Round 4 is in the book with three clubs still yet to taste defeat.
The Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and Sydney are sitting pretty at 4-0 after extending their unbeaten starts to the season.
Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Carlton, GWS, Adelaide and Fremantle also recorded wins with 12 clubs separated by one game.
We have selected one positive and one negative from every club’s Round 4 performance.
See our thoughts below:
Positive: Strong start, better finish
The Crows kicked five goals in the opening quarter against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. That helped set up a 15-point half-time lead after they let the Roos back in during the second quarter.
The home side then threw down the gauntlet by taking a narrow lead into the final break.
But Matthew Nicks’ side stepped up when required to fire home eight goals in the last quarter to win comfortably by 41 points.
It was a very strong finish after a decent start with their first and last-quarter performances bookending an important win on the road.
Negative: In-game lapses
On the flip side of their strong start and better finish, Adelaide let North hold them goalless in the third quarter.
It allowed the Kangas to fight their way back into proceedings when perhaps the Crows could have held their advantage and avoided going behind.
In the end it proved harmless but those sorts of lapses during a game could become costly against better sides.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: They return home
The Lions haven’t played at home since the opening round due to Brisbane’s lockdown.
Their stint in Victoria ended with one win from three games, and they now sit at an overall 1-3 record.
Brisbane came into the season as one of the competition's favourites, but they’ll need to click into gear soon if they’re to finish near the top of the table.
The Gabba return couldn’t come at a better time for Chris Fagan’s side as they look to reignite their flag tilt against Essendon on Saturday night.
Negative: Charlie Cameron's form
Charlie Cameron has had a tough start to his 2021 campaign.
Coming off a 31-goal 2020 season, he has kicked just four goals from four games and hasn’t had near the same impact.
The 26-year-old has been deployed in a higher role this season to make room for new recruit Joe Daniher, and as a result the Lions have looked far less potent inside 50.
Cameron’s at his best as a deep forward that’s afforded plenty of space to work with.
Will coach Fagan look at isolating the star Lion closer to goal?
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: Being able to win ugly
These are the games Carlton would usually drop, taking on a team like Gold Coast on the road in tough conditions.
It wasn’t pretty, they didn’t play particularly well and they were wasteful in front of goal, and yet they won.
They dominated the final quarter and never gave the Suns a look in.
Carlton now prepares for a huge test against Port Adelaide at the MCG, but they do so having won two games in a row and with a bit of momentum behind them.
Negative: Forward line injuries and form issues mounting
Carlton is already without Charlie Curnow, Zac Fisher and Jack Martin from their starting forward line and Jack Silvagni now appears to have re-injured his troublesome shoulder.
All four are in Carlton’s best seven forwards and compounding that headache is Levi Casboult’s poor form.
Casboult has maintained his spot in the side given the injuries, but has kicked two goals in four games.
Mitch McGovern now has two games under his belt in the VFL after pre-season injury concerns and now must come in.
Whether he replaces Silvagni or whether Casboult is omitted, McGovern’s return takes pressure off Harry McKay and will give Port Adelaide something else to worry about this weekend.
Nic Negrepontis
Stay up to date with all the latest news from SEN. Sign up HERE.
Positive: Beau McCreery
Collingwood unveiled their second debutant of the year against GWS with Beau McCreery getting his chance at the top level.
The former South Adelaide forward didn’t dominate by any stretch on debut but did play his role better than most on Saturday night.
While his first kick resulted in a goal, the highlight of the 19-year-old’s game was his tackling pressure.
McCreery laid eight tackles (seven inside 50) and worked hard both ways.
Collingwood have lacked a player of McCreery’s ilk who can defend as well as attack.
A spot awaits him in the Magpies’ 22 for the foreseeable future.
Negative: What is their identity?
The most improved sides of 2021 have a clear identity.
The Bulldogs win the ball in high numbers and spread better from the contest than most, Melbourne are dominant at stoppages and set up superbly behind the ball, while Sydney use sharp short attacking kicks to transition the ball efficiently from defence to attack.
Looking at the Magpies, none of their game has any hallmarks of a finals side.
They haven’t been able to win the ball at the coal-face despite possessing a dominant ruckman and household midfielders, they don’t have enough x-factor in front of the ball, and they’re not defending as well as 2020.
Last year's wooden spooners Adelaide even have an identity under Matthew Nicks with strong team defence and the willingness to go quick with ball in hand.
It’s about time Nathan Buckley changes his direction from the coaches box or brings in different personnel to try and better execute the plan he has going forward.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: The commitment to the plan
There were genuine concerns at Essendon about how the remainder of the 2021 season would play out after they were easilt beaten by Port Adelaide in Round 2, but what the following two weeks have shown is their mindset during games remains the strongest it has been for a long time.
While they didn’t come away with the points against the high-flying Swans, the way they played away from home against one of the best sides in the competition would give Ben Rutten plenty of heart.
Essendon may be headed for a bottom six finish, but if their new style holds up for the remainder of the season, brighter days are ahead.
Negative: Game management … again
Essendon gave up a 40-point lead in Round 1 to go down by a point, and while it wasn’t on the same scale this week, they led Sydney by as much as 25 points in the second quarter before the Swans kicked five straight goals to take control before the main break.
A younger team means form is likely to fluctuate more wildly, but it’s something that Rutten will no doubt be looking to fix.
The product of every good team is being able to manage matches throughout form fluctuations – who knows how the game would’ve played out if they managed to break even after their run of goals early in the second quarter.
Laurence Rosen
Positive: Defending home field
Fremantle is going to be a very tough team to beat at Optus Stadium this year.
After a 2020 season on the road, the Dockers have their home ground advantage back and have been impressive in their wins over GWS and Hawthorn.
While they have been poor in their away losses to Melbourne and Carlton, Fremantle can put themselves in a strong position this year if they hold serve at home and pinch a few on the road.
Negative: Inaccuracy in front of goal
For the second time this season, goal kicking has been an issue for the Dockers, but once again they got away with it.
Nathan Fyfe kicked six behinds and was the chief offender, going so far as to have goal kicking practice after the game.
The Dockers kicked 13.18 and really could have blown Hawthorn out of the water if they had converted.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Jack Henry’s versatility
Jack Henry is quietly becoming of the most versatile players in the competition, with Chris Scott using him both in defence and up forward.
Henry, who is now a regular in the side, has now kicked four goals so far this season and has showed his adaptability at both ends of the ground.
With the Cats at 2-2 after four rounds, it’s not panic stations yet after their indifferent start, but Henry’s improvement and adaptability is proving to be one of their main positives.
Negative: Game plan not standing up
There’s no shortage of talk about Geelong’s insistence to slow games down, with the Demons noticeably targeting them with speed on Sunday.
Unfortunately for the Cats, they were exposed on a wet day at the MCG, as Melbourne adapted to the conditions and played on more often.
One of the key watches in the coming weeks will be how Geelong fare when Patrick Dangerfield and Jeremy Cameron return, and whether that changes things from a style perspective.
Laurence Rosen
Positive: Coped without a recognised ruckman
Gold Coast's ruck stocks took a huge hit with co-captain Jarrod Witts suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Suns coach Stuart Dew was forced to experiment against Carlton with Caleb Graham shouldering most of the ruck duties.
Graham was assisted by Chris Burgess, Hugh Greenwood and Touk Miller and despite losing the hit-outs by 42, Gold Coast won the clearances (46-39) and stoppage clearances (39-30).
It was a minor victory on an otherwise disappointing night for the Suns.
Negative: Another honourable loss
The Suns aren’t satisfied with honourable losses.
The Blues were there for the taking but a lack of polish at crucial stages cost Gold Coast in the 11-point loss at Metricon Stadium.
After falling just short against Adelaide the week before, Suns coach Dew says learning to win is still a work in progress for his young side.
“We’ve got to get over this hump and we haven’t as yet, we certainly feel like we’re close,” Dew said post-game.
“It’s part of our DNA that we’ve tried to instil in the boys that they’re in the game, so we certainly have to learn to win.
They next face the unbeaten Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.
Alex Zaia
Positive: Backs-to-the-wall win
The Giants were pulled pillar to post last week after their listless loss to Melbourne in Round 3.
They came to Melbourne to face Collingwood at the MCG on the back of losing Stephen Coniglio, Phil Davis and Matt De Boer after a week of stinging criticism directed at coach Leon Cameron.
But GWS performed a true smash and grab job with a backs-to-the-wall performance to secure their first win of the season.
Stand-in skipper Toby Greene starred with five goals and Cal Ward turned back the clock with a 37-disposal outing.
Just when the Giants appeared dead and buried, they animated themselves to keep their season alive.
Negative: Reliance on Mummy
It’s hard to deny the Giants after their fighting win on the road, but they did do it with Shane Mumford who was back to terrorise Brodie Grundy and the Magpies.
The club wouldn’t want to rely on an ageing 34-year-old who doubles as ruck coach too often.
Matthew Flynn was given a rest after performing well in the opening three rounds, and will no doubt be back in the hot seat soon, but who takes up the duties for the clash with the red-hot Swans this weekend?
Mumford is 1-0 and Flynn is 0-3 after all...
Andrew Slevison
Positive: Tom Mitchell is back to his best
If Hawthorn can take anything out of the opening month of the season, it’s that their Brownlow Medallist is back to his best.
Tom Mitchell has always been a prolific ball winner, but had a down 2020 season after returning from a broken leg – and fair enough.
He has been dominant so far this year, averaging 35 disposals and four clearances per game.
Negative: Slow start
Hawthorn gave up five goals and 11 scoring shots in the first quarter and found themselves down by 34 points at the first break.
They fought hard to be back in the contest by half-time, but had to chase tail for the entire contest.
In the end, the scoreboard flattered the Hawks, with the Dockers kicking 13.18 and wasting many opportunities.
Hawthorn cannot afford to give Melbourne the same head start in Round 5.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Taking a scalp on the MCG stage
Melbourne could hardly have been more impressive this season, but the real litmus test was always going to come against a hardened Geelong outfit in the wet at the MCG.
And the good news is they passed the test with flying colours, seeing off multiple Cats comebacks throughout the game to hold sway and record their most impressive victory of 2021 to date.
It’s always a danger in footy to look too far ahead, but their clash on ANZAC Eve against Richmond looms large.
Negative: Steven May out for up to a month
One of Melbourne’s most impressive performers so far this season is Steven May.
But the key Demon is now facing up to a month on the sidelines after copping a nasty eye injury as a result of an accidental elbow from Tom Hawkins.
The May-Jake Lever partnership is one of the best defensive duos in the competition, with Simon Goodwin poised to look at Harrison Petty as a replacement for the weeks ahead.
Laurence Rosen
Positive: Collingwood is going to regret forcing out Jaidyn Stephenson
North Melbourne getting Jaidyn Stephenson for a packet of chips in the trade period raised eyebrows at the time and has proven even more startling after a month of footy.
Yes, the Roos are a mile off the pace as a collective but they added an incredibly talented young midfielder for next to nothing and it’s clear the 22-year-old will be a key part of their future.
Stephenson is averaging 21 disposals per game playing predominantly through the midfield, up from nine disposals last year and 15 in 2019.
He kicked two goals and picked up 17 touches in the loss to Adelaide.
Negative: Fourth quarter fadeouts
North Melbourne has conceded 24 goals in fourth quarters this year and kicked just seven.
Four of those seven came in Round 1 against Port Adelaide.
The Roos were leading the Crows at three-quarter time and right in the fight before giving up eight goals in the final term.
Yes, they were a rotation down but up against a team expected to be in the same bracket as them, they needed a stronger finish.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Winning a close one against quality opposition
Port Adelaide’s thrilling win over Richmond is their most significant scalp so far this season.
In a finals-like contest, the lead changed hands several times before veteran Robbie Gray iced the game with what proved to be the match-winning goal.
The Power were well beaten around the footy in the loss to West Coast, but bounced back against the Tigers by winning the contested possession count 154-119 and the clearances 36-24.
Coach Ken Hinkley praised his side’s ability to “hang tough” as the reigning premiers threatened to win the game late on.
“I think that was a remarkable performance by us by the end of it,” Hinkley said post-game.
Negative: Injuries to young duo
Injuries to young duo Xavier Duursma and Zak Batters soured Port Adelaide’s two-point win.
Duursma suffered a significant hyperextension of his right knee during the final quarter against Richmond and will undergo surgery on Monday.
The 20-year-old will be sidelined long-term – potentially for 10 to 12 weeks.
Butters will also have surgery on his injured ankle with the Power set to provide greater clarity on his return date in the coming days.
It’s a blow for Port with Butters emerging as a future star of the competition.
Alex Zaia
Positive: ‘Richmond’-like performance
Richmond was brushed aside by Sydney in Round 3 but were well and truly back in the contest against Port Adelaide last Friday night.
The Tigers absolutely came to play but in the end were agonisingly short of pulling off a character building win which could have helped springboard them forward after the heavy loss to the Swans.
Although it was a defeat, it was a much more ‘Richmond’-like performance which would have pleased Damien Hardwick, especially as they were without the likes of Dion Prestia, Nick Vlastuin and Kamdyn McIntosh.
The Tigers also blooded two debutants - Will Martyn and Ryan Mansell - in a massive game which is another positive sign.
No doubt they will take plenty from that performance.
Negative: Two losses in a row
There’s no sugar-coating it. The Tigers need a win after two losses on the trot.
The current 2-2 situation is certainly not a season breaker for the reigning champs, but in order to correct some wobbles they must win soon.
This Thursday they get the chance to power back into winning form when they meet St Kilda at Marvel Stadium - a combination that consigned them to a 26-point loss in Round 4 last year.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: Pressure underpins comeback win
St Kilda’s pressure was through the roof against West Coast - a stark contrast to the loss to Essendon.
The Saints lifted their intensity and general effort with recruit Brad Crouch (26 disposals and 12 tackles) and co-captain Jack Steele (33 disposals and six tackles) leading the charge.
Max King had a career-best day with five goals while young midfielder Jack Bytel (19 touches, seven tackles and five clearances) showed his worth at senior level.
St Kilda laid 69 tackles as their relentless pressure proved too much for the Eagles.
Negative: Slow start
St Kilda is yet to win a first quarter this season.
It was another slow start last week with West Coast dominating the early stages and at one stage leading by 33 points in the third quarter.
While the thrilling comeback win was full of character, you can’t continue to give good teams head starts.
Coach Brett Ratten will want a fast start against Richmond on Thursday night.
Alex Zaia
Positive: Banked another four points
The Swans now sit 4-0 and have set themselves up beautifully for a finals tilt.
While their performance against Essendon wasn’t as eye-catching as their opening three weeks, they’ll be pleased to have not undone their great early work with an upset loss.
Sydney sit third on the ladder and next face GWS and Gold Coast, who’s to say they won’t be 6-0 and top of the table in a fortnight’s time.
It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t pretty, by the end of the home and away season the only thing that will matter is the number of wins and losses in each column.
Negative: Unconvincing performance
Yes, the Swans took the four points, and yes it won’t matter once the ladder has taken shape, but John Longmire will be hoping to see less of what he saw on Thursday night and more of what he saw against both Brisbane and Richmond.
Sydney didn’t move the ball near as well against Essendon as they have in the opening three weeks of the year and weren’t as potent going inside 50.
They’ll be hoping to recapture their best attacking form in this weekend's clash with the Giants at the SCG.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: Jack Petruccelle
The Eagles’ famed efficiency forward of centre was at full throttle on Saturday afternoon, Adam Simpson’s side at one point snagging three goals from four forward 50 entries.
Just two weeks ago, veteran sharpshooter Josh Kennedy threatened to take the game away from the Western Bulldogs with the most serene of four goal hauls, marking on the lead, coolly slotting his chances and celebrating in his understated manner.
Two weeks hence, Jack Petruccelle was the Eagles’ executioner, with the livewire forward booting four straight to help his side open up a 33-point lead over the Saints in the third term.
The line of succession in the key posts at West Coast has been dissected for some time, with Oscar Allen almost ready to take the throne from Kennedy.
Petruccelle has teased and tantalised, with a breakout 2019 followed by an injury-hit 2020, but the 22-year-old could similarly ease the Eagles into life beyond underrated connector Jamie Cripps.
Negative: Overwhelmed again
The Eagles mopped the floor with the vaunted Port Adelaide midfield in Round 3, but unfortunately for Adam Simpson, it is beginning to look like the exception.
St Kilda ran roughshod over the visitors in the engine room, recording +15 clearance, +23 contested possession and +17 inside 50 differentials.
Early on the Saints’ touch was poor but the bedrock of their game was there, and midway through the third, the Eagles’ lead evaporated. After Petruccelle’s fourth, the Saints piled on 8.6 to 0.1.
“We got beaten up in the midfield, and we couldn’t stop the momentum with the contest,” Simpson pondered after the match.
“It forced us into fumbles and poor decisions… and they capitalised.
“They were more desperate than we were. When the game was at the point that we could have put the hammer down, the belief was still with the Saints, and we couldn’t stop it."
Saints coach Brett Ratten felt his side were in the game even as the Eagles opened up a five goal margin.
“I thought we had a lot of indicators in the first half show that we should have been a bit closer on the scoreboard. We just made some fumbling errors,” Ratten told reporters.
Where to for a West Coast side that - without captain Luke Shuey or a blinder from star ruckman Nic Naitanui - can only score on the counter?
Nathan John
Positive: The three headed monster
Last week Josh Bruce became the first Bulldog to boot 10 goals in a game since Simon Beasley hit double figures in Footscray’s 82 point win over the Brisbane Bears in Round 21, 1987.
On Saturday, the former Giant and Saint took a back seat as Tim English and Aaron Naughton combined for 35 touches, 17 marks, nine contested marks, five goals and eight behinds.
English was the most imposing, setting the tone early with three marks inside 50 and 2.1.13 in the first term despite the Dogs kicking into the wind, while Naughton threatened to rip the game open and may well have in friendlier conditions.
Naughton, Bruce and English often stepped on each others’ toes against Collingwood, but an understanding has been forged over the opening month and each is prepared to sacrifice an opportunity when another has pole position.
The trio has already put 32 goals on the board; in the vacuum of Marvel Stadium, the best could be yet to come.
Negative: Dominance unrewarded
The Dogs’ winning margin was just 19 points after Tom Liberatore snapped a goal with just eight seconds on the clock, but the sense persisted throughout that this was a touch-up.
“We were on top early and played pretty well into the breeze, and left a bit out there with the breeze,” Luke Beveridge lamented after the game.
“We got beaten one on one forward of centre a little bit, and we didn’t kick it that well out of congestion.
“It’s a bit of a shame but Brisbane are a good team (with) strong bodies and they brought their ferocity.
“You can’t look a gift horse in the mouth. We front up and understand what we need to do to win the game, but executing it is another thing.”
Outmuscling and containing an experienced side was encouraging. The next step is to fuse the electrifying possession game of the opening rounds to that physical element.
Nathan John