AFL Power Rankings: Round 23

By Michael DiFabrizio / Expert

Here’s what we learned from Round 23 of the AFL season: while there are eight teams playing finals, the real interest surrounds the top six.

It’s been apparent for some time the September forecast wasn’t looking too sunny for the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne. But neither enhanced their reputation on the eve of finals.

Instead, we saw one of the clear standouts throughout the home and away rounds drop to fifth, losing to a sixth-placed side that claimed their third strong scalp in as many weeks. Then there’s a top four where the case can be legitimately made for each club going all the way.

Sydney and Geelong flexed their muscles in round 23, but Hawthorn have a fourpeat to play for and keep on surviving (especially in close games). The GWS Giants might be written off as too inexperienced – it’s the club’s first finals campaign, after all – but do they have the talent to overcome that? It’d be hard to argue they don’t.

So finals time has arrived and this is definitely the time of year you want to be close to the top of the Power Rankings.

The ladder’s top six, unsurprisingly, can all lay claim to that.


No change // Ladder: 1st (17W, 5L)
As far as the Swans would be concerned, you couldn’t script a better lead-in to finals than putting 25 goals through the sticks, winning by 113 points and not picking up any injuries. Throw in a veteran who’s been in and out of the side, Ben McGlynn, showing his value at the selection table with five goals. Throw in seven goals to Lance Franklin. Throw in six – yes, six – players racking up more than 30 touches. They’re ready for the real stuff.

+2 // Ladder: 6th (16W, 6L)
It’s bloody hard to fault the Eagles’ last three weeks. Victories over GWS, Hawthorn and Adelaide – in games that weren’t meaningless – is, well, meaningful. Particularly when they’ve busted the narrative that this team can’t win interstate. And is the web back and better than ever? The pressure of finals will reveal all.

+2 // Ladder: 2nd (17W, 5L)
For the Cats, there’s obvious parallels with what the Swans got out of the weekend. A massive 111-point win over Melbourne and no apparent serious injuries. A six-goal haul from Tom Hawkins. They have the right to head into the week off in a more confident state than the team they’ll face in a fortnight.

+2 // Ladder: 4th (16W, 6L)
The Giants’ opposition on Saturday had every reason to be fired up, but to run out 37-point winners against North Melbourne was impressive. There were good signs up forward with Jonathon Patton continuing his late season form with five goals and Steve Johnson with four.

-3 // Ladder: 5th (16W, 6L)
What a costly loss that was to the Eagles. Instead of locking in the double chance – and quite possibly two home finals – the Crows’ path to a premiership is far more difficult. Rory Sloane will be back in a fortnight’s time. And there’s at least something for Crows fans in the fact their opponent will be North Melbourne … you know, that club they beat in 1998 … the year they had come from fifth to win the flag.

-3 // Ladder: 3rd (17W, 5L)
That’s now six wins from six games decided by less than 10 points. When you think this side might be done, bang. It may well prove this is a metaphor for their entire year. Jack Fitzpatrick seized the moment in the one-point win over Collingwood, a great moment for someone who’d well and truly slipped off the footy radar and might just be a secret weapon the Hawks have been hiding away all season.

+2 // Ladder: 12th (9W, 13L)
The Pies saved some of their best footy until last. “Some of” because the ups and downs throughout the season have been extreme. Consistency next year could go a long way.

No change // Ladder: 8th (12W, 10L)
There was plenty of drama at Arden Street last week and those of us who speculated it might translate to an inspired victory didn’t get that outcome. Can Boomer Harvey play on? He only needed to look across Etihad Stadium to Steve Johnson to find a player thriving after a late-career move.

-2 // Ladder: 7th (15W, 7L)
The Dogs will be up against tougher opponents than Fremantle if they are to make a run in this year’s finals series, so the 20-point loss is a concern (even accounting for the occasion the Dockers were playing for). There was a horrific gap in ball use, with an 8 per cent difference in disposal efficiency between the two sides.

+1 // Ladder: 9th (12W, 10L)
History will show the Saints missed the eight only on percentage, so they definitely get a tick for this year’s campaign. It was good to see Nick Riewoldt kicking a bag of nine once again in the win over Brisbane.

+1 // Ladder: 10th (10W, 12L)
Expectations were a bit higher with the Power so to land two games out of the eight means they don’t get a tick. Robbie Gray was hard to fault in the win over Gold Coast and has been one of the bright spots.

-2 // Ladder: 11th (10W, 12L)
A painful final fortnight for the Dees and not the fitting Paul Roos send-off against Geelong. Still, Roos walks away from another club with his name held high.

+2 // Ladder: 15th (6W, 16L)
The Suns can only look on as the Giants make their finals debut, starting from a top four position. This side was nowhere near that level in 2016 and with key talents leaving, some firm decision making will be required over the break.

No change // Ladder: 13th (8W, 14L)
The Tigers didn’t get a look-in against the Swans, underscoring the gap between them and the top side while also ending the year on a particularly disappointing note.

+1 // Ladder: 16th (4W, 18L)
A fitting send-off for Matthew Pavlich. The great man kicks his 700th goal, the Dockers secure a rare win over a finals-bound opponent and Lachie Neale notches the most disposals in a season on record. It was a tough year that ended on an uplifting note.

-3 // Ladder: 14th (7W, 15L)
Remember when there was talk about the Blues making finals? It was fanciful, of course, but perhaps it’s fair to say round 23 – losing to Essendon – was the season’s low-point.

No change // Ladder: 18th (3W, 19L)
For a team that wasn’t meant to win a game, the thrown-together Bombers did well. Zach Merrett made a name for himself this season and it will be interesting to see how that carries over to next season when there’s more support around him.

No change // Ladder: 17th (3W, 19L)
That Justin Leppitsch is unlikely to see out this week says all you need to know about how the Lions’ year went, but there’s also this: they had 516 more points scored against them than the next worst side.

The Crowd Says:

2016-08-30T21:55:05+00:00

Mark

Guest


Exactly what I was going to say.

2016-08-30T05:51:35+00:00

The Original Buzz

Guest


No, Biggy. Refer Carlton, round 23.

2016-08-30T05:47:02+00:00

BiggyD

Guest


Yes it does. For example a team that played Essendon twice this year had a advantage no?

2016-08-29T22:04:01+00:00

michael RVC

Roar Pro


Pete is correct. WB have had too much fairy tail applied by the Vic AFL media that you guys drink so much of. They are just not that good yet. Maybe in the next year or two. This year they are not good enough to displace any of the actual top 4. The ladder does not lie.

2016-08-29T07:38:50+00:00

Cat

Roar Guru


That was actually a VERY Richmond like display.

2016-08-29T06:16:21+00:00

big four sticks

Guest


I have microwaved my membership. We were pathetic against Sydney. We are their bogey side and we served up that embarrassing display of putrid un Richmond like dross. Hardwick has to go. He cannot coach. We will lose over 20,000 members if Hardwick stays. We are a top four club yet Hardwick has taken us to the abyss.

2016-08-29T05:29:54+00:00

Giddy

Guest


I disagree Pete. I reckon the Bulldogs at full strength would be very much at the top of the ladder without the injuries, and I'm not a dogs supporter

2016-08-29T05:17:38+00:00

hal

Guest


Macca: Absolutely. Carlton are in a rebuild while Richmond were meant to have won a final and Melbourne were meant to have shown that they no longer drop their heads and give up. Patrick Smith summed up Melbourne perfectly by saying they are big heads. Worst teams for the year in terms of credibility are Collingwood, Richmond, Fremantle, Port Adelaide (as usual), and Brisbane (who once again avoided the spoon by percentage alone). Carlton and Essendon both have a lot to take out of this season.

2016-08-29T05:03:20+00:00

Macca

Guest


Darren L - Just had a look at inside 50's, goals and behinds from last year to this year. Ave Inside 50's 2015 44.2, 2016 50.8 Ave Goals 2015 9.95 2016 10.18 Ave Behinds 2015 9.59 2016 10.18 So this year we got 6.6 more inside 50's 0.82 more scoring shots - it may not be much but it is progress and points to the process working even if the personell are still lacking, especially when combined with a 17.09 points per game reduction in points against.

2016-08-29T04:11:17+00:00

Macca

Guest


Hal- I was disappointed with the blues loss to the bombers but I think Melbourne and Richmond fans should be much more disappointed - these are teams that are supposed to be pushing for finals spots next year (many had them in the 8 this year) and to be so uncompetitive is really appalling.

2016-08-29T03:56:25+00:00

hal

Guest


I would have Melbourne in the bottom four. They are the biggest false alarmists in the AFL. I picked their loss to Carlton last week and I tipped a tripple figure loss to Geelong. When walking into the ground on Saturday I over heard arrogant Melbourne fans saying that the Dees would beat Geelong. Melbourne will be nowhere near the eight next season. Little has changed at this rabble of a club.

2016-08-29T02:40:56+00:00

Pete

Guest


Carlton beat Melbourne only last week to put them out of the finals race. If you'd been following the Power Ratings during the year you would know that they are not based on just one weeks performance.

2016-08-29T02:35:23+00:00

Pete

Guest


Bulldogs only have one game left for the year anyway. Even at their best they were never a top 4 side and with injuries not good enough to be top 6. Might as well focus on next year now.

2016-08-29T02:16:55+00:00

the spectator

Guest


Would have preferred a more competitive game for the Swans on the weekend. Richmond were pathetic, if we had relegation in the AFL they would be relegated. Not really AFL standard.

2016-08-29T01:19:49+00:00

Jay

Guest


From a Bulldogs perspective, it would be more of an aberration than anything else. It happened in the first Geelong encounter and yesterday against Fremantle. But, the thing that people do not notice is that the team is comprised of a large portion of VFL level players. Being as optimistic as possible, one-quarter to one-third of the team may well and truly be replaced for the encounter against the Eagles. This makes it a completely different team. Easton Wood, Jake Stringer, Jack Macrae, Tom Liberatore, Jordan Roughead and a couple of others are among possible returns. These are all objectively quality players so I would not be counting the Bulldogs out from winning one, maybe two finals as the semi-final will be in Melbourne if they win the elimination.

2016-08-29T01:10:53+00:00

Macca

Guest


I would suggest mental and physical fatigue for the drop off in the last month (and it should be remembered it was only the St Kilda, Brisbane and Essendon games we were ordinary) - players like Weitering, Plowman, Kerridge, Cripps, Graham, Sumner, Silvagni, Buckley and Cuningham are yet to play 50 games a drop off was to be expected. That said in the Brisbane and Essendon games we at least fought it out to the end (something that wouldn't have happened last year) and had more scoring shots and more inside 50's - for obviously bad results it isn't all doom and gloom. The forward line is a massive issue but the steps we took to fix it in last years draft are yet to bear fruit, McKay, Curnow and Silvagni will make a massive difference to that area in the years to come and if we add Tomlinson the change is even greater for very little outlay. Completely agree it was a disappointing way to end the season but if we had been offered 7 wins and 2 goal losses to West Coast, Sydney and Hawthorn at the start of the year we would have been more than happy. This was just the first year in a rebuild - lets celebrate its success.

2016-08-29T00:40:41+00:00

Darren L

Roar Rookie


Original Buzz, I agree effort wise Blues are bottom 3 at the moment with Demons and Tigers. Why did the defensive system fall apart with a few weeks to go? Lot's of soul searching over the summer. At least the focus will remain on the long term. Also, I think the lack of a forward line is still the biggest issue. Again, way more inside 50s and scoring shots. Shocking conversion and complete lack of defensive pressure when the turnovers occurred. Still 7 wins is pretty realistic for where they are at.

2016-08-29T00:30:34+00:00

Liam Salter

Roar Guru


Are you saying that the loss wasn't a concern? I'd say it was. Yeah, they couldn't move from seventh, and, yeah, the match wasn't necessarily the most important, but I'd say the loss is a huge concern. When you use the ball as badly as the Doggies did against a team that wasn't necessarily 2016's best example in ball movement, and you fail to have any chance of winning whatsoever, AND you're about to enter a finals series, I'd say the loss is a concern.

2016-08-29T00:12:42+00:00

The Original Buzz

Guest


I would put Freo and Essendon above Carlton and Richmond this week. The Blues were pathetic this week and should be bottom.

2016-08-28T23:32:56+00:00

Peppsy

Guest


Bulldogs with nothing to play for, just trying to avoid injuries. "Loss a concern"

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