A Six-Pack Of IPA (Interesting Points, Allegedly): Murphy Reid ties Cyril Rioli’s first-year score-assist mark

Murphy the marvel It’s the record-equalling feat that may well be the exclamation point in Murphy Reid’s Rising Star argument. The teenage Docker ended his debut home-and-away campaign by tying Hawthorn great Cyril Rioli’s first-year record of 36 score assists, while setting a high-water mark for crumbs with 42. Reid fell just one short of matching another Rioli record — this one shared with former Magpie Sam Dwyer — for most goal assists in a maiden home-and-away campaign, racking up 20 for the year. He’s the first Docker to feature in every regular-season game in their debut season since Stephen Hill and Nick Suban all the way back in 2009. New lows In addition to their 22-loss tally, West Coast set new lows in a string of statistical categories this season. The Eagles broke new ground for the worst clearance differential since Champion Data began recording stoppage stats, averaging a deficit of 10.7 per game. They also set unwanted AFL marks for lowest-ever first possession differential (minus-12.3) and lowest pre-clearance contested possession differential (minus-12.3). At long last! It’s been a decade in the making, but Nat Fyfe will at last play his first finals game as a Brownlow medallist in Freo’s finals opener. Fyfe hasn’t featured in September since Fremantle’s 2015 preliminary final defeat, with a 3634-day wait between then and next Saturday’s elimination final. In the AFL era, only Melbourne’s Nathan Jones has had a longer drought between finals appearances, with a 12-year gap between 2006 and 2018, while Brisbane’s Daniel Rich (2009-2019) matched Fyfe’s 10-year hiatus. Saturday streaking Dockers fans will be feeling confident about a finals match-up with either Gold Coast — who have never beaten them at Optus Stadium in three attempts — or Hawthorn, who have lost five straight against Freo in Perth. But they’ll also be feeling comfortable with the league handing them a Saturday timeslot for the match, given they’re riding a streak of seven consecutive Saturday victories – including wins over both the Suns and Hawks this season. Dewar’s defeats Tyrell Dewar provided the Eagles with some highlights this year, including a deserved Rising Star nomination off the back of a strong showing against Carlton in round 14. But the youngster ends the season without a win from 16 appearances, just one shy of matching Harry Edwards’ unwanted club record of 17 games without tasting victory in 2022. Fitzroy’s Simon Atkins holds the AFL-era record of 19 from the 1996 season. Tough pill to Swallow? David Swallow will be desperate to shed the title of the man who’s played the most AFL matches without ever featuring in a final. The 247-game West Aussie has never featured in September, and finds himself on the outer at the wrong time of year, having made the most recent of his seven appearances this season in round 19. If he breaks through, he’ll be second only to Melbourne great Robbie Flower (269 games) for the most home-and-away games before playing in a final.