Aussie winter Sports thread

Pies get their best win of the season, kicking 3 goals in the last 4 minutes to win by a point and really cruel Brisbane's top 4 chances. If Port and Geelong both win tonight Brisbane can't finish any higher than 5th.

In the NRL Bulldogs and Cowboys had big wins over meek opposition. Pretty disappointing round of Rugby League apart from the game of the season on Thursday night.

Well, another staggering day in the AFL. Port and GWS are guaranteed top 4 after Port won the Showdown. They will probably play each other after Geelong blew a 33 point lead against a resurgent St Kilda. However the Cats last game is v West Coast at Kardinia Park so who knows what the margin may be there? I don't how big a margin you'd need to catch up 6% but it could be on.

The lower half will have some clarity after tomorrow. If a hopelessly undermanned Carlton can't defeat West Coast (coming off two wins) in Perth then they're cooked, unless Western Bulldogs or Hawthorn manage to lose to the Kangaroos or Richmond respectively.

In the NRL Dragons go back into the 8 if they defeat the Titans. Sharks can stay in the 4 for another week if they knock off Newcastle at home. The Knights season is hanging by a very slender thread.

To fall into 8th, Collingwood need to beat Melbourne next week, for Carlton to lose in Perth and then to St Kilda and then for Port to beat Freo in Perth. Failing that they need the Bulldogs (Kangaroos and Giants) and Hawthorn (Tigers and Kangaroos) to both lose out. I'd say the former contrivances are more likely than the latter with both exceedingly thin.

Carlton beat West Coast. Pies out.

Dragons beat Titans. They're in...for now.

Kangaroos and Melbourne forward Ben Brown (Mophead) retires after kicking 359 goals in 175 games. A little sad as he was an absolute gun in a terrible team at North and then couldn't get his body right when he went to a good team in Melbourne. Did win a premiership there, and was pretty good in the finals series and Grand Final. Mason Cox called him "The nicest guy and best family man in footy." Happy trails Ben!

More retirements today. Geelong's Zack Touhy, the AFL's most capped Irishman (and only 2nd Irishman to win a premiership after Thadg Kenelly) calling it quits at the end of the year. 3x Premiership Tigers Dylan Grimes and Liam Shiels also retired and then Marlion Pickett also joined the retirees list.

Loved Touhy. Good footballer in the same wat Paul Collingwood was a good cricketer. Competent at everything, won you the odd match and almost never a liability.

And Ron Coote's been elevated to Immortal status in the NRL HOF. 6 premierships as a player is a lot, though well before my time.

Probably should talk about Sam Landsberger the young cricket and AFL journalist who was hit by a truck at an intersection in Melbourne during the week and died aged 35. Truck driver stopped at the scene and tested negative to drugs and alcohol.

This is really sad. A lot of Victorian cricketers like Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell put out tributes. All the AFL journalists are paying tribute. Sam's father, a doctor, put out a gut wrenching tribute for his son. Reminds me of Clinton Grybas' death in the amount of people who knew him within sport and, because they were both young, had personal relationships with the athletes as they were the beat reporters, so to speak, in their fields relatively recently.

So in AFL what we know is that the Swans will finish top and host the 1st qualifying Final against any 1 of three teams: Geelong, GWS or Port, who will all finish top 4 though the order is a mystery. Brisbane will host the elimination final against any one of 3 teams: Freo, Carlton or Bulldogs, none of whom are guaranteed a finals spot. Hawthorn will finish 6th or 7th and are guaranteed an elimination final at the MCG. Both Carlton and the Bulldogs are guaranteed finals with a win.

In the NRL Roosters will move to 2nd if they win on the Gold Coast. Cronulla will either be 2nd or 3rd if they beat the Dragons. Dragons have a free swing as they will stay 8th regardless of the result. With a win they'll have all but qualified, 4 points clear of 9th placed Brisbane with 2 winnable games to come.