WHAT HAPPENED IN ROUND 4 OF THE AFL SEASON:
* THEY SAID IT: “There’s nothing you can say (to him). Nothing you can say. You just have to be there sometimes … he’s had a terrible run, in a number of ways. We need to look after him,” John Longmire was shattered to learn Sam Naismith, who missed the past two seasons because of a knee injury and recently lost his sister to cancer, needed another knee reconstruction
* STATS THAT MATTER: Gold Coast and Fremantle kicked a combined 13.0 (78) in the first half of Saturday’s match. It was the first time in VFL/AFL history a match featured no behinds in the first half
* MAN OF THE ROUND: Charlie Dixon’s six-goal haul was built on brawn but relied on finesse off the boot. The Port big man kicked straight and made a mess of the Eagles’ defence whenever the ball was directed his way
* KEY MOMENT: Jacob Townsend’s long set shot to win it for Essendon with seconds left at the MCG appeared to be touched just before it reached Liam Jones on the goal line. But the Blues’ defender removed any doubt when he somehow managed to get his face in the way, the ball bouncing off his head through for a precious rushed behind
* TALKING POINT: Are West Coast shot? At 1-3, West Coast’s season is hanging in the balance. Their percentage of 68.8 is the second worst in the league, and they look stripped of confidence. The only upside is they have just two more games in their Gold Coast hub before returning home for a golden run of games in Perth
* TRIBUNAL WATCH: Essendon’s Zach Merrett was handed a one-match ban for his swinging punch which sent Jack Silvagni to hospital with a fractured rib and a bruised lung. West Coast veteran Will Schofield copped the same penalty for headbutting Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters. Five players were fined for the Saturday night melee between Gold Coast and Fremantle
* KEY INJURIES: Sam Naismith (Syd, knee), Jeremy Howe (Coll, knee), Phil Davis (GWS, hamstring), Zac Williams (GWS, hamstring), Nat Fyfe (Frem, hamstring), Zak Jones (SK, hamstring), Aaron Naughton (WB, ankle), Sam Lloyd (WB, shoulder), Dayne Zorko (Brisb, calf), Will Hamill (Adel, concussion), Rory Sloane (Adel, ankle), Tom Stewart (Geel, collarbone)
WHAT’S NEXT: Richmond and West Coast face off in a high-stakes Thursday night blockbuster at Metricon Stadium. With just one win apiece, the loser of this match might be on the canvas. Collingwood and Essendon will aim to bounce back to the winners’ list on Friday night when they lock horns, while Gold Coast’s fairytale run will be given a stern test at Geelong’s home fortress. Unbeaten Port Adelaide will take on Brisbane at the Gabba in a top-four battle.