Round 2's biggest winners and losers

Every week there are nine winners and nine losers, but for some clubs the wins are worth more than four points.

Breaking a hoodoo, arresting a slide or a win against the odds can give a team an immeasurable confidence-boost that can last for weeks and lead to more wins.

Conversely, there are losses that can engulf a club and cause more damage than meets the eye, potentially wrecking a whole season!

With that in mind here are this week’s winners and losers.

Winners
Port Adelaide had to win big against a lower club – as opposed to winning ugly or losing – to reinforce what we saw last week and start to believe it might be what we’ll get every week.

The Crows broke a long-running hoodoo, now have two good scalps, and proved they are serious contenders.

The Demons won a game they may well have lost previously, especially when seriously challenged by a determined Blues.

Losers
The Suns were always going to lose, but like that? Some big issues on the Gold Coast.

Saint Kilda led nearly all day, played really well, but didn’t get the chocolates and now fall to 0-2. I thought they would lift themselves into the eight this year, but it’s really tough from here.

The Swans played two very entertaining games and played well. They are good enough to recover from 0-2, but picked up another injury. Kurt Tippett is not a huge loss but if Sam Reid has to ruck a bit it hurts their forward structure.

In keeping with the same theme, which teams have the most to gain from a win and which will feel the most pain from a loss in Round 3.

Most to gain
After a stirring win away over an under-cooked Swans, followed by a four-quarter clinic over a hapless Dockers, Port have made a terrific start. If they can upstage hometown rivals the Crows, they will force 90 per cent of the footy community to rethink where they predicted this previously up-and-down side might finish.

The Wolves at Ken Hinkley’s door have retreated slightly, this could send them back to the forest!

Richmond are another club that were under the pump at the start of the year that have gone 2-0 – but then so they should have, with wins over a developing Blues and a wayward Pies outfit. This is a week for the Tigers to bank four points against a quality side, one that has been rated by many as top four and most as definitely top eight.

As above, a win would ease external pressure, gain them considerable confidence, and have them in the frame for September action!

Melbourne had a good win against the Saints, a team in an equal stage of development, and a ‘job’s done’ win after a scare against the young Blues. A win against an opponent considered to be a step above would be massive for the Dees. They didn’t make their job any easier with some undisciplined acts from leaders last week.

For clubs that were hoping to be in the hunt for spots in the lower positions of the eight, a 0-3 start would be just about fatal. So in that regard, the Saints, Pies and Roos will be desperate to turn things around and earn themselves a win this week.