Ugly losses in trio of fails; ‘perfect’ AFL game among four top grades: Report Card

The Western Bulldogs produced arguably the best performance of any side so far this season, leading to a perfect A+ score.

But there were three clubs that received fail grades, including the mightily disappointing Power.

Every team’s performance analysed and graded in foxfooty.com.au’s Round 11 edition of Report Card!

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ADELAIDE CROWS

Just as they have in recent meetings, the Crows challenged Collingwood in rainy conditions at the MCG. But Matthew Nicks’ side was again edged out by the Magpies in a tough, see-sawing affair. You couldn’t help but be ultimately impressed with Adelaide though in a game that arguably improved its reputation though given it showed its brand stacks up against the ladder leaders and flag favourites. The Crows remain well positioned, just a game behind third place with a strong percentage ahead of a home clash with West Coast this week.

In the votes

Three votes: J.Dawson. The Crows skipper was at his best with 28 disposals, a goal and a team-high eight tackles. Izak Rankine (26 touches, one goal) and Jake Soligo (23 disposals, two goals) were also busy, while Darcy Fogarty (four goals) was the most dominant forward on the ground.

Room for improvement

It’s generally small margins in wet weather games, with Adelaide missing several shots at goal to get back in front in the third term amid several lead changes throughout the day. The Crows actually won the inside 50 battle (55-47) but had five fewer shots at goal.

Grade

B

BRISBANE LIONS

A second straight startling result for Brisbane – collapsing against the 14th-placed Demons at home – as cracks begin to appear in the reigning premiers’ flag defence. It looked like it was going to be a relatively cruisy win for Chris Fagan and company, who led at every break, before giving up a run of four-straight goals in the fourth quarter as the Lions uncharacteristically fell into a rut they couldn’t dig themselves out of. With it, Brisbane fell to second place on the ladder, while it’s not dropped two of its last three at its Gabba fortress. Far from panic stations, particularly when you consider the Lions were outside the eight entirely this time last year, but there’s certainly some concerns. Oh, and a huge test against Hawthorn at the MCG awaits.

In the votes

Lachie Neale (30 disposals) and Hugh McCluggage (28 touches, one goal) were influential as two of the Lions’ prime movers in the middle. Darcy Gardiner shined up forward with a rare four-goal performance after booting just one major previously this season.

Room for improvement

To simplify things, holding their nerve when things aren’t going their way and finding a different method to alter momentum. Coughing four-straight goals is bad at any point, let alone in the fourth quarter and against an opponent Brisbane should’ve easily put away.

Grade

D

CARLTON

The rollercoaster Carlton season continued on Friday night, going down to the Swans by 16 points at the SCG in a game many expected the visitors to win. The Blues led coming into the fourth quarter of their clash with the Swans in Sydney, only to see the home side kick five of the next six goals to surge to victory. It leaves Carlton 4-6 and in 11th spot on the ladder.

In the votes

Patrick Cripps led brilliantly by example, booting two goals from 26 disposals, 19 contested possessions, seven tackles and seven clearances. Adam Cerra (34 disposals) and George Hewett (27) also found plenty of the ball. Charlie Curnow was a threat inside 50, booting 3.1 from 15 disposals and nine marks, while Nick Haynes had 18 touches and 10 intercepts in defence, while going at 91 per cent by foot.

Room for improvement

Coach Michael Voss put it bluntly post-game, saying he was “p****d off” Carlton let another second-half lead go to waste as the Swans kicked five of the first six goals of the final term to seal victory. Voss also lamented his side’s inability to curtail Sydney stars Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner in the second half. Individually, Elijah Hollands went at 18 per cent by foot in his 20-disposal game, while the fact none of Matt Cottrell, Jesse Motlop, Francis Evans or Will White kicked a goal was alarming. The Blues led for two-thirds of the game, but their inability to “close the deal”, as Voss put it, haunted them again.

Grade

C-

COLLINGWOOD

Good teams find ways to win, even if they’re not necessarily playing at their best. And that was the case for Collingwood against Adelaide in a scrappy affair in rainy conditions at the MCG as the Pies improved to 8-2 to climb back into outright first on the ladder. The Magpies stepped things up a notch late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter with a run of three-straight goals – which was super valuable in a low-scoring game and ultimately the difference on the day, while their defence also stood tall throughout. Craig McRae’s side can play different modes and find different ways to win in what’s arguably the veteran team’s greatest asset.

In the votes

A weird game where Collingwood didn’t have that many standouts, but its defence came up big against one of the best offences in the competition. Jeremy Howe took several huge intercepts (game-high 13) and Brayden Maynard (24 disposals) relished with captaincy duties, while Billy Frampton held Riley Thilthorpe goalless for the first time this season. Josh Daicos meanwhile led all disposal getters on the ground with 29 touches.

Room for improvement

The Pies only had one multiple goalkicker in Will Hoskin-Elliott, though it was a tough day to be a forward in the wet conditions. There were key stages where it just felt like Adelaide was more proactive in general and dictating terms, but tough for Collingwood to be at its best every week, let alone every quarter.

Grade

A-

ESSENDON

It was back to the “witches hats” days for the Bombers on what was a dismal Saturday night performance. Mason Redman’s double goal free kick in the first quarter ensured the Western Bulldogs had momentum, and from there Essendon never recovered. They managed just one goal to half-time as the match was essentially over. There was some fight from Brad Scott’s men, but the result was all but assured from that point. Props to Scott who admitted he rolled the dice rather than attempt to stem the bleeding in a bid to take something out of the match. But finishing just 37 inside 50s was alarming.

In the votes

There’s not a lot of positives to take away from such a belting, and there’s no doubt there won’t be a single vote coming the Bombers way on Brownlow night for this match. Nic Martin tried hard (25 disposals, three clearances and a goal) and showed flashes of brilliance and Nate Caddy took a few big grabs. But other than that it was a hard watch for any Bombers fan.

Room for improvement

Can we say – all across the ground? The match was as one-sided a contest as we’ll see in 2025 with the Dogs dominant everywhere. The Bombers couldn’t pierce their way through the Dogs forward-half pressure. And when they did win it in the middle after a Bulldogs’ goal, they weren’t able to use the ball to their advantage and could watch it sail back over their heads. Definitely a write-off.

Grade

F

FREMANTLE

Alongside the win over Adelaide, that was perhaps the best moment in Fremantle’s topsy-turvy season, with a shock 34-point win over the Giants. After three losses from their previous four games, the Dockers were the better team from the opening bounce and gradually increased their margin over the course of the match. The margin blew out to almost 50 points in the fourth term, with AFL great Dermott Brereton urging Freo to “make a killing” and boost their percentage. Inaccuracy ensured the Dockers left the door ajar for a GWS comeback, but Fremantle’s overall full-game dominance was telling.

In the votes

Freo’s backline has copped plenty of criticism in 2025, but against the Giants on Saturday they stood tall. Brennan Cox silenced Jesse Hogan, Alex Pearce blanketed a much younger Aaron Cadman and Jordan Clark provided the run off half-back. Caleb Serong was back to his best with a game-high eight clearances to go with 36 disposals, almost 700m gained and three tackles. Luke Jackson continued to push his case for solo ruck duties as he finished with 21 disposals, four marks, 32 hit-outs and seven clearances. The most impressive was Shai Bolton, who racked up 24 touches, eight marks, three clearances, three tackles and 3.3 for his efforts.

Room for improvement

Goalkicking practice looms large for Freo this week. Too many gettable shots fell by the wayside at a time the Dockers should have put their foot down and buried the Giants. We are yet to see a full four quarter performance from the team in purple as they allowed GWS to kick late goals when faced with a chance to boost their percentage.

Grade

A+

GEELONG CATS

It wasn’t their biggest win of the season, but it felt like their best considering the circumstances as the Cats overcame a couple of nasty injury setbacks to smash the desperately disappointing Power at Adelaide Oval. With the Power down a player in the second half and exerting little pressure, Geelong took full advantage, booting 12.10 to just 2.3 in a devastating burst across the final two quarters to record a 76-point win. And the countdown now begins to the highly-anticipated Cats-Bulldogs clash.

In the votes

Take your pick. Jeremy Cameron was quiet early, but exploded for a stunning seven goals from 16 disposals. Bailey Smith’s class shone through, finishing with 30 disposals, 10 score involvements, nine inside 50s and seven clearances as the prolific on-baller continuing his fine vein of form. Gryan Miers was a picture of efficiency with 27 disposals, Shaun Mannagh (21 disposals, nine score involvements, six clearances, six inside 50s) continued to thrive with more midfield time and Ollie Dempsey continued his All-Australian push with 2.3 from 24 touches. And a shout-out too to Oisin Mullin, who largely nullified the impact of Power superstar Zak Butters.

Room for improvement

If we’re being super picky, the Cats had their lowest-scoring first half of the season to date. Could a higher-quality opposition have pounced on the sloppy start? Still, the epic second-half blitz and complete shutdown of the Power superseded any concerns from the game. Top marks.

Grade

A+

GOLD COAST SUNS

The Suns are proving unstoppable in Darwin as they secured an eighth straight win at TIO. Even Fox Footy great Jason Dunstall said he’d rather play the Suns at their Gold Coast fortress – where they’ve only lost two of their past 11 matches — than in Darwin, such is their advantage. The Suns had the legs to run it out in the 27C heat against Hawthorn.

In the votes

We know the Suns’ midfield is elite, so it’s no surprise the likes of Noah Anderson (35 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 12 clearances, 865m gained and a goal), Touk Miller in game 200 (seven tackles, five centre clearances) and Matt Rowell (nine tackles, 27 touches and eight score involvements) dominated. Add in four goals to Ben Long in front of his home crowd and a whopping 1001m gained by John Noble from his 36 disposals and there was plenty to like from the Suns.

Room for improvement

A +15 clearance count – including +9 from the centre — didn’t turn into a forward half advantage as the Suns finished equal to the Hawks for inside 50s. Damien Hardwick can put that down to 72 turnovers for the night – nine more than their season average and an efficiency of just 39% once they were inside their attacking 50 (where they also managed just seven marks from those 59 entries). Aside from his nice hanger, Jed Walter had little impact in attack with just four disposals. The Suns’ defence also got sucked into the Hawks niggle in the third as tempers threatened to boil over.

Grade

A

GWS GIANTS

In their first game back on their home deck since Round 4, the Giants were outrun, outclassed and outscored in the 34-point loss to Fremantle. Only Freo’s inaccuracy kept the Giants in the contest at half-time before a goalless third term ensured the match was essentially over by three quarter-time. A four-goal final term added some respectability to the Giants’ score as they stared down one of their lowest tallies at the Showgrounds. Remarkably, the Giants took 12 marks inside 50 – one more than Fremantle – but only managed eight goals from it.

In the votes

When the Giants looked dead out on their feet, it was Darcy Jones who provided a spark with his two goals, while adding eight score involvements. Jones had eight contested possessions – just one off his side’s best — and an equal team-high three forward 50 groundball gets to put the pressure on Freo. Finn Callaghan did his best at stoppage with a team-high seven clearances and eight tackles – despite finishing the game early with a shoulder issue suffered on the stroke of three quarter-time.

Room for improvement

It’s not often the Giants’ defensive wall gets beaten, but both Sam Taylor and Jack Buckley had their colours lowered. The big names in Toby Greene and Jesse Hogan couldn’t impact while Toby Bedford didn’t have his usual influence. The Orange Tsunami just never eventuated for the Giants as they were forced to kick long to the contest time and time again – which Fremantle picked off. It’s now the Giants’ fourth loss in five games in worrying signs for coach Adam Kingsley.

Grade

HAWTHORN

The Hawks were gallant in the Darwin heat, yet they still became the Suns’ eighth straight victim at TIO Stadium. Players did all they could with cool room breaks and ice packs on the neck every time they came to the bench, but Hawthorn still ran out of legs in the final term in a fiercely contested game. Coming back from 32 points down to hit the lead at the end of the third proved tiring for Sam Mitchell’s men.

In the votes

Karl Amon finished his side’s leading possession getter with 30 – including 884m gained, three clearances and a goal. But the Hawks’ most impressive was Nick Watson, whose three goals kept his side in the contest. Jack Ginnivan also contributed with two goals from his 22 touches, while Jai Newcombe managed 29 disposals and a goal. Josh Weddle overcame a slow start while playing out of position to finish with almost double the number of intercepts to his side’s next best.

Room for improvement

The fight was there (figuratively and at times literally), but the -15 clearance differential certainly hurt the visitors in the eight-point loss. And what do the Hawks do with James Sicily? The skipper found himself ranked No. 31 on the ground on Thursday night in worrying signs for coach Sam Mitchell. Inclusion Calsher Dear had no influence with his five disposals while Massimo D’Ambrosio had a quiet night with just 12 touches – and missed a crucial shot at goal.

Grade

B+

MELBOURNE

Season alive? The Demons made a grand old statement by stunning Brisbane with four of the last five goals in their Gabba showdown to claim a shock upset. It’s the sort of performance that could really install belief in Melbourne and change the course of its season after calls for Simon Goodwin to be sacked only a few short weeks ago. While the Dees percentage of 82.6 is still among the worst in the competition, they suddenly find themselves only a game outside the top eight ahead of an MCG showdown with Sydney.

In the votes

Jake Melksham was the hero with four goals – including the first during Melbourne’s fourth-quarter charge to kickstart the visitors’ wild comeback. Kysaiah Pickett could’ve finished with an even bigger bag, booting 2.4 from 21 touches and doing some seriously special things. Meanwhile Max Gawn (22 touches, 14 contested, eight clearances, seven marks, 47 hit-outs) dominated Darcy Fort, who was a late in for Oscar McInerney.

Room for improvement

Full marks here in one of the club’s biggest wins in recent memory. But from a bigger picture perspective, why has it taken the Dees so long to find this sort of energy? They’ve now won four of their last five games, which shows this team can still do damage, and perhaps that the spirit of that flag-winning outfit from the start of the decade might still be in there somewhere.

Grade

A+

NORTH MELBOURNE

North wins! North wins! For the first time since Round 2, the Kangaroos have a victory after holding on to beat fellow bottom-four side Richmond. In fact, North Melbourne’s win at the MCG was its first at the venue since 2017. The Kangaroos’ triumph was set up early, booting five of the first six majors to lead by 24 points. Their quarter-time score of 6.0 (36) was their best in 11 months, too. As coach Alastair Clarkson pointed out post-game, the match against Richmond “felt like going to the dentist”, but knocking off a team in a similar part of the ladder felt like “a bit of validation” regarding the progression of their rebuild.

In the votes

Tristan Xerri’s All-Australian charge went to another level. The big Roo was huge in the ruck, finishing with 19 disposals, 12 tackles and six score involvements, while 10 of his 52 hit-outs went to a teammate’s advantage. Luke Davies-Uniacke got better as the game wore on, finishing with 27 disposals, 15 contested possessions, seven clearances and a goal, while Cam Zurhaar was a constant menace up forward, booting four majors. Colby McKercher had his best game of the season, booting one goal from 22 disposals, 10 tackles and seven score involvements. And Toby Pink was the unlikely hero, producing a game-saving intercept mark – minutes after a brilliant rundown tackle – to help the Kangaroos finally breakthrough for their second win of the season.

Room for improvement

While North’s endeavour couldn’t be questioned, the Kangaroos’ work with the ball gave fans a rollercoaster ride. Clarkson said it best post-match: “Everyone who watched the game would understand and appreciate that our skill level and our decision-making – that sort of stuff needs to improve a lot.” Elsewhere, Bailey Scott was subbed out in the third quarter with five disposals and five tackles.

Grade

A

PORT ADELAIDE

Ouch. That’s a third big, ugly loss for Port Adelaide, going down to Geelong by 76 points in a drubbing that leaves its season delicately poised. Ken Hinkley’s charges offered little resistance in the second half, 12 of 13 goals at one stage. It was a costly loss for the Power, losing Jason Horne-Francis (hamstring), Lachie Jones (hamstring) and Josh Sinn (hip) all to injury during the match. It was a third defeat on the trot, seeing the Power slip to a 4-6 record.

In the votes

Not too many winners for the Power. Sam Powell-Pepper brought the energy, booting 2.2 from 20 disposals. Ryan Burton and Jase Burgoyne were busy off half-back, while Connor Rozee had a team-high 32 touches.

Room for improvement

The Power’s second half showing would’ve been a demoralising watch for their fans, conceding 12.10 to 2.3. Remarkably, Port had overall more disposals than the Cats, but were -15 for inside 50s, -13 clearances, -10 for contested possessions and, most alarmingly, -5 for tackles. Their pressure in the final quarter, especially, was non-existent. Yes injuries haven’t helped, but Hinkley’s final season as senior coach of Port Adelaide is now not just creeping, but steadily moving towards a painful farewell.

Grade

F

RICHMOND

Oh, so close to a fourth win before the bye in a year where many thought they’d struggle to win a game. Despite a late surge, the Tigers fell short against fellow bottom-four team North Melbourne, going down by four points in a thrilling arm-wrestle at the MCG. Tigers coach Adem Yze said he was pleased with his players’ attitude and spirit in the way they responded after quarter-time to almost pinch the win. But ultimately that slow start was costly.

In the votes

Seth Campbell is a genuine rookie draft bargain. The small forward starred in attack again for Richmond, booting 3.2 from 15 disposals, eight score involvements and three tackles. Tim Taranto was among Richmond’s best again with 30 touches, 18 contested possessions and 10 clearances, while milestone man Kamdyn McIntosh and Sam Lalor booted two goals each as they stood up in big moments.

Room for improvement

Yze post-game said he was most disappointed in his team’s first quarter as the Kangaroos ran riot, kicking six goals to two on the back of stoppage and territory dominance. It meant the Tigers, according to Yze, were “chasing our tails” from thereon. And when the Tigers were in striking distance and had chances to level the scores and/or re-take the lead late, they sprayed set-shots. An opportunity gone begging.

Grade

B-

ST KILDA

The Saints are in a serious form slump, losing five of their past six games now. But it’s worth mentioning they didn’t come up against the usual winless West Coast. They came up against an emotion-charged Eagles outfit desperate to find a way to win on a sad weekend for the club. The Saints’ biggest let-down was their front-half efficiency as the Eagles made them pay dearly for horror turnovers. The Saints took an equal number of marks inside 50 (12) but finished -4 for goals to West Coast.

In the votes

Rowan Marshall continued his outstanding form and finished his side’s leading contested ball getter with 18, to go with eight intercepts, six score involvements, 40 hit-outs, eight marks, five clearances and a goal. Marshall had to do it at both ends of the ground to help out his stretched defence, while also providing a marking target inside 50 when he pushed forward. Jack Sinclair had more than 950m gained from his 38 disposals, while Jack Higgins had a day out with five goals.

Room for improvement

There just weren’t enough contributors for the Saints outside the trio mentioned above. Four players went at less than 60 per cent disposal efficiency for the match, while ill-discipline proved costly with 12 free kicks coming from just four St Kilda players. The Saints just weren’t able to combat the height of the Eagles attack and it proved their downfall. Turnovers in horrible positions also contributed to the loss.

Grade

D

SYDNEY SWANS

Maybe the Swans aren’t done just yet. Dean Cox’s side showed glimpses of their exhilarating best in a 16-point win over Carlton on Friday night. Despite Carlton leading for most of the match, the Swans surged in the fourth term, booting five of the first six goals to secure victory. With a percentage of 98.7 and a 4-6 record, don’t rule Sydney out of finals calculations just yet.

In the votes

The superstar Swans duo stood strong when it mattered most. It could’ve been a truly monstrous night out for Isaac Heeney if he’d kicked straight, booting 2.5 from 38 disposals, 18 contested possessions, nine clearances and five inside 50s. Chad Warner was just as influential, booting two goals from 30 touches, nine score involvements and 10 contested possessions. Brodie Grundy dominated in the ruck, while Angus Sheldrick had one of his more influential games with 21 touches, seven tackles and seven inside 50s.

Room for improvement

The Swans were slow out of the blocks, conceding five of the game’s first eight goals as the Blues dominated at the coalface and locked the ball in their forward half. And you could tell coach Dean Cox was far from pleased post-match with MRO incidents involving Joel Amartey and Justin McInerney, which ultimately cost them three-game and one-game ban respectively.

Grade

A-

WEST COAST EAGLES

Where has that sort of pressure been from West Coast this season? The Eagles put their best foot forward on a tough weekend for the club following the tragic passing of premiership player Adam Selwood. Inspired to be team-first, the Eagles pressured every St Kilda act on their way to a 24-point win – their first victory of 2025. The home side may have had more than 50 less disposals, but they were more efficient than the Saints and finished above their season average for inside 50s, clearances, contested ball and marks – all while piling on 16 goals. And 16 seems to be West Coast’s magic number – the only other times they’ve hit the 16-goal mark in recent years has resulted in wins over Melbourne, Richmond and Fremantle.

In the votes

Brady Hough is really improving his craft as a midfielder. He finished as West Coast’s leading ball-winner with 24 disposals, five tackles, six marks and a goal – the first of his AFL career. Liam Ryan stepped up in the last quarter when the match was on the line to kick two goals in 90 seconds and break the Saints’ spirits. Co-captain Oscar Allen was back in attack, kicking 2.2 from his 13 disposals. Harley Reid racked up a team-high 12 contested possessions and kicked two goals in a productive day out. The young Eagles defence also stood tall without star Jeremy McGovern (concussion).

Room for improvement

Whenever West Coast looked like they were headed towards that first win for 2025, they let St Kilda back in. Luckily the home side had enough experience to lock the match down late. Given they’ve been close but fallen short in recent weeks, it could have been a heartbreaking finish.

Grade

A

WESTERN BULLDOGS

“You don’t see performances like that too often. That was perfect the performance from the Dogs,” dual premiership Kangaroo David King told Fox Footy on Saturday night after the Bulldogs put Essendon to the sword and racked up their second 90-plus point win of the season. The Dogs were on from the opening bounce as they produced their highest scoring first quarter of the season with seven goals to none. From there, the match descended into a training run as players ran riot. The Dogs conceded just one goal by half time in a show of complete dominance. The second half was simply a formality from there as the stats told the story of one-way traffic:- +84 disposals, +24 inside 50s, +8 clearances, +11 marks inside 50 and +13 goals.

In the votes

It’s hard to single out individuals in what was such a dominant display, but credit to Bailey Dale, who set the record for most disposals in a game in Bulldogs history with 49. His feats eclipsed the record shared by Ryan Griffin and Jack Macrae, who had 47. It’s worth noting he also had 1016m gained – the most of any player this season and more than double the next best in Jason Johanissen’s 490m. Rhylee West was impressive in his re-cast role as a forward with an equal career-best four goals, while Tom Liberatore and Tim English had 16 clearances between them

Room for improvement

Believe it or not, the 91-point damage could have been a LOT worse had the Dogs kicked straight. The Western Bulldogs finished with 18.19 for the match, including 11.16 after quarter time.

Grade

A+