AFL round 18 2026, scores, results, odds, stats and start time from the Gabba
Melbourne edged Richmond by 46 points on a rainy and wild Sunday afternoon at the MCG, where both sides commemorated the life of suburban footballer Nathan Fitzgerald.
As occasional raindrops fell on the MCG turf, Demon and Tigers players crossed their arms and bowed their heads to honor Fitzgerald, who tragically died in hospital after being struck three times in the head during a suburban football match in Melbourne’s north.
The 27-year-old maths and science teacher, while playing for Epping Football Club’s reserve team against Lalor last week, suffered a rapid succession of headers, including hitting his head on the cricket pitch, a concrete strip covered with artificial turf in the center of the oval.
All 18 clubs at AFL matches this weekend wore black armbands as a sign of respect. On Sunday afternoon, both the Melbourne Demons and Fitzgerald’s beloved team, the Richmond Tigers, held a moment of silence before their games.
