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The final round in the AFL home-and-away season kicks off with St Kilda hosting Gold Coast at Docklands, with both sides playing for pride.
asserted
sides → kick → pride
The top 10 is set, with both the Saints and Suns unable to break into the wildcard spots.
asserted
Saints → set → spots
Both teams will be looking to end their seasons on a high after falling short of finals.
asserted
teams → look → finals
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Top possession-getters
- Touk Miller (Suns) - 25
- Brad Hill (Saints) - 23
- John Noble (Suns) - 23
- Max Hall (Saints) - 19
- Noah Anderson (Suns) - 19
- Hugo Garcia (Saints) - 16
HT stats
- Inside 50s: 26-25 Saints
- Clearances: 22-20 Saints
- Centre clearances: 12-4 Suns
- Contested possessions: 69-69
- Uncontested possessions: 138-122 Suns
- Marks inside 50: 9-4 Suns
- Tackles: 36-31 Saints
- Tackles inside 50: 7-5 Saints
Those centre clearance and marks inside 50 stats are looking a little alarming for the Saints.
You might be right, Mike
Batman would have been proud of that 'KAPOW' to Boxshall!
uncertain
Batman → submit → Boxshall
But in the spirit in which your post was meant, maybe Matt Rowell should have let loose a "Zowie!" after that don't argue...
Key Event
HT:
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Rowell → mean → that
Gold Coast 10.8 (68) leads St Kilda 8.5 (53)
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Coast → lead → Kilda
Sorry folks, I slightly overestimated the goals.
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I → overestimate → goals
We've had 18 for the half, which is pretty solid stuff in itself.
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which → have → itself
Right near the siren, Leo Lombard took control and took four bounces down the wing before hitting up Jed Walter inside 50.
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Lombard → take → 50
Walter's first kick of the night turned out to be his first goal of the night.
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kick → turn → night
Ben King had a shot on the siren from outside 50, but he couldn't convert.
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he → have → 50
The Suns go in for the long break with a 15-point lead.
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Suns → go → lead
They've had the better of play overall, such as this Jake Rogers run-down tackle.
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They → have → tackle
We definitely have a shootout - which side will run out of attacking ammo?
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side → have → ammo
The misses are coming ... finally
After all those goals, finally we're getting a few misses from both sides.
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we → come → sides
We're well inside time on in the second term, and the Suns lead by seven, 9.6 to 8.5.
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Suns → lead → seven
No slowing down as Touk Miller gets in on the action
This hectic pace continues, as the Suns break this time and it's Touk Miller who gets on the end of it.
He converts, and we now have 19 goals in a quarter and a half.
That means on the old back of the napkin conversion that we are on for 50 goals or so if this keeps up!
asserted
this → get → goals
Hugh Boxshall answers for the Saints
The answer is ... not long!
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answer → answer → Saints
The Saints go quick, and Hugo Boxshall nails the kick and that is 16 goals so far in total for the game.
asserted
that → go → game
On the other hand, Boxshall might have some issues with the match review tribunal after this moment a few minutes earlier.
uncertain
Boxshall → have → moment
Matt Rowell had the ball, Boxshall was next to him.
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Boxshall → have → him
Rowell did the don't argue and Boxshall produced a speed of going to ground not seen since 1980s WWE matches.
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Boxshall → do → matches
Lombard has three as Suns hit back
The scoring isn't slowing down here!
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scoring → have → three
The Suns are on the end of it this time, getting it inside 50 for Leo Lombard to get the set shot and he nails it.
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he → get → it
The lead is back to nine - but how long will it last?
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it → last → nine
Owens kicks a goal as Saints close in
The Suns are paying for turnovers here in the second term.
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Suns → kick → term
They gave it up and the Saints pounced, going down the corridor before a kick out in front of Mitch Owens, who picked it up and bounced before blasting it from the square.
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who → give → square
Byrnes gets the first goal of second term for Saints
It's been a bit of a re-run of the start of the opening quarter, with big efforts and not too many targets hit.
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efforts → get → quarter
However Ryan Byrnes has converted a set shot to open the scoring for the second term, bringing the Saints back to 10 points down.
asserted
Byrnes → convert → Saints
Gold Coast 7.4 (46) leads St Kilda 5.1 (31)
asserted
Coast → lead → 5.1
The siren sounds at Docklands, ending an entertaining quarter.
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siren → sound → quarter
Hugo Garcia booted a late goal for the Saints, but the visitors hit back almost immediately, with Lachie Gulbin slotting it from close range after a bit of a chaos ball.
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Gulbin → boot → ball
Then the Saints crafted another major from Rowan Marshall.
And then to cap things off, Nick Holman lasered a kick after the siren in his final game of footy to re-establish a solid break.
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Holman → craft → break
The popular clubman was swarmed by teammates, and rightly so.
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clubman → swarm → teammates
Neither side has been perfect with their delivery, but we can't be disappointed with 12 goals in the opening term.
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we → disappoint → term
Let's see if these sides can keep this going, or whether the defences assert themselves.
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defences → see → themselves
Suns looking strong at Docklands
asserted
Suns → look → Docklands
This has been a solid opening term from Gold Coast, and the visitors are taking their opportunities.
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visitors → take → opportunities
The clearances are going to the Suns, and they set up Ben King in the left forward pocket - the spearhead hits it for his second of the night.
asserted
spearhead → go → night
Scoring heating up at Docklands
We almost went back to the World Cup there, with Ben Long producing a deft soccer along the ground from deep inside 50.
asserted
Long → heat → 50
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia