar Guru
yes, spot on again Chris M. The only two players above Titus and Greig are Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) and Wayne Campbell (Richmond), both on 297 games. Above them on exactly 300 games are 10 players who finished on that mark. With 10 rounds left (and possible finals) there is no one else can quite get there. The two Josh Kennedys and Todd Goldstein are close, but no cigar due to lack of finals or injury.
Chris M
Guest
If they both stay injury-free, Edwards and Dangerfield seem likely to become 300 game players this season. I'm not sure who else stands between Edwards and Dangerfield and 300 games, and which other current players are creeping towards 300 games. However, in the not-to-distant future it seems a footballer will need to have played 300 games to enter the AFL top 100 game players.