Round nine of the 2015 AFL season has been run and won and there were many talking points to come out of the weekend’s fixtures.
SEE ALSO:
Mick Malthouse sacked by Carlton after poor start to 2015 AFL season
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says Carlton suffering from ‘toxic’ environment
Western Bulldogs star skipper Robert Murphy to play on until 2017
The Swans got kicked off proceedings with a big 60-point win over the Blues while West Coast continued its strong start to the season with a dominant performance against the Cats in Perth on Sunday.
But just what did we learn?
Find out below:
North Melbourne are in big, big trouble
The Kangaroos were dominant in the opening half against Collingwood and, in reality, should have killed off the match before the break.
However, Brad Scott’s side allowed a 39-point half-time lead to slip and the Magpies kicked nine unanswered goals to grab an unlikely victory.
Scott labelled the Kangaroos’ performance as “appalling”, and you’d have to agree.
It’s clear to see that North Melbourne are mentally weak and surely cannot be considered a genuine contender in 2015.
A 10-goal loss, but a win for the Blues…
Carlton may have been handed a 60-point loss by the Swans, but the Blues’ effort showed there’s a ray of hope for the future.
Following Mick Malthouse’s sacking last week, you expected the Blues players to lift for interim coach John Barker, and they did.
The scoreboard will show a big loss for the Blues, but in some ways it was a small win.
We’ve seen the mark of the year already…surely?
Nic Naitanui takes one of the better grabs you’ll ever see.
Will anyone be able to top it?
The Eagles continue to fly high
The Eagles continue to defy the odds and keep the pressure on ladder leaders Fremantle following its big win over Geelong on Sunday.
Despite missing key players through injury, the Eagles sit in second with a 7-2 record and do not look like easing up anytime soon.
Adam Simpson’s side face tough tests against North Melbourne, Essendon and Richmond who are all fighting to stay in the finals race.
Should the Eagles come through with maximum points, they must be considered a genuine premiership contender.
Fyfe v Dangerfield was a match-up that will be remembered for some time
Fyfe and Dangerfield were given free reign on Saturday at Adelaide Oval and it was quite simply a joy to watch.
It was a genuine one-on-one midfield battle, and it was almost impossible to split the two stars.
Fyfe ended the match with 40 touches, 26 of them contested while Dangerfield was equally as superb with 38 possessions with an incredible 29 of them contested.
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