This round continued the unpredictable nature of season 2020 with a few big upsets while every single ‘home’ team won.
With all the relocating of sides, round 6 saw no team play at their true home ground but it didn’t stop the teams listed at ‘home’ from dominating results.
The Cats and Blues were the two standout teams from the round, while the Swans and Tigers played out one of the worst games of football you’ll ever see.
Geelong Cats 11.7 (73) defeated Brisbane Lions 6.10 (46)
Cats stake their claim
The Cats used a dominant third quarter to record a comfortable victory over the red-hot Lions.
They kicked 7 goals to none in the third term to build a big lead and showed their best football is good enough to win a premiership.
The Cats lost two players to injury in the first quarter, which makes the win all the more impressive.
The Lions looked immaculate in the second quarter but once the Cats upped their game, the Lions simply had no answer.
The Lions are still one of the better teams in the competition but their form away from the Gabba this season is slightly concerning.
They have been beaten convincingly in their only two games away from home this season, so they need to rectify that if they want to go deep in the finals.
Collingwood Magpies 8.11 (59) defeated Hawthorn Hawks 3.9 (27)
A strong response
The Pies responded well after some off-field drama and a couple of losses in a row had them seriously under the pump.
The Pies dominated the opening quarter when the game was there to be won and never looked troubled as they cruised to victory.
The Hawks are a hard team to get a gauge on as they sit 3 wins and 3 losses on the season but just can’t seem to match it against the best sides.
Consecutive losses to the Giants and Pies now sees the Hawks in 13th place on the ladder which might be where they belong.
Fremantle Dockers 12.7 (79) defeated St Kilda Saints 11.7 (73)
A win for the ages
Well this match was an absolute cracker and one of the finest wins in the Dockers’ history.
The Dockers trailed by 36 points at quarter time with two players out injured and it looked like being a tough day for them, but they showed plenty of heart to claw back the deficit.
They hit the front by 19 points late in the final quarter before the Saints came back to tie it up with 2 minutes to play.
The Dockers managed to regroup and Lachie Schultz kicked a goal to win the match and give them finals hope as they finally head back to Western Australia to play their first game at home next week.
The Saints looked like world beaters early and would be disappointed letting a winnable game slip.
They have been impressive to start the season, but this game served as a reminder that they still have a long way to go to become premiership contenders.
West Coast Eagles 10.7 (67) defeated Adelaide Crows 5.4 (34)
Heading home
The Eagles head back to WA after consecutive wins but it’s hard to know just what sort of form they’re in as those wins have come against the bottom two sides.
It was a pretty dull game with the main highlight coming after full-time with Nic Naitanui gifting Adelaide ruckman Reilly O’Brien a new phone after he had some issues earlier in the week tweeting out his game notes.
For a season that has delivered many unpredictable results, the Crows have managed to provide some certainty with their inept play.
They were in the contest for the first quarter, but it just never seemed likely they could cause an upset.
They’ll be relieved to be heading back to Adelaide where hopefully they can find a win.
Melbourne Demons 12.8 (80) defeated Gold Coast Suns 9.9 (63)
Rankine another rising Sun
The Demons simply needed to win this match to stay in touch with the top-8 and that’s exactly what they did.
It was an even match with both sides trading blows the whole time but it was the Demons that came up with the big plays late in the game.
Christian Petracca continues his strong start to the year with 25 disposals and 2 goals while Sam Weiderman provided a much-needed target up forward.
The best news story of the match came after the final siren when recruit Harley Bennell kicked his first goal for the Demons and his teammates swarmed him to celebrate.
The Suns continue to show improvement this season and while they would be disappointed about losing, they may have found another superstar.
Isaac Rankine played his first game for the Suns after battling numerous injuries last season and he looked like he belonged in the AFL straight away.
Rankine booted three goals for the match and showed he has plenty of skills in his trick bag. He’s going to be a joy to watch over his career.
Essendon Bombers 9.13 (67) defeated North Melbourne Kangaroos 7.11 (53)
Bombers keep on winning
The Bombers continue to win games, but they haven’t put in a performance that has you believing they’re a genuine contender in 2020.
They found a way to win this game through sheer hard work with David Zaharakis the standout booting 3 goals to go along with his 20 disposals.
The Bombers will lose star on-baller Dylan Shiel for 2 weeks after he ran past the ball and hit Curtis Taylor high in a bump gone wrong.
The Kangaroos seemed to lack structure up forward as their repeated forays were pick off by a well set-up Bombers defence.
Ben Brown hasn’t been able to impact games lately and without him kicking goals, the Roos have struggled to kick a winning score.
Port Adelaide Power 9.9 (63) defeated GWS Giants 6.10 (46)
Power prove themselves
The Power returned to the winner’s circle using a dominant final quarter to down the Giants by 17 points.
It was a needed scalp for the Power after their premiership credentials were questioned having been smashed by the Lions the week before.
They’ve only played one game at Adelaide Oval all season and sit a game clear on top of the ladder so the Power are in great shape.
The Giants were coming off two wins in a row but just couldn’t match the Power when it mattered most.
They continue to struggle getting the ball inside 50, averaging just 33.7 per game, which has them second last ahead of the winless Crows.
Something is going amiss with their midfield and they need to fix it quick smart as they face the Lions this week.
Richmond Tigers 4.10 (34) defeated Sydney Swans 3.8 (26)
Footy can be very boring
As the late great Danny Frawley would say, this match was so boring, it could have ‘put a glass eye to sleep’.
Only 7 goals were kicked in the entire match in what was the lowest scoring game since 1996.
The low scores have become a worrying trend for the AFL and a recent spate of poor-quality contests have left many wondering about the current state of the game.
The Tigers will be happy with the 4 points considering their injury woes, but will need to improve to beat any of the good teams.
The Swans have injury issues of their own and will now be without two of their best players in Josh Kennedy and Isaac Heeney for a sustained period after they were injured during the match.
It could be a very long year ahead for Swans fans, particularly if they play that same defensive style.
Carlton Blues 16.7 (103) defeated Western Bulldogs 7.9 (51)
The Blues’ best is very good
It’s hard to fully commit to the Blues bandwagon given their up and down form, but when they’re on, it’s hard not to enjoy it.
They were the first team to crack 100 points since round 2 and it was just great to see a team prepared to take risks and be rewarded for it.
They lost the inside 50 count 41-53 but their forward line looked so dangerous whenever they went forward with Eddie Betts and Harry McKay combining for 7 goals.
The Bulldogs had been on a roll with three consecutive victories but fell well against a pumped-up Blues outfit.
Josh Bruce kicked 6 goals last week against the Roos but couldn’t back it up; he managed just 6 disposals and failed to hit the scoreboard.
The Dogs’ form has been inconsistent this season but they’re just one of many who are struggling to perform each week in this bizarre 2020 season.
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