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AFL Power Rankings 2017: Round 18

Anything's possible for Melbourne this year. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Expert
23rd July, 2017
46
2019 Reads

Much like Toby Greene or Gillon McLachlan, rankings-master Adrian Polykandrites is going on a mid-season holiday, so this week’s edition is a joint effort. The rankings are Adrian’s, the words belong to Josh Elliott.

1.Sydney Swans
Last week: 1
Ladder: 6

Another consistent performance and comfortable win shows there’s no one better going around than them at the moment.

2.Adelaide
Last week: 2
Ladder: 1

Finally got the monkey off their back with a first-ever win against an old friend, and went a long way to locking up the minor premiership.

3.Geelong
Last week: 4
Ladder: 2

They’ve probably missed their chance to finish on top of the table, but would still be leading the race for a home qualifying final.

4.GWS Giants
Last week: 2
Ladder: 3

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Were consistently at the top of these standings for a while – it’s been quite a fall, and there could be more yet to come.

5.Richmond
Last week: 5
Ladder: 4

Their biggest scalp of the year so far will give them some serious confidence and puts them in the box seat for a top-four spot.

6.Melbourne
Last week: 7
Ladder: 7

Injured midfield stars came back ahead of schedule and their reintegration into the team was seamless, leading to one of their best performances of the year.

7.Port Adelaide
Last week: 6
Ladder: 5

Can mash a bad team when they need to, but almost always falling short against the better sides of the competition. No guarantee of making it past the first week of finals.

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8.Essendon
Last week: 8
Ladder: 8

Plenty of winnable games between here and September.

9.West Coast
Last week: 9
Ladder: 9

Should never lose a game where Josh J Kennedy kicks six goals. Unacceptable.

10.Western Bulldogs
Last week: 11
Ladder: 10

Liam Picken and Bailey Dale is an interesting place to find a combined nine goals from. Smashing a no-Ablett Gold Coast is little to write home about.

11.St Kilda
Last week: 10
Ladder: 11

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Still some distance off being able to play with the big boys.

12.Hawthorn
Last week: 12
Ladder: 12

Look dangerous against any side in the competition right now. This week’s match against Sydney will be a cracker.

13.Collingwood
Last week: 14
Ladder: 13

Have shown some real steel in the clutch moments in the past fortnight, and to get it done without Pendlebury this week was quite a feat. Is it enough to save Buckley?

14.Fremantle
Last week: 13
Ladder: 14

Would be the leading contenders for the spoon right now if it wasn’t for four wins by less than a goal.

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15.North Melbourne
Last week: 16
Ladder: 17

Ben Brown, a mature-age third-round draft pick from the VFL in a 17th-placed side, is equal-second in the Coleman.

16.Carlton
Last week: 15
Ladder: 16

Have developed a reputation for playing reliable footy, but massively let themselves down on that front in the first half.

17.Gold Coast
Last week: 17
Ladder: 15

Bordering on total irrelevancy when they don’t have Ablett available, which if the rumours are true doesn’t bode well for 2018 and beyond.

18.Brisbane Lions
Last week: 18
Ladder: 18

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Still at the bottom of the pole, but maybe not for much longer.

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