With the AFL ladder beginning to take shape ahead of the final push towards the Finals, Round 15 was another intriguing weekend of games at both the top and bottom of the table. In what was a difficult round of matches following the horrific murder of Adelaide head coach Phil Walsh, Fremantle's heavy defeat at the hands of Hawthorn stole many of the headlines. So did Geelong's continued run of poor form as they slipped further out of top-eight contention, while a number of players earned rave reviews for their performances. Across the league, a host of players stepped up and produced impressive displays and here are five of the best from Round 15.
Marcus Bontempelli (Bulldogs)
In the Western Bulldogs’ comeback victory over the Gold Coast Suns, there were a number of players who caught the eye for the hosts, most notably Liam Picken. But the real star for the Bulldogs was undoubtedly Marcus Bontempelli, who continued his solid season so far with a sensational performance against the Suns. After a sluggish start to the game, the youngster kicked two critical goals in the final quarter to ensure the Bulldogs came back from being 26 points behind in the third quarter to winning the match by 22 points.
Bontempelli was the catalyst for Western's victory, kicking a beauty of a goal four minutes into the fourth quarter before adding a second later in the period to kill off the Suns’ hopes of getting anything from the game. In what was his best performance of the season, the 19-year-old finished with 28 disposals to his name, helping the Bulldogs consolidate their position in the top half of the table. One of the most exciting players in the AFL this season, Bontempelli will have a big say in how his team do between now and the end of the year.
Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide)
Port Adelaide kicked off Round 15 with an encouraging three-point victory over Collingwood to keep their hopes of making it into the Finals alive. Ollie Wines played a huge role in the hosts securing a narrow. The 20-year-old missed the first chunk of this season sidelined with a wrist injury, but the youngster has made an impressive return to action. His mesmerising performance against Collingwood proved once and for all that he is back to his best, which is something punters looking to back Port Adelaide with the likes of betfair will be keeping an eye on.
The tough on-baller caused the visitors problems throughout the match, dominating the stoppages in typical fashion and racking up 33 possessions in a display that also included 10 tackles in one of the best performances of the season by a Port Adelaide player. The former seventh overall draft pick scored 14 goals in 25 appearances last season and his absence has been felt by his team this season. Now back fully fit, Wines is re-joining a team that has a great chance of making the Finals.
Joe Daniher (Essendon)
It's been a turbulent few weeks for Essendon and their battling nine-point victory over Melbourne was a reward for a team that have been kicked from almost every angle over the past month or so. While the whole team deserves praise for their display against a Melbourne side just below them in the ladder, it was youngster Joe Daniher who was given much of the credit for the Bombers’ victory, kicking five goals at the MCG and further cementing himself as one of the league's best youngsters.
Daniher had come under criticism at times this season for his lack of consistency in front of the big sticks after some high-profile errors but the determined forward ensured those doubters are silenced for the time being, kicking a memorable shot under pressure from 50 metres to halt any hope Melbourne had of staging a late rally. The question will now be whether or not the 21-year-old can build on this display and start hitting the sort of shots he did against Melbourne on a regular basis and finally fulfil the potential he has long had.
Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)
In a match many see as being a preview of this season's AFL Grand Final, Hawthorn claimed an early morale-booster thanks to a clinical victory over Fremantle, and Sam Mitchell showed the league leaders that they will have their work cut out if they do meet the Hawks again this season. While much of the post-match focus was on a kneeing incident involving Nathan Fyfe, who was later in trouble for landing a forearm to Taylor Duryea, it was Mitchell's 39 disposals which was the real talking point from Hawthorn's 72-point win.
The two-time All-Australian has been one of the Hawks best players again this season, proving he is still one of the best all-round midfielders despite being 32 years old. The Hawthorn stalwart might be nearing the end of his illustrious career, but the three-time player of the season has been instrumental to his side's encouraging run of form at an important part of the season. With teams all battling for position near the top of the table, Mitchell and the Hawks have been at their consistent best and not many teams look as strong as Hawthorn heading into the final part of the season.
Andrew Gaff (West Coast)
There aren't many players in the AFL in as good a form as Andrew Gaff has been this season, and the West Coast star stole the headlines again in the Eagles' comprehensive victory over the Adelaide Crows, collecting 36 disposals and kicking three goals in the victory, continuing his sensational run of form for a team that currently find themselves second in the AFL ladder.
The 23-year-old, who is set to pass the 100-game markin the AFL, is really coming into his own as a player, establishing himself as one of the hardest running on-ballers in the league and playing a key role in the Eagles’ remarkable form this season. It has been a while since West Coast competed in the Finals for the title, but with Gaff performing at this sort of level, there won't be many teams keen to face the Eagles between now and the end of the season.