AFL 2024 round 16 LIVE updates: Swans-Freo after-the-siren kick drama: Gold Coast ‘will take some stopping’ against Pies

Collingwood can never be discounted, but the Suns have been the better team tonight.

Collingwood are missing targets, and squandering opportunities they can’t afford to let slip.

Most of the talk ahead of this game centred on how many players the Magpies were getting back.

But while De Goey, Pendlebury and Mihocek have all been OK, too many have been ineffectual tonight, and too much is being left to too few.

Suns 83, Pies 57 with two mins to go in Q3.

Jake Lukocius has added to his tally for the day but Scott Pendlebury has responded for the Magpies, running onto the ball and kicking a goal.

The Magpies need to figure out how to slow down these Suns or they will need another epic comeback in the last term.

Suns 76, Pies 50 with four mins to go in Q3.

Ben King has booted his fourth goal and the Suns keep on keeping up with these Magpies.

Suns 69, Pies 44 with six mins with Q3.

Ben King has kicked his third goal after winning a free kick against Frampton.

He has been strong for the Suns tonight on his return from a minor knee injury.

Suns 61, Pies 43 with 11 mins to go in Q3.

Nick Daicos has cut the margin to under 12 points with a goal, but only after his side wasted some gettable chances.

Pies coach Craig McRae told Fox Footy he had made some small tweaks to his side’s play ahead of the second half, most of them around getting more players to contests so they are not out-numbered.

It must be working as the Magpies have had the better of the field position and scoring chances this term.

From Andrew Stafford: Nick Daicos wins a free kick for too high (oh really, you say?) and buries the goal, to bring Collingwood back within 11 points.

The Pies have had the better of the opening exchanges of the second quarter, missing two very gettable shots and winning the territory battle.

But a few players are just a little off tonight – Bobby Hill in particular has missed two shots he’d normally have swallowed whole.

Suns 54, Pies 43 with 15 mins to go in Q3.

Luke Beveridge says the Western Bulldogs will remain “on edge” despite vaulting into the top eight and discovering athletic tall Rory Lobb could be a valuable defender.

After a rugged start to the season, the Bulldogs have won five of their past seven games, the latest a 17-point win over a plucky North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.

Skipper Marcus Bontempelli, having battled a back issue through the week, was best afield with 35 disposals, including 11 clearances, while Lobb, who had managed only six senior games this season, was a major find in defence.

While he spent time in defence against Greater Western Sydney last season, this was Lobb’s first full game in a key role, and he proved adept at intercept marking and finding the ball when manned on Brynn Teakle.

Bontempelli said Lobb’s forward and ruck craft would stand him in good stead in defence, while Beveridge said Lobb was under consideration to play permanently in the back half, particularly as regular defenders Alex Keath and Ryan Gardner are injured.

“I thought he was very good, really happy with that outcome and how well Rory played. He took five intercept marks, a number of critical spoils. He was able to use his speed, at times, for a big man, to close space. And I thought he was pretty composed when he had the ball for most of the night, so that’s a real win for us,” Beveridge said.

“He is too good a player to miss out week to week.”

If the Bulldogs and Lobb agree to a permanent shift, the former Docker, who crossed to the Whitten Oval last season on big money but has struggled to have a consistent impact, could lean on teammate Liam Jones for advice. Jones was also a key forward before reinvigorating his career in defence.

Lobb had been mentioned in trade speculation earlier this season, but was so embarrassed by the media headlines that he approached Beveridge to apologise, despite admitting he had been unaware why the reports had surfaced.

“He is a great person, Rory, and I really enjoy coaching him, we all do,” Beveridge said.

“As much as I said, prior to this game, he has been searching for some consistency in a couple of areas, he has always kept his chin up. He has probably had one game since he has played with us where he probably hasn’t been at the top of his game with his mindset, and that was at the state league level where there was a lot going on in his life and behind the scenes. But, other than that one state league time, every time he has just met the challenge that we have asked him to meet, and his confidence will get a real boost from this game this afternoon.”

Bontempelli said Lobb had much to offer in defence.

“Sometimes you have just got to make it up and make it happen, and I thought it was a really good test … he was great,” Bontempelli said.

The Bulldogs now prepare to face the Power at Adelaide Oval on Saturday with their finals hopes, even a bid for a top-four berth, alive.

“We are in the mix … we should be on edge every week. As much as we will enjoy the opportunity and challenge, we have to make sure we make hay every week,” Beveridge said.

Lobb’s work in defence meant emerging star Sam Darcy, and fellow talls Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Aaron Naughton were the key targets inside 50.

“There has been a bit of inconsistent footy this year with some of us going in and out of the side, but it’s just trying to build that connection. The more games we play together, the more that will come,” Darcy said.

Darcy said the Bulldogs’ forward structure remained a work in progress, but he, Ugle-Hagan and Naughton were working well together. The trio combined for five goals, with small forward Cody Weightman providing two.

A bad mistake in the defensive goal square by Oleg Markov, who tries to do a Daicos-style handball out of mid-air to Isaac Quaynor.

Quaynor was probably too surprised to take possession, and the result is a handy goal to the Suns’ Will Graham.

They take a deserved 20-point lead into half-time.

They’ve already had 36 inside-50s, and Pies coach Craig McRae won’t want it to be 72 at full-time. There’s only so long any side can hold back the tide.

It starts in the middle for the Suns.

Jarrod Witts is having a big influence in the ruck, and Sam Flanders and Noah Anderson have brought their own Sherrin to the game.

Collectively the Suns have had nearly 60 more disposals.

The Suns are dominating possession, and have tightened up defensively to stymie Collingwood’s rebound game – and the Pies are struggling to get the ball past the centre this quarter.

Where the Suns are struggling is their delivery inside 50, and their conversion.

But boy, that was some tackle by Ben Long on Billy Frampton. He lined him up and hit him hard, low and completely within the rules, creating the goal for Jack Lukosius.

They’re going to take some stopping today, that late goal from Will Graham just capped off a super term.

Ben Long rocked a Magpies player in a tackle moments ago, folding him in two and knocking the ball free, which led to Jake Lukosius kicking an easy goal.

Minutes later, Long’s handball led to a long kick to Ben Ainsworth who marked and snapped truly.

The Magpies have a lot of work to do, they are losing the contests in all parts of the ground.

Josh Daicos has responded with a goal for the Magpies following the centre bounce. That is more like it from Collingwood.

Suns 48, Pies 33 with four mins to go in Q2.