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Bags for gun forwards; St Kilda’s VFL renaissance rolls on
Brendan Rhodes • June 9th, 2026 3:00 pm
The VFL competition continues to tighten up with no results a certainty as VFL footy’s oldest rivalry produced another classic, a couple of key forwards filled their boots and a League powerhouse continued to be whacked with the injury stick.
Let’s have a look at what happened in Round 11.
BOROUGH HANGS ON IN AGE-OLD CLASSIC
It’s one of the oldest arch-rivalries in football history, and it almost never disappoints.
That was certainly the case at ETU Stadium on Sunday as Port Melbourne regained the Johnson-Callahan Cup in a one-point epic against Williamstown, the 262nd match between the teams.
The Borough seemed in control when they booted the last four goals of the third quarter to lead by 24 points, but the Seagulls swooped home with five goals to one in the last quarter and drew within one when Kallan Dawson kicked his fifth goal in the 25th minute.
But that proved to be the last score of the game as Port Melbourne held on grimly for the last five minutes, with Williamstown’s best chance coming with the last kick of the game.
Diesel Moloney received a free kick for insufficient intent just inside 50, but his shot was marked by Tom Highmore in the goal square as the siren sounded.
In-form mid Ben Hobbs won the Frank Johnson Medal as Port’s best with 28 disposals and five clearances while Kaine Baldwin backed up last week’s six-goal haul with another four and Josh Tovey kicked 2.3 from 21 possessions.
Dawson’s career-best bag capped off the great work up the ground of Jake Greiser (29 disposals).
ELLISON LEADS FRANKSTON TO HISTORY-MAKING WIN
Corey Ellison put himself into Frosty Miller Medal calculations with seven goals as Frankston repaired its 2026 home record in beating Southport by 49 points at Kinetic Stadium on Saturday.
The Dolphins had lost all six previous meetings with the Sharks by an average of 10 goals, including in the past two finals series, but controlled this for most of what was a nightmare day for the Queenslanders.
With Ellison unstoppable as he moved within two majors of leading goalkicker Brodie McLaughlin, Darby Hipwell (33, 13 clearances, two goals) and defenders Tyson Milne (30, seven marks), Jackson Voss (29, seven marks) and Ollie Moran (24, seven marks) all brilliant, Frankston charged to a 41-point second-quarter lead and responded again after Southport cut the deficit to 10 at half-time.
The Sharks were the walking wounded by the end, with superstar co-captain Brayden Crossley (hamstring), Josh Gore (knee), Taine Dawson (leg), Hewago Oea (ankle), Cooper Macdonald (shoulder) and Tom Berry either failing to see out the game or playing hurt.
Zac Foot (28, one goal) and Max Pescud (20, three goals) reminded AFL clubs of their talent while Jacob Dawson managed 26 and 12 clearances despite Pat Dozzi’s committed hard tag.
With last week’s maiden win over Brisbane Lions, it is the first time Frankston has kicked 20 goals in consecutive weeks since 2008.
SAINTS ROLL CONTINUES ON THE ROAD
St Kilda's renaissance as a VFL team continues to gather momentum after the Saints stunned Sydney by three points at Tramway Oval on Sunday for their fourth victory in a row.
The visitors kicked six goals to three in the first quarter and responded after being run down in the second term to grab a game-high 24-point break when Joey Campigli booted two of his three goals midway through the third.
Sydney exploded with five goals in seven minutes to grab the lead turning for home and when Jake Sutton made it six in a row the Swans looked like winners, especially with an accurate 16.1 on the board, but St Kilda answered again with Billy Richardson and Dan Butler grabbing the lead back before Mitch Mellis’ snap on the siren was too little too late.
Saints Paddy Dow (32, one goal) and Jack Carroll (24) impressed in their 50th VFL games alongside Tobie Travaglia (25, 12 tackles), but the Swans will wonder how they didn’t win given the dominance of Peter Ladhams (35 disposals, 26 hitouts, eight marks, 10 clearances), Harry Cunningham (37), Mellis (24, three goals) and young key forward Tom Ryan (five goals).
BRILLIANT CLOHESY HELPS SUNS BREAK MALAISE
Gold Coast fielded its best team of the year with 18 AFL-listed players, and it showed for three quarters as the Suns held off a fast-finishing Brisbane Lions by 17 points in the QClash at People First Stadium on Saturday.
The Suns led by 52 points at three quarter-time but conceded 6.2 to 0.2 in the last term as the bottom-placed Lions showed their spirit.
Sam Clohesy was best afield for the Suns with a remarkable 43 disposals at 84 per cent efficiency, 11 marks and 15 rebounds, while debutant Archie Hill (25, 12 marks, two goals) was also brilliant and the returning Jamarra Ugle-Hagan booted four goals.
Luke Beecken (27) was the Lions’ best, while Academy and Hawthorn father-son prospect Cooper Hodge had 20 touches in his first VFL game of the year.
FREE-WHEELING TIGERS SLAP DOWN IN-FORM CHALLENGER
Werribee full-forward Brady Wright kept his name in Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal discussions with another five goals as the Tigers overcame a slow start to thrash in-form Coburg by 59 points at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday.
Wright kicked five goals to give himself 11 in two weeks and 23 in the past six, with Werribee recovering from 24 points down at quarter-time to make the wasteful Lions (3.7) pay, getting within two points at the main break before kicking 11 goals to one in the second half.
Captain Jesse Clark (23, 13 marks) and Jake Smith (24, seven marks) were terrific for the Tigers, who haven’t lost to Coburg since 2016.
ELSEWHERE…
A dour game in windy conditions exploded into a shootout in the final quarter as Tasmania returned to the winners’ list with a 14-point victory over North Melbourne at North Hobart Oval, kicking eight goals to five in the last quarter sharing just 15 in the first three terms.
Jed Hagan kicked four goals for the Devils and Ollie Lowe four for the Kangaroos, while North captain Darcy Macpherson (30 disposals, six marks, seven tackles) and Tasmanian pair Jye Menzie (23, eight marks, one goal) and Geordie Payne (25, 10 marks) starred.
Collingwood kept its flickering finals hopes alive by coming from 27 points down in the third quarter to beat Casey Demons by 12 at Casey Fields, booting the last six goals as Ned Long (33, nine clearances, seven tackles) and Lachie Sullivan (27, seven clearances) put their hands up for recalls and Harry Demattia (24, two goals) made a bid for a debut, with Joel Fitzgerald (33) and fellow mid-season draftee Lukas Cooke (32) racking them up for the Demons.
Trent Bianco (36 disposals, one goal) and Harry Morrison (33, seven marks) were outstanding as Box Hill Hawks moved into the top two with an eight-point win over reigning premier Footscray at Box Hill City Oval, kicking seven of eight goals either side of half-time in a low-scoring battle that saw Jack Billings (22, three goals) and Harvey Gallagher (29, one goal) again the Bulldogs’ best.
Ladder leader Geelong took three quarters to shake off a plucky Sandringham, kicking 6.4 to 0.1 in the last quarter for a flattering 58-point win on the back of 29 disposals, nine clearances, nine tackles and two goals from George Stevens, while Nathan Philactides impressed with 32 touches for the Zebras.
Essendon put itself in finals contention with an eight-point win over a wasteful Carlton at Windy Hill, with Tom Edwards’ outstanding 19-disposal, seven-mark, five-goal effort, Kayle Gerreyn’s four majors and Jackson Hately’s 30 touches and two goals doing the damage as the Bombers kicked 14.9 to 11.19 against a Blues team led by Cooper Lord (30 touches, 1.3).
MRP NEWS
Essendon youngster Jayden Nguyen accepted a one-match suspension (down from two with an early plea) for rough conduct on Carlton’s Ollie Warburton in the second quarter of the Bombers’ win.
Werribee’s Charlie Lazzaro, Coburg’s Maison Goodman, Frankston’s Kobe Askew and Southport’s Cooper Macdonald all accepted reprimands (down from $150 fines) for careless umpire contact.
Brady Wright image from Werribee FC on X.
