A look at round 13 of the AFL season, where Carlton spoiled Essendon's party and Brisbane took top spot as Collingwood upset Melbourne.
THEY SAID IT:
"He had a poor game tonight. As a senior player for us, we need more from him."
- Essendon coach Ben Rutten didn't mince words when asked about Jake Stringer's lacklustre return against Carlton
PLAYER OF THE ROUND: Fremantle midfielder Andrew Brayshaw was inspirational with 37 disposals and seven tackles in his team's 13-point win over Hawthorn. To top it off, he cleverly soccered through the match-sealing goal while an opponent was hanging off him.
THE MOMENT: Collingwood produced an irresistible second-half surge to topple reigning premiers Melbourne but it wasn't complete until Jack Crisp slammed through a goal on the run from 45 metres. The Pies had trailed by 20 points midway through the third quarter but kicked six goals to one in the final term in a huge upset that put them back in the top eight.
TALKING POINT: Western Bulldogs star Bailey Smith admitted on Saturday to possessing an illicit substance late in 2021 when he "spiralled out of control" amid struggles with his mental health. Pictures had emerged of Smith with a small bag of white powder, along with a video of him appearing to snort something at a party. The 21-year-old will be investigated by the AFL and appears likely to face sanctions.
STATS THAT MATTER: There were genuine fears North Melbourne would set a new record-low attendance figure at Marvel Stadium when they hosted GWS, but enough fans heeded coach David Noble's call to support the struggling side. Surprisingly, the official crowd figure of 13,742 was slightly higher than the attendance at the Kangaroos' round 10 clash with Melbourne (13,422). AFL crowds have been slightly down across the board this season but 76,059 fans at Monday's Collingwood-Melbourne clash helped boost the average.
TRIBUNAL WATCH: No.1 draft pick Jason Horne-Francis faces a suspension over a swinging arm that struck Josh Kelly's jaw during North Melbourne's 49-point thumping from GWS. The first-year midfielder took his frustration out on Kelly early in the third quarter of the one-sided affair and could miss the Kangaroos' next game against Adelaide.
INJURIES: B Acres (Frem, hamstring), S Frost (Haw, knee), D Gardiner (Bris, ribs), D Zorko (Bris, hamstring), M Owens (St K, concussion), D McKenzie (St K, concussion), Z Jones (St K, hamstring), A Cerra (Carl, hamstring), D Parish (Ess, calf), H Perryman (GWS, ribs), D Turner (Melb, concussion).
WHAT'S NEXT: It's a blockbuster start to round 14 - the last of the bye rounds - as old rivals Richmond and Carlton square off while jostling for spots in the top eight. St Kilda take on struggling Essendon on Friday night and Port Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs and Gold Coast will all be out to boost their finals chances in games against Sydney, GWS and Adelaide respectively. Geelong will seek to spoil West Coast's party at Optus Stadium as the Eagles officially mark the 30th anniversary of their 1992 premiership.