Round 12 of the 2026 AFL season saw many highlights and lowlights, headlined by Carlton upsetting the Geelong Cats.
CARLTON UPSET THE CATS
Since the Carlton Blues terminated coach Michael Voss, they have turned into a completely different team and this was evident by producing a four-point upset against one of the best clubs in the AFL, the Geelong Cats.
In a Friday night thriller, Carlton were everywhere and never let up throughout the entire four quarters. Will Hayward led the goal count for the Blues with three, while the reliable midfield duo of Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh both accumulated 30 possessions each.
“I don’t expect anything,” interim Carlton coach Josh Fraser said.
“In footy and my time in footy and maybe in my learnings in footy, I’ve learnt not to expect anything but prepare yourself and own your own development and be ambitious. But I don’t expect anything.
“I’ve said this a number of times, I see this as an interim coaching role. Part of my responsibility is to help the club move forward and make sure it’s better placed at the end of the season to what it is now.”
BULLDOGS HANG ON IN CLIFFHANGER
The Western Bulldogs have managed to hang on in a cliffhanger against a defiant Collingwood Magpies outfit that were nearly able to pull off an inspirational comeback victory right at the death of the contest.
In front of an energetic crowd at Marvel Stadium, it was Ed Richards who stood up when it mattered the most with 12 disposals and four inside 50s in the final quarter to help get the Bulldogs over the line.
Meanwhile, Bailey Dale, Matthew Kennedy and Ryley Sanders both had over 27 disposals each while Will Lewis (three), Richards (two), Tim English (two) and Lachlan McNeil (two) led the goal-scoring count.
“Ed Allan went to Richards in the third and started to do a pretty good job on him, and then ‘Bont’ was out of control so we flipped that, and next thing Richards gets out of control,” Craig McRae said post-match.
“I thought our fundamentals were really off early. We were handballing at peoples’ feet and a bit scratchy around that.
“It’s hard to put a finger on that, ‘Pendles’ has played more games than anyone in the history of the game, (and he also) handballed at someone’s feet, and you ‘just happens sometimes’.”
EAGLE ON FIRE
How good has Reuben Ginbey been this season!
Unstoppable against the Essendon Bombers over the weekend, where he kept opposing forward Nate Caddy to ten disposals and two (late) goals, the West Coast Eagles defender has now entered the All-Australian conversation.
Only moving into defence due to necessity because of a number of injuries to the squad, Ginbey has thrived against some of the best forwards in the competition, including Aaron Cadman, Charlie Curnow, Jeremy Cameron and now Caddy.