By Peter Blucher
Charlie Dixon returned from a 10-month absence from football on Saturday to become the eighth Queenslander to kick 200 AFL goals.
The 28-year-old Port Adelaide power forward, who suffered a shocking broken leg in Round 21 last year, kicked his 200th as the Power shocked ladder leaders Geelong by 11-points at Football Park.
Dixon, 315 days out of action, joins a 200-Club that includes Jason Dunstall (1254), Nick Riewoldt (718), Jason Akermanis (421), Kurt Tippett (325), Michael Voss (245), David Hale (217) and Che Cockatoo-Collins (215).
Completing the top 10 Queensland goal-kickers are Dayne Beams (172) and Dayne Zorko (170), who this year have gone past Mitch Hahn (164).
Dixon returned to the AFL for his 127th game after two games in the SANFL in which he kicked eight goals.
He had only eight disposals and one goal against Geelong’s Mark Blicavs, a leading contender for the All-Australian fullback spot this year, but provided a huge target up forward, contested every issue in typical style, and delighted coach Ken Hinkley with the impact he had on his side.
He also had four tackles and two contested marks and, most importantly, pulled up well.
In the last of the AFL bye rounds, two young Queenslanders enjoyed moments they will never forgot on Saturday afternoon.
Oscar Baker, playing his fifth game for Melbourne against Fremantle at the MCG, celebrated his first win.
The former Aspley speedster, who has settled nicely into AFL football, had 15 possessions in a side which came from behind for a much-needed win and also included Queenslander Josh Wagner, who had 15 possessions.
And across town at Marvel Stadium, Jacob Allison celebrated his first interstate win as the Lions blitzed St.Kilda by 56 points.
Playing his second game of the season and the 10th of his career, Allison had 13 possessions.
Teammate Charlie Cameron posted an equal career-best five goals for the Lions to match his five-goal bag for Adelaide in the 2017 preliminary final.
Cameron took his season goal tally to 26 to jump Gold Coast’s Alex Sexton (24) and Brisbane’s Eric Hipwood (20) and become the leading Queensland goal-kicker this season. He is now 9th in the AFL.
Not such good news for Queenslanders, North Melbourne’s Bailey Scott may have played the last game of his first season after surgery last week for a broken foot.
Scott, who has played four games this season including his Round 1 Rising Star nomination, was injured in the VFL.
North Melbourne Head of Football Cam Joyce has not put a timeline on Scott’s return.
“Bailey is a valuable addition to our group … an important part of the future of the club and has great potential. At this stage we won’t be putting a time frame on his return, rather will be taking a long term approach to his recovery,” Joyce said.
