With six games left for each team the race to the finals is still on for some teams, while for others it is time to think of the future. Let’s take a look at who is hot, cold and needing work heading into the final weeks of the 2015 season.
Needing Work
Carlton: After being destroyed by 138 points on the weekend there is nothing to say other than the Blues need a lot of work before they will be anywhere near the top teams. But with that said, their young players are developing well and they performed admirably under pressure, with Cripps and Bell both having 25-plus disposals.
Hawthorn coach, Alastair Clarkson, noted post-match that the team Carlton fielded was highly inexperienced, but also touched on the promise this period offers and that the Hawks had been there when they got belted by almost 120 points in Round 13, 2005 against Port Adelaide.
For me I hope Carlton stick with the plan of giving young players a go over the next six games.
Cold
Magpies: I think a lot of people would have seen this coming. After being in the top four five rounds ago, they have crashed to be sitting in eleventh place. This is after playing three of the top four teams. Two honourable loses in a row is OK, but you can’t have five in a row. They still have games against the Swans, Tigers and Cats, and will likely need other teams to drop games for them to make the eight.
I think we can say that Buckley is safe for at least next season, but if they miss the eight next year then more questions will start to be asked about his position as coach.
Swans: Sydney looked good in the first half of the season but have hit a bad patch in recent weeks. With loses against the Tigers, Hawks, and Eagles and with some very unimpressive wins against Port and the bottom-of-the-ladder Lions, confidence levels have clearly taken a hit for both players and fans.
So far they have lost five games to other top eight teams, and with some tough games coming up against the Crows and Cats, we could well see them drop out of the top four still.
Hot
Hawks: Nothing can really be said here they have hit the accelerator and have shown why they have won the last two premierships. Can anyone stop them from completing the three-peat? You would be brave to bet against them at this stage.
Eagles: I think we can at last stop saying that the Eagles need to prove themselves. They have answered almost every challenge thrown their way in 2015 and currently sit on a streak of six wins in a row, three of which came against other top eight teams.
They are the real deal this year and are going to be an interesting team to follow in the finals. The big challenge for them is to see where they are against Hawks in Round 19. If they can win or stay within 18-points of the Hawks they should be happy with the result.
Unknown
Dockers: The Dockers started the season off with a strong nine wins in a row before being beaten by the Tigers in Round 10. Since that loss they have not looked to have been as demanding or as strong as they did in the first nine rounds.
Over the first nine the wining average was 32 point, since then they have been running at 19 points. The wins that have come post-Round 9 have not been as easy or convincing, which leaves the Dockers as somewhat of a wildcard with finals just around the corner.
North Melbourne: So far they have been up and down for the season but may have finally turned a corner after their loss to the Suns. For me there is still that chance that they could fall off the wagon at any moment.
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