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Brisbane has unceremoniously thumped the defending champion West Coast Eagles in a remarkable start to their AFL season as the Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide all claimed wins.
Lions stun defending champs the Eagles
As statements go, Brisbane made a massive one for the 2019 AFL season with a significant 44-point win over West Coast.
The Lions overhauled a 27-point quarter-time deficit to comprehensively outplay the reigning premiers for the last three terms and claim a 15.12 (102) to 8.10 (58) win at the Gabba on Saturday.
It's the first time the Lions, tipped to be big improvers this year, have beaten the previous season's premiers since round 12, 2009.
Recruit Lincoln McCarthy kicked a career-high four goals while Charlie Cameron's three first-half majors were vitally important.
Youngster Cam Rayner was the other multiple goalkicker for the Lions with two majors.
Another new face, ex-Fremantle midfielder Lachie Neale had 29 disposals while Jarryd Lyons (26 disposals) was also impressive in his first match for the Lions.
Veteran Daniel Rich had 23 disposals and eight marks and earned a huge cheer when he kicked a goal late in the fourth term.
The Eagles booted six unanswered goals in the first term after an opener by Lions small forward Cameron.
But Chris Fagan's team responded wonderfully after the break to kick seven-goals-to-one to turn the game on its head.
Delighted Lions fans gave their team a standing ovation at halftime as they held a seven-point lead, with brilliance by Cameron the highlight.
Playing his first AFL match since tearing the lisfranc ligament in his right ankle last June, Cameron got the better of Eagles defender Tom Cole on the edge of the goal square before he batted the ball into the air with his hand and hooked the ball in mid-air over his shoulder for a goal.
The crowd of 20,029 were on their feet again after the Lions held West Coast goalless in the third term and extended their lead to 29 points at the final change.
Jack Darling's booming goal early in the final quarter ended a run of nine-straight majors for the hosts but he and youngster Oscar Allen (two each) were the only multiple goalkickers for the Eagles.
Dom Sheed was good in a beaten team with a game-high 38 disposals and seven marks.
The Gabba crowd included the recipients of 500 free tickets handed out by the Lions to patrons at 12 Brisbane mosques on Friday in a show of support to the local Muslim community after last week's terror attack in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Brisbane takes on North Melbourne next weekend while West Coast is back in Perth to host GWS.
AAP
Bulldogs resist Swans' late charge
Western Bulldogs have worn their Thor-inspired guernseys and they brought the hammer down in a stunning first half against Sydney before hanging on for a 17-point win at Marvel Stadium.
The Swans trailed by a game-high 40 points shortly after halftime and were still 32 points in arrears at three-quarter time before they slashed the margin to just four points with five minutes remaining.
But the courageous Bulldogs found a way to wrest the momentum as Marcus Bontempelli and Sam Lloyd kicked the last two goals in a pulsating 11.16 (82) to 9.11 (65) win in front of 32,303 fans on Saturday night.
Bontempelli was brilliant for the Dogs with 29 possessions and his vital late goal, with Jack Macrae and Tom Liberatore, in his first game back from a knee reconstruction, important with 32 and 28 touches respectively.
Luke Beveridge stuck with rising star Aaron Naughton in attack and the versatile tall repaid his coach with three goals in an influential display.
Swans star Isaac Heeney had a superhero moment in the opening minute of the game when he took a contender for mark of the year, but the visitors managed just one goal for the half.
Heeney, last year's mark of the year winner, leapt onto the back of Bailey Williams and completed a spectacular grab and then booted his side's lone goal before the long break.
The rampant Dogs took control and stormed to a 33-point half-time lead before the almost-inevitable Sydney challenge came.
With Lance Franklin struggling to impose himself after groin surgery limited his preparation, Zak Jones (24 disposals) and Jake Lloyd (35) were the architects of the stirring fightback.
The hosts looked set for heartbreak as Sydney swooped with a run of four unanswered goals to open the last quarter.
But in a gutsy display that will thrill Beveridge, his players dug deep to score a famous win.
The Bulldogs have an injury concern, however, with Matt Suckling hurting his ankle after the oft-maligned turf at Marvel Stadium gave way under him.
AAP
Hawks pluck Crows' feathers in Adelaide Oval triumph
Hawthorn midfielder James Worpel orchestrated a 32-point away thumping of Adelaide in Saturday's AFL twilight game.
Worpel gathered 27 disposals and kicked two goals in the Hawks' 12.15 (87) to 7.13 (55) victory at Adelaide Oval.
The Crows are expected to lose defender Tom Doedee for the season after the influential defender suffered a suspected torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
And veteran Adelaide utility Richard Douglas limped off with a leg injury in the final term.
The injuries came as Worpel delivered early evidence he will go some way to covering the midfield void caused by Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell's broken leg.
Worpel's teammate Ben McEvoy ruled the rucks and James Sicily helped control Adelaide's potent-on-paper attack as Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins and Tom Lynch were kept goalless.
Sicily collected 26 touches and took 10 marks while eight-gamer James Cousins and Jaeger O'Meara (24 disposals) kicked two goals each.
On-ballers Liam Shiel and Blake Hardwick, with 22 disposals apiece, combined with Worpel and O'Meara to provide a dominance around the packs.
Worpel was superb, with six centre clearances, a team-high dozen contested possessions plus a momentum-setting goal early in the third term.
The game hung in the balance at halftime, with the Hawks nine points up, before Worpel kicked a goal within a minute to trigger a match-defining period.
Hawthorn booted three goals to none for the quarter as they opened a 34-point lead to stunn Adelaide's 50,180-strong crowd.
The visitors applied immense pressure against the jittery Crows, who were well-served by Matt Crouch (39 touches, one goal), co-captain Rory Sloane (36 disposals, one goal) and Brad Crouch, who slotted two goals among his 28 possessions.
Star goalsneak Eddie Betts also kicked two goals but was well-held by Hawthorn skipper Ben Stratton.
AAP
Port Adelaide does enough to shock the Dees
Port Adelaide has served up the first boilover of the AFL season, downing flag fancies Melbourne by 26 points at the MCG.
Justin Westhoff kicked five straight goals and Tom Rockliff tallied 44 possessions in the 12.15 (87) to 9.7 (61) win that marks the Power as a team to watch in 2019.
With four debutants and another two playing their first game for the club, there was plenty to like about Ken Hinkley's side on Saturday afternoon.
After they conceded the first three goals of the game, the Power composed themselves to win their season opener.
Jack Watts put behind an undisciplined opening to play an influential hand and Westhoff was a superb spearhead.
Scott Lycett outworked Max Gawn while Melbourne talls Tom McDonald and Sam Weideman had no impact.
Rockliff, Travis Boak and Sam Powell-Pepper were relentless at the contest but the Power changed the game on the outside.
On a humid day in Melbourne, the Demons couldn't go with Port's runners as the visitors finished with 93 more uncontested possessions.
The final margin was a fair one but for much of the afternoon, the teams remained within a couple of goals of each other.
First-gamer Zak Butters gave the Power their first lead in the second quarter with back-to-back majors.
Jake Melksham and Christian Salem were terrific for Melbourne as they won the lead back in the third term but Simon Goodwin's team couldn't make it stick.
With the match in the balance in the final term, Nathan Jones dropped a sitter on the 50-metre line before ex-Demon Jack Watts denied the hosts a major with a last-gasp mark.
Twenty seconds later the ball was in Westhoff's hands in the goal square for a momentum-halting goal that allowed Port to run away with the win.
AAP
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Topics: sport, australian-football-league, melbourne-3000, port-adelaide-5015, footscray-3011, sydney-2000, brisbane-4000, perth-6000
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