New Dee's remarkable MSD audition; gun group of Cats mids flex muscles

See the full list of draftees from the MSD HERE.

Champion VFL full-forward Brodie McLaughlin sent one last message to AFL recruiters ahead of the mid-season draft with a destructive seven-goal haul to lead the Box Hill Hawks to a thrilling five-point win over his former club Williamstown at DSV Stadium on Friday night.

Former teammate Joel Fitzgerald’s final audition for Williamstown was also remarkable with another 39 disposals, eight clearances, nine tackles and seven inside-50s, but it wasn’t enough as listed Hawks Flynn Perez, Harry Morrison, Sam Butler and Henry Hustwaite found a way once again. Fitzgerald’s individual showing was noted by Melbourne who picked hm up at 16 in the MSD.

Southport champion Boyd Woodcock will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his ACL in the Sharks’ 32-point win over Port Melbourne at Fankhauser Reserve on Saturday.

Co-captains Jacob Dawson (28 disposals, 12 clearances, two goals) and Brayden Crossley (21, 55 hitouts) were also brilliant as the Sharks quelled the Borough challenge despite 33 disposals and 10 clearances from Essendon discard Ben Hobbs.

Geelong consolidated its position a game clear on top of the ladder after hauling in a 28-point first-quarter deficit to account for third-placed Sydney by 14 points at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.

The Cats have a VFL midfield – Jack Bowes, James Worpel, Mitch Knevitt, George Stevens, Oli Wiltshire, Hunter Holmes – that would be the envy of several AFL teams and they proved it after conceding the first five goals to a red-hot Swans outfit.

Hayden McLean kicked three of those first five goals for the Swans, while Joel Hamling was magnificent with 25 touches, 17 marks and a goal, Harry Cunningham was everywhere with 29 disposals, Jesse Dattoli had 25 and Peter Ladhams 23, 25 hitouts and a goal, but the Cats just had too much class in the middle.

Four weeks ago Coburg sat on the bottom of the ladder, but the Lions are now inside the top 10 after Jaidyn Stephenson and Joel Trudgeon inspired a 36-point thrashing of Carlton in the Sydney Rd Derby at Barry Plant Park on Sunday.

While a Carlton team chasing six wins in a row put some respectability on the scoreboard with seven goals to five in the last time, the Blues were never in the game as Trudgeon (31 disposals, two goals) and Flynn Gentile (28, one goal) dominated through the middle, while 2020 AFL Rising Star Stephenson was unstoppable in attack to kick 5.4 from 17 touches that gave him 14 goals in his past three games in a reminder of his vast talents.

Ben Camporeale’s turn as captain was brilliant for Carlton, putting in an audition for an AFL debut with 31 touches, seven clearances and a goal.

Casey Demons had lost their previous two games by 122 and 48 points and been largely uncompetitive in both matches, but produced a remarkable turnaround to consign reigning premier Footscray to a fourth-straight defeat in a 35-point upset at Casey Fields.

Luker Kentfield, however, answered the challenge with back-to-back goals as Casey steadied with the last four strikes to win convincingly and resurrect its season.

Kentfield and Jake Melksham kicked four goals each for the Demons, but Andy Moniz-Wakefield was the dominant force with 32 possessions, 10 marks, seven tackles and three goals in a display that should surely put him on the plane to Alice Springs.

Bulldogs ruckman Lachlan Smith was their best with 26 disposals, 40 hitouts, eight clearances and a goal, but received a one-match suspension after an early plea for striking Jesse Craven in the third quarter.

Richmond’s Sam Toner put in another star turn, picking up 24 disposals, 10 marks and three goals in a losing cause with support from Samson Ryan (17, 27 hitouts, two goals) as the Tigers fell to Essendon by 18 points at Windy Hill on Saturday, with former Giant and Crow Jackson Hately the Bombers’ match-winner with 28 touches, 10 clearances and two goals and Suns Academy graduate Jared Eckersley kicking four goals.

Werribee reminded everyone of what it was capable of with a convincing 31-point win over Collingwood at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday, a win dominated by former North Melbourne midfielder Charlie Lazzaro (33 disposals, 12 clearances), Jaelen Pavlidis (29, 13 marks), Dom Brew (26, nine clearances, one goal) and MSD hope Sam Azzi (23, 10 marks), with Harvey Harrison (25, two goals) being best for the Magpies.

North Melbourne doubled the efforts of its AFL team, twice coming from behind to account for Gold Coast by 13 points at Arden St, sparked by 22 disposals and three goals for Zac Fisher and strong displays from Robert Hansen (32) and Tom Blamires (29), with defenders Cooper Collins (25, 14 marks) and Caleb Lewis (23, 10 marks) doing their best to keep the Suns’ noses in front.

Sandringham landed a stunning come-from-behind win over a profligate Frankston, booting six last-quarter goals to win by eight points after hitting the target only twice before three quarter-time. The Dolphins turned back the clock to 2023, spraying 6.16 and paying the ultimate price despite dominating every statistical category as Jhett Haeata and Blake Watson nailed amazing late goals for the Zebras.

GWS Giants survived a late scare to cruise to a comfortable 30-point win over the Brisbane Lions at Engie Stadium and climb to second as Jack Ough continued his awesome touch with another 40 possessions, 11 marks and eight clearances, while Joey Delana and captain Ryan Hebron kicked four goals each, a tally matched by Lions young gun Cody Curtin.

Smith’s suspension was the only one, with Footscray captain Dan Orgill and Casey Demons pair Luis D’Angelo and Tom Matthews given reprimands for wrestling, while Essendon’s Jake Egan, Richmond’s Olli Hotton and Werribee debutant Zane Keighran were all reprimanded for umpire contact.