There's no shortage of talking points after a frantic round of football.
Melbourne's winning streak is over after Adelaide's stunning win, St Kilda's woes continue on the back of a smashing at the hands of the Bulldogs, while Brisbane's victory against Richmond pushes the reigning premiers out of top eight for the moment.
We have selected one positive and one negative from every club’s Round 10 performance.
See our thoughts below:
Positive: A win for their belief
After five straight defeats, the Crows pulled off arguably the win of the season to date.
Melbourne came to the Adelaide Oval with an imperious 9-0 record but the home team were not about to let them go with an even 10.
The Crows looked down and out when Clayton Oliver put the Demons up by 16 points at the 20-minute mark of the final term, but rallied to kick the next three goals in the final six minutes to claim a memorable victory.
Taylor Walker coolly slotted the winning goal but it would be unfair to pinpoint any moment in particular after such a win with so many contributers.
Such a win will be huge for the belief of the Crows players.
As Matthew Nicks said: “We believe.”
Negative: Not much
We’ve been critical enough of the Crows at times in 2021, so they get more than a pass mark after knocking off one of the top sides.
Walker and Darcy Fogarty were both reported, which is not a great look, but only received fines and as a result did not dampen the win.
Enjoy this one, Crows fans.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: They’re looking unbeatable at the Gabba
Since their shock Round 1 loss to Sydney, the Lions are 4-0 at their home ground.
While this is impressive in itself, it’s the ease of victory over formidable opponents that’s been most impressive.
They took care of Essendon by 57 points in Round 5, beat Port Adelaide by 49 points in Round 7, knocked off Fremantle by 24 points in Round 8 and most recently got the job done against Richmond by 28 points on the weekend.
Their wins are coming comfortably at their fortress, and if they can continue to string victories together, they’ll have a red-hot crack at securing home ground advantage in finals.
While they lost Gabba finals to Richmond in 2019 and Geelong in 2020, they’ll be confident going into this year’s September campaign if their form up north continues.
Negative: Confrontational Lions could be playing with fire
Nothing can be too negative after knocking off the reigning premiers in comfortable fashion, but everyone knows Richmond has a long memory.
The Tigers are famous for their ability to come back and beat a team that gets the better of them earlier in a season, and they certainly won’t erase thoughts of this loss quickly.
You’d think Richmond won’t be forgetting Rhys Mathieson getting in the face of Liam Baker after kicking a goal and Harris Andrews carrying on when Tom Lynch lined up for a set shot with the game just about dead and buried.
There’s a fair chance that they’ll have to go through the champs again if they’re to make a deep finals run.
It’ll be interesting to see if they bring the same attitude if reinforcements in Dion Prestia, Trent Cotchin, Shane Edwards, Shai Bolton and Kane Lambert are there to give it right back.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: Eddie Betts winding the clock back
Many put a line through Eddie Betts coming into this season and boy has he proven them wrong.
The small forward has kicked 11 goals across the last four games, covering the ground beautifully as a marking target and crumbing at ground level.
He excels as a link player between the arcs and impacts with taps and shepherds that don’t end up on the stats sheet.
Betts is firmly in Carlton’s best 22 for the rest of this season and given his impact in the recruitment of the likes of Zac Williams and Jack Martin, he has a role at the club long-term.
Negative: Liam Jones brain fades
You take the good with the bad with Liam Jones.
He is an outstanding intercept marker who leads his forward to the ball and controls the air.
Unfortunately, once he has taken that mark, the act of deciding where to kick the ball usually lets him down.
On the weekend he turned over two kicks in the first half that directly resulted in Hawthorn goals, keeping them in the game when Carlton was in control.
The Blues get scored on heavily from turnovers in general and can’t afford that trend to continue if they want to play finals.
Nic Negrepontis
Stay up to date with all the latest news from SEN. Sign up HERE.
Positive: Poulter’s breakout game
Caleb Poulter has been building in his first four games at AFL level and his outing against Port Adelaide was by far his best.
The wingman had 22 disposals, 12 marks and calmly kicked a crucial goal to get Collingwood right back into the contest in the dying minutes.
The 18-year-old was dominant at VFL level before being handed a debut in Round 7, and the emergence of he and Beau McCreery in recent weeks should give Magpies fans a reason to attend games for the rest of 2021.
Collingwood’s season is well and truly dead and buried in terms of finals, so the continued growth of their draftees could prove the silver lining to a campaign that’s destined to disappoint.
Negative: Still handcuffed by glaring flaw
The Magpies won just about every key stat against Port Adelaide bar marks inside 50.
They got the better of the Power in disposals, efficiency, marks, hit-outs, clearances, and inside 50s, but were unable to capitalise on it with Tom Jonas and Aliir Aliir intercepting the ball at will when it came forward.
It’s been the glaring flaw of the Magpies since Travis Cloke’s retirement, and it simply won’t be resolved until they unearth a star tall or target one via trade or free agency.
That’s easier said than done with a raft of clubs on the hunt for a difference making key forward, but Collingwood will continue to struggle until they find a resolution to the issue.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: Midfield trio fire
Key criticism of the Bombers in recent years has been their inability to wrestle control of games in the midfield. Their improvement in that area was evident on Sunday against North Melbourne, with all of Darcy Parish, Andrew McGrath and Zach Merrett collecting over 30 touches each.
The Roos are still a developing side, but nonetheless it would’ve delighted Ben Rutten to see just how dominant Essendon were in an area of the ground they’ve struggled in recently.
There’s toughest tests ahead – none more so than West Coast away from home this weekend – but things are tracking in the right direction for Essendon’s emerging band of young midfielders.
__Negative: Third quarter drop off
Essendon led North Melbourne by 50 points at half-time and a three-figure margin from there seemed a possibility, but to North’s credit they fought back to win the third quarter.
While it may be hard to find a negative from that performance on Sunday from an Essendon perspective, they’ll have to be wary as a similar drop off in a quarter against better sides will see them punished.
Laurence Rosen
Positive: Form at home
We can’t yet trust Fremantle on the road, but at Optus Stadium they are a threat to take down anyone.
Lance Franklin booted six goals, Sydney’s midfielders found plenty of the ball, the Dockers had injuries – and they were still able to win.
Rory Lobb stood up with four goals and nine marks, David Mundy and Nathan Fyfe did their respective jobs and Luke Ryan is finding his best form.
Negative: Matt Taberner’s injury
Justin Longmuir is hopeful that Matt Taberner will be able to play through his ankle injury after being subbed out on Saturday night.
Taberner has been Fremantle’s lone hand inside 50 for most of the season, with Lobb’s four-goal effort in his absence a rare occasion of someone else getting the job done.
If the key forward misses games, it’s hard to see the Dockers having the scoring power to win against Port Adelaide and the Bulldogs.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Quinton Narkle’s superb performance
The Cats did what they had to do against the Suns on Saturday to run out comfortable winners, but the best part of the win would have to be Quinton Narkle putting in his best ever performance for the club.
He’s been in and out of the side in recent years and remains out of contract at the end of 2021, but on the basis of his 34-disposal and eight-mark game on the weekend, he looks set for a more consistent run of games in the coming weeks.
There’s plenty to be excited about when it comes to how he plays the game and the hope is now he’ll be able to grasp the opportunity and become a mainstay in Geelong’s side.
Negative: Injuries pile up
Geelong may have won, but they’ve picked up injuries to two key midfielders in what landed up being a bruising encounter.
Cam Guthrie’s shoulder injury is likely to keep him out for several weeks, while Mitch Duncan being ruled out of the contest with concussion will see him miss next week’s game against Collingwood.
The likes of Jordan Clark and Charlie Constable are likely to be considered for selection as a result, with the former firming for a recall after being dropped last week.
Laurence Rosen
Positive: Better effort
Gold Coast were competitive despite going down to Geelong by 34 points at GMHBA Stadium.
The Suns laid 75 tackles and trailed by just five points during the third quarter.
Coach Stuart Dew was encouraged by the overall effort from his side after last week’s 73-point loss to Brisbane.
“We’re really proud of the effort,” Dew told reporters post-game.
“Particularly after last week, where we let ourselves down.”
Gold Coast (3-7) will look to snap a three-game losing streak against 17th-placed Hawthorn (2-8) in Darwin on Saturday night.
Negative: Execution
Gold Coast were left to rue missed opportunities in front of goal.
It ultimately cost the Suns who went into three-quarter time with just four goals from 12 scoring shots compared to Geelong’s ten majors from 13 attempts at goal.
“Obviously, our main thing was to bring our effort, the execution we'll keep working on, keep hammering away at,” Dew said.
“(We) could have come in at three quarter time in front, or thereabouts.”
“They hurt.”
Alex Zaia
Positive: Banking points amidst injuries
The Giants welcomed back Nick Haynes and Jeremy Finlayson, among others, but lost arguably their most important operator in Toby Greene along with Jesse Hogan.
But they didn’t let that stop them.
After losing narrowly to Richmond, the Giants recovered well to see off the Eagles by 16 points. It was a significant win which put them back in the eight and achieved without some of their very best players.
Leon Cameron has been able to get plenty out of his youngsters in 2021 and it is paying dividends as they are right in the finals mix.
If they can bank wins and then get everyone back fit, September footy is certainly on the agenda.
Negative: Injury list remains long
Cameron said the Giants have 13 players on the injury list right now
Defenders Sam Taylor and Jack Buckley both injured their ankles on Sunday, but managed to bravely see out the game and were praised by their coach.
It doesn’t look like the issue for Buckley is too serious but the promising Taylor is expected to miss up to eight weeks with a syndesmosis injury.
The Giants would no doubt love a week or two without a casualty.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: Ned Reeves on debut
The 208cm ruckman did not look out of place on the MCG, playing his first game of senior footy for the Hawks.
He was utilised as the primary ruckman, winning 21 hit-outs, laying four tackles and finding 13 disposals.
He battled well against Marc Pittonet and Tom De Koning and showed a lot of promise.
Hawthorn has a glut of ruckmen on their list, with Jon Ceglar and Keegan Brooksby both starring in the VFL on the weekend.
Negative: Young key forwards beaten
There’s a lot to like about Mitchell Lewis and Jacob Koschitzke – and Emerson Jeka in the VFL – but they’re not yet ready to carry a forward line.
The pair were comfortably shut out by Jacob Weitering and Liam Jones, often being out-marked or neutralised.
Koschitzke had a chance to put Hawthorn in front in the third quarter, marking on the goal line before playing on and being run down from behind.
Hawthorn needs to find a replacement for Jon Patton in the off-season and bring in an experienced key forward to take some of the pressure off these youngsters.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Oliver goes from strength to strength
One of the best individuals games of the season came on Saturday and even though Melbourne’s winning streak is over, the recently re-signed Clayton Oliver’s 38-touch and three-goal game almost single-handedly dragged his side over the line.
Oliver’s improvement even from his lofty standards in recent years has been immense, and it speaks volumes to just how good he is that his best game came in the frenzied atmosphere of Adelaide Oval.
His ability to take a game by the scruff of the neck is one of his more admirable traits and the manner in which he plays the game should hold up in the finals.
Negative: Chinks in the armour exposed
The last thing Melbourne would have wanted was for a flaw in their game plan to be exposed ahead of Friday night’s mouth-watering clash against Western Bulldogs.
The Crows brought pressure right from outset and even as the Dees on multiple occasions looked to have steadied and stemmed the Adelaide pressure, they were once again overpowered.
Make no mistake, the Dees are still one of the best sides in it and it’s not all doom and gloom after just one loss, but they’ll have to improve markedly if they are to beat the in-form side of the competition this weekend.
Laurence Rosen
Stay up to date with all the latest news from SEN. Sign up HERE.
Positive: Taylor Garner finding continuity
After playing just 11 games across the previous two seasons thanks to ongoing injury issues, Taylor Garner is back and finding his feet.
He’s played the last two games for the Roos, kicking three goals in each game and finding plenty of the ball.
It was a tough afternoon against Essendon, but Garner’s return and form gives the Kangaroos another magnet to lock in long-term.
Negative: The first half
David Noble summed it up best post-game, saying their first half was unacceptable.
The Roos trailed by 50 points at half-time before a respectable finish.
Coming off a win, North needed to carry over the momentum but were instead dominated and out of the game almost immediately.
"It was poor, it was really poor on our side. We let them start well, we couldn’t wrestle anything back and we got a tiny bit of momentum in the third term, and we got a lesson," Noble said after the game.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Win is a win
It wasn’t a great performance from Port Adelaide, but they got the job done.
The Power found a way to get over the line by the barest of margins after Collingwood gave them an almighty scare.
It was an important win as it kept Ken Hinkley’s side in touch with the top four and has them well placed with seven wins from their opening 10 games.
Hinkley would be acutely aware that drastic improvement is required if they want to clinch a double chance come September.
Negative: Contested ball concerns
Port Adelaide were beaten around the ball by the Magpies.
Collingwood, who are currently 16th on the ladder, won the contested possession count (137-127) and recorded more clearances (35-29) as the Power trailed for over 90 minutes of Sunday’s match.
Travis Boak (27 disposals and eight clearances) and Ollie Wines (27) are Port’s two key midfield linchpins, but are they getting enough support?
Kane Cornes is concerned about the Power’s midfield depth compared to other premiership contenders like the Western Bulldogs.
Alex Zaia
Positive: First half
Richmond started brightly at the Gabba, kicking the opening three goals before taking a lead into the quarter-time break.
Although they were beaten four goals to two in the second term, the Tigers remained right in the contest.
There were some promising first-half performances, namely from Jack Riewoldt (three goals) and Jayden Short (15 disposals), but it was not a consistent effort overall.
The lack of senior bodies around the ball quickly showed as the Lions took control in the third quarter.
There was enough to like early from the Tigers but they were unable to sustain it over four quarters.
Negative: Not coping with attention
While some of the attention may have been unwarranted, it looked as though the Tigers didn’t really enjoy how the Lions were up in their face… again.
It happened in last year’s Qualifying Final and a similar tact was taken on Friday night.
The likes of Rhys Mathieson, Mitch Robinson and Harris Andrews were overly demonstrative in the way they went about unsettling the Richmond players, and it worked.
The Tigers were undermanned when taking on a genuine contender on the road, and while they performed well at stages, they ultimately come up short.
Some of that has to do with the fact they were overawed, particularly around the ball with the Lions smashing them 51-24 in clearances.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: Nothing
It was a grim night for the Saints. There is nothing positive to come out of a 100-point loss.
Negative: Where do you start?
To lose to a side that you beat in a final just 12 games ago by 111 points is alarming.
The 111-point mauling was St Kilda’s worst ever loss to the Western Bulldogs and their fourth defeat by over 50 points this season.
St Kilda lost the tackle count by 26 despite recording 50 less disposals. Their percentage of 72.6 is the second worst in the competition and they’ve won just 12 quarters for the entire year.
Something is not right at that football club.
Alex Zaia
Positive: Buddy’s firing
Lance Franklin took his career goal tally to 963 with six majors in the loss to Fremantle on Saturday.
It was the first time he kicked six in a game since Round 20, 2018, and his form will be crucial to the Swans’ successes this season.
Not only is it good for John Longmire’s side if Buddy’s firing, but it’s simply good for football.
We’re all hoping to see this all-time great make it to the famous 1000 goal marker, and the only thing potentially holding him back is his health.
If he continues this form up, he could get there this season with 37 goals well and truly in his sights if he plays double digit games in 2021.
Negative: Missed opportunity
The Swans could have solidified their spot in the eight and taken their record to 7-3 with a win over Fremantle.
Ultimately, the Dockers would go on to win by two points, and as a result the Swans are well and truly back in the pack.
They have a 2-4 record in their last six games, and they’ll be tested again when they face Carlton this Sunday at the SCG.
With the Dockers, Giants and Tigers all at the Swans doorstep, they’ll be desperate to stay ahead of the chasing group.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: Bailey Williams
Adam Simpson has for some time been searching for a ruck partner to Nic Naitanui, who needs to be managed through games. For instance, the 31-year-old played just 83 of 125 minutes against the Giants.
Key forward Oscar Allen rotated through earlier in the season, while premiership back-up ruck Nathan Vardy has made five appearances. On Sunday, we got a glimpse at something more permanent.
Bailey Williams recorded 12 hit-outs - more than either of Matthew Flynn or Shane Mumford, the Giants’ ruck pairing - to go with a big clunk and a goal, in an encouraging, more assertive display.
Simpson will need more than 50 per cent time on ground from the 21-year-old so other players can stay fresh, but it’s a step in the right direction.
On another positive note, dual All-Australian midfielder Elliot Yeo could return to face Essendon after getting through a WAFL match against East Perth on Saturday.
Negative: They’re excusing themselves
The Eagles have relied on skill by foot, height and efficiency forward of centre to keep them in games this season, with injury and wavering form curtailing their capacity to set the terms from the stoppage.
It isn’t unusual to see an opposition team fruitlessly scrap in their forward arc before West Coast whisk it down the ground and score. On Sunday, the Giants were even more efficient with their forward thrusts, generating 31 shots from 50 entries to the Eagles’ 25 from 44.
Despite Nic Naitanui recording more than triple the hit-outs of any Giant to go with a game-best eight clearances, West Coast were smashed on the spread. GWS recorded 101 more disposals, 10 more clearances, 49 more marks and inexplicably, 31 more tackles.
A handful of players may still be missing, but the Eagles had over 12 months and 44 games of experience per head on the Giants. This team is too comfortable. Dom Sheed’s cowardly hit on Giants forward Bobby Hill while he lay prone on the turf was the lowlight of the afternoon.
Nathan John
Positive: The Astronaught is going on longer spacewalks
Just two years on from starting life as a forward on the back of a pre-season as a defender, Aaron Naughton is now the only player this season to have booted multiple goals in every game.
The 21-year-old went weeks at a time without kicking a goal in 2019, and has since steadily added to his arsenal: one-on-one marking, leading patterns, involvement up the ground.
It is becoming impossible to keep ‘the Astronaught’ out of the game. His five goals against the Saints could have been seven or eight, while he touched the ball more often than 18 non-substitutes on the night.
Next to Naughton, Mitch Hannan is quietly settling into a crumbing role, while the less subtle Cody Weightman backed up his performance against Port Adelaide.
With the third head in the monster also ready to return, the Bulldogs’ forward line has rarely been in better shape.
Negative: Adam Treloar’s syndesmosis
Surprise recruit Adam Treloar has relished his role in a stronger on-ball rotation, reflected in his lowest contested possession average since 2012, and lowest turnover average in six years.
While he has moved closer to the contest since Josh Dunkley’s shoulder popped out a month ago, Treloar is no longer asked to pick up the slack at the bottom of the pack, and his best attributes have come to the fore.
The 28-year-old’s explosive run, shifts of angle and slicing kicks have, along with Bailey Smith, transformed what was a strong but slow Dogs midfield.
Set for a six-week spell with syndesmosis ligament damage sustained under a Tim Membrey tackle, he will be sorely missed, and Treloar himself will be bitterly disappointed a career-best season has been put on hold.
Nathan John