Facts and Figures
Average Score: 68.88 points per team; which meant Round 17 was a low scoring Round.
Average Winning Margin: 28.89 points per game, which is surprisingly high given Round 17 was a low scoring Round.
Round 17 (In a Nutshell): In Round 17 I correctly predicted three out of nine results. Despite being low scoring, there were still some points of interest. Check them out!
Thursday (Game One of Nine)
Port Adelaide (55) v Melbourne Demons (86)
Port Adelaide Fail to Fire!
Facts and Figures: The Demons had 26 scoring shots to Port Adelaide’s 15. Surprisingly, Port Adelaide had three more inside 50s. Despite that, the Demons had 12 more hitouts and three more clearances, yet they had two less centre clearances than Port Adelaide!
Pivotal Moment: Tom McDonald gave the Demons a lead by 22 points late in the 3rd quarter.
Port Adelaide Game Changer: Karl Amon
Melbourne Demons Game Changer: Christian Petracca
Friday (Game Two of Nine)
Essendon (84) v Adelaide Crows (21)
The Crows Embarrassed!
Facts and Figures: It was 29 scoring shots to 11 in favour of Essendon. They had 30 more inside 50s as well as six more clearances and three more centre clearances than the Crows. Despite the fact that the Crows had 15 hitouts than Essendon, the Crows had their lowest ever score in their history.
Pivotal Moment: Archie Perkins gave Essendon a lead by 35 points in the 2nd quarter.
Essendon Game Changer: Archie Perkins
Adelaide Crows Game Changer: None
Saturday (Game Three of Nine)
Hawthorn (46) v Fremantle Dockers (108)
Hawthorn Didn’t Turn Up!
Facts and Figures: It was an old fashioned hiding. Fremantle had 28 scoring shots to Carlton’s 16. They Dockers had 18 more inside 50s, one more hitout, two more clearances as well as one more centre clearance than Hawthorn.
Pivotal Moment: Rory Lobb kicked his fourth goal of the game to make the margin 28 points. The goal was near the midway point of the 3rd quarter.
Hawthorn Game Changer: None
Fremantle Dockers Game Changers: Sean Darcy, Rory Lobb
Saturday Game (Game Four of Nine)
Carlton (44) v Geelong Cats (70)
The Cats Beat a Team who Failed to Kick Straight
Facts and Figures: It was 20 scoring shots to 19 in favour of the Cats. Carlton kicked one goal from ten scoring shots at half time. Despite that, the Cats had 18 more inside 50s as well as nine more hitouts as well one more centre clearance than Carlton.
Pivotal Moment: Shaun Higgins of the Cats gave them a lead by 24 points near 3 quarter time.
Carlton Game Changers: Sam Walsh, Jacob Weitering
Geelong Cats Game Changers:
Saturday (Game Five of Nine)
Brisbane Lions (63) v St Kilda (95)
St Kilda Leave the Lions thinking What a Pity
Facts and Figures: It was 25 scoring shots to 23 scoring shots in favour of St Kilda. They also had 11 more inside 50s as well as eight more hitouts compared with the Lions. Remarkably, the Lions had two more clearances and centre clearances than St Kilda.
Pivotal Moment: Jack Steele gave St Kilda a three goal lead near the midway point of the 4th quarter.
Brisbane Lions Game Changer: Daniel Rich
St Kilda Game Changers:
St Kilda Game Changers: Max King, Jack Steele
Sunday (Game Six of Nine)
GWS Giants (64) v Gold Coast Suns (65)
Suns Get Deserved Win!
Facts and Figures: It was 19 scoring shots to 15 in favour of the Giants. Despite that, the Suns had six more inside 50s than the Giants. The fact is that the Giants had seven more hitouts and 15 more clearances than the Suns. Remarkably the Suns had two more inside 50s.
Pivotal Moment: Matt Rowell of the Suns made the deficit five points late in the 4th quarter.
GWS Giants Game Changer: Jacob Hopper
Gold Coast Game Changer: Touk Miller
Sunday (Game Seven of Nine)
Western Bulldogs (60) v Sydney Swans (79)
The Swans Outplay the Bulldogs
Facts and Figures: It was 24 scoring shots to 20 in favour of the Swans. Despite that, the Bulldogs had five more inside 50s, 20 more clearances and 12 more centre clearances than the Swans. Remarkably the Swans had nine more hitouts than the Bulldogs.
Pivotal Moment: Lance Franklin of the Swans gave them a lead by 28 points in the 4th quarter.
Western Bulldogs Game Changer: Bailey Smith
Sydney Swans Game Changer: Jordan Dawson
Sunday (Game Eight of Nine)
Richmond (71) v Collingwood (87)
The Magpies Swoop
Facts and Figures: It was 22 scoring shots to 16 in favour of Collingwood. They also had four more inside 50s as well as 27 more hitouts, five more clearances and one more centre clearance than Richmond.
Pivotal Moment: Josh Thomas gave Collingwood a lead by 15 points late in the 4th quarter.
Richmond Game Changer: Shai Bolton
Collingwood Game Changer: Jack Crisp
Monday (Game Nine of Nine)
West Coast Eagles (60) v North Melbourne (70)
The Eagles Fail to Fly
Facts and Figures: Both teams finished the game with 20 scoring shots. The Eagles did have eight more inside 50s as well as seven more hitouts and nine more clearances than North Melbourne. Both teams had ten centre clearances. North Melbourne claimed a deserved win over a West Coast team lacking a clear plan.
Pivotal Moment: Todd Goldstein gave North Melbourne a ten point lead late in the game.
West Coast Eagles Game Changer: None
North Melbourne Game Changer: Jaidyn Stephenson