AFL Round 19 Power Rankings: Contenders continue to stumble

We are on the run home to the end of season. Is it finals or mothballs? It is the time of year when fans pencil in their definite wins, losses and maybes.

Some teams exceed expectations and some disappoint.

This week we saw a few Contenders for the flag stumble. We saw a few contenders for the eight stumble and some even fall.

18. North Melbourne Kangaroos

A brief sacked coach bounce was followed up with a convincing loss to the lowly Hawks. It looks like normal transmission has resumed. Is that the test pattern?

17. Adelaide Crows

The season seems long for some of Adelaide’s players. It has been even longer for their coach Matt Nicks.

16. West Coast Eagles

West Coast have some champion players in the team. They are able to make some great plays. This side should not be seventeenth on the ladder. They should not be losing every game. It is a shameful way to end some players careers. Poor Josh Kennedy.

15. Hawthorn Hawks

They did beat the lowly North and West Coast, but doesn’t everyone.

14. GWS Giants

The Giants did try and take on Carlton. They matched them for three quarter but let them off the leash in the last. Toby Green is still an exciting player to watch.

Who was the famous player who said, I like the smell of mothballs in the morning. That might have been a different game.

12. Essendon Bombers

Essendon has a fine second half to the season. Conquering the Saints, Swans, Brisbane and just coming up short with Collingwood.

I won’t harp on the West Coast loss. They are a young side with plenty of spunk. They take the game on. Two Metre Peter is super accurate, a great mark and has even hardened up somewhat.

They choked it against a very accurate and lucky Collingwood but there was no disgrace. I think one coach’s job is safe.

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

11. Richmond

Richmond was last ranked eleventh. Since that time, they have not won any games. They have lost one against the 2022 Wooden Spooners, North. This week they drew with the Dockers. Some say an exciting contest against a top four contender.

But they only scored seven goals. Some say that they had their opportunity but were unlucky. But losing in the fourth quarter is a 2022 Tiger habit.

Some say that the injuries were taking their toll. But there was only Lynch and Martin missing. They should be back for the finals. But will there be any for Richmond?

The side has stumbled and is down on one knee. But they have faith.

11. Gold Coast Suns

Brisbane has finally snuffed out any chance that Gold Coast had at making the finals. The Suns game was a decent effort but it was still not quite up to it.

Their capitulation to Essendon the week before is not quite so positive.

10. St Kilda Saints

Saint Kilda are still fighting it out for eighth. They are only just behind on percentage. This was not helped by only just overcoming a lack lustre West Coast Eagles.

And the week before they were easily dismissed by the actual occupant in the number eight position.

Neither their, nor Bulldog’s run home is easy, but their form would have to lift to be a chance of nabbing the coveted spot.

9. Western Bulldogs

The Westerns were last ranked thirteenth. There was a hue and a cry from the faithful. A handy victory over the then top eight Saints followed by a win over the reigning premier Melbourne, they are shown to be justified. The Bulldogs are the big movers.

On the way up with a bullet. A strong finish to the season will mean they are playing finals. Let us see how they handle the hurdle in Kardinia Park next week.

8. Brisbane Lions

Brisbane are still racking up the wins against the lower sides but it is hard to forget the capitulation to Essendon and the drubbing from Melbourne.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

7. Port Adelaide

Port have really lifted in the back half of the season. It looks like Geelong may have ended their run at the finals, but what a game.

The Cats were in devastating form, building a five goal lead. Then the Power gave it their all. Rolled the dice. Big Charlie Dixon, using his muscle in the ruck and down forward. Sam Powell-Pepper was battering, tackling, diving at the ball (in a good way) and kicking goals.

Mitch Georgiades, forever promising but for once delivering. Aliir Aliir was a tower of strength in the backline. The team pulled up just short in the game and in the season, but they will be back like the Terminator next year.

6. Collingwood

Collingwood have had a wonderful winning streak. But the last five weeks, they have fallen over the line against GWS, Gold Coast, North, Adelaide and Essendon. And not without a bit of luck and a few teams choking (not naming you Essendon).

Mason Cox looked like a seal out of water. Or perhaps a Giraffe in deep water. He can’t ruck, can’t tackle, can’t kick to a team mate and can’t mark unless he is by himself and has a plane runway in front of him.

When is Grundy back? Pendlebury is looking, and running like his age.

I am going to go out on a limb, I can see Collingwood getting belted in the last four games of the year.

5. Fremantle Dockers

So much promise but look what they present us with. A close dirge against the tenth placed Tigers. Seven goals each to conclude a hard earned draw. Most teams score this in half a game. In fact some teams score that in a quarter.

Fremantle seem to have a scoring issue. Is there a time in their history that they haven’t. I have heard people say that Rory Lobb was missing. He would make the difference. But he is inaccurate. In any case, he is looking over to the East.

So did the Dockers fans pencil in the Tigers win? Did they pencil in a win against Sydney? Have they penciled in one against the Bulldogs and the Demons?

(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

4 Carlton Blues

Carlton have a magnificent forward marking array. They have a strong midfield and a tight backline, at least when they are not injured.

But their results are definitely up and down.

They are certainly good enough not to be challenged by the bottom six sides such as GWS but they slip against a side like St Kilda.

3. Sydney Swans

The Swans were beaten by the young swashbuckling Bombers. A bit of a downer, but they were not the only top eight side to succumb.

Sydney has since polished off the re-emerging Bulldogs, Fremantle and were plenty good enough for Adelaide.

The Swans are really starting to build, timing it perfectly. With their easy run home, they will be up there and primed for the final.

3 Melbourne Demons

No, that wasn’t a mistake. There are equal number threes. Melbourne just is not good enough to be ranked second. They have just been beaten by the eighth placed Bulldogs.

Although they destroyed the Brisbane Pretender and were too classy for the desperate Port Adelaide, they were not up to the Cats standard. In fact not even up to the eighth place standard.

1 Geelong Cats

The Cats are maintaining their pace. A desperate, in form Port Adelaide gave it all to save their season. A great third quarter from the Power showed their class and determination.

The Cats have unstoppable bursts. Winning the ball or at least stopping any opposition break from the middle. Then once on the break, they move it fast.

Up forward, there are plenty of players with a sparkle in their eye, just waiting to finish. And Parfitt and Stewart are about to return.

It looks like the Cats team’s year will end deep into September. I have done my preparation. I have upgraded to Foxtel HD.

So that is my power rankings. What are your rankings?