I’m too exhausted to think of any funny opening line this week, so just flourish in the fun fact that all home teams – bar Carlton, of course – won matches this week. Anyway, here’s the rankings.
Last week: 1
They remain at the top of both these rankings and the ladder which matters. Withstood an early challenge, but comfortably won against a team most (read: I) thought was coming good. I suspect Geelong will remain tough to beat for a little while.
Last week: 2
Fresh from a win against their arch rivals, the Giants dispatched of the Saints with (relative) ease, one of those good-team-beats-up-not-so-good-team scenarios that happen all the time. Except it was a good team defeating a (maybe?) good team.
Last week: 3
Whenever a team edges close to fifty points in the first term, you know they’re having a good game. Collingwood are equal-second premiership favourites, for mine.
Last week: 5
It’ll almost be fraudulently easy to suggest the Eagles are not the calibre team they were last year. So I’ll simply suggest that they are; they’re just underperforming to the extent when it’s easy enough to bag them. I don’t buy into the “Eagles won’t make finals” talk; they’ll come back.
Last week: 4
Will the real Port Adelaide please stand up? Two weeks ago the team surprised one grand finalists with a win, yet on Friday they were pummelled by another. This is part and parcel of being a Port fan, though, yes?
Last week: 9
Succumbing to a nervy second quarter fightback from their opposition would’ve been worrying, but the newfound maturity within their ranks meant the Lions were to keep the Swans at bay.
Last week: 10
There was a time during the middle of the second quarter where Adelaide’s disposals-per-goal count was well into the 200s. Such was the nature of the weirdly enthralling clash that occupied Adelaide Oval yesterday. Good win, but I’d argue they’d be less than pleased with the manner of it.
Last week: 6
I could blame the umpires (and they were horrid). But really, Fremantle fell apart with an insipid forward line. Defensively fantastic, midfield (largely) stood up, but there was no semblance of structure. Props to Adelaide, much of that was due to their own defensive skills. But disappointing result all the same.
Last week: 7
Misfired in attack, and were never really in this clash. Good opportunity to strike back coming Friday: a visit to face a rubbish Swans side.
Last week: 8
Last Monday, I suggested they were back in the finals race. This week, they looked dreadful. Such is season 2019.
Last week: 14
Wow. The massive disparities in most of the statistics highlights the Bulldogs’ immense win – keeping a side like Richmond to 120-odd less disposals while booting a winning score showcases yet another saga in the weird season the is 2019.
Last week: 11
They’ve now lost their first two matches in a string of tough challenges. They were unable to follow Freo in defeating the Giants in the nation’s capital, but I’m going to make a big call and argue I can envision them beating an underwhelming West Coast next week.
Last week: 12
Oh, no. The only thing worse than a loss is a close loss. That’ll sting.
Last week: 13
I would imagine the Suns contingent would have been feeling decisively mixed feelings on the flight home across the continent. Ambivalent to the expected loss, but proud of the way they closed to win two goals in the final term. Probably more emblematic of the Eagles’ troubles, but the Suns will be proud regardless.
Last week: 17
Don’t be too surprised with their victory, nor the manner of their victory: they have kicked over 17 goals the past five times they’ve faced Carlton. Nevertheless, it’s still a big win. Unfortunately for them, they face Geelong next week in the Scott Bros Cup™.
Last week: 18
Got the win they craved. But, they’re still 2-5. And they’re still a long way off competing for finals. Good chance not to get complacent during a trip to the Gold Coast next week (and speaking from experience, I can attest it happens).
Last week: 15
Sigh. I’m glad I didn’t tip them this week. In a way, though: to say that their first properly uncompetitive loss would come for the first time in Round 7 is more than most expected from this club. Or am I being too harsh?
Last week: 16
How long can Longmire last? Sydney are a properly bad team. They showed flashes of good football against the Lions, but I feel that’s becoming a theme with the red and white: good for a smidgen of the game, decisively awful for the rest of it.
Bruce
Guest
Yep good comment. Plus its the defending champs right to not have to show good form before the pointy end of the season. They just have to make sure they make the 8.
ChrisH
Roar Rookie
Essendon are 1 and 4 against sides 8. That's concerning and possibly tells the real story.
ChrisH
Roar Rookie
Wouldn't be too worried about WCE yet. They've played 6 games against other teams in the top 8 which means a lot of their remaining games will be against teams outside the 8. Compare that to Cats, Pies and GWS who've only played 3 games against other current top 8.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Eagles have beaten three of the top eight, lost to three of the top eight, face St Kilda next and Adelaide in Round 10. Which other team will have played the top eight by Round 10? You'd have to say that that's the weightiest start for any team, and yes,Saints aren't that convincing and the Suns were only in the 8 up to Round 4, but I'm sure you'd take 6-3 or 5-4 if that slate was offered.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
We have only lost to GWS once ever I think from memory
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
Exactly. More games in dry conditions will help too
Cat
Roar Guru
Geelong is hitting the 'easy' part of their fixture now. Everything until the bye should be wins but I can't help feeling the Cats will drop one they shouldn't. Losing to Sydney in Geelong wouldn't surprise me – even if they remain in 18th.
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
Cmon now. Cats normally stick around until 2nd or 3rd week of finals.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
yeah pretty disrespectful that!
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Absolutely Cat. I half expect the Blues to roll us this week.
Cat
Roar Guru
I'll be happy to worry about finals, when finals rolls around. Until then, just happy my boys are getting the job done as you should be with yours. There are sure to be rough patches for both of our sides before September gets here.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Yeah Cat I freely admit I was pretty down and hard on the Cats early last year. I can be hard on sides I am invested in. I really respect and have liked the club since watching Ablett Snr in the 80’s, the best ever IMO. They are my second side. I genuinely thought they were on the wrong path and stand corrected. I did however jump back on board earlier than most. When I watched them first hand stand up against the rampaging Tigers last year I knew you were right and I was wrong and they were actually on the right path as you predicted. Since then I have been a big fan and predicted them to finish 6th this season while most predicted their demise. They now stand ironically as the main hurdle against the Pies right at this minute though as we both know it is too early to predict too much. As a Pies fan you are pretty much conditioned to being tortured and I will never feel safe until maybe 50 points plus up in the last qtr in a grand Final. As 2018 showed yet again, with another dagger, we are a hell of a preliminary final side and a lousy grand finalist. The last prelim we lost in fact was to the Cats in 2007 by 5 points who of course went on to win the GF by 120 but we win most prelims and sadly lose most grand finals.
Cat
Roar Guru
"When will Melbourne have theirs ..." When they earn it. Flags aren't handed out.
Cat
Roar Guru
Look through my comment history, you'll find comments for every week of the season.
Raimond
Roar Guru
Nice try. 8.5/10.
Cat
Roar Guru
Hey Peter, Remember when you were trying to tell me Geelong had the worst youth in the league … ???? Geelong had 9 players with less than 50 games experience in the side that walked over Essendon.
Cat
Roar Guru
I'm still here. The frequency of my commenting is directly proportional to the number of articles that interest me. Some weeks the articles don't elicit enough care factor out of me to be bothered making a comment.
Seymorebutts
Roar Rookie
I think thats exactly how they will finish up at the end of the season. The Eagles now have 5 winnable games in front of them, so they could go into the pre season break at 9-3 which is very respectable. They have a couple of passengers, Masten and Jetta dont seem to be doing much, might be a good time to bring in some fresh blood. And I expect Port will steadily climb the ladder as well. But it looks like it is the Cats head and shoulders above everyone else at the moment. Curious thing is they struggle with Pies, who struggle with the Eagles. Reminds me of 2005 when the Eagles could beat the Crows, but not the Swans, The Crows used to flog the Swans but had no answers to the Eagles...
Thatsashame
Guest
Agree only the top 3 matter right now and WC will matter. I'll keep reminding everyone tigers won't make the 8. Swans bottom 4, Yay, Hawks nowhere near it, Yay! Crows will be there and Bombers will win their next 4 to be entrenched in top 8.
Michael Rogers
Roar Rookie
Teams placed 1st on the ladder after playing 7 matches 1897-2018 have gone on to be Premiers in 39 of the 122 seasons (7 times 1990-2018). A retrospective 1st in the 'power rankings' could be interesting.