AFL
James McKern 7y

ESPN's AFL Heroes and Villains: Round 9

AFL

Yet another wild weekend of the 2017 AFL season unfolded during Round 9 as fans witnessed some incredible comebacks along with a couple of lopsided affairs.

West Coast showcased just a few rounds ago that they could win away from home when they took down Port Adelaide, but it seems those travel concerns are still a big factor as Essendon comfortably accounted for them at Etihad Stadium. 

After starting their season 0-6, Sydney have responded in emphatic fashion while Richmond are going in the opposite direction after suffering another heartbreaking loss, this time to the Giants.

Hawthorn looked to be back before capitulating against the Magpies, Adelaide hold on to top spot after a demolition job against the Lions while Fremantle elevated themselves into fifth on the ladder after recording their third win in a row by taking down the Blues. 

HEROES

Nick Nack Patty Whack: After the lacklustre tackling effort from the entire Geelong outfit last weekend, it was on the shoulders of the club's leaders to stand tall and deliver against the reigning premiers. With every player making tackling a priority, the Cats laid the fourth highest tackle count in history with 134, it was Patrick Dangerfield who stood the tallest.

Danger laid 12 tackles to go along with a game-high 36 disposals and four goals. With 20 of his disposals being contested while having 10 clearances, he simply went back to his Brownlow best and the Bulldogs had no answer as the Cats ended a three-game losing streak.

They're back: For the opening six weeks of the 2017 AFL season, Sydney looked lifeless and uninterested in the contest. They now, along with Fremantle, have the longest win streak in the AFL having reeled off three in a row. It was a lack of desperation and leadership among the top flight Swans that stood out during the losing streak but with the return of their stars has come hand in hand with winning.

Lance Franklin in the opening six rounds had a total of 14 goals at 53.8 percent accuracy - in their three wins he's kicked 13 and upped his accuracy to 59 percent. Similarly, Dan Hannebery has raised his game over the past three weeks, lifting his disposal average from 23.1 all the way up to 29.6. Beware the Swans, they're coming.  

History maker: The AFL was founded in 1896 and on Sunday, May 21, 2017 history was made. Eleni Glouftsis became the first female field umpire the game has seen. Having taken up umpiring back in 2008 in South Australia, it has been a long journey for Glouftsis to reach this mark.

While the Etihad surface wasn't forgiving for the centre bounce, Glouftsis took it all in stride saying post-game: "bouncing is just one part of the game and not worrying about that too much was a really big part of it."

VILLAINS

Hapless Hawks: Having won three of their past four, the Hawks took the field against a topsy-turvy Magpies outfit with a hint of confidence. That feeling of confidence would have skyrocketed after a first quarter onslaught, led by Tom Mitchell and his 14 disposals, the Hawks kicked six goals to none and held a 36 point lead.

They still held a 34 point lead at the main break; then came the second half. Despite Mitchell doing everything, and we mean everything, he couldn't hold off the resurgent Pies, and his teammates were just about non-existent. Kicking only one goal for the entire second half was a horrible performance from Alastair Clarkson's men.

Oh, Richmond: If you thought last weekend was bad, this weekend took it to another level. Richmond continue to find incredible ways to lose games they shouldn't. David Mundy drove the dagger through hearts last weekend after the siren, this time around it was Jeremy Cameron who hammered in the final nail with a breathtaking bomb from 50m with less than a minute to play.

Trent Cotchin opened the scoring with a goal in the first 10 seconds and Richmond seemingly never looked back. With a 25-point lead entering the final team, Richmond had the chance to put the result beyond doubt but couldn't cash in. GWS came storming home and Richmond fell apart like a cheesecake without a biscuit base, making it their fourth straight loss.

The numbers crunch

  • In their past three games, Richmond have lost by a combined total of 10 points

  • After two goals in the opening minute, Richmond's final goal came at the 17:55 mark of the third quarter, meaning they went 44:43 without a goal to end the game.

Mental Demons: This was supposedly the season Melbourne made the jump. Unfortunately for the club, and their supporters, they're still carrying one distinct aura. Week in and week out, you're never sure which Melbourne outfit will show up on the field. Last weekend we witnessed a rampant Melbourne take apart the ladder leading Crows. How quickly things can change.

Against the struggling Kangaroos, as per the script of years gone by, Melbourne fell down when they needed to stand tall. While the list may be young, consistency is vital and right now that is non-existent at Melbourne. If they're to make the jump, Simon Goodwin needs to get his side on the same page every round. 

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