AFL stock market: Round 6

After a week off, the AFL stock market is back with a bang looking at the risers and fallers from Round 6.

Adelaide Crows

Rising: Riley Thilthorpe
The No. 2 draft pick hit the scene with a bang, slamming home five goals in his debut game. As far as first games go, you can’t get much better than that.

Falling: Adelaide’s match committee
The whole idea of having a medical sub is to have someone available to contribute if there is an injury. Why pick someone to play that role if they aren’t ready to play? Absolutely bizarre stuff from Adelaide.

Brisbane Lions

Rising: Deven Robertson
The young midfielder had 18 disposals at 78 per cent efficiency and kicked two goals, but he also had six tackles, showing he can do it on both ends. With Lachie Neale out indefinitely, he could cement a solid role in the side.

Falling: Harris Andrews
The multiple All Australian fullback is a star of the competition, but Harry McKay got the better of him and his team’s defence. Considering Andrews’s star status, allowing McKay to kick six would sting.

Harris Andrews (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Carlton Blues

Rising: Harry McKay
As mentioned above, McKay took advantage of the Brisbane defence and kicked six, his second big bag of the season. He has shown moments of dominance, but to do that against the best the league has is impressive.

Falling: Michael Gibbons
He was an important part of the Blues side last year but, like the rest of the side, is struggling. He could manage only five disposals and one behind, which is not the kind of output needed for the Blues to win games.

Collingwood Magpies

Rising: Darcy Cameron
It was his best performance as a Pie, and apart from fellow Roarer Rhys Knight, no-one is mentioning it. He kicked three, had 22 disposals – impressive for a tall forward – and took ten marks. With the Pies crying out for a forward presence, he delivered.

Falling: Brody Mihocek
To put it bluntly, he got dominated by Jayden Laverde. A measly six disposals and one goal for the most dangerous Collingwood forward was never going to hold them in good stead for a win.

Harry McKay (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Essendon Bombers

Rising: Darcy Parish
His stocks couldn’t be higher at the moment after coming off his best game by a mile. He had 42 disposals and kicked two goals while claiming the most obvious Anzac Day medal in a while.

Falling: Cale Hooker
It’s been a great start to the year for the veteran, but Chook couldn’t find the ball on Anzac Day. Only six disposals and a couple of behinds for the big Bomber was a quiet performance.

Fremantle Dockers

Rising: David Mundy
I’m not sure the Mundy stocks have ever been this high, and his career has been a long and successful one. The veteran wound back the clock with 30 disposals and three goals in a vintage performance.

Falling: Connor Blakely
He didn’t do anything wrong once coming on as the sub, but the fact he started as the sub is the reason his stocks are falling. Even with injuries he can’t seem to crack the starting 22.

David Mundy (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Geelong Cats

Rising: Mitch Duncan
This could have been 12 players, but Duncan’s performance was off the charts, with 26 disposals, 13 marks and four goals for the classy midfielder, including one of the purest barrels you will see.

Falling: Brandon Parfitt
The in-and-under midfielder accumulated 16 disposals, but his ball use let him down. He used the ball at only 56 per cent, which wasn’t ideal, but in a 97-point victory it’s a difficult task to find a faller.

Gold Coast Suns

Rising: Noah Anderson
The man who is constantly in the shadow of Matt Rowell has stepped out of that shadow beautifully. He had 34 disposals and seven marks and used the ball at an amazing 82 per cent efficiency rate.

Falling: Will Brodie
After being a buzz name during the preseason, Brodie was unable to take his opportunity and now finds himself watching from the stands. With wins like this one, he could struggle to get back into the side.

Mitch Duncan (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)

Greater Western Sydney Giants

Rising: Lachie Ash
The young Shepparton boy has been unbelievable this year but his performance under lights in Canberra was his best – 35 disposals and 15 marks at an efficiency rate of 83 per cent are ridiculous numbers.

Falling: Nick Haynes
He got injured, but the fall has been a season-long pattern. From All Australian last season to lost and lacking a role in 2021, Haynes will miss time with injury now.

Hawthorn Hawks

Rising: Jacob Koschitzke
It’s hard to ignore the performance of the Rising Star nominee of the week. Kosi kicked five for the Hawks and could have had more with three behinds and handing another off. He looked dominant but can he continue it?

Falling: Conor Nash
He came in for the Round 5 clash but was omitted immediately after his poor performance. After multiple years on the fringe, could this be the end of Nash’s tenure in the brown and gold?

Melbourne Demons

Rising: Christian Salem
Despite namesake Christian Petracca winning the medal for best on ground, Salem’s stocks have been sky-high for months. Salem is a true riser. He is in career-best form, and his 39-disposal performance could be his best yet.

Falling: Charlie Spargo
It was a quiet night for the young lad, and with a competition for spots as intense as it is at Melbourne, one down game could be trouble – though this is clutching at straws considering the team’s incredible form.

North Melbourne Kangaroos

Rising: Jack Ziebell
With 37 disposals and 14 marks at an amazing 92 per cent efficiency, the form of the North captain has been one of the bright spots for both their fans and his SuperCoach and AFL Fantasy owners.

Falling: Todd Goldstein
The big fella has been a star but is visibly on his last legs. Sean Darcy took the match-up comfortably, and Goldy struggled to influence the game. With young a ruckman on the list, should they give Goldy a spell?

Jack Ziebell (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)

Port Adelaide Power

Rising: Karl Amon
One of my personal favourite players, the smooth left-footer brought his own footy to Adelaide Oval. After 34 disposals, eight marks and some insane gut running, Amon should be the All Australian wingman as of today.

Falling: Todd Marshall
As previously mentioned, it can be clutching at straws finding a faller in a team that dominated, but here we are. Marshall played a high half-forward role and struggled to find the footy, continually being bypassed by Port’s smooth ball movement.

Richmond Tigers

Rising: Shai Bolton
With Dusty being tagged out of the game and midfielders missing, Bolton stood up. He had 28 disposals and impacted the scoreboard with one goal and two behinds.

Falling: Dustin Martin
When you’re the most spoken about and loved players in the league, your stocks are constantly high, so a bad performance will cause a fall. Michael Hibberd got the best of Dusty before he got subbed out with a concussion.

Shai Bolton (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

St Kilda Saints

Rising: Jack Steele
I can’t speak highly enough of the first-year captain. At times it looked like he was the only Saint who cared, which is an embarrassment for his teammates. He had 27 disposals and seven tackles, the definition of consistent.

Falling: Ben Long
It felt like he gave away more free kicks than he got disposals. Long had a promising 2020, but his 2021 has been less than pleasing. The axe will fall on the Saints this week and Long could be on the block.

Sydney Swans

Rising: Josh Kennedy
The veteran star showed he still has what it takes to smash out big numbers. Kennedy had 42 disposals and laid seven tackles in a gigantic performance. Despite the loss, Joey was huge.

Falling: Nick Blakey
His 2021 form has been less than desirable. The young tall has been experimented with on the wing this year, and it’s obvious that it hasn’t worked. With talls like Logan McDonald and Sam Reid firing what will the Swans do with Blakey?

West Coast Eagles

Rising: Andrew Gaff
In a nightmare Geelong trip for the Eagles, Gaff was the only West Coast player to have more than 20 disposals. He worked hard all game and didn’t give up until the final siren.

Falling: Liam Duggan
It could have gone to numerous Eagles, but Duggan is the one. There were high expectations for Duggan coming into the year, but he hasn’t quite delivered. Ten disposals for someone running through the midfield isn’t a recipe for success.

Western Bulldogs

Rising: Jack Macrae
Macrae has had a monstrous 2021 campaign, but this was his peak performance to date, featuring 40 disposals with a goal and six tackles in Canberra. This star-studded midfield looks impossible to stop at the moment.

Falling: Josh Schache
He left Brisbane for a Melbourne-based club and an opportunity, but with Josh Bruce, Aaron Naughton and Tim English firing and No. 1 pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan dominating the reserves, Schache could quite possibly have seen his last AFL game.