Crows end Demons’ unbeaten run in thriller, Bulldogs hammer Saints by 111 points

Adelaide spearhead Taylor Walker has kicked the match-winning goal with less than a minute remaining as the Crows downed the previously undefeated Melbourne by one point in the upset of the season.

Last year’s wooden spooners prevailed 15.8 (96) to 14.11 (95) in a Saturday twilight thriller at Adelaide Oval.

The Demons were later bumped from top spot on the ladder by the Western Bulldogs, who humiliated St Kilda with an 111-point win.

In other results on Saturday, Fremantle got home by two points against Sydney, while Geelong and Carlton also enjoyed victories.

The Crows ended Melbourne’s unbeaten season with Walker coolly slotting the matchwinner with a set shot from about 40 metres out with just 47 seconds remaining.

Walker finished with three goals and teammates Ben Keays, Riley Thilthorpe, Darcy Fogarty and James Rowe each kicked two.

Keays was superb in the midfield with 34 disposals, a return matched by his influential teammates Rory Laird and Paul Seedsman (one goal).

Their combined efforts helped snap Melbourne’s nine-game winning streak.

The Demons led by 16 points with about 10 minutes remaining before the Crows booted the last three goals of the game.

Melbourne onballer Clayton Oliver was magnificent with a game-high 38 disposals, three goals and 13 clearances.

His teammate Christian Petracca (32 disposals, 11 clearances) was also superb while Max Gawn ruled the rucks with 30 hitouts, 29 disposals and a goal.

The Demons, despite the late withdrawal of Christian Salem because of general soreness, skipped three goals ahead in the first term with Gawn and Petracca dominant.

But two goals by Adelaide’s Rowe left the Demons just five points up at quarter-time, 31-26.

And the Crows, largely propelled by on-baller Keays, who had 21 disposals to half-time, twice hit the front in the second stanza when kicking four goals to Melbourne’s three.

But a late major by the Demons’ James Harmes helped level scores at the long break, 8.4 apiece.

Adelaide crept to a 12-point lead early in the third after majors from the influential Keays and Paul Seedsman.

But Melbourne’s big guns Petracca and Oliver replied with crunch goals. Each team scored three for the term and the visitors held a slender three-point buffer at the last change, 11.8 to 11.5.

And when Oliver snapped his third goal in the 20th minute of the final quarter, the Demons were 16 points up and appeared home.

But Walker, Fogarty and Walker again booted majors in the last seven minutes for the Crows to pinch victory.

Bulldogs embarrass Saints

The Bulldogs claimed top spot on the ladder with a superior percentage to the Demons following their dismantling of a hapless Saints outfit.

After a cagey start, a breathtaking seven-goal second quarter set the Bulldogs on their way and they never looked back, prevailing 21.18 (144) to 5.3 (33) at Docklands.

But the victory was soured by a second-quarter ankle injury to Adam Treloar — who attempted to play on but was substituted for Lewis Young shortly before half-time — and a third-quarter head knock to Anthony Scott.

Running defender Bailey Dale continued his stunning form off half-back with 33 disposals and two goals, while Jack Macrae (41 disposals), Tom Liberatore (31 disposals) and Marcus Bontempelli (four goals and 26 disposals) were typically influential.

The Bulldogs booted three goals to two in the first term when St Kilda was left to rue its wastefulness, which was highlighted by poor set-shot attempts off the side of the boot from Shaun McKernan and Ryan Byrnes.

Jack Billings looked to have sparked the Saints when he intercepted Bailey Smith’s handball and dribbled home a delightful finish.

Instead, the Bulldogs kicked the next seven goals to build an unassailable lead over the listless Saints, with Dale recording 20 disposals, 528 metres gained and two goals in the first half alone.

Lachie Hunter converted from close range via a contentious 50-metre penalty just before the quarter-time break, while Cody Weightman struck from a free kick early in the second term.

Then, Bontempelli steered through a delightful goal on the run before back-to-back goals from former Saint Josh Bruce set the Bulldogs on their merry way as they powered out to a 51-point half-time lead.

The Saints booted the first goal of the third term but soon collapsed.

Aaron Naughton booted five majors across the final two quarters as the Bulldogs piled on 11 consecutive goals to turn the thrashing into a humiliation.

Dockers pip Swans int the west

Fremantle overcame a six-goal effort from Lance Franklin to narrowly beat Sydney in Perth.

Franklin had three goals to his name by half-time and booted another three in a pulsating final term to give Sydney a four-point lead with five minutes remaining.

But the game had one final twist, with Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe booting what turned out to be the winning goal a minute later.

Fyfe, who entered the contest with 2.16 to his name for the season, threw the ball onto his boot from 20 metres out while falling to ground after receiving the tap from ruckman Sean Darcy.

The 12.14 (86) to 13.6 (84) win snapped a three-game losing streak for Fremantle (5-5).

Fyfe was monumental for the Dockers with 27 disposals, 13 clearances and the go-ahead goal, while Rory Lobb booted four goals and took four contested marks.

The win came at a cost for Fremantle, who lost spearhead Matt Taberner in the third quarter with a right ankle injury.

Sydney lost defender Robbie Fox in the second quarter after he was accidentally poked in the eye.

Franklin booted two goals in the opening quarter to set the tone, the second of which was a bomb from beyond the arc.

The 34-year-old produced another magical moment in the second quarter when he nailed a goal on the run from 60 metres out.

The ball took one bounce before going through the goal and ending up in the cooler bag that holds the spare balls.

The lead was 21 points when Will Hayward scored from close range a minute later, but a Michael Walters goal reduced the margin to 15 points at half-time.

Tempers flared as the teams headed for the rooms, with Franklin’s jersey ripped in half after he was caught in a stand-off with Fremantle defender Luke Ryan.

Fremantle booted 4.5 to 0.1 during a dominant third quarter, with Fyfe tallying nine disposals and three clearances for the term.

Lobb cashed in with two goals, while Caleb Serong and Adam Cerra also chipped in to give the Dockers a 13-point lead at the final change.

But Franklin switched the momentum in a topsy-turvy final term.

He nailed a 55-metre bomb at the seven-minute mark, and three minutes later gave Sydney the lead courtesy of a soft free kick.

Fremantle rookie Josh Treacy launched his own 55-metre goal to give the Dockers back the lead, but Franklin snatched it back for Sydney when he juggled a mark 15 metres out from goal and then played on to snap truly.

Fyfe would have the final say, with Dockers defender Luke Ryan making a crucial spoil with 18 seconds remaining to snuff out Sydney’s last roll of the dice.

Cats run away from plucky Suns

Geelong has weathered a mid-game surge from Gold Coast before running away to claim a 34-point win at Kardinia Park.

When the Suns cut the margin to five points early in the third term, the prospect of the visitors recording their first win at the Cats’ home ground seemed realistic.

But with key attackers Jeremy Cameron, Tom Hawkins and Gary Rohan combining for seven goals, the Cats regrouped to triumph 14.7 (91) to 8.9 (57), improving their 2021 win-loss record to 7-3.

On the down side, Geelong will be without Mitch Duncan for next Saturday’s MCG clash with Collingwood.

Duncan was subbed out under the concussion rule at half-time after smashing his head into the turf in a strong tackle from Nick Holman.

There were concerns that fellow midfield ace Cameron Guthrie would also spend time on the sidelines after he came off early in the third quarter clutching his left shoulder, but the 2020 All-Australian was able to return to the fray after receiving medical attention.

The Suns were left to rue inacurracy in front of goal, with spearhead Ben King’s miss from directly in front late in the second quarter proving a momentum killer.

King still ended the match with three goals, but the Cats got a much better collective return from their big-name forwards, with Cameron booting three goals and Hawkins and Rohan chiming in with two apiece.

Fringe midfielder Quinton Narkle (34 disposals) played arguably his best game for Geelong, who were also well served by defender Tom Stewart and captain Joel Selwood.

The Suns’ better players included backman Will Powell and on-baller Touk Miller.

Blues hold off lowly Hawks

Carlton has survived an almighty scare to edge Hawthorn by 23 points for its first win over the Hawks at the MCG in 21 years.

The Blues simply had to take care of the struggling Hawks. Otherwise pressure on coach David Teague would have gone to extreme levels.

It was rarely pretty, but Carlton did enough to secure its fourth win of the season and maintain pressure on the top eight.

The Hawks were unable to capitalise on their dominance during the last quarter as Coleman Medal leader Harry McKay roosted the match-winning goal with four minutes to go and the Blues prevailed 13.8 (86) to 9.9 (63).

The result broke a run of nine Hawthorn wins against Carlton at the MCG, with the Blues’ previous victory over the Hawks at the ground coming in round 17, 2000.

The Hawks had plenty of chances to secure a third win of the season but were their own worst enemy.

Jacob Koschitzke should have put Hawthorn in front during time-on of the third term but inexplicably played on after taking a towering mark in the goal square and was caught holding the ball.

The Blues then swept the ball down the other end and Michael Gibbons slotted his first goal of the game.

Carlton was able to put through two more goals before three-quarter time — including Marc Murphy’s set shot after the siren — to lead by 19 points at the final change.

Blues star Sam Walsh got it done when the game was on the line, gathering 20 disposals and kicking a goal in the first half.

Tom Mitchell was at his prolific best for the Hawks, finishing with 44 disposals, while veteran Luke Breust kicked a game-high three goals.

Carlton faces a daunting task against Sydney at the SCG in round 11, while Hawthorn (2-8) travels to Darwin for a clash with Gold Coast on Saturday night.

AAP