The 13th round of the 2025 AFL season saw many highlights and lowlights, including Collingwood win by one point on King’s Birthday, Brisbane suffered yet another loss and eight new individuals were inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame.
Magpies win by one on King’s Birthday
In an intense and close clash on King’s Birthday, the Collingwood Magpies emerged victorious over the Melbourne Demons by a single point, retaining their spot on top of the 2025 AFL ladder.
Taking the lead halfway through the final quarter, the Magpies managed to come back by as many as 20 points, but the win nearly fell to their opposition. Trailing by one, Melbourne had less than a minute left to tie/win the clash before Max Gawn skewed a kick straight to the opposition.
While Nick Daicos remained quiet throughout the contest, his brother Josh stood up with 34 possessions, 11 marks and two tackles. Daniel McStay also kicked two goals with his final six-pointer securing the victory for Collingwood.
“First up, it was a cracking game of footy and credit to Collingwood for getting the result on what is a pretty special day, obviously, for the Big Freeze, for MND, for Neale [Daniher],” Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin said.
“It was a very special day for not only our footy club, but for, I think, for everyone in football. And I think the game matched it. It was a cracking game of footy, and unfortunately, someone’s got to come out on the receiving end, and that’s us today.
“But, you know, there’s lot to like. I thought we played like winners all day. I thought we hung in there and continued to play our way for as long as we could, and we just fell short.”
Checkers threads the eye of the needle for his 23rd goal of 2025! 🪡
In game 148, he gives us a 14-point advantage early in the third term. pic.twitter.com/7JDiMawLZT
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) June 9, 2025
Brisbane suffers another loss in blockbuster clash
The defending AFL Premiers, the Brisbane Lions, have found themselves back off the winning sheet, suffering their second loss in four weeks to the Adelaide Crows by five points in a blockbuster showdown.
In a low-scoring affair, the Lions led for most of the match, but the game dramatically changed in the fourth quarter with the Crows kicking five unanswered goals to come from behind and take the four points.
Although the conditions weren’t ideal, Adelaide made the most of their opportunities with the ball. Although the top-four ball-getters were all from the Lions, the home team stood up when it mattered most with Rory Laird, Mark Keane and Josh Worrell all having some crucial moments late in the match.
“We had 10 shots in the last quarter and they had five,” Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan said after the loss.
“They kicked accurately and they got some balls out the back and (Riley) Thilthorpe’s goal at the start brought the crowd into it and they got a little bit of momentum, but in terms of the last quarter, 10 shots to five, we had five more shots, we lose the game.
“That was a game we should have won, in my view. I’m not taking anything away from Adelaide, they persisted, so did our blokes when Adelaide got in front. We dominated the last 15 minutes of the last quarter and couldn’t get it on the board.”
A clutch grab worthy of a MOTY nom 😮💨
Get your votes in for Daws here: https://t.co/eB3rIOiAaz pic.twitter.com/aqL4IoIz17
— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) June 10, 2025
Eight new Hall of Fame inductees
Following Round 13, eight former players were inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame on Tuesday evening recognising their career in Aussie Rules, while South Australian goal-kicking icon Ken Farmer was elevated to Legend status.
On the 30th anniversary of the Hall of Fame, St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt, Sandover medallist George Owens, Hawthorn legend Luke Hodge, North Adelaide great Peter Darley and Melbourne Demons icon and broadcaster Garry Lyon were inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Tasmania Football Hall of Fame member John Leedman, who surprisingly never played a single minute of AFL/VFL football.
AFLW star duo Erin Phillips and Daisy Pearce were also inducted due to setting the standard in the women’s competition and becoming the first few trailblazing players.
“I tried to fit in (with the boys playing), cut my hair short (and) had a really good ‘mushroom’ haircut as a young kid. (I) got mistaken for a boy constantly,” Phillips said
“I remember a game actually … I ran out to centre-half forward, stood next to my opponent. I could see him scanning the field looking for something, and then he turns to me an goes: ‘I heard you have a girl on this team, and I heard she’s pretty good’.
“I looked at him, and I go: ‘Yeah, you’re standing next to her!’ … I gave him a hiding that game.”
"I can't imagine how hard it would've been to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she couldn't play the game she loves anymore."
Erin Phillips pays special tribute to her father, and now fellow Hall of Fame member Greg 🥹 pic.twitter.com/ub3Wnbq4Wr
— AFL (@AFL) June 10, 2025