Devils make history; Weitering's Blues return; massive Giants & Suns numbers

Tasmania has officially qualified for the VFL finals in its first season after a thrilling home win that ended the longest-standing winning streak in the League on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the race for VFL finals positions will go right down to the wire with only the top two locked into their positions and the huge possibility of a 10-win season not being good enough to make it after another epic round of action.

Both of last year’s Grand Finalists are now out of business following a stunning result in Queensland, while all but two of the finals contenders secured crucial wins.

Here’s what happened in Round 20 of the VFL.

DEVILS ROLL TIGERS TO SECURE HISTORIC FINALS BERTH

The new version of Tasmania completed a remarkable run to qualify for the finals in its first season after ending Werribee’s 10-match undefeated run to win an epic contest by 12 points at North Hobart Oval on Saturday.

The Devils and Tigers played a thrilling draw at Avalon Airport Oval in Round 7, the last time Werribee dropped premiership points, and the sequel was just as good as the home team wore their powerful opponents down in a classic.

Werribee led throughout the first half, getting out by 21 points with the first three goals of the second term, but Tasmania fought back to hit the lead when Maddox Iverach kicked the second of his three goals to open the second half.

The teams traded blows for the next 45 minutes before the Devils broke to a 24-point gap entering time-on of the last term, and despite one last Werribee rally, the damage was too big.

Brandon Leary (28 disposals, two goals) and Bailey Boag (27, eight tackles, seven clearances) played their best VFL games to lead the Devils home, while experienced pair Hugh Dixon (21, seven marks, two goals) and captain Robbie Fox (25, seven marks, one goal) were also outstanding in a win that lifted them to fifth on the ladder and within touching distance of what would be a sellout home final.

Lachie Charleson (four goals) and young gun Brady Wright (three) did their best to keep Werribee in it, but they sorely missed inspirational midfielder Dom Brew at the contest.

IT’S OH SO CLOSE FOR COBURG

Coburg turned in a ferocious display of uncompromising pressure to bring down Williamstown by 15 points at DSV Stadium on Sunday and be on the brink of a first finals appearance since 2008.

The Lions haven’t been seen in September since a heartbreaking six-point loss to Frankston in an elimination final that year and fell devastatingly short last season, but they played like a team who would not be denied against the Seagulls, making every contest and every possessions a battle of wills as the pressure created a significantly high turnover game with intercept marking being a feature for both teams.

After Jaidyn Stephenson kicked a miracle over-the-head goal from the boundary line to open the scoring and Matt Allison followed with another impressive snap, Coburg never really looked like losing, despite Williamstown briefly drawing level in the second term.

Five unanswered goals with the wind in the third quarter put paid to the contest, with Lachie Walker putting in a best-afield display on the wing of 30 disposals and eight marks, while Will Hoare (17, eight marks, nine intercepts) was basically impassable in defence, Cooper Keogh (22, 22 hitouts, 13 clearances) was easily the best ruckman around the ground despite being well beaten in the hitouts by Williamstown behemoth Alex Mirkov (54) and Max Kennedy (26) was terrific on the other wing.

Kallan Dawson played a lone hand in attack for the Seagulls with four goals, while Jake Greiser (33, eight marks, 11 rebounds), Jack Toner (27, seven clearances, one goal) and Luke Parks (22, seven marks, 13 intercepts) fought valiantly for Williamstown, but their usually impeccable disposal was affected by the pressure put on by Coburg.

The Lions will go into Round 21 against Southport knowing a win will secure a home final, either elimination or wildcard, while defeat will set up another nervous wait similar to last year when they had the bye – this time breaking the League’s longest finals drought is solely up to them.

BOMBERS FLY HOME TO HOLD TOP-10 SPOT

Essendon kept its finals destiny in its own hands by charging home from 16 points down in the last quarter to edge Collingwood by one point in a heart-stopping finish at Windy Hill on Saturday.

Having watched a 20-point half-time lead evaporate as Collingwood piled on seven goals to one in the third quarter, the Bombers looked in trouble when Mitch Podhajski booted his only goal in the sixth minute.

But that would be the Magpies’ last score of the game as Essendon peppered the sticks, adding four points before Nik Cox marked and goaled in the 22nd minute and a rushed behind five minutes later set up a grandstand finish.

Mid-season Coburg recruit Deacon Kalpakis found himself in an unfamiliar position at full-forward – he hasn’t kicked a goal in 37 VFL games – and pulled in a contested mark on Brady Grey before dishing off for veteran Jade Gresham to snap the match-winner at the 29-minute mark.

Gresham was the hero for Essendon, kicking 4.3 from 24 disposals and six marks, while captain Xavier O’Neill (26, eight tackles, one goal), Tyler Sellers (22, six marks, 13 intercepts) and Elijah Tsatas (31, 16 contested, eight clearances) also starred as the Bombers made it five straight victories to earn a win-and-in position against Sydney this week.

Jack Buller was outstanding for Collingwood with four goals, with Jakob Ryan (26, 10 rebounds) and Josh Browne (27) continuing their fine years.

LIONS FEAST AS SHARKS FINALLY HIT THE WALL

Southport will miss the finals for only the second time since joining the VFL after its late finals push crashed spectacularly in a scarcely believable 98-point hammering from the Brisbane Lions at Fankhauser Reserve on Saturday.

The Lions piled on 41 scoring shots to 13 and held Southport to its lowest VFL score while kicking the biggest by a visiting team to Fankhauser and dealing out a margin almost double the Sharks’ previous biggest defeat in the League.

It was a performance that raises wonder as to how the Lions have only five wins after just one in the first 12 rounds, with Linc McCarthy (19, 10 intercepts, six marks), James Tunstill (21, 11 contested, eight clearances, six tackles) and Zane Zakostelsky (16, 22 hitouts, one goal), who neutralised Brayden Crossley in the ruck, on fire.

Max Spencer (31, 13 marks, 10 rebounds) had his fingers plugging the holes in the dam wall for as long as possible, while Cooper Macdonald (24, 10 marks), Josh Gore (24, eight marks), Zac Foot (32, 10 marks) and Jacob Dawson (30, 16 contested) tried hard.

WEITERING MAKES STRONG RETURN BUT SAINTS TOO GOOD

St Kilda brought an end to Carlton’s four-match winning streak and maybe the Blues’ season with a seven-point win at RSEA Park on Sunday achieved despite the presence of returning Blues vice-captain Jacob Weitering and possible No.1 pick Cody Walker.

The Saints didn’t hit the lead until the last term and responded when headed again as Charlie Banfield kicked the sealer to reward Jack Macrae (28, 14 contested, nine tackles) and Billy McGee-Galimberti (29, eight marks) and deny the brilliance of Walker (29, eight marks, one goal) and Liam Reidy (29, 21 hitouts, 13 clearances).

Weitering safely got through his first game since a calf injury in Round 12, pulling in 12 marks on his way to 19 disposals to show himself ready to return to Josh Fraser’s team if required.

ELSEWHERE

Port Melbourne fought back from 35 points down early in the second quarter to overrun Richmond by 14 points at ETU Stadium to be on the brink of a first finals appearance since 2019.

The Borough was shellshocked when the Tigers kicked five goals in eight first-quarter minutes and added the first two of the second term, but they ground their way back and secured the points with the last three goals of the game as captain Tom Hird (21 disposals, four goals) put on a masterclass with support from Michael Rudd (19, nine marks), Ben Hobbs and Lachie Rankin, while Harry Armstrong (four goals), Oliver Hayes-Brown (21, 33 hitouts) and Olli Hotton (21, 11 tackles) starred for the Tigers.

GWS snapped a three-game skid to put its hunt for a first VFL finals appearance back on track, winning a shootout against Gold Coast by 13 points at Blacktown International Sports Park on the back of a starring role from VFL great Harvey Hooper (22, 13 contested, six marks, six clearances, eight tackles, three goals) and five majors from Hugo Birks, while Ben Jepson (39, nine marks, one goal), Jarrod Witts (31, 63 hitouts, eight clearances), Alex Sexton (31, seven marks), Caleb Lewis (six goals) and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (five goals) were outstanding for the Suns.

Western Bulldogs NGA prospect Khaled El Souki turned heads with three goals from 14 touches on VFL debut as Footscray easily dealt with North Melbourne by 46 points at Arden St, a match dominated by Norm Goss medallist Cooper Craig-Peters (35, 11 clearances, six marks), Jack Billings (27, 10 marks, 2.4) and Dan Orgill (21, 10 marks, one goal).

MRP NEWS

Three players caught the attention of the VFL MRP after the weekend's matches, but none will miss a game after accepting their early plea offers.

Williamstown's Toby Triffett is free to play his 100th VFL match in the Seagulls’ must-win game against Frankston this Saturday after receiving a reprimand (down from a $150 fine) for bumping Coburg's Max Kennedy into the fence in the second quarter on Sunday.

His teammate Jack Toner accepted a $150 fine for rough conduct on Lion Jack Bytel in the first quarter.

North Melbourne's Taylor Goad copped a $500 fine for striking Footscray's Ryan Gardiner in the third quarter of his 50th VFL match on Saturday.

@JontyTheCaller

Weitering image credit: Carlton Reserves on X.