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AFL Round 21 power rankings: Was this Collingwood’s Waterloo?

Roar Rookie
7th August, 2022
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Roar Rookie
7th August, 2022
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2855 Reads

Some teams are done and dusted for the season. There are just some formalities before the end of year beak. Some teams really want to make the finals and make their mark. They stood up.

Some other teams needed a miracle to stop their crumbling world falling apart. I believe they have been confirmed agnostic.

18. North Melbourne Kangaroos

North Melbourne have made some more valiant efforts which have been eventual losses. I really admire how some of the old professionals, such as Josh Walker and Todd Goldstein, continually give their all.

17. West Coast Eagles

Josh Kennedy has had a stellar career and brilliant last game. He was let down by his team. A team of older players; they used to be champion players.

A dismal end to a dismal season. The broom will come out over summer. Maybe a new game plan, maybe a new coach definitely some players pushed off into retirement.

16. Adelaide Crows

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This was Adelaide’s chance to grab a late season victory. A powerful portend for next year. And they were up to the challenge.

Darcy Fogarty will be a star. Just needs the team to lift around him.

15. Essendon Bombers

Essendon, some great second half of the year wins and then this performance against the struggling Giants. From four points behind Collingwood to being beaten by five goals by the Orange boys. When does the cricket start?

14. Gold Coast Suns

Gold Coast challenged sides such as Brisbane but succumbed to thirteenth placed Hawks. A really disappointing fall way for the Suns.

Did the same solar eclipse happen last year? There is only one response to this, defeat the Cats next week.

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13. Hawthorn Hawks

Hawthorn towelled the Gold Coast in frigid Tasmania. Well done and they are showing they have an upside for next year.

Tom Mitchell of the Hawks speaks with AFL umpire Hayden Gavine after a 50-metre penalty was awarded to Geelong.

Tom Mitchell. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

12. GWS Giants

The Giants effort against the other Sydney was extremely poor. The win against Essendon was reassuring but was it just because the Dons faulted.

The Ferrari seems more like Fiat at the moment. And even then all four cylinders only fire every third week.

11 Port Adelaide

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Port needed to win against the Magpies and absolutely had to win against the Tigers. This week’s effort was poor. They were never really in the game and they failed to roll the dice.

10. Western Bulldogs

The Bulldogs followed up a good touch up by the Cats with a tepid effort against the Dockers. All those dreams and hopes of emulating 2016 have evaporated.

They seem like they need some tall backman and some tall forwards and another two Marcus Bontempellis.

9. St Kilda Saints

St Kilda played their elimination final against the Cats. They didn’t play badly but they met the Cats in the full force. They were blown away in the third quarter.

Dan Hanneberry retired hurt, again. That recruitment really hurt. Number one rule; don’t recruit players who are continually getting injured, no matter how good they are at their best. I am sure Hawthorn won’t again.

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8 Carlton Blues

Carlton were disappointing this weekend. They did make the score respectable but were they just junk time goals? This a week after being toasted by Adelaide.

A really disappointing time for the Blues. I feel that they should be eleventh but the Saints, Bulldogs and the Power are crumbling and are on the march down the power rankings.

7. Brisbane Lions

Brisbane really outclassed the Blues but they seemed to take the foot of the accelerator. Just like they did against the Tigers who beat them at the MCG.

I think this team may need a full personnel change to have any confidence at the MCG. Maybe 2028 could be their year.

Joe Daniher celebrates a goal.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

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6. Richmond

Richmond after a truly awful slump have made it through to the other side. 2022 could have been 2021 revisited with the Tigers doing another Bradbury.

They have stood up. They want to play finals and they will play finals. It would be an incredible slump to lose to Hawthorn and Essendon in their last two games. Shai Bolton is pushing. He is a little inaccurate and he is a little hit and miss but he might just break out in the coming weeks.

The Tigers are playing in the finals, but I don’t think many of the five teams ranked above them have too many fears of meeting them in September.

5. Fremantle Dockers

Fremantle were on the skids. Couldn’t score any goals and couldn’t win games against quality opposition. Saturday’s game was a rebound.

The Bulldogs should have been desperate for a win. Rory Lobb and Matt Taberner finally played like key forwards should. With a couple of byes in the next few week, they should be champing at the bit in September.

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4. Sydney Swans

The Swans have dropped a spot after a workman-like win over North. It isn’t so much their fall but the Magpies elevation. Sydney are the dark horse in this years eight.

They can beat anyone, but they seem to be a bit vulnerable to almost anyone.

3. Melbourne Demons

Melbourne are not playing badly. They have recovered from there mid year slump. It just seems that other teams have had a bit of think time on how to knock the off.

Instead of being the impregnable flag favourites, I think they are now just another team making up the eight.

(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

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2. Collingwood

Well that limb I have been standing on broke and I came crashing down to earth.

Collingwood were derided. The lucky side. The one that had a good schedule against the bottom sides. The team that kept falling over the line against nothing teams. That has changed.

The Pies had their Waterloo against the resurgent Demons. The 2021 premiers were there to challenge, to humiliate the uppity pretenders. Just like Wellington’s battle, the underrated Magpies gave Melbourne the cold steel. They were not intimidated.

They withstood anything last year’s premiers had to throw at them and gave it back. Good luck to the Demons playing against these pretenders in the finals. They did beat them twice, but they were lucky both times.

Jamie Elliot was being pushed into retirement at the start of the year. If they keep pushing he can tag with young Dahlhaus at the Geelong retirement village.

1 Geelong Cats

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The Cats had the Saints measure. St Kilda kept pace until half time, mostly on kicking accuracy then the Cats found another gear, or two in the third quarter. It was a must win for the Saints to make the final. Cats were just too good as they were against the Bulldogs the week before. The Cats are cruising.

Tom Hawkins of the Cats competes with Jeremy Finlayson of the Power.

Tom Hawkins of the Cats competes with Jeremy Finlayson of the Power. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Max Holmes is just shy of twenty and has stepped up as a player. Just like the Cats, when he has the chance he takes the game on and with gusto. I think he quite enjoyed Selwood and Dangerfield sitting the game out.

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

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