AFL R15 review: Carlton, Brisbane win big as Cats, Power flop

Carlton and Brisbane were the biggest winners in round 15 of the 2024 AFL season, while a few early-season contenders continued to slide.

The Blues kicked off the round with an impressive 63-point win over Geelong at the MCG on Friday night.

Carlton forward Charlie Curnow starred with five goals, while young ruckman Tom De Koning continued his stellar form with 25 disposals, 34 hitouts, seven clearances and a goal.

Blues midfielders Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh and Matthew Kennedy were dominant as the Princes Park club consolidated second spot on the AFL ladder.

It was a horror night for Geelong, who suffered their sixth defeat in seven weeks as captain Patrick Dangerfield copped a one-match ban for a dangerous tackle in his first game back from injury.

Bet365 has pushed the 2022 premiers out to $23 to win the flag this year, while the Blues are second in the queue at $4.50.

Saturday’s matchup between Port Adelaide and Brisbane was also billed as a heavyweight contest, but the home side looked well and truly outclassed as the Lions romped to a 79-point win.

Brisbane forward Eric Hipwood continued his resurgence with five majors on a day when Chris Fagan’s side finished with no fewer than eight multiple goalkickers.

With three wins on the bounce, Brisbane have jumped up to the fourth line of premiership betting at $10 with online bookmakers.

For the Power ($41), three consecutive defeats have left them hanging onto their top-eight spot by a thread.

The GWS Giants also had something to prove after a mixed run of form, but they were no match for the soaring Sydney Swans when they met at ENGIE Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Only three points separated the two teams at quarter time, but the Swans flipped the switch in the second stanza with seven goals to one and cruised from there to win by 27 points.

Sydney wingman Errol Gulden was the standout with 41 disposals, one goal and 973 metres gained in what was another clinical performance from the league’s runaway leaders.

The Swans are three games clear at the top and paying just $3 to win the flag, while GWS — who were outright premiership favourites early in the year — have slipped to $12.

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Saturday night’s clash between Melbourne and North Melbourne at the MCG was tipped to be one of the more predictable games of the round, but the Kangaroos had other ideas.

Having trailed all night, Alastair Clarkson’s men booted five unanswered goals in the final term to fall just three points short.

It was another agonising loss for the last-placed Kangaroos after their capitulation against Collingwood in round 14, while the under-fire Demons will have walked away with more questions than answers.

The action continued on Sunday at Marvel Stadium as Essendon bolstered their top-four position with a 30-point win over the West Coast Eagles.

It was a back-and-forth affair all day, and Bombers fans would have been nervous when the Eagles reduced the margin to within a kick late in the third quarter.

However, it ended up being a relatively comfortable win for Essendon, with Jake Stringer booting five goals as Sam Durham and Zach Merrett starred in the midfield.

Although the Dons are third on the ladder, AFL betting sites have them on the ninth line of premiership betting at $26.

Over in Perth, the Gold Coast Suns flopped on the road again as Fremantle moved up to fifth place on the AFL ladder with a 20-point victory.

After a tight first quarter, the Dockers changed gears and never looked back, pushing the margin out as far as six goals during the third term.

Freo youngster Hayden Young was the standout with 24 disposals and three goals, while midfield guns Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong continued their strong form.

The Dockers now sit two points short of the top four, with online bookies giving them a $3.75 chance of securing a home final.

The Suns, meanwhile, are a full game away from the top eight, paying as much as $3 to reach the finals for the first time.

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