A snapshot of round 15 of the AFL season, with Brisbane thumping flag rivals Geelong and GWS blowing a chance to replace Richmond in the top eight.
THEY SAID IT:
"I'd like to think we're a proud footy club and we don't let people down and our fans down too often, but tonight we just didn't fire a shot"
- Richmond coach Damien Hardwick was left stunned with the Tigers' limp performance against St Kilda.
STATS THAT MATTER: Richmond's score of 2.10 (22) was their lowest total in any game since round 16, 1961 - when they finished with just eight behinds. The capitulation to the Saints on Friday night was also their lowest score at the MCG since the 1927 grand final.
PLAYER OF THE ROUND: Aaron Naughton was in doubt for the Bulldogs' clash with West Coast because of a rib injury but stood up in a big game, taking five contested marks and kicking four goals to have a huge influence in his side's massive win.
KEY MOMENT: The top-eight showdown between Port Adelaide and Sydney hung in the balance until a big mark by former Swans defender Aliir Aliir set up a forward thrust for the home side in the dying stages. Enter Scott Lycett, the big Power ruckman, who pounced and slotted the sealer from a tight angle to send the Adelaide Oval crowd into a frenzy.
TALKING POINT: A last-minute decision by the Western Australian state government to ban crowds at Sunday's Eagles-Bullodgs clash at Optus Stadium was a stark reminder of how precariously placed the AFL season is amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
INJURIES: Noah Balta (Rich, syndesmosis), Nathan Broad (Rich, syndesmosis), Nick Coffield (St K, hamstring), Matt Taberner (Frem, calf), Beau McCreery (Coll, hamstring), Trent McKenzie (Port, collarbone), Ryan Gardner (WB, shoulder).
TRIBUNAL WATCH: Brisbane forward Joe Daniher was fined $1000 for 'staging' and Sydney superstar Lance Franklin was fined $2000 for rough conduct against Port's Jarrod Lienert. Eagles goalsneak Liam Ryan could be in trouble for a high bump that caught Jason Johannisen on the chin in an incident similar to the one that saw Collingwood's Jordan De Goey cop a one-match ban earlier this month.
WHAT'S NEXT: The quirks of a rearranged fixture mean Gold Coast are in prime time on Thursday night for their clash with Richmond, while Essendon travel down to Geelong on Friday night for the first time since 1993. The AFL could be forced into further changes, however, with interstate border travel restrictions rapidly changing.