Brayden Cook was the hero, scoring the winner with just ten seconds remaining, as Adelaide overcame their arch rivals Port, by just a single point, in Showdown 59.
Both sets of supporters, who made up the crowd of 53,045 at the Adelaide Oval, were taken on a rollercoaster of an evening – just a minute earlier, it looked to be the Power’s night, when Joe Berry put them ahead, before a final twist in the tale.
There have been so many amazing games between these two South Australian clubs, in what is regarded as the fiercest rivalry in the AFL; it would be hard to top this one.
Speaking to Channel 7, the match winner said, “Growing up a Crows supporter, it is unreal and a bit of a childhood dream. There have been so many Showdown moments over the years. I am muttering my words because I am so rattled!”
Midfielder Sam Berry won his first Showdown Medal with a best on ground display that included 29 disposals, a career-high 19 tackles (second highest ever in Showdown history), 17 contested possessions, as well as seven inside 50s.
hawks and magpies share the spoils
Dylan Moore scored a goal, after the siren, to earn Hawthorn a share of the spoils in a first-ever draw against Collingwood, under the lights, at a packed MCG (76,632).
The 26-year-old forward, awarded a free-kick after being collected high by Darcy Moore, held his nerve and coolly slotted through the big stick from 30 yards out.
Given that they won all the stats, including the inside 50s by a huge +28 margin, it probably felt like two points lost, but given the finish, they also got away with one.
Draws are still a pretty rare occurrence, but this will no doubt bring up the whole ‘Golden Goal’ debate and whether there should be a winner amongst fans/media.
Malcolm Rosas Jnr shines in shootout
Malcolm Rosas Jnr scored a career-high seven majors as ladder leaders Sydney came out on top in a good old-fashioned ‘shootout’ over a plucky Melbourne outfit.
The 24-year-old Darwin native (pictured below), nicknamed ‘Mally’, was in unstoppable form and easily had his best game for the club since making the move over the summer.
This encounter was a fantastic advert for AFL, full of ebbs and flows along with numerous momentum swings. It was only with less than two minutes left that the Swans sealed it, when Joel Amartey snagged to the delight of the home faithful.
It was a milestone day for Brody Grundy, who came back to haunt his old mob, making his 250th appearance – he won the ruck battle against Max Gawn on the day.
There was a special guest amongst the 40,673 at the SCG – multi-award-winning American actress Sydney Sweeney was in attendance with her father. She posed with a “Sweeney 21” jersey and then wore a team cap throughout the afternoon.
Red-hot Dockers make it seven in a row
Fremantle made it seven straight wins in a row, for the first time in over a decade, after finishing on the right side of the ledger against an injury-hit Western Bulldogs.
It also represents the best run under coach Justin Longmuir (pictured below, right), in his six-year tenure, who gave a proper spray to his players at quarter-time, clearly not happy with what he had witnessed; certainly, did the job as they responded very well to it.
Hayden Young (pictured above, left), in particular, really stood up to help his side take control through the middle of the contest. Winning on the road has been a bit of an Achilles heel for the Dockers, but this result represents a third, outside WA, already this campaign.
A fourth straight loss for the Doggies means it’s their worst streak since 2019, but given the amount of personnel out on the sidelines, this was a really valiant effort.
whiteboard gate sours Lions’ victory
Brisbane, the current reigning Premiers, enjoyed a very comfortable afternoon and boosted their percentage, as well, with a thumping 64-point belting of Essendon.
Zac Bailey (pictured below), attracting as much attention as the biggest free agent, Logan Morris and Kai Lohmann all kicked four goals each as their side led for the whole of it.
Whilst Lions coach Chris Fagan (pictured below) was pleased with the victory, he was equally furious that a photo of a whiteboard showing their notes on the opposition players was uploaded to social media by a parent of an AusKick participant.
The 64-year-old lashed out in his presser, “From our perspective, it’s private information. Somebody illegally took photos of information that was on a whiteboard and then decided to make a hero of themselves and put it out in the public domain!
It is a clear breach of trust and will likely call into question a review of current procedures as well as just how much public access will be allowed in the future.
expansion cup
In a battle given the unofficial name of the ‘Expansion Cup’, Gold Coast returned to the winners’ circle after besting Greater Western Sydney in the 22nd instalment.
Whilst there isn’t an actual trophy, there are certainly bragging rights and brand identity up for grabs between the two newest clubs to join the competition, which were all part of the AFL’s plan to expand and promote the sport in two untapped regions.
The Suns hadn’t managed to beat the Giants since 2021, and this triumph is just the second time in the past 17 meetings, making it a big night for the Queenslanders.
A big key to getting the job done was racking up 41 points from their forward 50 chains, which is the largest ever total from this zone in their 15-year history.
CHRIS SCOTT CHALKS UP 250TH WIN AS COACH
A very strong last quarter by Geelong saw them finally break free and kick away to chalk up a sizeable 49-point triumph over a much-improved North Melbourne.
However, they didn’t have it all their own way, with things well in the balance at the final change before managing to find another gear and break down the dam wall.
This result sees Cats coach Chris Scott (pictured above) become just the 12th in AFL/VFL history to reach 250 wins over 16 seasons, an incredible achievement.
Although they ended up on the losing side, there were still a couple of personal moments for Kanga players – Nick Larkey kicked his 300th AFL goal, whilst Tristan Xerri recorded 25 contested possessions, the most ever by any ruckman on record.
saints heap more misery on the Blues
A rousing second-half display saw St.Kilda fight back to get the chocolates as they bested Carlton in a high-charged and fiery affair, under the lid, at Marvel Stadium.
This fixture saw Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni line up against their old mob, following high-profile trades in the summer. Whilst they copped a bit over the fence from the opposition fans, both arguably had their best showings for their new club.
The Saints put up a ton for a third consecutive week, something that hadn’t been done since 2012, and are starting to find a bit of form as they move into the final places.
Same old story for the Blues that got themselves into a good position only to badly fade out once again – already the fifth time, this season, where they have led at half-time and then fallen to defeat, which is only going to further increase the pressure.
TIGERS SALUTE FOR FIRST TIME IN 2026
Two teams struggling at the wrong end of the table clashed at Optus Stadium, where Richmond earned their first success of 2026 by beating West Coast in a cracker.
The lead changed on 14 different occasions, such was the evenness throughout the contest, and, with the game up for grabs, set up a very tense finish ahead of forward Seth Campbell booting the sealer with his third of a career-high three-goal haul.
Even more impressive by the Tigers, given that they had 17 players out injured, heading into this fixture, and were dealt a further blow when the experienced Dion Prestia was ruled out, with a calf injury, just minutes into the opening term.
A disappointing day for the Eagles, who set an unwanted club record of having lost 19 consecutive quarters, heading into the break; they also missed out on a great opportunity.
Round 8 Results
Collingwood 15.3 (93)
Hawthorn 13.15 (93)
Western Bulldogs 15.12 (102)
Fremantle 17.12 (114)
Adelaide 11.10 (76)
Port Adelaide 11.9 (75)
Essendon 11.13 (79)
Brisbane 22.11 (143)
West Coast 13.10 (88)
Richmond 15.8 (98)
Geelong 21.9 (135)
North Melbourne 13.8 (86)
Carlton 9.15 (69)
St.Kilda 16.12 (108)
Sydney 19.17 (131)
Melbourne 17.12 (114)
Gold Coast 11.17 (83)
GWS 8.15 (63)
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