Saturday, July 16, 2011

AFL Wrap - Round 16

Collingwood have moved to the top of the ladder after round 16 of the AFL, overtaking Geelong following the Cats second loss in a row.

Geelong went down narrowly to West Coast at Subiaco, with inaccuracy in front of goal in the final term hindering any late comeback from the Cats.

But the win by the Eagles was full of merit and they are pushing for a crucial top 4 spot.

With 7 weeks remaining in the season, West Coast appears to be a team that could cause a headache to some more fancied teams come finals time if they can grab a home final.

Hawthorn won their 11th game of the year with a clinical victory over Brisbane at York Park in cold and windy conditions.

It wasn't flashy, but the Hawks got the job done and they remain in 3rd spot on the ladder, half a game clear of fourth placed Carlton.

But the best news for the club was that they got through the match with no injuries, a nice change from recent weeks that have seen their big man stocks decimated.

Saturday night the Bombers stormed to their second straight win with a 39 point win over Richmond.

Essendon was looking in trouble early in the third terms when they trailed by 22 points, but they piled on 10 unanswered goal to finish the match in style.

It was an impressive turnaround and they hang on to 8th spot on the ladder, while the Tigers appear to be out of the running for finals after sinking to 13th spot and two clear games outside the 8.

Sydney got back on the winners list with an easy win over the Suns on the Gold Coast.

A 5 goal to 1 opening term set the Swans on their way, with the 70 point margin a nice percentage booster as they look towards September.

The Suns continue to struggle against the top teams and managed just 4 goals for the match, and they will have an anxious wait this week after Gary Ablett limped off with a knee injury.

Sunday saw the Collingwood machine crank into gear and dismantle North Melbourne, leading to a massive 117 point win by the Pies.

It was the biggest ever win by Collingwood over the Roos, and with some of their key players like Swan and Jolly running back into top form, they are clearly the best team in the competition.

The win moved the Pies back into top spot on the ladder, equal on points with the Cats but with 1 game and nearly 45 percentage points in hand.

All things being equal, with 7 weeks to go the minor premiership appears to be Collingwood's to lose.

St Kilda continued their charge at a finals spot with a 56 point win over Port Adelaide at Football Park.

Nick Riewoldt kicked a goal just 10 secs into the match and from there the Saints were never headed, easily taking the four points and moving to within one game of 8th place.

Port Adelaide disastrous season continued, with the Power losing their 13th game in 15 matches and they are only ahead of the Suns and out of the wooden spoon position on percentage.

The Western Bulldogs are another team making a late run at the finals, and they are now half game outside the 8 following an upset win over Carlton at Docklands.

The Blues led narrowly at the main break, but a Hooper goal early in third quarter saw the Dogs take the lead and they were never headed, going on to win by 27 points.

The Blues recent roller coaster form has continued, with the loss following on from a huge win last week, and they are now in danger of slipping out of the prized top 4 spot next week with a match against Collingwood on the agenda in Round 17.


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