It was a big round of footy and there were important storylines across the weekend.
We have selected one positive and one negative from the Round 18 performance of each of the 18 clubs.
See our thoughts below:
Positive: Lynch returns in form
The Crows were fairly comfortably accounted for by West Coast, going down by 42 points.
Despite the defeat, it was nice to see Tom Lynch in action again having last played back in Round 6.
The 30-year-old, who is out of contact this year, was one of his side’s best with 25 disposals, six marks, three goal assists and a goal.
He was part of a restructured forward line consisting of Taylor Walker, Darcy Fogarty and Elliott Himmelberg, and although it didn’t pay dividends on the day, there were some positive signs.
Negative: Defeat in Smith’s 200th, second-half fade-out
In Brodie Smith’s 200th game as a Crow, the side trailed by just two points at half-time and were well in the contest.
However, they were outmuscled by the Eagles in the third quarter, conceding five goals and kicking just two.
It didn’t get any better in the final term either, which also ended five goals to two. It was a 10-goal second half from the Eagles which is sure to frustrate Matthew Nicks and his coaching staff.
It wasn’t the outcome Smith would have desired, but he was a solid contributor himself with 27 touches, eight marks and six inside 50s.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: McCluggage rolls on
Brisbane youngster Hugh McCluggage was probably the Lions’ best in their loss to Richmond.
The 23-year-old had 30 disposals, seven score involvements and kicked a goal while a fair portion of his teammates struggled.
He’s looking likely to take home his first best and fairest this season, and is a red-hot chance to claim All-Australian honours as well.
The smooth moving ball-winner could be a game breaker come finals, and he’ll need to be at his best if Brisbane are to break back into the top four.
He’ll be hoping his form continues into this week’s clash against Hawthorn.
Negative: Defence isn’t picking up forward line’s slack
In the lead up to the game, SEN’s David King said Brisbane would need to rely on their defence if they were to win this year’s premiership with Eric Hipwood out for the season.
While there’s no doubt the back six is capable, they certainly didn’t do their bit on Friday night against a struggling Richmond outfit.
In fact, it was the first time the Lions conceded 100 points this season, and while Richmond still look dangerous when they’re on, they hadn’t cracked the triple figure mark since Round 12 against Essendon.
The Lions are probably going to have to rely on holding teams below 75 if they’re to make a serious dint come finals, it’s time for their defence to step up.
Their flag hopes rest on their shoulders.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: Everything Jack Silvagni did
Jack Silvagni is the heart and soul of the Carlton Football Club and with the passing of his grandfather and club great Sergio Silvagni, Jack performed to a standard that would’ve made him proud.
Not only did he take one of the marks of the year, he took a big pack mark in the goal square at a crucial stage, competed manfully in the ruck against Brodie Grundy and put the ball inside 50 six times.
His emotion after the game and the way his teammates got around him also spoke volumes.
Negative: Kicking inside 50 and conversion
Scoring is going to be an issue for the Blues given their current personnel issues.
Harry McKay is the only healthy key forward playing alongside a number of smalls and Jack Silvagni roaming further up the ground and this makes it tough for the Blues to hit the scoreboard, given opposition sides converge on McKay.
They got it right in the fourth quarter through clearance dominance, but in general play, their transition going forward and their final kick inside 50 left a lot to be desired.
The potential return of Charlie Curnow in the next few weeks may just help correct that.
Nic Negrepontis
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Positive: Ollie Henry’s breakout performance
First round draftee Ollie Henry had easily the best outing of his five-game career against Carlton on Sunday.
The athletic flanker kicked three early goals, took seven marks and looked strong in aerial contests.
Obviously, the kid was highly rated having been taken as the club’s first pick in the National Draft, but he had struggled up until this point at AFL level.
After a strong pre-season, Henry didn’t respond well after being thrown into the fire in Round 1.
A two-game stint in Rounds 8 and 9 proved he wasn’t quite ready still, but since coming back in against Richmond last weekend he looks at home at the top level.
Magpies fans will be hoping to see more of the same from their young gun as 2021 winds down.
Negative: Ran out of steam
Collingwood led at every break on Sunday against the Blues, but somehow ended up 29 points down by the final siren.
Carlton’s six goal to nothing term simply blew away the Magpies, as they couldn’t get anything going for them in the final 30 minutes.
The thing that will annoy Magpies fans the most is that they weren’t able to capitalise on their dominant patch like Carlton did.
Up 40 to 16 halfway through the second quarter, the Pies had all the momentum as Scott Pendlebury looked to find Jordan De Goey inside 50.
Better communication between the pair would have put the Pies up by five goals and with the chance to place the foot on the throat.
Ultimately, the ball would be turned over and the Blues went down the other end to score and close the gap.
From that moment on, Carlton found their spark and eventually went on to win.
A bigger early lead could have been enough to keep the Blues at bay, but it wasn’t to be. They Pies just weren’t clinical enough when it mattered.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: Jake Stringer the difference again
By Ben Rutten’s own admission, Essendon were far from their best against North Melbourne on Sunday and needed a spark with the game in the balance throughout.
Enter Jake Stringer, who kicked three last-quarter goals to drag his side over the line in a game that rocketed them into the top eight.
Stringer looks poised to re-sign with the club in the coming weeks, ending weeks of speculation about one of the Bombers’ most enigmatic players.
As the club looks to lock in one of the two lower places in the eight, Stringer remains a crucial cog in the midfield and forward line and is an important part of their finals push.
Negative: First half lack of pressure
The Dons have been consistent performers throughout most the season but were visibly flat in the first half against the Kangaroos, getting beaten on transition too easily.
To their credit, they were able to up the pressure in the second half and win, but their lack of pressure early on would be a key area where they’d want to improve moving into the final rounds of the season.
N/A
Sean Darcy being awesome was the only positive for Fremantle last Thursday until he suffered a knee concern late in the game.
He has only suffered a minor strain and could still play this weekend.
Freo fans can take a deep breath.
Negative: Failing the test
Fremantle had the chance to solidify their top eight spot and claim a scalp against Geelong and they came up a mile short.
The Dockers were belted from pillar to post in every facet and never looked up to the fight at Optus Stadium.
In a year where nobody wants to finish eighth, this could have separated Freo from the pack, but instead they don’t appear likely to make finals given their tough run home.
Injuries to Darcy and Rory Lobb added salt to the wounds.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Dangerfield fires up forward
Geelong never looked liked losing against Fremantle last Thursday night and what really stood out was their effectiveness in the forward line, kicking 100 points and finding plenty of avenues to goal.
In the absence of both Gary Rohan and Jeremy Cameron, Tom Hawkins kicked four goals but it was Patrick Dangerfield’s three that would have been most pleasing for Chris Scott.
The Cats star’s running through both the midfield and forward line adds another dynamic to the side, even more so with Rohan and Cameron out.
Negative: N/A
Nothing negative to report at the Cats this week ahead of a pivotal clash against Richmond in Round 19.
Laurence Rosen
Positive: Youngster’s career-best game
Gold Coast youngster Jeremy Sharp had the best game of his career against flag fancies the Western Bulldogs.
The 19-year-old collected 30 disposals, 10 marks and provided plenty of energy off half-back and around the ball with seven defensive rebounds and 518 metres gained.
Sharp, who has six AFL games under his belt, went a long way to cementing his spot in Gold Coast’s side.
Touk Miller continued his stellar season with 38 touches and seven tackles, while Nick Holman, Alex Sexton and Ben Ainsworth booted three goals each.
The 11-point loss was a commendable effort against one the competition’s best teams.
Negative: Ellis hamstrung
Brandon Ellis was an early casualty for the Suns after injuring his hamstring in the loss to the Bulldogs.
Ellis was subbed out after sustaining in the injury in the first quarter with recruit Rory Atkins replacing the ex-Tiger.
Coach Stuart Dew told reporters post-game that the injury didn’t appear to be serious, but still expects him to miss “some football”.
The Suns are currently without experienced heads Hugh Greenwood (knee) and co-captain Jarrod Witts (knee) who both succumbed to season-ending injuries.
Alex Zaia
Positive: Super start, skipper back
The Giants had to deal with losing star forward Toby Greene and hard-nosed midfielder Matt De Boer prior to the Sydney derby at Metricon.
The duo were placed in isolation after visiting a Tier 1 COVID exposure site during the week.
Losing those two certainly did not disrupt GWS’ start as they piled on six goals to one in the first quarter.
The Giants would also lead at half-time although they did concede five goals while kicking three in the second term.
It was also nice to captain Stephen Coniglio back playing at AFL level again after a lengthy layoff due to an ankle injury.
Negative: Subsequent failure thereafter
It all fell apart after their strong start.
From quarter-time onwards, it was five goals to 14 the way of the Swans who blitzed their rivals after their slow beginning.
The Giants coughed up 12 of the last 14 goals of the match to fall to arguably their most disappointing defeat of the season.
The loss was dampened further with Josh Kelly injuring his ankle and Matt Flynn hurting his shoulder on a couple of occasions.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: Taking Melbourne to the final siren
Hawthorn went in with a clear game plan and it worked.
They tackled ferociously and they did not allow Melbourne to take intercept marks, bringing the ball to ground and attacking with speed.
Alastair Clarkson and his men were up for the fight and although they only left with two points, it was a performance far beyond what was expected.
Negative: Are we sure moving on from the best coach of the 21st century is a good idea?
Alastair Clarkson is still capable of drawing a performance like this out of Hawthorn, despite sitting 17th on the ladder.
This isn’t to say anything negative about Sam Mitchell.
It’s just something to ponder, Hawks fans.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Midfield bulls fire
Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney form a formidable midfield trio and as a collective were highly impressive in the draw against Hawthorn.
While plenty has been said about the importance of defenders Steven May and Jake Lever to this Melbourne side, the Dees are at their best when they’re winning it at the source and taking control of the game from the centre.
Negative: More questions over their premiership credentials
Where are the Dees at right now?
It’s one of the big questions hovering over the season, even more so after failing to beat Hawthorn on Saturday night.
There’s still question marks over their forward line, as well as their killer instinct against bottom eight sides.
These are interesting times for Simon Goodwin’s side, still working out their best mix across the ground while trying to problem solve ahead of a finals series that they’ll enter as one of the premiership favourites.
They get another chance to bounce back against the Western Bulldogs in the coming weeks, with that game now expected to be play in Round 19 due to the current COVID situation.
Laurence Rosen
Positive: Tarryn Thomas
Tarryn Thomas has found his feet and is having a serious impact every single week.
He is one of the best kicks in the competition and the Roos are getting the ball in his hands in the right spots, allowing him to have five inside 50s, three rebound 50s and 509 metres gained from 23 disposals.
Thomas also had six score involvements and is one of a few North Melbourne players who you trust completely with ball in hand.
Negative: Jack Mahony injury
Jack Mahony has been a consistent part of this North Melbourne side all season, which is saying something considering the sheer injury toll this team has dealt with.
The small forward has kicked eight goals this year, averaged 3.2 tackles and 2.7 marks per game.
Mahony went down with a shoulder injury in the final term and the extent of the damage is unclear.
Tristan Xerri could also come under MRO scrutiny for a bump on Dyson Heppell.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Young gun fires Power to vital win
Port Adelaide capitalised on Brisbane’s slip up to move back into fourth spot with a hard-fought win over the Saints.
Without the likes of Zak Butters, Connor Rozee, Steven Motlop, Robbie Gray and Orazio Fantasia, the Power got the job done on the road without being at their fluent best.
The contribution from second-year forward Mitch Georgiades in the victory was telling.
Georgiades, who is eligible to win this year’s Rising Star award, kicked four goals and took five marks, while vice-captain Ollie Wines was once again prolific with 36 disposals and 11 clearances.
A vital win for Ken Hinkley’s men.
Negative: Inaccurate goalkicking
Both sides struggled in front of the big sticks under the Marvel Stadium roof.
The Power finished with 10.14 while the Saints were equally as inaccurate with 8.13.
Port still came away with the win, but it’s an area for improvement in what has become a competition-wide problem.
Converting in front of goal will be important when the Power are taking on the league’s top teams in the finals.
Alex Zaia
Positive: Jack goes bang in 300th, returnees shine
Jack Riewoldt stood up for his beloved club when he became just the fourth Richmond player to reach 300 games.
Riewoldt banged home six goals as the Tigers recaptured their mojo by beating Brisbane by 20 points.
It was a vintage performance from the gun veteran who continues to defy his 32 years of age with a strong 2021, which has so far delivered 42 goals.
The Tigers had been lacking their customary zip and identity in recent weeks, but they were back to their best against the Lions.
That was partly to do with the return of ruckman Toby Nankervis and the important Kane Lambert. The pair showed how vital they are to Damien Hardwick’s setup and were among the best few players on the ground.
Mabior Chol benefitted from Nankervis’ presence as he spent more time floating around the forward line and was able to bag four goals to amplify Riewoldt’s haul.
Negative: Dusty done, McIntosh too
The win came at a major cost with superstar Dustin Martin copping a nasty kidney injury.
As a result, the three-time Norm Smith Medallist will be sidelined for the remainder of the season which will make life tricky for Hardwick and his coaches.
The back-to-back premiers were beginning to get some cavalry back in the form of Nankervis and Lambert and there was plenty to be positive about after a win over a top-four hopeful under their belts.
But Martin’s freak injury from a big Mitch Robinson collision and unheralded wingman Kamdyn McIntosh’s hamstring injury only denied them the chance to get everyone back for the business end.
It’s been a cruel, cruel year on the injury front.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: Key duo impress
Jack Steele and Rowan Marshall performed strongly in St Kilda’s 13-point loss to Port Adelaide.
Saints skipper Steele just keeps on keeping on, amassing another 37 disposals and a goal to further enhance his chances of a second All-Australian blazer.
Marshall, who has been hampered by foot problems through the year, competed well in the ruck and provided a marketing target up forward.
The key Saint finished with 19 touches, 16 hit-outs, six marks and two goals, although he missed two crucial set shots in the final term.
Negative: Individual mistakes cost Saints dearly
The Saints have been their own worst enemy at times this season.
Costly turnovers by senior players in the last quarter came back to haunt Brett Ratten’s side with Brad Hill, Jack Sinclair and Jimmy Webster coughing the ball up coming out of defence.
It was another St Kilda display littered with inaccurate goalkicking as they blew chance after chance from gettable spots on the ground.
They must beat the Eagles in Perth this week to keep their finals hopes afloat. Taking their chances in front of goal will be crucial.
Alex Zaia
Positive: Proved ability to flick the switch
Everything looked to be off for Sydney as they slumped to a 35-point deficit to GWS late in the second term.
The Swans couldn’t get anything going their way as GWS led the contested possession count by 24 at half-time.
Ultimately, the Swans would end up just one stat behind the Giants in contested ball as they flicked a switch to kick nine unanswered goals to retake the lead and sew up the four points.
Once this side gets momentum going their way, they’re one of the most dangerous attacks in the competition.
With a top six berth looking all but certain, it’ll be a good confidence booster for John Longmire’s side knowing they can work their way out of a rough patch to find their best footy.
Negative: Horror build up leads to poor start
While Sydney’s poor start led to their biggest positive, it was also a bit of a warning sign that a mid-table team like GWS could put them to the sword for effectively a quarter and a half.
In fairness to the Swans, they did lose Callum Mills, Harry Cunningham and Colin O'Riordan 20 minutes before the bounce due to public health advice, but they won’t want to see that opening to a game again.
Against a better outfit, the Swans could have genuinely been down by 10 goals, that’s how poor their opening 45 minutes were.
They face finals hopefuls Fremantle, Essendon and St Kilda in the next three weeks.
A similar start against one of those sides could see them out of the game before they ever had a chance to get into it.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: The third quarter
When West Coast tactician Adam Simpson returned from the rooms after half-time, he told the broadcast he needed to see deeper inside 50s if the Eagles were to build on a two-point lead.
The visitors led the forward entry count 30-20, but Adelaide had three more forward 50 marks and led forward half marks 24-14, scoring almost entirely from defensive half chains to that point.
Simpson’s wish was fulfilled as the Eagles tightened the screws. In game 200, Nic Naitanui forced a stoppage in the forward line and tapped it to Jamie Cripps for the first of the term.
Another for Cripps followed as he edged Will Hamill under the ball close to goal, before the 29-year-old fed the ball out to Jack Petruccelle for another from a contest in the pocket.
More than the end product, it opened up space for what we usually see from the Eagles.
The next major came as the Crows’ defenders were wrong-footed, expecting the entry to land in the goal square as Liam Ryan led up to a chip from Luke Shuey.
The challenge set by Simpson maximised their varied talents, but with Josh Kennedy sidelined, figuring out different avenues to goal in different game states was important for the long term.
Negative: Not again…
In one passage of play in the third term, Luke Shuey underscored his importance to West Coast and foreshadowed the Crows’ demise on the night.
The 31-year-old received from Tom Cole at half-back, sprinted off and delivered to Zac Langdon, followed up and rocketed a pass onto the chest of a leading Liam Ryan.
The grasp of space, the speed and skill; West Coast can be what they want to be, when he brings those attributes around a contested core.
Unfortunately, the skipper was substituted in the final quarter, though he appeared unflustered. West Coast later confirmed Shuey had been icing a calf injury, his third in the past year.
“It could be nothing. We’re holding out hope. It’s definitely minor, no matter what, but because of his history we didn’t want to take a risk,” Simpson told reporters.
It may be minor, but he’ll be missed, and it seems likely to blunt both his bursting run and his trust in his body to bring it out.
Nathan John
Positive: Jamarra Ugle-Hagan
Who else?
Backed in by Luke Beveridge after a nervous performance in his first game, ‘Marra’ made an early impact in his second.
The 19-year-old disposed of defender Sam Collins with a shimmy step, soared over Jeremy Sharp and steered his set shot from left to right for his first AFL goal.
In the second term, Ugle-Hagan cut back up to the arc and got on the end of a rampaging Marcus Bontempelli run, when the Suns backs expected a deep entry.
For his third, he took two bites at a looping entry from Bailey Dale, never gave up and pulled it down. The snap around the corner was higher than it was long, but he made it count.
He faded, but his forward craft is clear, and the competitive underpinnings are there. Jamarra belongs.
In other positive news, Josh Dunkley got through his first match in three months unscathed. His junkyard dog approach to the loose ball in the contest has been deeply missed.
Now, unfortunately, he will have to isolate after grabbing a coffee at his local.
Second-year small Riley Garcia is also making a powerful case to stay in the team, having shone with 22 pressure acts, four inside 50s and a goal assist.
Negative: Picked apart again
The Suns came in with the second-lowest inside 50 conversion rate in the competition (39.3%), but scored five times from their first nine entries on Saturday.
Similarly, the hosts’ first three majors came from defensive midfield chains, from where they have scored the second-fewest points this season (13.9).
Gold Coast do score more prolifically from threads of possession that originate in the defensive arc however, and that was the trend of the second term.
When Stuart Dew’s side intercepted the ball or got a clean exit from a contest, they were able to spot up targets between the lines and in pockets of space.
The Dogs’ back six melted when the Suns chained it with speed, with fringe defenders failing to execute spoils and leaving Nick Holman and Alex Sexton to mop up.
Their press improved after quarter-time; the gaps closed in the corridor and Gold Coast found their thrusts were being pushed out to the boundary.
It may just be a product of differing philosophies, with the composition of the Dogs’ team and game plan dependent on contested supremacy and team structure.
With Adam Treloar, Stefan Martin and Easton Wood to return, they may well accept that. And they’d be within their rights, on the evidence of their first half of the season.
For now, the teams that execute well by foot - such as the Swans last round and, increasingly, North Melbourne before them - will fancy they can pick Beveridge’s boys apart.
Nathan John