Oliver Caffrey, Ed Jackson, Nick Smart and Scott Spitz
Updated ,first published
In today’s AFL Summary, your daily news:
- The Western Bulldogs increased the pressure on the Gold Coast with a nine-point win.
- Hawthorn hosted lowly Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.
- Carlton forward Harry McKay suffered bone bruises and minor tears in his spine against Collingwood.
Dons happy: Bombers end losing streak
Oliver Caffrey
A jubilant Dean Solomon has described Essendon’s three-point upset of 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 game as interim coach, which includes three on the Gold Coast in 2017.
Leading at half-time, Essendon doubled their advantage in a frantic final term but came up short through Sullivan Robey and Peter Wright.
With a chance still up for grabs, the Giants tried hard to regain the lead in the dying stages, but Essendon held on for a famous win – 10.7 (67) to 8.16 (64) – amid some heartbreaking moments in front of a small, but vocal crowd at Marvel Stadium.
It was Essendon’s first win since beating Melbourne in the Gather Round in Adelaide on April 11, while they haven’t won a game in Victoria since May 2025.
The Bombers, who were destroyed by Brisbane last Sunday and had lost 12 games in a row, were given no hope of matching the Red-hot Giants.
“It’s a bloody good feeling,” Solomon said.
“Our footy club has been kneeling for a while, and the footy world jumped on that, and they’re happy for us to sit down.
“We’ve felt that, and we don’t like that, so to go back a little bit and get one win, even though one win, I’m very happy for these players.”
The result continued GWS’ troubling form of struggling against lower-ranked opposition as they also knocked out last year’s title winners Brisbane and Geelong, and top-flight leaders Fremantle, in the middle of their first seven games.
Along with the Bombers, GWS have dropped matches to St Kilda (twice) and West Coast.
“It was very disappointing,” Giants coach Adam Kingsley said.
“A message about our resilience, our ability to play against every team in the competition, not just those above us.”
In a more worrying situation for the Giants, they lost captain Toby Greene to a serious fourth-quarter injury which will mean he will miss next Saturday’s Sydney derby against the Swans.
Much to the delight of the home crowd, former Essendon forward Jake Stringer endured a dreadful game in front of goal to finish with 0.7 on the night for the Giants.
Essendon’s only concern was young star Nate Caddy, who was taken to hospital with an elevated heart rate.
Caddy, who recently signed until the end of 2031 in a boost to the struggling Bombers, did not return to the field after quarter-time.
Solomon revealed that Caddy was able to leave the hospital, but would undergo more tests during the week.
“To do it without him is sad in one instance, but it’s also a great effort from this group,” Solomon said.
The result could prove costly for GWS, who would have jumped to 10th place, had they beaten the Bombers.
It also lifted Essendon to 17th, sending Richmond down the ladder.
AAP
The Bulldogs heap more misery on the Suns in a nine-point win
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick believes his side are in short supply after a nine-point loss to the Western Bulldogs.
The 11.11 (77) to 9.14 (68) loss on Sunday at the People First Stadium was the Suns’ eighth straight defeat, dashing their slim hopes of a top 10 finish.
For the Bulldogs, the win puts them in seventh place and gives them a breathing space above the chasing pack and around the all-important 10th spot 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 went five-and-out, was indicative of a broader issue with his team not capitalizing when the game is on the line.
“We won the permits by a landslide,” Hardwick said. “We beat them on the contested ball. We beat them on tackles. We beat them inside the 50s.
“We have lost the game.
“At the end of the day, the game looks like a Suns game 80 percent (but) 20 percent off.
“Thanks to the Bulldogs, they defended well, but we had shots on goal that we should have scored, and we didn’t.
“Our guys get paid to score goals, and unfortunately, if you don’t, it comes back to haunt you in a close game.”
The Suns’ lack of pace was highlighted by an off day in front of goal for Ben King, with the big forward finishing with 1.4.
Christian Petracca scored twice but was also responsible for the crucial third quarter kick that allowed Rory Lobb to score during the Bulldogs’ victory.
In a team depleted by Tom Liberatore (soreness) and Riley Garcia (back strain) and missing Bailey Dale for the first time since 2020, star Marcus Bontempelli delivered where the Suns couldn’t — at a crucial time.
The Bulldogs skipper kicked three goals, including two in the first quarter, while Matthew Kennedy celebrated the birth of his second child with his three goals.
Bailey Humphrey was busy throwing 29 goals and 765 meters while on the Suns side, Petracca and Leo Lombard scored two goals each while Touk Miller (39 disposals, five tackles, nine clearances) and Matt Rowell (26 disposals, 11 tackles and eight clearances) dominated the middle of the field.
“To come in at halftime and settle, and then have a third quarter like we did was impressive for the boys,” Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said.
“Maybe it was a little shaky at the end, but I was really happy with the result … we’ve had a few important wins between states, and this one is 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 the goals as Hawthorn destroys the lowly Tigers
Hawthorn have moved back up to third on the AFL ladder with a huge percentage increase thanks to a brutal 70-point demolition of lowly Richmond at the MCG.
The Hawks went into the clash sitting sixth after another result this weekend, but their 18.14 (122) to 6.16 (52) defeat of the Tigers made a big statement and moved them back into the top four.
Sunday’s final level was a delight for Richmond after they scored a couple of last-minute goals after Hawthorn were knocked out in the final term.
They had led by 87 points in the third quarter.
Unsigned Hawk Mitch Lewis dominated the front with five goals, all in the first half.
Goalsneak Nick Watson matched him with five goals in a brilliant first half.
The only injury concern for the Hawks is Jack Ginnivan, who was released at halftime by the club citing “back pain.”
For Richmond, it was a bittersweet way to mark senior player Dion Prestia’s 250th game.
The only positive was veteran Tom Lynch finally scoring his 500th goal at the end of last term after weeks of stalling on 499.
Tiger Taj Hotton was unable to finish the game after suffering an ankle injury, while fellow youngster Steely Green finished the game under HIA.
Watson, who had returned from a two-week injury lay-off, picked up where he left off by scoring the opener midway through the first half after both teams got off to a pedestrian start.
He managed to score a second goal in the first quarter but was lifted by Lewis, who kicked three times in the first 30 minutes.
Lewis would have four goals by quarter-time as his shot put after the buzzer missed.
But Lewis didn’t have to wait too long for his fourth wife — which came early in the second semester — en route to five majors.
The Tigers went scoreless in the first term, and were cruelly denied what would have been a great goal by Seth Campbell late in the term to cancel out ARC.
Richmond supporters had to wait until the ninth minute of the second quarter to celebrate their team’s first goal, which came courtesy of Patrick Retschko.
The Tigers had two within a minute after Mykelti Lefau kicked a true goal, but any joy was short-lived as Hawthorn piled on the next six.
Hawthorn led by 63 points at half-time, their biggest half-time lead in five seasons under coach Sam Mitchell.
The Hawks threatened to blow the gap over 100 points in the third term before the Tigers were able to make the score more respectable by the final whistle.
AAP
McKay could play through injuries for Carlton
Scott Spits, Danny Russell
Carlton forward Harry McKay suffered bone bruises and a small meniscus tear after a freak collision that pundits described as innocent against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday night.
Sunday’s test confirmed the prediction of McKay, who was forced off the field early in the Blues’ 21-point loss to the Magpies which has knocked Carlton out of the wildcard race.
McKay took a knee with teammate Sam Walsh early in the first quarter. Despite the good nature of the impact, McKay was unable to run and get off the ground.
His absence left Carlton’s forward line short of potential.
The Blues said midfielder Adam Cerra, who suffered a hamstring strain and was taken off in the second quarter, was not concussed. Carlton said McKay and Cerra will be tested and both could play against Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium next Saturday.
Carlton interim coach Josh Fraser would not be impressed with the severity of McKay’s injury.
“They can sometimes look worse than they are,” Fraser said after the match. “I don’t know. I haven’t received any more information about it.”
Fox Footy commentator David King was surprised by McKay’s injury. “No one is questioning whether he is injured or not,” he said.
“We’re wondering if it’s a pain issue or a structural issue. When it has that kind of influence on a group, it changes six or seven roles on the team, and they were right in the game.”
Collingwood coach Craig McRae acknowledged McKay’s absence for much of the night and helped the Magpies’ backline.
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