The eleventh round of the 2024 AFL season saw Collingwood play out another draw, Hawthorn produce the upset of the round, and Geelong and GWS compete in an entertaining clash.
Collingwood play in second draw of the season
After a blockbuster match against the Essendon Bombers on Anzac Day, which saw them draw, the Collingwood Magpies have played in their second draw of the season, this time against the Fremantle Dockers away from home. In a remarkable finish, the Dockers came back from behind and nearly looked like pulling off a thrilling upset against the reigning premiers.
However, while both teams will take home two points, the match wasn’t without controversy, which ultimately affected the final score. During the final minutes of the fourth quarter, the Dockers were awarded a free kick in front of the goal after Lachie Sullivan failed to return the ball to the umpire and instead gave it to teammate Nick Daicos. After Sean Darcy took the free kick and nailed the goal, the club would go on to score four late goals to clinch a draw and two points in front of their home fans.
“I’m looking forward to what the AFL tell us about that, because I wasn’t aware that’s a free kick,” Magpies coach Craid McRae said after the match via AFL.com.
“But maybe clearly it is, because they don’t pay things that aren’t there. So yeah, looking forward to seeing what they say.
“At that moment, I was confused because I was told that he (Daicos) touched the umpire … but again, I was unaware of what actually happened until afterwards.
“It’ll be what it will be. It doesn’t help us, does it?”
McCreery gets caught with the ball, then gives away a 50 for time delay 😲
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🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/CdrK3vjlV6 pic.twitter.com/IPkYuqNwUW— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) May 24, 2024
Hawks produce upset against Brisbane Lions
The Hawthorn Hawks have produced another upset this season, stunning the Brisbane Lions to record their fourth win of the regular season. The 25-point defeat of the Lions sees them continue their incredible form in recent weeks – winning four of the past six matches after starting the season with five losses in a row. While the Lions strongly fought back to get into the match, they failed to win their first match last weekend against the Hawks since 2019.
“Normally with a learning you don’t get to implement it straight away, but the players were amazing in their commitment to really learn the lessons,” Sam Mitchell said via AFL.com.
“It was pretty painful, to be honest; we had to watch that a lot and do the learning and it was not an easy thing to do.
“We knew there were things we could do better as players, as coaches. Today we felt like we won together, we handled the situation better.
“(We’re) still a work in progress, still let them get well and truly on top and some of their kicking probably kept us in it at different periods. But I thought collectively we handled the emotion of the game in a pretty positive way for the majority of it.”
Sing it, Hawks fans! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/xgOm0hy1ga
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) May 26, 2024
Geelong’s woes continue
The form of the Geelong Cats has gone from bad to worse after losing their fourth consecutive match in Round 11 against the GWS Giants. Leading the competition to begin the season and the last team to record a loss this season, the Cats are in a form slump and look like they’ll never be able to get out of it. Under coach Chris Scott, the Cats have never seen a four-match losing streak but are now in unchartered territory. On the flip of the coin, the loss also marks the GWS Giants to be the first team to win four games in a row against the Cats at their home stadium Kardinia Park (now known as GMHBA Stadium).
The Giants outplayed their opponents and extended their lead to 31 points before the Cats attempted to spark a comeback. Controlling the game, their efficiency inside their forward 50 was incredible, with 52.4 per cent efficiency compared to their opponent’s 36.8 per cent. Tom Green (28) and Lachie Whitfield led the disposal count for the Giants, while Jake Riccardi would go on to kick four goals.
“My assumption early in the year was that every team is going to go through patches where it gets a little bit difficult, and those that come through them will be the ones that finish up towards the top of the ladder,” Scott said after the match via AFL.com.
“I think the greatest risk is you overcorrect and see problems that aren’t necessarily there and you end up a bit confused as to how it is you want your game to look… within (our losses), we’ve kind of found a way to give ourselves a chance to win.”
The Giants are the first team to win four games in a row against the Cats at Kardinia Park since 2003.
Watch the nailbiting final minutes between the Geelong and GWS, thanks to OMO Australia pic.twitter.com/Np4pexwjfz
— AFL (@AFL) May 25, 2024