Eight games into the season now and we are none the wiser when it comes to knowing where anyone stands, save for the Dockers and Blues of course.
With that said, it’s on to the stock watch!
(If you’re unfamiliar with the concept it is explained here.)
Rising
Brett Deledio
That the form of a team with finals aspirations is so dependent on the presence of one player is staggering. The Tigers are 3-1 when Deledio plays this season, and 1-3 when he doesn’t, including losses to the Demons and Dogs.
Deledio has been instrumental to Richmond’s potentially season defining victories over Collingwood and Port, gathering 58 possessions and kicking three goals over the last two weeks, including two clutch match-winning goals in the last quarter against the Pies.
Deledio’s versatility is crucial, as he has the ability to be the Tigers’ most dangerous goalscoring option behind Jack Riewoldt while also being their most damaging midfielder.
Regardless of how good he is though, it must be concerning for Damien Hardwick that his team struggles to play well without Deledio.
The Giants’ chances of retaining their young talent
There is so much talk surrounding the futures of young Giants stars, particularly Adam Treloar, Dylan Shiel and Will Hoskin-Elliott. Fans of Victorian clubs are already salivating at the thought of luring one of these enormously talented players back home during the offseason.
Ravenous fans may be left disappointed however, as the chances of these three leaving the club appear to dwindle with each win. Something special is happening in Western Sydney right now, and the three young guns may very well decide that being a part of that outweighs the benefits of coming home, even if that means turning down a Tom Boyd contract offer.
Sydney’s midfield
It appeared the Swans were, ‘just going’ as they were doing enough to win games but hadn’t produced any particularly notable results. After being challenged by Geelong and pulling away in an explosive final quarter and a hard-fought away victory over the Hawks, Sydney is rounding into top form.
It is no coincidence that the Swans’ ascension to top form has occurred at the same time as Luke Parker returning to his best. When Parker is racking up disposals and kicking goals at the rate he has been over the last fortnight, the Swans are a much better team. Parker is one of the AFL’s true match-winners.
The Swans’ midfield in general has lifted greatly over the last two weeks, with players such as Dan Hannebery and Jarrad McVeigh raising their output along with Parker to match the consistent level of Josh Kennedy, reminding us that Sydney always has one of the deepest midfields going round.
Falling
The Power’s excitement factor
The 2014 version of Port Adelaide was one of the most exciting teams to watch in recent memory. The reckless abandon and free-wheeling creativity with which the Power played was unparalleled and looked set to propel Ken Hinkey’s men to a premiership in the very near future.
The Power was the second highest scoring team last year, averaging 99 points a game. This season, Port is scoring only 77 points a game, while playing a much more dour game, lacking the rebound and flair of 2014.
Whether opponents have figured them out or they no longer possess the much-discussed fitness advantage of past seasons, something needs to change quickly, or premiership dreams at Alberton will disappear as quickly as they formed.
The idea of redemption
Sydney and Richmond were able to return to the scenes of their respective finals failures from last season and win, fuelling something of a redemption storyline for both teams.
Although it would undoubtedly have been pleasant for both teams to win tough games on the road, the idea that these wins can offset the devastating losses suffered in such big games is completely unfounded.
Players and fans rue lost finals opportunities forever, while home-and-away wins are usually forgotten within a few years. Although players and fans of the Swans and Tigers will be satisfied with victory, last year’s demons have by no means been exorcised.
North Melbourne as a top-four team
Tipped by many to take the next step and fight for a double chance in 2015, the Roos have been wildly disappointing. Last year, their problem was that they beat the best teams while failing to fire against the also-rans. This year, North appears incapable of matching it with the best teams in the league. Already they have suffered 10-goal losses to the Hawks and Dockers, while losing a close one to the Power at home.
The mature-age recruits, Jarrad Waite and Shaun Higgins, have been as impressive as North supporters could have hoped, but if the Roos hope to make a serious push in 2015, we will need to see a number of the club’s four-to-eight-year players who went missing against Freo, such as Ryan Bastinac and Shaun Atley, make the leap that Ben Cunnington and Todd Goldstein have, or else Brad Scott may be forced to find other options.
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