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Opinion
It just hasn’t felt right lately. Something has been missing.
I thought maybe it was Donald Trump’s Twitter account, but now, that was a long time ago.
I spent a few hours contemplating, and then I realised it was The Roar AFL power rankings.
Charlie Keegan is the power ranking king, but he has succumbed to the Essendon doldrums. If only in the interests of the Fremantle supporters, the power rankings are needed. So I thought I would step up. And it is such a difficult week with the bye.
I will address the rankings in the proper order.
1. Fremantle Dockers
Who can believe it? After a forgettable two weeks, they stepped up and beat Melbourne and then Brisbane. Their moving press has sucked the attacking life out of the two next-best teams. They deserve the top spot.
2. Sydney Swans
They convincingly beat Melbourne. The quick ball movement and kicks to leads up forward were enough to secure victory. This exciting team is on the march. Can they keep it up? Isaac Heeney is a star and always just about to explode.
3. Melbourne Demons
A few injuries and two convincing but not crushing defeats, the former untouchables have been relegated. They are clearly on a downward trajectory. Can they readjust without Steve May and an intensity drop from Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver? Max Gawn is still taking his big marks and kicking his 60-metre roosts. Maybe the opposition are just onto them.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
4. Brisbane Lions
They have been riding high. They have been doing enough to just win. But they were beaten by Fremantle in Perth. They were not disgraced, but they were strangled. Their backline that was leaking as well.
5. Geelong Cats
They’re on three straight wins after dispatching the westerns to the bottom eight for the season with an absolutely magnificent first quarter. If only the last three would match this. I am not sure if it all isn’t the coach’s cunning plan for the finals.
6. St Kilda Saints
They fell over the line with Adelaide but did complete the customary flogging of West Coast. I had to ponder how the Saints were below the Cats when they beat them at Marvel four weeks ago. Then I realised that St Kilda has performed particularly badly in the bye round. The coach has not even made any outrageous comments.
7. Carlton Blues
They have not been terrible, beating most sides they should, but they also have failed to put in the four quarters. Then a defeat by the Magpies – the ignominy.
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
8. Collingwood Magpies
A spanking victory against traditional enemies Carlton and then scrapping over the line against the Hawks. They are making the best of things with the players they have on the field. The coach seems like a good one.
9. Richmond Tigers
The loss against the Swans has pushed them out of the eight, but they are perched precariously like the predator that they are. They have won six out of their 11 games, but the highest victory was over Collingwood – and they went down to Adelaide.
10. Gold Coast Suns
The team is always promising to break through. They are trying. They can thump Hawthorn and then North, but they fall to teams like the Bulldogs.
11. Western Bulldogs
Last year’s grand finalists were on a recovery from the skids – actually, no, they are still on the skids. The Cats showed up their lack of tall defenders, questioned the hardness of their ruckman and completely covered their forwards.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
12. Port Adelaide Power
The Power have had a shocking start and are trying to rise from the clawing bog. They had a few wins but then ran into the Cats at the Cattery. The Tigers in Tigerland will be their big test.
13. Hawthorn Hawks
They have had some significant scalps this season but have settled into a losing mode. Not by much, but enough.
14. Greater Western Sydney Giants
This has been such a disappointing season. Brisbane touched them up, then they had an average win over the West Coast.
15. Adelaide Crows
They are good enough to beat the West Coast but not much else. Did I mention they outdid the Tigers?
16. Essendon Bombers
A less than average side putting in less than average effort. Did they really make the finals in 2021? The bye round has been kind to them.
17. North Melbourne Kangaroos
They seemed to be on a downward trajectory from last year. They appear to take a ten-goal loss as a badge of honour – even from the Gold Coast.
18. West Coast Eagles
No COVID excuses, no real injury excuses, just consistent losing, and by a lot. It is not as though they haven’t got any good players. Coach change and regime change is needed.
Those are my rankings. Go to town.
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