Saturday’s AFL action delivered a packed day of football drama, with the Western Bulldogs dismantling Greater Western Sydney, Adelaide ending a long drought against Collingwood at the MCG, Geelong staging a stirring comeback against Fremantle, and Sydney holding off Brisbane in a clash between two premiership contenders.
Across the four matches there were standout individual performances, dramatic momentum swings and early-season statements from several clubs with finals ambitions.
The Western Bulldogs underlined their premiership credentials with a dominant 21.8 (134) to 7.11 (53) victory over Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium.
Once a fierce rivalry that captured the AFL world’s attention, clashes between the two clubs have recently been dominated by the Bulldogs. Saturday’s win marked the Dogs’ fifth straight victory over the Giants and their ninth win from the past 10 meetings.
Captain Marcus Bontempelli led from the front with a commanding display, finishing with 33 disposals, six clearances and three goals in a performance likely to attract maximum Brownlow Medal votes.
The Bulldogs’ midfield overwhelmed the Giants at stoppages, winning the clearance count 45–26. Matthew Kennedy contributed 27 disposals and eight clearances, while Tom Liberatore added 29 disposals and six clearances in another tough performance.
Up forward, the Bulldogs’ towering pairing of Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy again proved unstoppable. Naughton kicked six goals, while Darcy added four, continuing their strong record against the Giants.
Defensively the Bulldogs were just as impressive, with Buku Khamis and Rory Lobb intercepting repeatedly to blunt GWS attacks.
Giants captain Toby Greene battled hard with 26 disposals and six clearances, but the visitors were unable to match the Bulldogs’ relentless pressure and attacking power.
The win lifted the Bulldogs to the top of the ladder, at least temporarily, and reinforced their status as a genuine contender in 2026.
Adelaide celebrated a significant breakthrough with a 13.15 (93) to 11.13 (79) victory over Collingwood at the MCG, ending a run of losses at the venue against the Magpies that stretched back to 2014.
The contest was tightly fought in the first half, but Adelaide took control in the third quarter with a devastating burst of scoring.
The Crows kicked six goals in less than 20 minutes after halftime to establish a match-winning lead.
Riley Thilthorpe was influential in attack with three goals, while Darcy Fogarty added two.
Across half-back, Wayne Milera produced one of the best performances of his career with 34 disposals and more than 650 metres gained, repeatedly launching Adelaide attacks.
Josh Worrell also impressed early with 27 disposals and nine intercept possessions.
Collingwood threatened a comeback in the final quarter, with Jamie Elliott and Lachie Schultz helping reduce the margin to two goals. However, a crucial late goal to Fogarty halted the Magpies’ momentum.
Nick Daicos starred for Collingwood with 33 disposals and two goals, while veteran Scott Pendlebury moved into second place on the AFL’s all-time games list, closing in on Brent Harvey’s long-standing record.
For Adelaide, the victory provided the perfect start after a summer spent reflecting on last year’s disappointing finals exit.
Geelong produced a dramatic fightback to defeat Fremantle by 10 points at GMHBA Stadium after trailing heavily early in the match.
The Dockers dominated the opening quarter, posting their highest first-quarter score outside Western Australia and leading by 33 points at the first break.
Luke Jackson, Hayden Young and Andrew Brayshaw controlled the midfield during that early surge, giving Fremantle the perfect start.
But Geelong gradually clawed its way back into the contest.
The Cats increased their pressure around the ball and began to win territory as the match progressed. By the final quarter they had wrestled back the momentum and eventually hit the front.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir lamented missed opportunities, particularly in the second half when the Dockers kicked 3.8 after halftime.
Geelong’s resilience ultimately proved decisive as the Cats held their nerve late to secure an important early-season victory.
Sydney delivered an impressive 15.14 (104) to 8.12 (60) victory over Brisbane at the SCG, but the strong win was tempered by injury concerns to stars Errol Gulden and Isaac Heeney.
The Swans controlled the match from the opening bounce, taking advantage of an undermanned Lions side to start the season 2–0 under new coach Dean Cox.
However, the mood was mixed after Gulden injured his shoulder late in the game and left the field with his arm in a sling. Cox said the club would wait for scans to determine the severity of the injury.
“It’s a shoulder of some sort. We’re going to get that looked at in the next day or two,” Cox said.
There was slightly more optimism about Heeney, who came off after feeling tightness in his hamstring following a centre bounce.
“We don’t want to risk that at all,” Cox said. “We’ll assess it over the next couple of days.”
On the field, Joel Amartey starred with five goals, helping power Sydney’s attacking dominance. His performance helped offset a quiet night from star recruit Charlie Curnow, who was well contained and finished goalless in just his second game for the club.
Cox said he was pleased the Swans were not relying on a single forward to carry the scoring load.
“It’s pleasing that we’re not relying on one person, and we don’t want to be,” he said.
Sydney now faces a quick turnaround before travelling to play Hawthorn, with the club hoping both Gulden and Heeney recover quickly to avoid disrupting their promising start to the 2026 season.