It’s become cliche to say that any team can beat any other team on their day, but this season is proving that cliche true.
I keep waiting for things to settle into place… and I keep waiting for things to settle into place.
Last week: 1
Ladder: 2
The margin in five of the Giants’ past seven games has been fewer than 10 points, they’ve been playing with fire and finally got burnt.
Last week: 2
Ladder: 1
Got back to their high-powered ways, winning every quarter and belting the Saints by the best part of 10 goals. Looks to have found a player in Hugh Greenwood, who has 44 contested possessions and 20 uncontested possessions in his four games.
Last week: 5
Ladder: 3
Had a week off and moved up two spots. Not bad.
Last week: 3
Ladder: 5
That was a really disappointing performance, reminiscent of the flaky Power of the past two seasons.
Last week: 4
Ladder: 8
Probably as poorly as they’ve played under Luke Beveridge. Desperately need to figure out what their best side looks like and get it on the park. Something’s not right.
Last week: 6
Ladder: 4
Had the week off.
Last week: 8
Ladder: 6
Big win against a feisty opponent on a big stage. Christian Petracca is going to be a hell of a player.
Last week: 7
Ladder: 9
The bye came at a very nice time for the Eagles.
Last week: 11
Ladder: 7
Their first-quarter was just about perfect. Cale Hooker is now in the top-20 for goals kicked this season.
Last week: 9
Ladder: 12
It’s been a very disappointing three weeks for the Saints. They’ll be searching for answers ahead of Friday night’s important clash with the Roos.
Last week: 12
Ladder: 11
Another solid performance from the Pies, who have won three of their past five games – and those two losses were by a combined seven points. They’re an honest mid-table team.
Last week: 10
Ladder: 10
One of the most disappointing things for Fremantle fans would be the lack of surprise at them losing to the Lions. Their percentage of 78.5 is the third worst in the league.
Last week: 15
Ladder: 14
Were too tough, skilled, disciplined and prepared for the Dogs. Somehow, their finals hopes have been resuscitated.
Last week: 13
Ladder: 15
Unlucky to move down on their week off.
Last week: 17
Ladder: 13
The Suns are only one game out of the eight. What the hell is happening?
Last week: 16
Ladder: 16
That win will sustain Carlton fans for a long time. Awesome.
Last week: 14
Ladder: 17
These Hawks just aren’t any good.
Last week: 18
Ladder: 18
First Josh Schache re-signed and then they touched up the Dockers – it’s been an excellent week for the Lions.
Brian
Guest
Dockers ahead of Sydney?
Birdman
Guest
Good to see Tassie boy, Hugh Greenwood get a nod - looks a real prospect after jettisoning a very promising NBL career.
sammy
Guest
I would have thought it time to swap Adelaide and GWS back to their former positions. Losing to Carlton Who are still very much in long term development and having so many players whom GWS did not deem required helped Carlton win it is not ideal for a top ranked team.
Rissole
Guest
I agree. Their form is not great and are playing like a mid-table team (which they were until the finals last year). I'd be backing Richmond, Melbourne and Essendon, who are all ranked lower, to beat them if they played this week.
hal
Guest
Carlton have their best win since beating us last year and they remain in 16th spot. Brisbane thump Fremantle and remain in 18th spot. Hawthorn lose at home and are still above Brisbane. I don't get it. This makes no sense to me.
Adrian Polykandrites
Expert
Oops! Thanks dan.
Dan
Roar Rookie
I think you're underestimating the Roos this week Adrian - don't get me wrong, I would love the Saints to be able to say it's in the bag and we can have a "week off" Saints play North Friday night mate, might need to amend the Saints comment :P
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
I appreciate the sentiment, but it's not hard being realistic about how your team is traveling. The lack of effort on the weekend was extremely concerning.
Cat
Roar Guru
Bulldogs still way overrated. Six goals for a game is dreadful, 6 goals in a game against the (at the time) 16th on the ladder side is even worse.They are averaging less than 84 points a game. They have lost 3 of their last 4 games. They are just not a very good team. Eighth on the ladder is probably flattering them, 5th in 'power' rankings is absolutely nonsensical.
Grassy_Grounds
Roar Rookie
Too many people have been burnt by Richmond across more seasons than the Port Adelaide Magpies have won premierships. Therefore it takes an awful lot of convincing for people to be persuaded that they are a real chance. As the Power Rankings are perception based the Ninthmond bias will always come into play.
DH
Guest
Hooker is an excellent foil to Daniher. You can rightly point out Hooker is an excellent intercept mark, but these days, that's just as important for trapping it in the forward half as it is keeping the opposition out of the defensive half. The Essendon forwardline is up in the top 2-3 forward-lines in the league. Behind the Crows and Giants, but probably ahead of the cats, tigers, Bulldogs and Port.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
that's admirable for you to say, given you're a power fan
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
I think it's time for the Power to drop a bit further down these rankings. Richmond surely have to be above them at this point.
jutsie
Guest
As stated in this article Hooker is in the top 20 goal kickers, he joins Daniher (4th with 34) and Fantasia (14th with 25). In addtion AMT has 19 goals for the season. Yet every week we have to listen to so called experts like Garry Lyon, Johnathon brown etc bang on about the essendon forwrad line being dysfunctional. That may have been the case in previous seasons but I think Woosha has got the balance right with the three talls and fantasia / AMT/ Green. I was a firm believer in keeping hooker and AMT in the backline at the start of the season and I still think Hooker is a better backmen than forward however I am happy to have been proven wrong by the coaching staff and these players.