• Lions beat reigning premier Demons 14.8 (92) to 11.13 (79)
• Brisbane head back to MCG for preliminary final with Geelong

Eric Hipwood kicked four goals to help Brisbane bury their MCG hoodoo with a thrilling AFL semifinal comeback win over bogey side Melbourne. The Lions rallied from 28 points down late in the second quarter, kicking 11 goals to five after half-time to snatch a 14.8 (92) to 11.13 (79) victory in front of 62,162 fans.

The see-sawing affair continued a bumper finals series after a thrilling opening week. It was Brisbane’s first win at the MCG since 2014, ending an 11-match losing streak, and came after four straight defeats to the Demons by an average of 44 points over the last two years.

• Cats beat Magpies 11.12 (78) to 10.12 (72) in pulsating match
• Geelong kick four of the last five goals to earn a week off

Geelong exorcised their first-week AFL finals demons with an epic six-point win over Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday. The Cats were behind at every change in a pulsating qualifying final, but kicked four of the last five goals to win 11.12 (78) to 10.12 (72) in front of 91,525 fans.

It continues a bumper start to the finals series, following Brisbane’s last-gasp win over Richmond and Sydney’s upset of reigning premiers Melbourne.

• Swans beat Demons 14.7 (91) to 10.9 (69) at MCG
• Sydney earn week off before hosting preliminary final

The Sydney Swans surged through to their first AFL preliminary final since 2016 after shocking reigning premiers Melbourne by 22 points. In the first final at the MCG since the 2019 decider, the Swans ruined Melbourne’s coming home party with some scintillating run-and-gun football to dismantle the Demons’ much-vaunted defence.

Melbourne entered the qualifying final as hot favourites after humiliating the Brisbane Lions in the final round of the home-and-away season but the Swans completely outclassed the Demons after half-time in front of 78,377 fans. Sydney’s 14.7 (91) to 10.9 (69) win means they now have a week off and will host a preliminary final at the SCG on 14 or 15 September to be in reach of their first flag since 2012.

Losses, low crowds, leaked texts, drunken brawls between teammates. These are inevitabilities in the AFL’s alpha male world. But at a club like Melbourne, they matter.

In 1995, the previously undefeated Carlton hit a flat spot, dropping games to the bottom two sides. At training on Monday, captain Stephen Kernahan stopped the group mid lap and growled in that gravelly gutted voice of his – “we’re not losing another fucking game!” They completed their lap, beat Hawthorn by 102 points that weekend, won their next 16 games, and coasted to the Premiership. They were one of the great teams, a team that bridged the semi and fully professional eras, a team that pretty much coached itself, a team whipped back into shape with six guttural words.

That wouldn’t cut it as man management these days. In 2022, football clubs stress the importance of culture, of connection, of roles, of safe environments, of talking through your problems. Melbourne would have done a lot of that this week. In the space of a fortnight, they’ve had two losses, injuries, illnesses, criticism of low crowds, leaked text messages, drunken sledges, haymakers, infected hands, community service penalties, an integrity department investigation and a conga line of question marks. What the fuck, as Steve Kernahan would no doubt ask, is going on here?

• AFL investigating social media images of star Bulldog with illicit substance
• Smith, 21, is currently serving two-week suspension for head-butting

The Western Bulldogs have launched an investigation after images surfaced showing star midfielder Bailey Smith holding a bag of white powder at a party.

The news dropped on Saturday morning and while it’s unclear when the photo was taken, a video showing Smith at a party has also been circulating on social media. It’s unclear what substance is in the bag, but the Bulldogs confirmed on Saturday they are looking into the matter.

Despite a few upticks in recent weeks, the current campaign has seen, on average, the lowest crowds in a quarter of a century

Nearly 44,000 people were at the MCG on Sunday, a reasonable turnout on a stinker of a day. There were 47,000 at Optus Stadium too, but AFL crowds, on average, are the lowest they have been since 1996. Just over 30,000 watched the reigning premiers on their home ground on Saturday night, while the crowd at the Adelaide Oval was well below par.

One commentator suggested the game has become “too woke” with all its rule changes and crackdown on umpire dissent. Others believe the standard of play is driving punters away. But, arguably, the football has been far superior to that played half a decade ago, when crowd numbers peaked. West Coast’s dire year, the redevelopment of Kardinia Park, the floating fixture and a recent Arctic blast have also played a role. Here are some of the possible major contributing factors.