We’re five weeks into the AFL season and the ladder is beginning to take shape.
The Easter weekend told us a lot about some clubs and we saw what the premiership favourite’s best looks like.
Here’s what we learned from the weekend’s games (so far):
Melbourne’s best looks five goals better than anyone else
Melbourne walked their way to a 4-0 start without really getting out of second gear, but we truly saw how scary they can be when they put the foot on the pedal against GWS on Saturday.
After a tight first half, the Demons piled on 10 majors via 10 individual goalkickers in the third term, absolutely obliterating a hapless Giants side.
We already knew they had the capability to finish their opponents with a quick burst – see their third term in last year’s Grand Final – but this was a stark reminder to the competition that they’re the benchmark, and no one’s really close.
Former Crow Josh Jenkins told SEN’s Crunch Time on Sunday that the Demons would go in at least four goal favourites against any side if the Grand Final was set for next week, and it’s hard to disagree with that take.
While the Lions, Cats and Swans look like quality outfits, they haven’t gotten close to what the Demons have this year and it’s hard to see them getting there.
A scary thought for the rest of the competition.
Let’s ease up on North Melbourne losing their Good Friday timeslot
Yes, North Melbourne again failed on their biggest stage of the season, but were we expecting anything else?
Many had this rebuilding Roos side as a wooden-spoon fancy at the start of the season, while most also have the Bulldogs as a genuine contender.
Obviously, we want a great contest in our marquee timeslots, but we certainly don’t get that all the time – just take a look at Richmond and Carlton’s annual Thursday night Round 1 fixture from 2013 to 2020.
Just like Carlton did this year, North Melbourne will eventually turn it around on the big stage, and we need to allow them time to do that.
No club deserves these fixtures purely because they have a big supporter base, and North Melbourne should be rewarded for the work they do with the Royal Children’s Hospital and the day itself.
Give them time, it’ll begin to turn sooner than you’d think.
McKay and Curnow might be the best key forward duo in the competition
There’s plenty of great key forward duos in the AFL, but Carlton may just have the best.
Geelong have Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins, Brisbane have Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood and Richmond have Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt – but on form, Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow look better than all of their rivals.
McKay’s coming off a Coleman Medal winning season, and Curnow’s quickly found his best form after playing just four games in 2021 due to injury.
At 24 and 25 years old respectively, McKay and Curnow are just entering the prime of their careers and their contrasting game styles suit each other perfectly.
They’ve teased us for a little while now, but watching them combine for eight goals in Carlton’s tight three-point win over Port Adelaide felt like a coming out party.
Opposition defences won’t be excited to play Carlton for the next handful of years with the powerful duo up front.
Sydney looks to be our fourth contender
Coming into this round it looked like we had a clear top three and Sydney may have just joined the likes of Melbourne, Brisbane and Geelong as top four fancies.
While the Bulldogs are probably the side that can also come up and join that group, it’s Sydney that look the competition’s fourth best team at this stage with their blend of youth and experience shaping them up nicely.
Although their Round 5 win came against a depleted Eagles side, their performance was that of a side that knew they were a class above their opposition.
With three of their next four games at the SCG, the Swans could genuinely sit at 8-1 after nine rounds and be firmly placed in one of those double chance slots.
Expect this young Swans side to contend in 2022 and beyond given the profile of their list.
It’s a big week for GWS
We said it last week, but GWS really need a result next weekend.
At 1-4, their season is slipping away as pressure on coach Leon Cameron intensifies.
Against a 4-1 St Kilda side that many had finishing near the Giants come season's end, the time is now for the men in orange to begin to close the gap on their rivals.
Their 67-point loss to Melbourne made it plainly obvious that the Giants are a class below the competition’s best, but they’ll still rate themselves against sides that are set to battle it out to finish between fifth and eighth.
They can wave their finals chances goodbye with a loss, while life could just be breathed into their season with a win.
Against the Saints in Canberra on Friday night, it’s literally now or never for GWS.