North Melbourne v GWS, Suns v Port Adelaide, Essendon v Geelong, Swans v Fremantle, St Kilda v Collingwood: AFL round 9 live scores
Updated
It's time for the Swans and Dockers in Sydney and the Saints and Magpies in Melbourne after early wins for the Bombers, Power and Kangaroos.
Follow all the AFL action in our live ScoreCentre.
Sydney v Fremantle
Live stream
Live summary
Live stats
St Kilda v Collingwood
Live stream
Live summary
Live stats
Power too strong again in Shanghai
Port Adelaide has continued its unbeaten record in China, accounting for the Gold Coast Suns by 40 points on a damp day in Shanghai.
It was a difficult day for football — although the expected heat didn't materialise, the rain made it difficult to control the football.
The Suns were looking to show more for than the equivalent game last year when they were pumped by 72 points by the Power.
Matt Rosa (who was a late inclusion for the ill Jack Martin) got Gold Coast off to a great start when he steered a goal through after 90 seconds, but the Power soon steadied.
Goals to Chad Wingard, Sam Gray and Tom Rockliff put the Power in front, before debutant Jacob Heron answered for the Suns.
The first quarter ended with Port leading by nine points, but the second term was much more of a slog with only two goals scored and the lead was out to 13 points.
The Power missed opportunities, but the Suns were bringing as much pressure as they could in the conditions.
The problem for the Suns as the game wore on was that they had far less forward entries than Port Adelaide, and when they did go forward quite often the ball was chopped off by the Power's solid defence.
Port Adelaide ended up with nine marks inside 50 to the Suns' one — a sign, perhaps of the absence of talls for Gold Coast like the injured Tom Lynch and Peter Wright and the suspended Sam Day.
That lead was out to 20 points by the final change, and Gold Coast's young side tired in the final quarter, failing to score as Port Adelaide finished things off with a three-goal final term.
Both sides will now have the bye in round 10, before the Suns will breathe a sigh of relief as they finally get to play a game at their home ground at Carrara — the stadium has been out of bounds for the first part of the season due to the Commonwealth Games.
Meanwhile Ken Hinkley's men have kept up their challenge for the top four, although Melbourne and Hawthorn could still overtake them by the end of the round.
Essendon v Geelong
Essendon has rebounded from a week of heavy scrutiny to thump Geelong, ripping up the form book with a 34-point win at the MCG.
The Bombers were unrecognisable from their previous month's efforts in the 12.12 (84) to 7.8 (50) success.
John Worsfold's side came into the contest on the back of a loss against previously-winless rivals Carlton, sacking key assistant Mark Neeld in the aftermath.
Their clash with the third-placed Cats wasn't supposed to be close.
And it wasn't.
Zach Merrett and Dyson Heppell were heroic in midfield, high-pressure specialist Devon Smith led a fleet of tackle-hungry Bombers and Shaun McKernan was the game's dominant forward with a four-goal haul, all in the first half.
Cale Hooker was super in defence and first-gamer Jordan Ridley had 25 disposals but the Bombers had few passengers.
From the outset Essendon brought a ferocious intensity Chris Scott's side couldn't handle, both out-tackling them and seeing more of the footy.
The Bombers were ruthless hunters and clean users.
Time and again they took the game on, kicking through the corridor and getting their reward with goals over the back.
The Cats just couldn't get started and saw the game slip away during an awful second term, scoring just one point.
A behind scored by Gary Ablett prevented the Cats from their first point-less quarter in eight years.
Geelong's Brownlow Medallists Patrick Dangerfield (23 disposals, two goals) and Ablett (15 disposals) had little impact on the contest, with Dangerfield even spending time in the ruck.
The Cats had few winners and didn't take a mark inside 50 until time-on in the last term.
Four goals in the fourth quarter, including three from Tom Hawkins, saved the Cats from a low score of historic proportions.
AAP
Kangaroos bounce the Giants in Hobart
A five-goal third term from Ben Brown has inspired North Melbourne to a 43-point win over an understrength Greater Western Sydney in Hobart.
Kept scoreless in Saturday afternoon's first half, Brown starred in the 'premiership quarter', as the Kangaroos powered home to a 17.10 (112) to 9.15 (69) victory.
The Tasmanian native, who extended his lead in the race for the Coleman Medal, was supported by a four-goal haul from veteran Jarrad Waite.
In a match that swung towards whoever had the breeze, North Melbourne opened up a 33-point lead heading into the last quarter.
GWS had the wind behind them in the final term at Bellerive Oval but couldn't track the Roos down.
The win backs up North Melbourne's strong showing last weekend against Richmond and strengthens the Kangaroos' top-eight claims.
They were stronger in the clearances, while Shaun Higgins finished with a game-high 28 touches.
Waite — a last-minute inclusion after overcoming a corked hip — was in the thick of the action early.
He kicked three goals for the opening quarter, opening a 34-11 lead at the first break.
The Giants grabbed the momentum in the second quarter, kicking four-straight goals and hitting lead midway through the term.
Mason Wood nabbed a goal with his first touch to help GWS to a slender 52-47 advantage at half-time.
Brown had been kept quiet by the returning Tim Mohr but put his stamp on the match with back-to-back goals to open the third quarter.
He put the exclamation mark on a dominant quarter with his fifth moments before the siren, giving the Kangaroos a 92-59 lead.
Trent Dumont landed a crucial first blow for North against the wind in the last term before the Giants fell away.
GWS again struggled to convert their chances without a host of key players including co-captain Phil Davis, Josh Kelly and Brett Deledio.
Stephen Coniglio led the touches for GWS with 25, while Jacob Hopper was also strong.
AAP
AFL ladder
ABC / AAP
Topics: australian-football-league, sport
First posted
