Live: Retiring Hawk great’s running goal sparks stirring scenes

Gunston celebrated what he thought was goal number seven a few minutes ago, only for the snicko to overrule it after the fact.

No overruling this one though. A good mark in the pocket and a lovely snap around the body. Are we on alert for 10 here?

Half a dozen for the veteran forward, this one set up by another veteran forward in Luke Breust. Breust could have laid one on to Ginnivan in space too but made the popular choice in spotting up Gunston instead.

This is now officially the best goalkicking season of Jack Gunston’s career. He’s kicked 59 goals and seemingly has plenty more to come.

After a pretty even first quarter, the Bombers are currently running away with things in Canberra.

They’ve kicked the last six goals of the game and have stretched a two-point QT to a 28-point advantage at the back of the second quarter.

Debutant Holly Ridewood has booted two majors and looks right at home.

A long way back for GWS – we’ll keep you updated.

It was a dominant showing from the Kangaroos at Kardinia Park in the end.

Five goals in the final quarter saw them romp to a 30-point victory, but only after Geelong had been wasteful in the previous term, in which the Cats managed just two behinds despite dominating much of the territory.

Irish import Blaithin Bogue kicked two goals on debut for North Melbourne, while Alice O’Loughlin was typically dangerous.

A strong showing from the defending Premiers and a real warning shot to the rest of the league, just in case they needed one.

North Melbourne 8.3 (51) defeats Geelong 3.3 (21)

Melbourne had a bit of a crack at the start of the quarter but that soon faded away as Hawthorn stretched its lead out to 43 points at the final turn.

The Hawks are having fun with it now, just looking to feed Jack Gunston and giving Luke Breust a bit of a run around. They are a quarter away from locking in a finals appearance.

A bit of an arm chop, a bit of a clip to the head, a free kick either way. But again Gunston had to absolutely roost a set shot from just about 50 out to make sure of it. He’s kicking it brilliantly today.

Gunston is one goal away from setting a new PB for goals in a season. He’ll be 34 in October.

The Dees have given it a crack in this third quarter but aren’t anywhere near as efficient going inside 50 – a very familiar problem for Melbourne.

Petty took a strong mark in the contest, and might have been held as well, then drilled the set shot.

As the ball broke to Breust and he closed in on goal, each and every one of his teammates began pointing at the big sticks, demanding he take the shot. He ran around to make a snap of it and absolutely buried it.

Every Hawk out there joined the celebrations as the Hawks fans let rip with a rather spirited Breuuuuuuuuuuust. They won’t have many more chances to celebrate this champion player.

The Hawks fans are delighted to see their retiring champ get a run out for the first time today.

They are less delighted to see Nick Watson is the man subbed off… but the word is it’s only a tactical sub.

What a truly remarkable season this bloke is having, and it’s still getting better. The Hawks broke with pace through the middle of the ground and Jiath’s kick have Gunston a great run at it.

But the set shot was the real thing of beauty there. A bomb from 45 out on a tight angle, on the wrong side for a right-footer. No matter, Gunston has four.

Really quick start from Melbourne in this second half, who sprung quickly from the wing and caught the Hawks defence cold.

Chandler got a quick left-footed snap away and rode the bounce through. Let’s see if the Dees fancy a fightback in this half.

There’s not a whole lot to write home about with that quarter, other than things got a little heated there after the siren and Harrison Petty was awarded a free kick.

He took a shot form 90m out and I reckon it went about 40m.

There’s no surprise to anyone that James Sicily is right in the middle of it all, looking both aggrieved and angry at the same time.

I can’t tell what happened, but there can’t have been a whole lot in it. Save your energy for the second half boys.

Dylan Moore (20 touches and two goals) has been excellent for the Hawks, but Jack Gunston (nine touches and 3.3) has been the one who has been lighting up the MCG.

Hard to see Melbourne fighting back in this one, so we wait for the arrival of Luke Breust as the sub for a bit of excitement.

The Hawks had kicked the past five goals but the Demons finally break the run via Clayton Oliver.

It comes from a turnover in the middle of the ‘G, eventually landing with Christian Petracca, who handballs to the open Oliver.

Back to 34 points.

The weather is just as bad at Kardinia Park, and it means scoring goals in any way you possibly can.

Irish debutant Blaithin Bogue soccers one through for the Kangaroos, and North are in control against Geelong.

Gunston kicks another one, this time from a snap around the corner, and that makes it 3.3 for the game.

Steven May isn’t on him anymore and he’s still causing havoc.

Blake Howes has the job now and he mustn’t be thrilled about that.

He kicked the first of the game, and now he has the first of the second quarter.

It’s a set shot from about 40m out and there’s no doubt about it off the boot.

Hawks lead by 33 points.

Carlton’s road to redemption has begun with a 54-point smashing of Port Adelaide, led by Harry McKay’s equal career-high seven goals.

With Michael Voss’ future as coach secure into next year, the Blues raced out of the blocks at Docklands Stadium on Saturday with their best first half of the season — 13.5 to lead by 55 points at the main break.

Carlton were never threatened by a lacklustre Port in Ken Hinkley’s penultimate game as Power coach, kicking the first six goals in just 10 minutes on their way to a dominant 18.10 (118) to 9.10 (64) win.

After finishing off strongly in last week’s defeat to Gold Coast with a blistering final term, the Blues again played more like the finals team of 2023 and 2024 than the strugglers of 2025.

Star Blues forward McKay was back to his best, booting four first-half goals in a commanding and confident display.

McKay finished with seven, his best return in a game since his Coleman Medal season of 2021, after battling injuries and mental ill health this year.

But the dominance started from the Blues’ midfield, winning clearances 30-10 in the first half, including a staggering 16-3 from the centre.

The return of star midfielder Sam Walsh was profound, playing his first game since round 13 after battling a foot injury.

Tom De Koning, who is expected to accept a monster contract from St Kilda in the trade period, was immense back in the ruck.

Carlton had been using De Koning up forward and as a second ruck option for large parts of this season, but he has shown the last two weeks he is best suited to the middle.

Preliminary finalists last year, Port have been crawling to the end of the home-and-away season.

It was hard to find any winners for them against the Blues, but rookie forward Jack Whitlock showed promise with the first three goals of his career.

Port will be desperate to put in a better showing next Friday night when they farewell Hinkley and club legend Travis Boak when they host Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval.

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GWS has turned to an unlikely goal source to all but secure its AFL finals berth and ensure Gold Coast’s remains firmly on ice.

Harry Rowston had just one goal in 15 games before Saturday, when he booted four for the Giants in a 17.9 (111) to 11.10 (76) win at Carrara Stadium.

Victory would have likely meant an end to the Suns’ 15-year wait for a finals campaign.

And they looked likely after stalling the Giants’ fast start in the second term.

But with the Giants chasing their own finals-clinching victory, it was the visitors who tore clear behind supreme pressure and devastatingly accurate set-shot kicking.

Rowston’s haul, Max Gruzewski’s three majors and three other multiple goal-kickers ensured the Giants weren’t exposed by the absence of injured spearheads Jesse Hogan and Jake Stringer.

The win was the Giants’ sixth straight against their expansion rivals and 15th from their past 16 encounters.

It almost certainly locks in their finals berth — the Giants’ third straight under Adam Kingsley — and keeps their top-four hopes alive.

The Suns’ September plans remain in pencil. They likely still need at least one win from their final-round double-header — against Port Adelaide and Essendon — to play in their first post-season since their 2011 admission.

The Suns had tidied up defensively, matched the Giants’ pressure and clawed their way back from a 20-point deficit to trail by just four when Ben Ainsworth chipped through his set shot.

But it all swung after a remonstrating Ben Long gave away a 50m penalty in the goal square for remonstrating over a free kick.

The ball popped out the back at the other end and Darcy Jones ran into an open goal.

Aaron Cadman won a free kick minutes later and the Giants had their third in the final four minutes of the half when 21-year-old Rowston marked and goaled after the siren.

The margin, suddenly out to 22, stretched further with Rowston’s fourth to begin the third term.

Ben King’s first kick of the game — midway through the third term — was pure and briefly breathed some life into the Suns.

But again the Giants ran away from the bounce and replied through Gruzewski.

Goals to Jake Ricciardi and Toby Bedford, awarded a free kick when officials felt Alex Davies was taking on a tackle, all but sealed the result with time left in the third term.

Finn Callaghan led the Giants’ midfield, while Suns star Matt Rowell was well held.

The lead swelled to 45 points and shaped as a potentially damaging percentage blow to the Suns, before they kicked three late goals.

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It was the Jack Gunston show in that quarter.

The Demons marks for the match, right across the ground. Gunston has five marks to himself, and all of them have been inside-50.

The veteran has been all over Steven May, but has benefitted from some lovely field kicking into the attacking 50, particularly by Jack Ginnivan.

For the Demons, it’s the forward line again that’s struggling, with no real indication of who their key weapon is.

Huge game for the Hawks, and they’re meeting the occasion.