Round 10 of the 2026 AFL season saw plenty of highlights and lowlights, headlined by a Friday night classic between the Sydney Swans and the Collingwood Magpies.
SWANS DEFEAT MAGPIES IN A THRILLER
An astonishing third-quarter blitz by the Sydney Swans saw them defeat the Collingwood Magpies by six points (81-75) in a thrilling contest to keep their top spot on the 2026 AFL ladder.
With the Magpies dominating the opening two quarters, the Swans were able to sway momentum in the following quarter, with ruck Brodie Grundy being the leading man in the comeback.
The experienced veteran had 34 disposals (13 kicks and 21 handballs), five marks, four tackles, one goal and a mammoth 46 hit outs en route to claiming the Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal.
“He was really good again,” Swans coach Dean Cox said of his ruckman.
“Once (Steene) got injured, Brodie started to gain a little bit of ascendancy against some of their key forwards.
“I thought he was clever in between (choosing) whether to try and clear the area or to connect with a midfielder – his variety in that was really good.”
ROWBOTTOM GOT HIM IN GAME 150!
Play of the week, presented by Iren pic.twitter.com/itS40xAaE6
— Sydney Swans (@sydneyswans) May 16, 2026
CATS ISSUE A WARNING SHOT TO AFL
The Geelong Cats have issued a warning shot to the rest of the AFL competition with a dominant 41-point victory against the Brisbane Lions – the reigning back-to-back premiers.
The Lions had no answers for the mighty cats as Shaun Mannagh bagged five goals during the contest to help his side get the last laugh in the rematch of the 2025 Grand Final.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Cameron also booted three goals, while Bailey Smith (34), Mannagh (30) and Tanner Bruhn (29) led the disposals count.
“We’ve just won six of our last seven games and we lose one and now we’ve got concerns?” Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said.
“We’ve had three six-day turnarounds in a row. We probably just need to suck a little bit of air in, get a bit of a rest and get ready to go again.
“I’m just not that quick to press the panic button.
“Obviously, there was some things that weren’t good tonight, but I just need to have a look at the vision and decide whether they are a real concern or not.
“We’ve got 10 days, which I feel like we need.”
Mannagh out of mid-air, Mackinlay’s burst, or Rachele’s chanana? 🤩
Head to https://t.co/rhvNoks2FJ to cast your vote for the round ten @Coles Goal of the Year 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/0RUYlLBBnI
— AFL (@AFL) May 18, 2026