MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 22: Noah Cumberland (left) and Liam Baker of the Tigers react as the final siren sounds to signal a draw during the 2022 AFL Round 19 match between the Richmond Tigers and the Fremantle Dockers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 22, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

AFL Power Rankings Round 19- Thriller on a Friday

With a draw to start the round, and a goal after the siren late on Sunday, there was action all over Round 19.

See how your team fared amongst the thrillers of Round 19, as the race for the top four was blown wide open, and the push for finals comes down to the wire.

Check out this week's edition of the Edge of the Crowd's Power Rankings.

Last week's rankings are in brackets.

1. Geelong (1)

The Cats continued their charge towards finals, and premiership favouritism, with a tough win over the Power. The Cats have now won nine on the trot and are a game clear at the top of the ladder.

The potential of the Geelong forward line was on full display, as Tom Hawkins kicked four goals, Jeremy Cameron had three and Gary Rohan and Tyson Stengle each chipped in two.

The Cats were on the charge early, with a 34-point lead at halftime, but after Rhys Stanley was substituted out with a knee injury, the Power gained an ascendancy in the middle and fought back hard. Ultimately, the Cats had enough to hang on, but only just.

2. Brisbane (3)

It took until the final quarter for the Lions to stamp their authority on the QClash and lock in the win, but with a tough last month, the Lions will be glad to bank the four points.

Lachie Neale was instrumental with 32 disposals, but Jarrod Berry was the most significant of the Lions' midfielders. Late in the game, Berry moved on to Touk Miller to tag the Suns' midfielder, proving to be a killer blow for the Lions.

Joe Daniher and Charlie Cameron were the leaders up front with three goals each, while Hugh McCluggage and Jarryd Lyons chipped in with essential midfield goals. Brandon Starcevich played a vital role at the other end, keeping Izak Rankine quiet for most of the afternoon.

3. Melbourne (2)

The Demons' premiership favouritism has faded, and with a tough few weeks ahead, there are now questions about whether they will finish in the top four after Saturday's loss to the Bulldogs.

The Demons started well, with a five-goal run either side of quarter time, with Bayley Fritsch the star of the show with four halftime goals. Sam Weideman was a capable foil, with three goals of his own in the forward line.

Clayton Oliver was outstanding in his return from a thumb injury, with 28 disposals and 13 clearances, but Max Gawn was the star of the show for the Demons' midfield, with 40 hit outs and 25 disposals, but it wasn't enough to get them over the line.

4. Sydney (5)

The Swans jumped out to a hot start, with a second 50-point first quarter in three weeks. As the Swans piled on the pain, Lance Franklin and Joel Amartey quickly got on top in their matchups.

Chad Warner continued his purple patch, as he had 25 disposals, eight tackles and six score involvements (including a goal). Tom Papley had a dominant game as well, with 22 disposals and 12 score involvements, including two goals of his own.

The Swans were beaten through the final three quarters, as they took their foot off the gas, but were in control during that time, as Nick Blakey and Dylan Stephens had their best games in weeks, steering the game from the back flank.

5. Fremantle (4)

A draw makes a big difference to the Dockers' finals run, as the two points from the draw protect them from their poor percentage. The Dockers were probably lucky to come away with the draw after giving the Tigers multiple opportunities in the final moments.

Griffin Logue and Nat Fyfe headed into the forward line to cover the loss of Rory Lobb, whose absence was keenly felt inside the attacking 50. Matt Taberner could not cover the gap, and the Dockers managed just six marks inside 50 for the match.

Hayden Young stepped into the breach, with 14 marks and 31 disposals, the most on the ground, while Andrew Brayshaw continued his push for a Brownlow with 28 disposals and seven tackles.

6. Collingwood (6)

Whatever the Magpies are having for breakfast on game-day should become part of the long-term diet after an after-the-siren masterpiece from Jamie Elliott gave them a miraculous win.

The entire final 60 seconds was a masterpiece, in a final quarter where the Magpies came from 21 points behind midway through the last quarter. Nick Daicos, wunderkind medical substitute Josh Carmichael and Jack Crisp were instrumental in the final quarter turnaround.

The comeback came after the Magpies jumped out to a 38-1 lead at quarter time before falling asleep at the wheel for two and a half quarters, as the Bombers kicked 11 of the next 13 goals before the late game heroics.

7. Carlton (7)

The Blues could easily account for the Giants as they kept pace with the top four after stretching out the lead in the second half. Charlie Curnow kicked four goals, while Adam Saad was in multiple highlights clips for his performance.

Midfield stars Sam Walsh (31 disposals and seven clearances) and Patrick Cripps (34 disposals, four clearances and a goal) led the way in the middle. At the same time, Mitch McGovern made a triumphant return from injury in the backline.

Will Setterfield had one of his best games, with 24 disposals and nine score involvements. Meanwhile, Adam Cerra, Matthew Kennedy and Sam Docherty all accumulated plenty of ball as strong distributors around the ground.

8. Western Bulldogs (9)

The Bulldogs have revenge for last year's Grand Final, and their finals hopes for this year are alive (just). Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was the standout with five goals, including the sealer, as he worked his way to a Rising Star nomination.

It was a rounded performance from the Bulldogs' midfield, with Jack Macrae having (just) 29 disposals and five clearances, while Bailey Smith tallied 28 touches and five clearances of his own. Adam Treloar and Marcus Bontempelli were both solid without standing out, as the teamwork amongst the Bulldogs set them apart.

Tim English and Aaron Naughton had strong games in the air in support of Ugle-Hagan, while Cody Weightman and Riley Garcia did their best work at the foot of the contest. All told, each member of the quartet tallied two goals in support of the Rising Star.

9. St Kilda (8)

The Saints had a hard-fought win over the Eagles, keeping them in touch with the top eight for another week. Dan Butler was the star of the show with five goals, converting the good work the Saints did in the middle.

Jack Steele was the leader in the middle, with 40 disposals and 11 clearances in a best-on-ground performance that typified leading from the front. He was well supported by Brad Crouch (31 disposals and eight clearances) and Marcus Windhager, who shut down Tim Kelly for much of the afternoon.

The win keeps the Saints in touch with the finals, but with a tough run home, the four points they banked against the Eagles could be crucial, despite how hard they were to come by in the end.

10. Richmond (10)

The Tigers were their own worst enemy in the dying moments of Friday night's match. Noah Balta and Noah Cumberland each failed to make their scoring chance count, when only a behind was needed.

Maurice Rioli Jr was an effective medical sub, with his injection of fresh legs netting two key tackles in his first moments on the ground.

Dion Prestia had 30 disposals, while Shai Bolton led all players with two goals in his 15 disposal cameo, but it wasn't enough to drag the Tigers over the line for the win.

11. Essendon (11)

The Bombers will be kicking themselves after three late misses, including a set shot from 40m in front with 60 seconds to go, left the door ajar for the Magpies, who stormed through. The Bombers had done well to even be in the game after being down 37 points at quarter time.

Peter Wright, Sam Draper and Dyson Heppell were instrumental in getting the Bombers on track during the second and third quarters before Mason Redman was substituted out in the fourth quarter with internal bruising. At that point, the Bombers lost a little bit of composure in defence, and the Magpies didn't need a second invitation.

The disappointing loss is symbolic of a season where the Bombers started slow, found strong form through the middle part of the year, but have sometimes lacked the opportunities to make it count on the scoreboard, as their finals hopes are extinguished.

12. Port Adelaide (13)

The Power were slow starters, despite their season being on the line, as the makeshift ruck duo of Jeremy Finlayson and Charlie Dixon struggled against Rhys Stanley. After Stanley left the game, the Power sparked a fightback, with eight goals in the third quarter to bring them back to the brink with the Cats.

Mitch Georgiades was one of the stars of the show, with three goals and his latest entry for Mark of the Year. He combined well with Dixon, who had 12 score involvements throughout the match.

In the end, the Power ran out of steam after expending so much energy in the comeback. They took the lead late in the third after Travis Boak kicked a key goal, but when the Cats lifted, they couldn't match it.

13. Gold Coast (12)

A loss to the Lions could be a hammer blow for the Suns' finals hopes, but this QClash loss was far from the drubbing the Suns have typically been on the end of. The Suns came to play leading at half time and three-quarter time and gave the Lions a challenge.

Levi Casboult kicked four goals in a strong performance, while Elijah Hollands made the wait for his debut count, as he kicked a goal with his first kick in the AFL. Noah Anderson was strong up the ground, working with Brandon Ellis in the midfield.

The star of the day and the Marcus Ashcroft Medalist was Touk Miller, who had 34 disposals, ten score involvements and seven tackles in a best-on-ground performance, and only Jarrod Berry's tag gave the Lions the breath they needed to sneak in front at the death.

14. Hawthorn (14)

Jack Gunston turned back the clock with five goals as the Hawks bludgeoned the Kangaroos. He could have had more, finishing with nine scoring shots among his 17 disposals.

They jumped out of the blocks, with 49 points on the board in the first quarter, while restricting the Kangaroos to just three. The Kangaroos never made it back into the match, as Hawthorn stayed in effortless control, with the same final margin as at the quarter time.

Jai Newcombe continued his rise, with 30 disposals, nine clearances and two goals as he was the most dominant player on the ground. Tom Mitchell had 32 disposals and two goal assists as he continued his accumulating ways.

15. GWS (15)

The Giants' late-season fadeout continued, despite the best efforts of Toby Greene, who had three goals, 15 disposals and one contender for Mark of the Year.

The Giants' midfield woes continued, as Tim Taranto had 30 disposals and six clearances but played mostly a lone hand. Callan Ward (25 touches), Jacob Hopper (24 touches) and Stephen Coniglio (21 touches) were all down on their usual output and less effective than usual.

While Harry Himmelberg's transition to defence continued, and he did an admirable job fighting hard, it showed that the Giants struggled to find an avenue to goal not named Toby Greene. Jake Riccardi and Jacob Wehr each bagged one from the forward line, but otherwise, opportunities were sparse.

16. Adelaide (16)

The Crows had the doors blown off early, conceding a huge first quarter to the Swans. After quarter time, they managed to outscore the Swans and interrupt their game style, but the damage was already done.

Rory Laird had 38 disposals, 11 clearances and a goal as Adelaide's most damaging player, while Sam Berry was a strong performer with 24 disposals, 14 tackles and two goals.

Jordan Dawson's influence was muted, as he dealt with Ryan Clarke for much of the afternoon but still managed 20 disposals and 602 metres gained in a performance that reminded his old side just how potent he can be.

17. West Coast (18)

Week on week, the Eagles have shown more fight, despite another loss keeping them close to the bottom of the ladder. Tom Barrass was a pillar of strength in defence, with 26 disposals, eight marks, and a victory over Max King in the defensive 50.

Jai Culley continued to show his growth with 19 disposals and the first goal of his AFL career. Josh Rotham showed potential as a backup ruck while also managing the first goal of his AFL career after starting as a defender the last few years.

Tim Kelly was beaten around the contest by Marcus Windhager, while Luke Shuey took until the third quarter before he started to get into the game, eventually finishing with 19 touches.

18. North Melbourne (17)

The Kangaroos returned to earth this week, as Leigh Adams' unbeaten streak ended as caretaker coach. His charges struggled to fire early, finding themselves out of the content by the end of the first quarter, and they never got back in the match.

Luke Davies-Uniacke and Aaron Hall each had 30 disposals, as they also managed nine tackles and two goals (both by Davies-Uniacke) between them. Missing Nick Larkey, the Kangaroos couldn't find an easy avenue to goal all afternoon, with Jack Ziebell (three goals) the only other multiple goalscorers.

The Kangaroos have fallen off this season and will be looking forward to resetting over the summer and looking for improved results next season.

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