Sunday Fallout: This Wildcard scenario would melt Melbourne

Do you believe in miracles?

Well, Carlton does.

An early-season 1-8 record prompted significant change at the top with Michael Voss stepping away.

Enter Josh Fraser who picked up the pieces and has since guided the Blues to the Wildcard Finals Round.

Sunday’s extraordinary draw with the Western Bulldogs got it done for the Baggers who now occupy 10th position with a 11-1-10 record. 10 of those wins have been masterminded by Fraseball.

Who would’ve thought this was possible back in early May after Vossy departed?

The Blues can still finish ninth if they cause a massive upset against flag favourites Freo under the lid next Saturday arvo. They do need the ninth-placed Doggies to lose to the Dees though.

If that scenario occurs then they’ll avoid a trip to Adelaide to play the Crows - and set up a do-or-die MCG fixture against none other than… Collingwood.

Oh my, that would melt the city of Melbourne. The traditional rivals meeting in the very first edition of the new concept. Imagine the scenes.

Andrew Dillon and co. would be laughing.

The Dogs have also secured their Wildcard slot courtesy of the two points pocketed at Marvel on Sunday. They can still move up to eighth if they beat the Demons and the Pies lose to Brisbane.

But the Dees are fifth for a reason so don’t expect a win, Doggies fans. You’ll have to play very well to knock them off at the ‘G where they’re 10-1 under Steven King.

If all results go as expected then we won’t get that Blues v Pies match-up that all neutrals crave.

But the Dockers might rest a few, and the Blues have shown this year not to worry about the expectations of others.

Andrew Slevison

Lightning does strike twice!

Can you believe that!

In almost identical fashion to Round 8 of this year, an almighty battle between Collingwood and Hawthorn has come down to a Dylan Moore set shot.

And once again, the two sides could not be separated.

In Round 8, it was a set shot from directly in front, slotted by Moore to level proceedings after the siren at 93 apiece.

And in Round 23, it was yet another set shot, this time from the boundary line, falling agonisingly short, swatted off the line by Collingwood's Sam Swadling to keep proceedings at an even keel.

It comes as no surprise that this marks the first time in V/AFL history that two sides have drawn twice in the same season.

An incredible game that left nothing in the tank, the Pies' youth was on show, with Swadling himself proving why he should never be omitted from this side again.

Ed Allan continues to show his worth at the level (bar an incredibly costly turnover late in the game) while Will Hayes, Charlie West and Harvey Harrison all contributed nicely.

Josh Ward was the ultimate standout for the Hawks, who will live to rue a number of missed opportunities - particularly in the third term.

What does this result mean in the context of September?

For both sides, percentage is back into the fray, which isn't too significant of a concern for either team.

While the Hawks have slipped behind Brisbane and into fourth, their six per cent advantage on Melbourne leaves fate in their own hands; beat the Eagles next week and a top four spot is guaranteed.

As for Collingwood, given their 13 per cent buffer on the Dogs and nine per cent deficit behind the Crows, their spot in eighth is nailed on for this weekend.

That said, if the Bulldogs win today and topple the Dees next week, the Pies could slip to ninth if they fail to beat Brisbane in the final round.

Jaiden Sciberras

A sign of things to come for Clarko's Roos

They might not have completed the job, but Clarko's North Melbourne looked a special outfit for much of their contest with the Cats.

Things could not have started better for the Roos at Marvel Stadium, taking a 38-point lead in the first term while playing by far and away the best football we've seen from North Melbourne in years.

High pressure, clearance dominance and scoreboard damage, Clarko had his boys playing some of this season's finest football.

However, as champion clubs do, the Cats responded superbly, clawing back the advantage and eventually taking the lead before half time.

And while Geelong did ultimately win out, and the Kangaroos did ultimately let their impressive early lead slip, it was their response once more that suggested the improvement of this side this season.

Despite losing their lead in the second, the Roos fought back hard, regaining the lead at 3QT before the Cats sealed it late.

So often, we've seen North Melbourne crumble under the pressure, unable to mount a response once the momentum shifts.

Even without Harry Sheezel for a majority of the contest, the Kangaroos fought in a manner hardly sighted in years past.

If it's a sign of things to come, then this project under Alastair Clarkson could well be worth the abundance of patience it has so desperately required.

Jaiden Sciberras

Fremantle officially minor premiers; complete perfect home record

The Fremantle Dockers are officially your 2026 minor premiers!

After a couple of weeks of waiting for the inevitable to happen, the Dockers have now etched themselves definitively as the best team of the 2026 home-and-away season – a second minor premiership after previously claiming the title back in 2015.

The victory against the Crows at Optus Stadium also achieved a remarkable feat for the Dockers, finishing their home-and-away season with a perfect home record of 12 wins and zero defeats at Optus Stadium.

Even more impressively, Fremantle equalled the record for most home-and-away wins in a season for a club based out of Western Australia, tying West Coast’s 19 victories from back in 1991.

That history-defining win wasn’t without a scare though.

The game was fairly back and forth, as the Crows would not go down without a fight, given they are chasing a coveted top four spot. Adelaide hit the lead late in the penultimate quarter, and it looked like they could potentially hand the Dockers their second loss in consecutive weeks.

But Fremantle finished with one of their trademark final quarters, winning the clash by 24 points.

The standouts for Fremantle were Jye Amiss, who kicked an equal career-high five goals, alongside inside midfielder Caleb Serong, who managed 29 disposals and 12 clearances, and Shai Bolton who delivered a whopping game-high 15 inside 50s. For the Crows, Izak Rankine continued his purple patch, dominating with a game-high 39 disposals, 13 score involvements, 10 clearances, six tackles and a goal.

While it was all celebrations for Fremantle, Adelaide are now in danger of falling into a wildcard spot. With the Cats and Melbourne both expected to win this weekend, that would mean the Crows will slide to seventh place at the conclusion of Round 23. And if the Lions win against the Suns, as they should do, then the Crows’ top four hopes are essentially finished.

Adelaide will end their home-and-away season against the Giants at Adelaide Oval next Saturday, while the Dockers will face the Blues at Marvel on the same day.

Connor Scanlon