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If the first eight rounds taught us anything, it’s to expect anything, which is why – with the exception of the margin between Essendon and West Coast – there were no real surprises in Round 9.
As a result, there’s not a lot of movement in the rankings this week.
Last week: 1
Ladder: 2
They might have pinched a couple in the dying minutes in the past fortnight, but given the length of their injury list, wins are all that matter for the Giants right now. Tough to see a future in which they don’t finish in the top-four.
Last week: 2
Ladder: 1
They’re a powerful team who did what powerful teams do to cellar dwellers, but it’s not enough to remove the stink of the previous two weeks just yet.
Last week: 4
Ladder: 6
A well-deserved week off after spanking Gold Coast in Shanghai and they move up a spot in the rankings.
Last week: 3
Ladder: 4
After another pitiful performance in Melbourne they’re lucky to drop only one spot. Jack Darling is like a microcosm of this team – I keep wanting to cut him some slack because of how good his best is… but he keeps on doing Jack Darling things.
Last week: 5
Ladder: 8
It’s been a tough month for the Dogs with road games against GWS, West Coast and Geelong, but they came up short in all of them. Plenty of work to do to cement their spot in the top eight before they even start thinking about top four.
Dogs have conceded 100 points three times in 28 games – all against the Cats. #AFLCatsDogs
— Adrian Polykandrites (@NABFW) May 19, 2017
Last week: 8
Ladder: 3
Bounced back in emphatic fashion against the Dogs with a ruthless and relentless performance – unsurprisingly led by Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield.
I do wonder if it’s a bit of fool’s gold though – that level of intensity isn’t sustainable and Harry Taylor’s bag of five goals came after he booted only two in the first eight weeks.
Last week: 6
Ladder: 9
Were no match for the Swans and their inability to adjust they way they attacked the Swans is a slight worry. Improvement is rarely a constant for teams on the rise, how the Saints respond will tell us plenty.
Last week: 9
Ladder: 5
Still not sure they’re good but that’s six wins in seven weeks, including victories against the next three teams on this list. Nat Fyfe still doesn’t look like Nat Fyfe.
Last week: 7
Ladder: 11
Ran into a decent side in good form and couldn’t overcome the Roos’ hot start. They were coming off one the club’s best wins in at least a decade and of their mates was just diagnosed with cancer – they’re not robots, it’s no surprise there was a letdown.
Last week: 11
Ladder: 10
The Bombers have good players in important positions and when things click for them they can take it up to most sides. When it clicks against a team not having a real crack, you get results like the one we saw on Sunday. Orazio Fantasia has 41 goals in his past 17 games.
Last week: 10
Ladder: 7
Lost after the siren to the Dockers and as the away team they got within a kick of the Dogs and Giants. Things weren’t as good as their 5-0 start and they aren’t as bad as their four-game losing streak.
Last week: 12
Ladder: 12
Foolishly wrote them off as potential finalists a couple of weeks ago. Their star mids are shining again and the defence looks organised, connected and stingy – Dane Rampe sure helps. Will have a big say in how this season unfolds.
Last week: 13
Ladder: 14
Bounced back nicely after their worst game of the season to knock over the Demons with a solid four-quarter performance built on a hot start.
There’s a sprinkling of young players but for the most part the Roos are made up of capable, mature players – that will keep them in a lot of games.
Last week: 15
Ladder: 13
They got the win they wanted even if it wasn’t all that impressive. What a sublime footballer Scott Pendlebury is. Haven’t won back-to-back games since stringing three together in rounds 14-16 last year.
Last week: 14
Ladder: 16
Young team travels across the country and gets overrun after half time – it happens.
Last week: 16
Ladder: 15
Nothing to see here.
Last week: 17
Ladder: 17
Considering the Hawks’ injury list, that was probably one of their’ better performances of the season.
Last week: 18
Ladder: 18
They’re a young team incapable of maintaining effort for four quarters and prone to costly mistakes – few teams can exploit those weaknesses like the Crows.