1. (6) WEST COAST
Well if that wasn’t the most impressive performance of the season to date we don’t know what is. The Pies were missing a few but you can only beat who is put in front of you and the Eagles definitely did that.
| Last Five | PA (L) | SYD (W) | ADE (W) | FRE (W) | COLL (W) |
| Next Five | GEE (H) | CARL (H) | HAW (H) | ? | ? |
2. (2) BRISBANE
Got the fright of their lives but held on to a valuable four points against the Demons. Are yet to play their absolute best but remain hard to beat.
| Last Five | ADE (W) | PA (W) | GEE (L) | GWS (W) | MELB (W) |
| Next Five | ESS (A) | RICH (A) | WB (H) | NM (A) | ? |
3. (4) GEELONG
We said last week that we had no idea whether Geelong are good or not. Their win over Fremantle didn’t answer the question definitively either way but it does set the scene for a big game against the Eagles.
| Last Five | MELB (W) | GC (W) | BL (W) | COLL (L) | FRE (W) |
| Next Five | WCE (A) | NM (H) | STK (H) | PA(H) | ? |
4. (9) ST KILDA
Are the Saints good? Well beating the top team away from home is as good a way to prove it as any but they have also lost to teams 16 & 17 too. Your guess is as good as ours.
| Last Five | RICH (W) | CARL (W) | FRE (L) | ADE (W) | PA (W) |
| Next Five | SYD (H) | GC (A) | GEE (A) | ESS (H) | ? |
5. (1) PORT ADELAIDE
We know we said last week they couldn’t have done more to silence their doubters, but their last quarter against St Kilda changes things. In a wide open season, even the top teams need to prove themselves again and again.
| Last Five | WCE (W) | BL (L) | GWS (W) | CARL (W) | STK (L) |
| Next Five | MELB (A) | WB (H) | RICH (H) | GEE (A) | ? |
6. (5) CARLTON
Got the points against North Melbourne but, with respect, everybody gets the points against them at the minute. Will need to improve if they are to stay this high.
| Last Five | ESS (W) | STK (L) | WB (W) | PA (L) | NM (W) |
| Next Five | HAW (H) | WCE (A) | FRE (A) | ? | ? |
7. (7) WESTERN BULLDOGS
There are some who think the Bulldogs are premiership contenders and, when they are at their best, it is easy to understand why. Is this a case of style over substance? The next three games should answer this.
| Last Five | SYD (W) | NM (W) | CARL (L) | ESS (W) | GC (W) |
| Next Five | RICH (H) | PA (A) | BL (A) | ADE (H) | ? |
8. (3) COLLINGWOOD
We know that you can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet but an eighth seed is pretty generous for a team with two wins from their last five.
| Last Five | GWS (L) | ESS (L) | HAW (W) | GEE (W) | WCE (L) |
| Next Five | FRE (A) | SYD (H) | ADE (A) | MELB (A) | ? |
9. (13) GWS
Did what they had to in their win over the Tigers, how will they back it up over the coming weeks?
| Last Five | COLL (W) | HAW (W) | PA (L) | BL (L) | RICH (W) |
| Next Five | GC (A) | ESS (A) | SYD (A) | ? | ? |
10. (10) ESSENDON
There wasn’t much in their narrow victory over the winless Crows to change our minds about the Bombers just yet.
| Last Five | CARL (L) | COLL (W) | NM (W) | WB (L) | ADE (W) |
| Next Five | BL (H) | GWS (H) | GC (A) | STK (A) | ? |
11. (8) RICHMOND
Plenty were excited about the Tigers in defeat against the Giants but this has more to do with how they are expected to perform later in the season, not how they are performing now.
| Last Five | STK (L) | MELB (W) | SYD (W) | NM (W) | GWS (L) |
| Next Five | WB (A) | BL (H) | PA (A) | GC (H) | ? |
12. (11) MELBOURNE
One of a number of teams left to rue missing a chance to beat quality opposition in Round Eight.
| Last Five | GEE (L) | RICH (L) | GC (W) | HAW (W) | BL (L) |
| Next Five | PA (H) | ADE (A) | NM (A) | COLL (H) | ? |
13. (12) GOLD COAST
Went within a hairs breath of consolidating a position in the top eight against the Bulldogs. Instead they begin the second half of the season on the outside looking in.
| Last Five | FRE (W) | GEE (L) | MELB (L) | SYD (W) | WB (L) |
| Next Five | GWS (H) | STK (H) | ESS (H) | RICH (A) | ? |
14. (16) SYDNEY
Lot to like about the way they went about things against the Hawks. Full of youth they won because they took the game on and were prepared to chance their arm.
| Last Five | WB (L) | WCE (L) | RICH (L) | GC (L) | HAW (W) |
| Next Five | STK (A) | COLL (A) | GWS (H) | ? | ? |
15. (15) FREMANTLE
Hard to judge anything based on their performance against the Cats but they never looked like winning it.
| Last Five | GC (L) | ADE (W) | STK (W) | WCE (L) | GEE (L) |
| Next Five | COLL (H) | HAW (H) | CARL (H) | ? | ? |
16. (14) HAWTHORN
The Hawks continue to disappoint, officially in free fall after losing to an extremely young and inexperienced Sydney team.
| Last Five | NM (W) | GWS (L) | COLL (L) | MELB (L) | SYD (L) |
| Next Five | CARL (A) | FRE (A) | WCE (A) | ? | ? |
17. (17) NORTH MELBOURNE
Gave themselves a chance against the Blues but have forgotten how to win.
| Last Five | HAW (L) | WB (L) | ESS (L) | RICH (L) | CARL (L) |
| Next Five | ADE (H) | GEE (A) | MELB (H) | BL (H) | ? |
18. (18) ADELAIDE
Better again, but the club’s longest ever losing streak continues to grow.
| Last Five | BL (L) | FRE (L) | WCE (L) | STK (L) | ESS (L) |
| Next Five | NM (A) | MELB (H) | COLL (H) | WB (A) | ? |
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