Facts and Figures
Average Score: 83.94 points per team, as six out of 18 team scored 68 points or less.
Average Winning Margin: 32.33 points per game, which is understandable, as four out of nine games had a margin of 40 points or more.
Points of Interest
Adam Cerra (Carlton) played his 150th AFL game and kicked a goal in the first quarter.
Mitch McGovern (Carlton) played his 150th AFL game and kicked a couple of goals in the first quarter.
Angus Anderson (Collingwood) played his first AFL game.
Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle Dockers) has played 100 successive AFL games.
Jake Melksham (Melbourne Demons) played his 250th AFL game.
Essendon won their first game in 323 games, with an outstanding performance against Melbourne Demons. Archie Roberts (Essendon) had 42 disposals.
Sam Darcy (Western Bulldogs) kicked his 100th goal in the 50th AFL game of his career.
Jai Newcombe (Hawthorn) had a career high 14 clearances against Western Bulldogs.
Shannon Neale (Geelong Cats) played his 50th AFL game.
Jayden Laverde (GWS Giants) played his 150th AFL game.
Jack Higgins (St Kilda) played his 150th AFL game.
Highlights
Alex Neal-Bullen (Adelaide Crows) kicked a great set shot from nearly 50 in the first quarter, which was followed up by two goals from the pocket by Josh Rachele. Neale-Bullen kicked a great goal from the pocket in the third quarter against Carlton.
Jordan Dawson (Adelaide Crows) kicked an unbelievable goal outside 50 early in the second quarter.
Matthew Johnson (Fremantle Dockers) gave them a five-point lead late in the game against Collingwood.
Luke Davies-Uniacke (North Melbourne) kicked a great goal with a snap in the third quarter against Brisbane Lions. Cooper Trembath took a great mark later in that quarter.
Lincoln McCarthy (Brisbane Lions) kicked a clever goal from the pocket in the fourth quarter against North Melbourne.
Zach Merrett (Essendon) kicked a brilliant snap from the pocket to give them a 28-point lead in the fourth quarter against Melbourne Demons. Archer May kicked a set shot from outside 50.
Harvey Langford (Melbourne Demons) kicked a brilliant goal in the fourth quarter against Essendon.
Malcolm Rosas (Sydney Swans) kicked an outstanding goal from the pocket in the third quarter against Gold Coast Suns.
Will Graham (Gold Coast Suns) kicked a goal from a set shot outside 50 in the fourth quarter against Sydney Swans.
Jack Gunston (Hawthorn) kicked his third goal of the game from a set shot outside 50, in the second quarter against Western Bulldogs.
Willem Duursma (West Coast Eagles) kicked an amazing goal in the second quarter against Geelong Cats.
Mykelti Lefau (Richmond) kicked a freakish goal in the third quarter against GWS Giants.
Darcy Byrne-Jones (Port Adelaide) kicked a great goal from a set shot near 50 metres on a tough angle in the second quarter against St Kilda.
Jason Horne-Francis (Port Adelaide) kicked a phenomenal set shot goal in the third quarter against St Kilda.
Game One of Nine
Adelaide Crows (114) v Carlton (86)
Facts and Figures: Ben Ainsworth kicked two goals in the first quarter. Sam Walsh had 15 disposals in the first quarter. Josh Rachele kicked three goals in the first quarter and four for the first half. Ben Keays kicked three goals in the first half. Marc Pittonet had the most clearances of any player in the game, with ten.
Adelaide Crows Game Changer: Josh Rachele
Carlton Game Changer: Marc Pittonet
Game Two of Nine
Collingwood (39) v Fremantle Dockers (45)
Facts and Figures: Fremantle Dockers kicked three goals early in the third quarter. Jye Amiss took a good mark and made the deficit one-point with five and a half minutes to go. Alex Pearce had the most intercept possessions of anyone in the game, with ten. Jack Crisp had six score involvements and seven intercept possessions. Collingwood had 14 scoring shots, compared with the Dockers who had ten.
Collingwood Game Changer: Jack Crisp
Fremantle Dockers Game Changers: Luke Jackson, Alex Pearce
Game Three of Nine
North Melbourne (66) v Brisbane Lions (92)
Facts and Figures: Jarrod Berry had six tackles in the first quarter. Brisbane Lions kicked the first two goals of the first quarter, North Melbourne responded with the next four. Dayne Zorko suffered a calf injury. Luke Parker had 13 disposals in the third quarter and intercepted the ball well. He finished the game with five score involvements and ten intercept possessions.
North Melbourne Game Changer: Luke Parker
Brisbane Lions Game Changer: Zac Bailey
Game Four of Nine
Essendon (113) v Melbourne Demons (68)
Facts and Figures: Archer Day-Wicks levelled the scores in the third quarter, with a good goal. Archie Roberts kicked an outstanding goal from outside 50 from an angle to give Essendon a four-point lead in the third quarter. Archie Roberts had 14 disposals in the third quarter. Christian Salem suffered a hamstring injury.
Essendon Game Changers: Zach Merrett, Archie Roberts, Elijah Tsatas
Melbourne Demons Game Changer: Kysaiah Pickett
Game Five of Nine
Sydney Swans (100) v Gold Coast Suns (68)
Facts and Figures: Isaac Heeney had six tackles, kicked a goal, had five score involvements and three intercept possessions; the superstar looked a class above in the first half. Thankfully for the Swans he played four good quarters, as his dominance never wavered. Brodie Grundy had the most tackles in the first half, with eight! Ben Long and Tom Papley kicked three goals each.
Sydney Swans Game Changer: Isaac Heeney
Gold Coast Suns Game Changer: Ben Long
Game Six of Nine
Hawthorn (104) v Western Bulldogs (64)
Facts and Figures: Mitch Lewis and Sam Darcy kicked two goals each in the first quarter. Massimo D’Ambrosio and Matthew Kennedy had four tackles each in the first quarter. Mabior Chol injured his hamstring in the first quarter. Ed Richards hurt his ankle in the fourth quarter.
Hawthorn Game Changers: Jack Ginnivan, Mitch Lewis, Jai Newcombe
Western Bulldogs Game Changer: Ed Richards
Game Seven of Nine
Geelong Cats (122) v West Coast Eagles (76)
Facts and Figures: Mark O’Connor kicked multiple goals for the first time in his career, with three in the first half. Tanner Bruhn had the most tackles of any player in the first half, with six. Tanner Bruhn had 11 score involvements and Bailey Smith had 13. Jobe Shanahan was the leading goal kicker, with four. Deven Robertson injured his knee.
Geelong Cats Game Changers: Tannar Bruhn, Bailey Smith
West Coast Eagles Shining Light: Jobe Shanahan
Game Eight of Nine
GWS Giants (131) v Richmond (75)
Facts and Figures: Campbell Gray kicked the first goal of his AFL career. Aaron Cadman kicked three goals in the first quarter, while Jesse Hogan and Brent Daniels kicked two. Tim Taranto kicked a good goal in the second quarter, which made it a 39-point deficit for Richmond. Stephen Coniglio and Aaron Cadman suffered a concussion. Mykelti Lefau kicked four goals.
GWS Giants Game Changer: Finn Callaghan
Richmond Shining Light: Mykelti Lefau
Game Nine of Nine
Port Adelaide (67) v St Kilda (81)
Facts and Figures: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera had four tackles in the first quarter. Zak Butters kicked his first goal of the season. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera kicked two goals.
Port Adelaide Game Changer: Jason Horne-Francis
St Kilda Game Changers: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Callum Wilkie