Saturday Fallout: It's Pendlebury's world...and we're just living in it

Pendlebury delivers timeless performance

For a man synonymous with time and space, Scott Pendlebury continues to defy the former.

And if he keeps playing, he might figure out a way to dismiss the latter.

On the AFL's biggest day in the home and away season, a side that boasts the oldest list in the competition had its oldest player at the fore in a record-breaking 77-point win over the Bombers.

A career high 43 disposals alongside a game high 19 score involvements, plus two goals, sealed a historic fourth ANZAC Day Medal for Pendlebury in game 431, no less.

Despite all of the improvements and advancements made in sports medicine, it's still hard to fathom that a performance like this is capable by a player at the age of 38 at such a high level.

And yet, here we are.

Nicholas Quinlan

Kozzy runs riot as Dees dismantle Tigers

Wow, how good is Kysaiah Pickett!

In one of the best individual performances of the season so far, Kozzy delivered a game-high four goals and 29 disposals in the Demons 54-point victory over the Tigers.

Playing nearly exclusively midfield, with 79% centre bounce attendances, the star took liberty of the injured Richmond midfield. Missing both Tim Taranto and Toby Nankervis, Kozzy was able to roam the MCG freely, kicking the ball a whopping 27 times out of his 29 disposals.

Each of Kozzy’s four snags came at crucial stages in the game, with the first two tilting the momentum Melbourne’s way heading into the half-time break, and his final two sealing the game for the Dees late in the third and early in the fourth.

Oh, and let’s not forget to mention the 24-year-old’s mark of the year contender deep into the final quarter. It’s no surprise why he won the Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes Medal on ANZAC Eve.

In good news for the Tigers, Sam Cumming proved why Richmond selected him at pick 7 in the 2025 draft, kicking a goal on debut and accumulating the ball 13 times.

Despite managing to stay in the fight for nearly the entirety of the first-half, Richmond just simply couldn’t hack it against an electric Melbourne outfit.

The Tigers remain winless, sitting bottom of the ladder, while Kozzy and his Dees now boast five victories from seven games.

Connor Scanlon

Brittle Dogs defence rears its ugly head as Swans feast

When your key defensive stocks are already considered brittle by many, and then you lose your best two in that position, it rarely ends well.

That was the case at Marvel Stadium last night when the Western Bulldogs copped a third straight 40+ point defeat. 66 to be exact (126-60).

On 2016 premiership reunion night no less.

Rory Lobb and James O’Donnell went out of Luke Beveridge’s team and were replaced by the inexperienced Jedd Busslinger and Ryan Gardner, who had played one senior game since the end of 2023.

That left Buku Khamis to lead the defensive line, with support from the two aforementioned players, against Charlie Curnow and Joel Amartey in particular.

And they could smell blood.

That duo kicked all seven of Sydney’s first-half goals, keeping the Swans in the game, before the floodgates opened after half-time.

It was a key forward feast.

The Dogs’ defensive issues were there for all to see last year. Things were looking in decent shape, but that specific problem has reared its ugly head again. It was always going to be their downfall

Just a matter of three weeks ago their season looked in pretty darn good shape. Now it’s up in smoke, for the time being anyway. But while the Bont is there and in this mood, anything is possible. He was exceptional.

Tim English is a huge loss. The side has been battered in his absence. And let’s hope Aaron Naughton is ok, because they can ill-afford another key forward going down after Sam Darcy’s season-ending knee.

Did Bevo walk under a ladder?

Freo, Port, Carlton and Melbourne in the next four weeks. You’d think they’d need at least two wins from that lot to avoid a free-fall while they rally the troops.

But it wasn’t any old team that beat them.

The Sydney Swans are a serious outfit, and put the Dogs to the sword despite superstar Isaac Heeney missing, as well as a handy little player named Errol Gulden.

Dean Cox has the Swannies humming.

Their ball movement was at times sizzling under the roof. Their coast to coast stuff was breathtaking, they had winners all over the ground and Curnow was inspired to bag seven majors.

Chad Warner was electric, Brodie Grundy was great again, Matt Roberts is growing rapidly, Tom Papley a constant source of energy and Tom McCartin is having some sort of season.

The Swans are primed for a flag assault, on top with a 6-1 record and a mammoth percentage of 178. Things are in excellent order.

Dees, Roos, Pies and Cats over the next four. Could they be 10-1 or 9-2 after 11?

Look out...

Andrew Slevison