Victorian Football League (VFL) News

Tall Lion, young Saint dominate as Bombers recruit shines in defeat: VFL wrap

Read up on all of the weekend’s standout performers from the VFL.

Published by
Mitch Keating

The weekend's VFL action didn't come without entertainment, with a number of games offering nail-biting drama and prolific performances.

The Bullants recorded a famous win over their close rivals, while the Suns continued their undefeated start to the season in a similar fashion.

GWS erased a 30-point fourth-quarter deficit thanks to some brilliance from their young pack, while a Lions tall, Bombers recruit and young Saint were also among this weekend's best.

Here's a quick wrap on all nine games from Round 8 of the VFL.

Sydney vs Williamstown (34 - 67)

Sydney's winless start to the season continued over the weekend as the Seagulls returned from Tramway Oval with four premiership points.

The Victorian side moved the ball freely on their way to recording 139 marks for the match - almost 40 more than their season average and 56 greater than the Swans' tally for the day.

Finbar O'Dwyer was prolific in his return for Williamstown, recording 28 possessions and 11 marks in the 33-point victory, while Marty Hore - a Mid-Season Draft hopeful - also stood out.

Mitch Cox chimed in with a goal from his 26 touches as ruckmen Tom Downie and Lachlan McAndrew went head-to-head in the middle.

McAndrew ended the evening with 35 hit-outs and four clearances for the Swans, offering plenty of service to Swans sophomore Angus Sheldrick, who amassed a game-high 36 possessions along with nine clearances of his own and a goal.

Richmond vs Geelong (75 - 75)

Both sides couldn't be separated after four quarters, with Richmond piling on the final 13 points of the match to level the scores before the siren.

After being dropped to the VFL, forward Noah Cumberland returned to form with three goals from 11 touches, including the final goal of the match in a quick comeback at Punt Road.

James Trezise was a standout for the Tigers with 10 marks for a return of 29 possessions, while Bigoa Nyuon was important through the middle with 22 hit-outs, 12 disposals, three clearances and a goal.

Geelong's Chalcraft brothers combined nicely for Mark Corrigan's side, with Jye booting two goals from 26 disposals to strengthen his prospects ahead of Mid-Season Draft, while younger brother Kade collected 12 clearances and 26 possessions in just his second appearance for Geelong's VFL side this year.

First-year cat Ted Clohesy continued to impress, laying 11 tackles along with his 14 disposals and a single goal for the day.

Southport vs Gold Coast (74 - 76)

The Sharks couldn't capitalise on a remarkable fourth-quarter comeback, losing to rivals Gold Coast by just the pair of points.

Southport recorded the last nine scoring shots of the game (three goals, six behinds) to claw themselves back into the contest after being down by four points at the final break, only for their wayward kicking to be the difference in the end.

Midfield pair Boyd Woodcock and Jacob Dawson were again fundamental in the Sharks' chances for victory, combining for 75 possessions and 22 clearances in the loss. Fraser Thurlow put on another strong performance to boot two goals from 20 disposals and five clearances as a ruck-forward hybrid.

Young Sun Sam Flanders was Gold Coast's leading ball-winner with 35 possessions, while also adding eight marks, nine clearances and one goal to his stat sheet.

AFL-listed Suns Jy Farrar, Charlie Constable and Jed Anderson all found plenty of the ball as well to collect 28 disposals each for the afternoon.

Chris Burgess and Brodie McLaughlin combined for five goals against the Sharks, with the pair both sitting in the top four on the VFL's goalkickers' leaderboard with 19 and 21 goals for the season respectively, both trailing Thurlow's tally of 23.

North Melbourne vs Frankston (131 - 56)

The Kangaroos' big win over the Dolphins was highlighted by Callum Coleman-Jones' haul of nine goals against a hapless Frankston defence.

The former Tiger was an aerial threat on his way to a career-best bag, with North Melbourne's midfielder offering a silver service thanks to their midfield dominance.

Tarryn Thomas and Ben Cunnington were standouts for the Roos to put their names in consideration for recalls to senior level, while young gun George Wardlaw might also be in the selection mix after booting two goals from his 19 possessions.

Veteran Roo Aaron Hall and in-form Dolphins onballer Will Fordham led all ball-winners with 30 disposals each, the latter adding to his strong start to the year to also record 11 marks and seven clearances.

Coburg vs Northern Bullants (80 - 87)

The Battle of Bell Street was a nail-biter at Piranha Park to conclude Saturday's action, with a late Jean-Luc Velissaris goal sealing the win for the Bullants.

One of the form players of the competition, Velissaris booted two goals and collected 26 disposals and eight clearances to claim a famous victory over his side's arch-rivals.

Cam Wild was also key in the win with 32 touches, 12 marks, six tackles, one goal and seven clearances as the Bullants doubled their premiership points tally for the year.

The still-winless Lions were honourable in the loss as Aaron Clarke, Jhye Baddeley-Kelly, Max Thompson and Kyle Weightman combined for 10 of their 12 goals.

Collingwood vs GWS (111 - 113)

Toby McMullin's major put the Giants in front with only seconds left on the clock, capping off a memorable come-from-behind win for GWS.

Trailing by 30 points during the final term, two goals from McMullin and Barry O'Connor, along with single majors to Kieren Briggs, Max Gruzewski and Harry Rowston, saw the Giants remove a lengthy Collingwood buffer to snatch the four points.

Rowston was dominant in the four-quarter comeback, ending his evening with 19 clearances from midfield to record 33 possessions for the match. Briggs was also pivotal in the fight, amassing 41 hit-outs and 25 possessions.

Wade Derksen booted five goals in the game, three of which came in the third quarter to keep the Giants in consideration for the win.

Magpies midfielder Josh Carmichael booted four goals from midfield to be among Collingwood's best performers, also notching up 28 disposals and five clearances in the heartbreaking loss.

Brisbane vs Essendon (109 - 41)

Lions tall Tom Fullarton has moved into third spot on the VFL's leading goalkicker tally after booting six goals against Essendon, with the former basketballer now averaging three majors per appearance.

Brisbane booted four goals in each quarter to hand the Bombers their fifth defeat of the season, with the Lions' usual suspects getting the job done in midfield.

Jarryd Lyons (36 disposals, two goals, eight tackles, nine clearances), Rhys Mathieson (28 disposals, seven clearances, one goal) and Deven Robertson (26 disposals, six clearances, one goal) all had a resounding impact through the middle.

Essendon VFL player Quinton Narkle, 2023 (image via Essendon VFL, Twitter)

Essendon defender Rhett Montgomerie stood tall in an undermanned Bombers backline to have 23 possessions and nine marks in what was an arduous evening for Leigh Tudor's men.

New recruit Quinton Narkle led the way for the Bombers with two goals and 29 possessions to keep his chances of an AFL lifeline afloat.

Sandringham vs Port Melbourne (80 - 59)

The Zebras' senior figures were import in their 21-point win over the Borough, with Jack Billings and Jimmy Webster among Sandringham's best performers.

But it was young Saint Marcus Windhager who stole the show, booting three goals from his 36 possessions, nine clearances and six tackles to send a timely reminder to senior coach Ross Lyon ahead of selection.

The defensive-minded midfielder has put his name up for an AFL recall amid uncertainty surrounding Jack Steele's recent knee complaint, while both Webster and Billings are also eyeing returns to the elite level.

Marcus Windhager during the AFL match between Hawthorn and St Kilda in Round 4, 2022 (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media)

Journeymen Tom Campbell and Sam Naismith went head-to-head in the middle, with the former claiming the bragging rights with his 31 hit-outs and 18 disposals in the win.

Harvey Hooper's season at Port Melbourne continues to impress, amassing 21 disposals, 11 tackles and two goals in the loss to the Zebras.

Footscray vs Werribee (57 - 91)

The Tigers rose to seventh on the VFL ladder thanks to a dominant midfield display from their engine room, with Tom Gribble and Dom Brew leading the way for Werribee.

The duo combined for 18 of their side's 42 clearances for the day as Werribee's midfield ensemble were able to shark a portion of Bulldog Jordon Sweet's 53 hit-outs.

Logan Morris, Hudson Garoni, Michael Sodomaco and Sam Paea each booted two goals as the Tigers put a wayward opening half behind them to kick nine majors after the main break.

Ewan Macpherson was important for Footscray with his two-way efforts, while Buku Khamis booted four goals in the absence of Sam Darcy and James O'Donnell.

Lachie Sullivan was kept to a quiet game while Tim O'Brien and Jedd Busslinger looked to hold down the fort on the Dogs' last line.

Published by
Mitch Keating