Latest news with #Zurhaar
West Australian
10 hours ago
- Sport
- West Australian
WA Player Watch: Chad Warner, Jesse Hogan, Willie Rioli, Angus Sheldrick & more
West Coast aren't giving up their pursuit of Chad Warner, but the Sydney gun's new two-year contract has helped his form go through the roof. Here is The West Australian's WA Player Watch for round 13. Just days after West Coast chief executive Don Pyke declared he wouldn't give up in his club's pursuit of Chad Warner, the West Aussie gun starred again for Sydney. Warner had 22 touches and kicked 2.2 in the Swans' commanding bounce-back victory over the Tigers. 15 of those touches were kicks in a damaging display. Another WA Swan, Angus Sheldrick is beginning to nail down his own spot. The Claremont product had 19 disposals and 84 per cent disposal efficiency in the MCG victory. In their first-ever home game in Western Australia, North Melbourne brought six locals with them to Bunbury. Riley Hardeman, Jack Darling, Griffin Logue, Zac Fisher, Robert Hansen Jr and Cam Zurhaar all featured for the Roos in their 10-point win over West Coast in Bunbury. Hardeman continued in his role across half-back, where he has had the best run in the side of his fledgling career. He had 10 touches on a flank. It was Zurhaar and the far less likely Fisher that tore the game open in the final term. Zurhaar kicked two goals in the final quarter of the victory, while Fisher himself could have been the difference. He kicked three behinds as North played with their food in the dying stages. Darling was held goalless by an impressive Eagles backline. Greater Western Sydney's star forward has kept in touch with the league's top goalkickers, despite a frustrating night for his Giants in Canberra. Hogan kicked 2.1 in the 9.12 (66) to 7.8 (50) loss on Saturday night. He also laid five tackles. Port Adelaide's Willie Rioli kicked two goals of his own in the same game, which relieves the mounting pressure on the Power and coach Ken Hinkley. But his night will be remembered for a comical moment post-match where he spent minutes celebrating the victory with fans and taking selfies with the crowd as teammates waited to sing the team song. Power players had huddled for the song, then separated again as they chased him up. It was a lean day otherwise for Rioli, who finished with just six high-impact touches.
7NEWS
18-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
North Melbourne skipper Jy Simpkin chokes back tears in post-match interview after passing of his grandmother
North Melbourne skipper Jye Simpkin has choked back tears paying tribute to his late grandmother in an emotional post-match interview after his side won its second game of the AFL season. The Kangaroos beat Richmond by four points in a thriller at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, just days after Simpkin and his family said their goodbyes to his nan. 'Will miss your smile nan, you're with pop now. I love you,' Simpkin wrote in a post on Instagram during the week. Speaking to Fox Sports after Sunday's win, Simpkin was clearly emotional. 'Tough week, yeah. Obviously nan passing away was tough on myself, the family, everyone back home,' said the Roos captain, who is from Mooroopna in northern Victoria. 'But it happens and it's life, and I'm just so glad, as a family, I got to be there with her for her last few breaths and her last couple of hours. 'And I'm just super proud the boys got the job done for me today, and I know nan and pop will be up there looking (down) very proud.' His side ended an eight-year MCG drought with a tense four-point victory over Richmond, with Cam Zurhaar kicking four goals. Zurhaar was the most prolific forward on the ground as the Kangaroos hung on for a heart-stopping 12.6 (78) to 11.8 (74) triumph on Sunday. Tom Lynch cut the margin to six points with his second goal late in the final quarter and the Tigers had two further shots in time-on, but Kane McAuliffe and Tim Taranto fired wide. Kangaroos defender Toby Pink took a goal-saving mark opposed to Lynch in the final minute to help seal the result. After close losses to Port Adelaide and Essendon, then a draw with top side Brisbane, North (2-7-1) finally franked their improved form with a win. It was their first at the home of football following nine straight defeats in a barren run since 2017. Tristan Xerri won a titanic tussle with Toby Nankervis, both men shouldering a massive burden at ruck contests in a game littered with 137 stoppages. Xerri had 19 disposals and 52 hit-outs, helping his side to a 54-33 win at clearances. Luke Davies-Uniacke (27 disposals), Colby McKercher (22) and Simpkin (20) were also important contributors, with Nick Larkey and Jack Darling kicking two goals each. Taranto (30 touches, 10 clearances) worked tirelessly for Richmond and Seth Campbell kicked three goals, while Kamdyn McIntosh added two. But there was no fairytale finish for two-time premiership hero McIntosh in his 200th game. North were top at stoppages in the opening term and Zurhaar contributed two early goals to help his side lead at quarter-time - 6.0 to 2.1 — for the first time this season. It was the Kangaroos' second-highest first-quarter tally in 46 games under Alastair Clarkson. But a game-high 24-point lead evaporated as the Tigers turned the tables in congestion and dominated territory in the second term, reaping the benefits of their improved pressure. Richmond's Hugo Ralphsmith produced a goal-of-the-year contender when he shrugged off Colby McKercher, thought about kicking a banana, looked inside for a better option, then turned towards the boundary and dribbled a right-foot shot through from a tight angle. McIntosh kicked go-ahead goals for the Tigers at the start of both the third and fourth quarters in a see-sawing contest. But key forwards Larkey and Darling converted set shots to put the Kangaroos back in front in the last quarter and they held on in the desperate final stages for a morale-boosting win.
