News Story

Sydney is off to a flying start against Carlton in a cut-throat elimination final at ANZ Stadium.

Goals to Kieran Jack, Rhyce Shaw, Jesse White and Paul Bevan has seen the Swan jump to a 24-point lead midway through the first quarter.

It's all Sydney and the Blues are really battling to stay in the game.

Collingwood coach Michael Malthouse is in for a tough job this week ... trying to keep a lid on expectations at the famous club.

The Flagpies are all the rage after demolishing the Western Bulldogs in a qualifying final under lights at the MCG.

Brownlow Medal fancy Dane Swan was brilliant with 40 possessions and three goals.

The son of VFA legend Billy Swan is an absolute gun.

Steele Sidebottom also chipped in with three goals as the Flagpies dominated from just about the first bounce to celebrate a thumping 62-point win.

It was one-way traffic all night.

Collingwood had winners all over the ground and finished with 10 individual goalkickers.

The half-back line of Harry O'Brien, Nick Maxwell, Ben Reid and Heath Shaw was sensational.

Alan Didak kicked a miraculous 'banana' goal on the left foot in the dying minutes as the Flagpies continued to demoralise the Bulldogs.

Collingwood fans cheered every time favourite son Dane Swan gathered a possession in the last quarter.

There were plenty of cheers.

Marngrook Footy Show host Grant Hansen conducted an exclusive interview with Heath Shaw in the dressingrooms after the match.

Heath's proud father Ray, who was a guest on last week's Marngrook Footy Show on Foxtel's NITV channel, was spotted chatting away with Grant.

Collingwood president and TV personality Eddie McGuire greeted Grant with a firm handshake.

Fremantle have booked a semi final clash against Geelong after accounting for an injury ravaged Hawthiorn team in perfect conditions at Subiaco.

The Dockers went into the final term with a 7 goal lead and ended up with a 30 point victory.

To Hawthorns credit they fought on bravely on the final stanza kicking the first 3 goals to bring the margin to just 25 points but a goal from Chris Mayne midway through gave Fremantle a 31 point lead, and that was that.

Shaun Burgoyne and Sam Mitchell were great contributors for the Hawk cause but questions will be asked about the fitness of Luke Hodge who had little or no influence on the game.

There will be concerns for Fremantle over Aaron Sandilands who looked to have injured hos knee in a ruck contest early in the game. Sandilands played the game out but crucially did not contest centre ruck contests for the rest of the day.

Final scores Fremantle 14.10.94 defeated Hawthorn 8.16.64

Fremantle is humiliating Hawthorn in this do-or-die elimination final at Subiaco Oval.

With David Mundy in brilliant form in the  midfield, the Dockers are running the Hawks off their feet.

Freo enjoys a 42-point lead.

Game over.

It's a disaster for the brown and golds.

Adam McPhee has been outstanding in a run-with role on champion Luke Hodge.

Freo has had winners all over the ground.

Coach Mark Harvey will be delighted to have 10 goalkickers to three quarter-time.

With Luke McPharlin and Antoni Grover playing well on the back-line, the Dockers have restricted the Hawks to just four goals.

Three quarter-time scores: Fremantle 12.7 (79) to Hawthorn 4.13 (37)

The Dockers are home.

Goals to Stephen Hill and Ryan Crawley in the opening minutes of the third quarter saw Fremantle open up a 36-point against injury-ravaged Hawthorn at Subiaco Oval.

Freo will do battle with Geelong in another cut-throat final next Friday night.

Jarryd Roughead kicked a badly needed goal for the Hawks to cut the lead to 30 points.

David Mundy has been unstoppable. 

The scores are: Fremantle 8.5 (53) to Hawthorn 2.11 (23)

Fremantle is dominating an injury-hit Hawthorn in the cut-throat elimination final at Subiaco Oval.

The Dockers have opened up a 23-point lead as the Hawks are left to lament injuries to important midfielders Cyril Rioli (hamstring) and Xavier Ellis (ankle).

Greg Broughton, who kicked the first goal of the game, has played a terrific game at both ends of the ground.

Indigenous youngster Michael Walters kicked the first goal of the second quarter after taking a lovely high mark over Brent Guerra.

Captain Matthew Pavlich kicked a superb goal after receiving a handball from Chris Mayne.

The seriously under-rated Luke McPharlin is sticking like glue to Lance Franklin.

Antoni Grover has got Jarryd Roughead under control.

The scoreboard suggests the Hawks have been inaccurate in front of goal, but there have been five rushed behinds.

Ironically, Hawthorn smashed an undermanned Freo by almost 20 goals just a few weeks ago.

This is a new ball game.

Half time scores: Fremantle 6.4 (40) to Hawthorn 1.11 (17)

Fremantle is running Hawthorn off its feet at Subiaco Oval.

The Dockers lead by 17 points at quarter time after kicking the last three goals.

Ruckman Aaron Sandilands is battling a knee injury suffered in a ruck contest late in the quarter.

Young gun Anthony Morabito kicked a magnificent goal on the run to ignite Freo's late charge in the quarter.

Sandilands and Chris Mayne added goals in quick succession.

Indigenous speedster Stephen Hill has shown good form along with David Mundy.

Adam McPhee is running with Luke Hodge.

The Hawks need more out of Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis and Brad Sewell.

Lance Franklin kicked Hawthorn's goal, but has been kept quiet by Luke McPharlin. 

Quarter time scores: Fremantle 4.3 (27) to Hawthorn 1.4 (10)

Where do you start?

What a classic. An epic.

And the Saints went marching in.

"Gilly" will be thrilled ... he's caught up an important tip on "Thorpie" in the Marngrook Footy Show's aggressive and highly competitive tipping competition.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon and his players are through to a preliminary final after out-lasting Geelong by four points in a spine-tingling qualifying final at the MCG.

The Cats believed they'd kicked the winning goal ... after captain Cameron Ling had snapped truly with just 1min, 01sec left on the clock ... but the officiating field umpire had awarded a free kick to James Gwilt for a push in the back against Cameron Mooney.

The Cats will be shattered by the loss.

But the Saints certainly deserve their win.

Thanks to an inspired burst from forward pocket Stephen Milne, who kicked three goals in the blink of an eye in the second quarter, St Kilda rocketed to a 33-point lead early in the third quarter.

With rain tumbling, Geelong looked in all sorts of trouble.

But the 2007 and '09 premiers hit back superbly.

They'd narrowed the deficit to 11 points at three quarter-time.

The Cats couldn't buy a goal in the last quarter, though.

They dominated play, but posted just 1.7 to 1.0.

Brendon Goddard, Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montagna, Nick Dal Santo, Sam Gilbert, Sam Fisher and Nick Riewoldt were tremendous for the Sainters.

The AFL wishes to advise the fixture for the second week of the 2010 Toyota AFL Finals Series has been determined as follows:
 
Friday September 10
Second Semi Final – Loser of Geelong Cats / St Kilda v winner of Fremantle / Hawthorn at the MCG / Etihad Stadium, 7.45pm
 
Saturday September 11
First Semi Final – Loser of Collingwood / Western Bulldogs v winner of Sydney Swans / Carlton at the MCG, 7.20pm
 
The AFL will schedule any semi final match-up between two Victorian-based teams to be played at the MCG, while Etihad Stadium may be used for a match involving Fremantle.

Marngrook Footy Show legend Gilbert McAdam can't wait for the first bounce in the Geelong/St Kilda blockbuster qualifying final under lights at the MCG.

"It's going to be on for young and old," he said.

"It;s going to be a beauty."

"Gilly" insists the Saints will be bolstered by the return of close-checking tagger Steven Baker from that controversial nine-week suspension (after tangling with Cats star Stevie Johnson in the spiteful round 13 clash at the 'G).

"He's going to fire them up,"  he said.

"Gilly" added that he's thoroughly enjoyed the war of words from respective coaches Mark Thompson and Ross Lyon in the build-up to what promises to be an enthralling battle.

Thompson urged umpires to keep a close eye on Baker.

Lyon responded by calling on umpires to keep a close eye on Cameron Ling's tactics on the likes of Nick dal Santo and Lenny Hayes.

When asked by Marngrook Footy Show host Grant Hansen for his tip, "Gilly" responded: "I'm not going to make a prediction."

Not surprisingly, "Gilly" got howled down by the panel.

"You're giving up just because you've lost the lead in the tipping," "Thorpie" joked.

Grant added: "You can't do that. You've got to give your tip."

"Gilly" eventually settled on St Kilda.

Robbie Ahmat also selected the Saints.

Robbie predicts a tough game.