Tiger beats Lion in thriller as Bomber defeats COVID-stricken Kangaroo

Richmond had jumped from 42 points behind to secure a superb win over the Brisbane Lions at MCG.

In Sunday’s other fixtures, the Gold Coast beat the West Coast by three points, while Essendon beat COVID-hit North Melbourne by eight goals.

After conceding the first six goals for most of the game against the Lions, the Tigers took the lead in the 16th minute of the final quarter.

The two sides traded punches for the final stages, with veteran Mitch Robinson missing a golden opportunity to put the Lions back in front after picking up a free kick from 15 yards.

A fatal error from defender Darcy Gardiner allowed Tigers star Tom Lynch to score his fourth and last-minute winner.

The Tigers ended a three-game winless run to win 15.14 (104) to 14.13 (97) in Shane Edwards’ 300th senior appearance.

Importantly for Richmond, it provides a great opportunity for the ninth-placed Tigers to play in this year’s final with the last three games in favor of the season.

But for the Lions, this is a major blow to their top four aspirations and any confidence they will gain from a first win at MCG since 2014.

Chris Fagan’s team have lost 10 games in a row at the venue leading up to the clash but appear to be on track to end their woes after producing a hot start.

They led by 42 points during the second half and still held on to six goals in the first half.

But Richmond produced scintillating football reminiscent of their premiership era, thanks in large part to Shai Bolton, Lynch and emerging youngster Noah Cumberland.

Having played last week when the sirens went off and Richmond drew with Fremantle, Cumberland stepped up to a career-best five goals in a stellar form.

Cumberland kept the Tigers in early contest, kicking in their first three goals as the Lions piled majors from the other end.

Richmond co-captain Dylan Grimes was left devastated after sustaining a hamstring injury in the third quarter.

Lions dynamo Zac Bailey was sent for a scan for a chest injury after being subbed out in the second quarter, bringing ruckman Darcy Fort into the game.

The Lions were rocked before the game when in-form defender Brandon Starcevich resigned due to tightness in the quad, with former Geelong utility Nakia Cockatoo in his place.

The Tigers travel to face Port Adelaide the following Saturday night, while the Lions return to Gabba to face Carlton on Sunday.

Stringer shoot for Bomber

Jake Stringer has impressed with his five goals against Kangaroos.(Getty Images: Daniel Pockett)

Jake Stringer scored five goals to help Essendon to a 48-point win over North Melbourne.

The Bombers posted their highest score of the year in a 17.12 (114) to 9.12 (66) win at Docklands, making it five wins from their last seven games,

Stringer was busy early on, sparking Essendon with three first-quarter goals.

And although his scoreboard impact cooled through the middle stages, his impact on the match was telling.

He finished with 14 releases, six tackles and 11 highest scoring engagements in the game.

Stringer hit 5.3 – just one goal below his career-best tally – including two majors from four shots in the last half.

Kangaroos dominated clearances (42-22) and had more inside-50s than their opponents in the first three quarters but were far less efficient going forward.

Cam Zurhaar was a threat in attack for Kangaroo, finishing with four goals, but spearhead Nick Larkey (0.3) struggled with poor delivery and was held to a goalless streak by Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.

Jy Simpkin (40 releases), Jaidyn Stephenson (32) and Luke Davies-Uniacke (23) worked hard for the losing goal.

Essendon were best served by Zach Merrett (37 releases, eight clearances), Mason Redman (32 releases) and Nick Hind (22), while taller James Stewart played forward and hit three goals — his first score in two years.

Already hit hard by COVID-19, North Melbourne lost Lachie Young and Jack Mahony to late draws before bouncing back.

The pair were joined by teammates Aidan Corr, Paul Curtis and Aaron Hall on the sidelines via viral protocol.

Essendon also took a late hit as Dylan Shiel was ruled out with a hamstring problem.

Sun eagle

Mabior Chol played a major role in the Suns win.(AAP: Jono Searle)

A career-best five-goal result by Gold Coast’s Mabior Chol in his 50th AFL game has secured the Suns a landmark win over the West Coast.

The hosts held off the fast-paced Eagles to maintain their narrow hopes of the final, sealing Mal Rosas Jnr with 15 seconds to play to secure a 16.11 (107) to 16.8 (104) win at Metricon Stadium.

The Eagles scored seven goals to three in the last season to almost pinch victory, having trailed by 31 points early in the fourth quarter.

Chol scored five goals while livewire minor striker Izak Rankine scored the main three, with Rosas and Jeremy Sharp scoring twice each for the Suns.

Jack Darling scored the same career-best six goals for the Eagles, with Jack Petruccelle ending with three and Liam Ryan and Jack Redden with two each.

Suns co-captain Touk Miller was once again the home man of the match with 31 releases, 16 clearances and 10 tackles.

West Coast rookie Jai Culley had a day to forget, elbowing Suns midfielder Noah Anderson in the head in the second quarter and then limping in the fourth with a hamstring injury.

The Eagles started brilliantly with Darling and Jack Redden kicking the visitors into an early lead before the Suns hit back with five unanswered goals to make it 16 points at the break.

West Coach Adam Simpson will regret his team bombed some good chances to score, with Ryan and Connor West at fault.

The Gold Coast extended their lead to 37 points when Sharp scored the Suns’ 10th goal in the second half, before Ryan’s running goal cut the gap to 30 at half-time.

Culley added to the Eagles woes with an elbow on Anderson that almost certainly would have caught the attention of the Match Oversees.

Two goals for Darling and another by Petruccelle reduced the margin to 13 points as the Eagles came out of the shooting range for the third period.

Anderson’s smart pick-up and carry before finishing kept the hosts satisfied, with Sharp closing off some good work by Rankine to keep the Eagles at bay heading into the final quarter.

Rankine was denied fourth by the ARC after a sensational snap of the limit was decided to have shaved the post.

The decision did not cost the Suns, however, with Chol putting all three after the sirens after hanging the mark to make up a 25-point margin at the end of the third quarter.

Chol and Darling swapped goals early in the last quarter before an athletic mark on the back line by Ryan allowed the livewire Eagles to go forward for their second shot and keep the visitors on the run.

Darling’s six of the day cut the margin to 13 points before Petuccelle fired his third to put the contest on the knife edge.

When Redden hit the ball from close range, the Gold Coast’s lead had been reduced to just two points with little more than eight minutes to play.

Chol’s fifth goal gave the Suns room to breathe after Jake Waterman fired right at the right player, in a costly miss for the Eagles.

Waterman cut the margin to less than a goal with less than a minute left, but Rosas’ finish ensured Jamaine Jones’ Eagle effort at the sirens was nothing but consolation.

Ladder

AAP/ABC

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