Erratic disposal proved costly for Hawthorn in their 17-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Round 5 of the AFL. The Hawks got the jump on the Bulldogs early, kicking the first two goals of the game within four minutes of the start, but the Bulldogs punished them for their errors and missed opportunities as they kicked five of the next six goals to post a seven-point lead at quarter time. This was extended to 17 at the half, the same as the final siren.

The difference between the two sides in the first-half was the ability of the Dogs to convert their shots into goals, the Bulldogs kicking 11.4 while the Hawks had four more shots but could only manage 7.11. The shining light for the Hawks was the continuing development of key forward Lance “Buddy” Franklin who was the key target in Hawks forward line, kicking six goals and only one behind, showing the accuracy lacking from most of his teammates.

Brisbane Lions power forward Jonathon Brown was the difference in the Lions 12-point victory over Carlton. The match was an entertaining high scoring shoot-out. The combined tally in the first half of 171 points was the highest seen in the AFL in over seven years, but in spite of the fact that 39 goals were kicked in the game, no-one on the field managed to kick more than three.

Such a fast moving free flowing match suited the Lions co-captain Brown down to a tee, and while Brown was one of eight players to register three goals, what set Brown out from the pack was what he did that didn't appear on the scoreboard. Brown collected 27 possessions, took 15 marks and eight scoring assists in a stunning display that showed the big Lion's return from a injury-riddled 2006 is now complete.

The predictable tale of Richmond's season continued against ladder leaders West Coast. The Tigers were competitive early, so competitive that they lead the reigning premier by 21-points in the second quarter but like they have all season but fell away again as the match wore on eventually going down by 23-points. After the early scare the Eagles lifted in the second quarter, turning the 21-point deficit into a 18-pont lead by half-time and continued to keep the Tigers at bay in the second-half.

Richmond captain Kane Johnson will find himself in hot water this week launching a verbal aside on the umpires after the lopsided free-kick in favour of the Eagles 29-13. After confronting the umpires at half-time, Johnson continued to go on the attack post-match criticising what in his view was a lack of consistency from the umpires, especially in relation to the holding the ball rule.