Oliver Caffrey, Ed Jackson, Nick Smart and Scott Spits
Updated ,first published
In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Western Bulldogs heaped more pressure on Gold Coast with a nine-point win.
- Hawthorn dined out on lowly Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.
- Carlton forward Harry McKay suffered bone bruising and a minor tear in his meniscus against Collingwood.
Dons delight: Bombers end losing streak
Oliver Caffrey
An elated Dean Solomon has described Essendon’s stunning three-point upset of inconsistent GWS as a “bloody good feeling”.
Having won just one of their previous 30 games, the Bombers finally played with a sense of urgency to give Solomon his first win in his 10th match as a caretaker coach, which includes three at Gold Coast in 2017.
Leading at every break, Essendon gave up their advantage twice in a frantic final term but hit back through clutch goals to Sullivan Robey and Peter Wright.
With a wildcard spot still up for grabs, the Giants desperately tried to reclaim the lead in the dying stages, but Essendon hung on for a famous win – 10.7 (67) to 8.16 (64) – amid scenes of delirium in front of a small, but vocal crowd at Marvel Stadium.
It was Essendon’s first win since beating Melbourne in Gather Round in Adelaide on April 11, while they hadn’t won a game in Victoria since May 2025.
The Bombers, who were ravaged by Brisbane last Sunday and had lost 12-straight matches, were given virtually no hope of matching it with the red-hot Giants.
“It’s a bloody good feeling,” Solomon said.
“Our footy club’s been on its knees for a period of time, and the footy world’s jumped on that, and they enjoy us sitting at the bottom.
“We’ve felt that, and we don’t like that, so to push back a little bit and get one win, albeit one win, I’m just really happy for these players.”
The result continued GWS’s baffling trend of struggling against lower-ranked opposition whilst also dismantling last year’s grand finalists Brisbane and Geelong, and rampaging ladder-leaders Fremantle, amid their previous seven games.
As well as the Bombers, GWS have dropped matches to St Kilda (twice) and West Coast.
“It was incredibly disappointing,” Giants coach Adam Kingsley said.
“The messaging around our consistency, our ability to perform against every team in the competition, not just those who were above us.”
In a further concern for the Giants, they lost captain Toby Greene to a serious-looking quad injury in the third quarter that will almost certainly mean he misses the Sydney derby against the Swans next Saturday.
Further delighting the home crowd, former Essendon forward Jake Stringer endured a horror match in front of goal to finish with 0.7 on a wayward night for the Giants.
The only concern for Essendon was young star Nate Caddy, who was sent to hospital due to an elevated heart rate.
Caddy, who recently re-signed until the end of 2031 in a massive boost for the battling Bombers, didn’t return to the ground after quarter-time.
Solomon revealed Caddy had been able to leave hospital, but would undergo further tests during the week.
“To do it without him is sad in one instance, but it’s also a pretty super effort from this group,” Solomon said.
The result could prove costly for GWS, who would have jumped into 10th and a wildcard spot, had they beaten the Bombers.
It also lifted Essendon to 17th, sending Richmond to the bottom of the ladder.
AAP
Bulldogs pile more misery on Suns in nine-point win
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick believes his team is falling short in critical moments after a nine-point loss to the Western Bulldogs.
The 11.11 (77) to 9.14 (68) defeat on Sunday at a blustery People First Stadium was the Suns’ eighth consecutive defeat, further eroding their slim hopes of sneaking into a top 10 position.
For the Bulldogs, the victory cements them in seventh and gives them breathing space over the chasing pack in and around that crucial 10th position on the ladder.
Gold Coast’s loss came despite the Suns having 91 more disposals, nine more clearances and 11 more inside 50s than the visitors.
Hardwick conceded a 10-minute period in the third quarter, in which the Bulldogs kicked five-goals-to-none, was symptomatic of a wider issue in his team of not capitalising when the game is on the line.
“We won clearances by a lot,” Hardwick said. “We smacked them in contested ball. We smacked them in tackles. We smacked them in inside 50s.
“We lost the game.
“At the end of the day, the game looks like a Suns game for 80 per cent (but) for 20 per cent it comes out of reach.
“Credit to the Bulldogs, they defended quite well, but we had shots on goal that we should have scored, and we didn’t score.
“Our guys are paid to kick goals, and unfortunately, if you don’t, it comes back to haunt you in a close-finishing game.”
The Suns’ lack of cutting edge was epitomised by an off day in front of goal for Ben King, with the key forward finishing with 1.4.
Christian Petracca did kick two goals but was also responsible for a crucial third-quarter clanger which allowed Rory Lobb to score during that match-winning burst by the Bulldogs.
In a team shorn of Tom Liberatore (soreness) and Riley Garcia (hamstring tightness) and missing Bailey Dale for the first time since 2020, superstar Marcus Bontempelli delivered where the Suns couldn’t – in crucial moments.
The Bulldogs’ captain kicked three goals, including two in the first quarter, while Matthew Kennedy celebrated the birth of his second child with three majors of his own.
Bailey Humphrey was busy with 29 disposals and 765 metres gained while for the Suns, Petracca and Leo Lombard kicked two goals each with Touk Miller (39 disposals, five tackles, nine clearances) and Matt Rowell (26 disposals, 11 tackles and eight clearances) dominant in midfield.
“To come in at halftime and settle, and then have a third quarter like we did was impressive by the boys,” Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said.
“It probably got a little bit shaky right at the end, but really pleased with the outcome … we’ve won a few important ones interstate, and this is just as important as any.”
Gold Coast travel to face Carlton next week while the Bulldogs are at home against Richmond.
AAP
Watson and Lewis pile on goals as Hawthorn destroy lowly Tigers
Hawthorn have returned to third on the AFL ladder with a major percentage boost thanks to a brutal 70-point demolition of lowly Richmond at the MCG.
The Hawks went into the clash sitting sixth after other results this weekend, but their 18.14 (122) to 6.16 (52) thrashing of the Tigers made a major statement and lifted them back into the top four.
Sunday’s final margin flattered Richmond after they kicked several late consolation goals once Hawthorn eased off in the final term.
They had led by as much as 87 points during the third quarter.
Uncontracted Hawk Mitch Lewis dominated up forward with five goals, all in the first half.
Goalsneak Nick Watson matched him by also kicking five goals in a stunning first-half performance.
The only injury concern for the Hawks was Jack Ginnivan, who was pulled at half-time with the club citing “back soreness.”
For Richmond, it was a sour way to commemorate triple premiership player Dion Prestia’s 250th game.
The only positive was veteran Tom Lynch finally kicking his 500th goal late in the final term after several weeks stuck on 499.
Tiger Taj Hotton failed to finish the game after suffering an ankle injury, while fellow youngster Steely Green finished the match under a HIA.
Watson, who was back from a two-week injury lay-off, picked up where he left off by kicking the first goal mid-way through the first term after a pedestrian start by both teams.
He was able to slot a second goal in the opening quarter but was upstaged by a rampaging Lewis, who kicked three in the first 30 minutes.
Lewis would have had four goals by quarter-time had his set shot after the siren not narrowly missed.
But Lewis didn’t have to wait too long for his fourth – which came early in the second term – on his way to five majors.
The hapless Tigers went goalless in the first term, and were cruelly denied what would have been a brilliant Seth Campbell goal late in the term by an ARC overrule.
Richmond supporters had to wait until the ninth minute of the second quarter to cheer their side’s first major, which came courtesy of Patrick Retschko.
The Tigers had two in a minute after Mykelti Lefau kicked truly, but any joy was short-lived as Hawthorn piled on the next six.
Hawthorn led by a whopping 63 points at the main break, their largest halftime lead in five seasons under coach Sam Mitchell.
The Hawks threatened to blow the margin beyond 100 points in the third term before the Tigers were able to make the scoreline more respectable by the final siren.
AAP
McKay could play through injury for Carlton
Scott Spits, Danny Russell
Carlton forward Harry McKay suffered bone bruising and a minor tear in his meniscus after an awkward clash that commentators described as innocuous-looking against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday night.
Scans on Sunday confirmed the prognosis for McKay, who was forced from the field early in the Blues’ 21-point loss to the Magpies that has effectively ruled Carlton out of the wildcard race.
McKay bumped knees with teammate Sam Walsh early in the first quarter. Despite the benign nature of the impact, McKay was unable to run and took himself from the ground.
His absence left the Carlton forward line short on potency.
The Blues said midfielder Adam Cerra, who experienced hamstring tightness and was withdrawn in the second quarter, had not suffered a strain. Carlton said McKay and Cerra would be tested and both may play against Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium next Saturday.
Carlton’s caretaker coach Josh Fraser would not be drawn on the severity of McKay’s injury.
“Those ones can sometimes look worse than what they appear,” Fraser said after the match. “I don’t know. I haven’t received any more information on it.”
Fox Footy commentator David King was perplexed by McKay’s injury. “No one is questioning whether he is injured or not,” he said.
“We are just wondering if it is a pain issue or is it a structural issue. When it has such an influence on the group, it changes six or seven roles in the team, and they were right in the game.”
Collingwood coach Craig McRae agreed McKay’s absence for most of the night aided an undermanned Magpies back line.
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