What are the key takeaways and observations relating to your club in Round 5?
We have dissected each of the matches and offered a number of talking points for all 18 clubs.
The following will not apply to each club every week but form the basis of our views.
The Key Takeaway
The Undroppables
The Overreaction
The Positive
The Negative
What no one is talking about
What they need to tweak for next week
The Key Takeaway: Adelaide is in the finals conversation
Wins against Port Adelaide and Fremantle had given them some credence, but the Crows needed Carlton’s scalp if they were to state their seriousness.
Not only did they do that, but an eight-goal opening quarter into a 56-point win shellshocked Carlton and put the competition on notice that Adelaide can easily take a top eight spot.
As David King told SEN, Matthew Nicks has got his side playing a contested brand of footy that wins the footy back on defence and keeps it rolling while in attack. The Crows have got the second-best offence of the competition after five rounds and if improvements can be made in defence, watch out.
Nevertheless, Adelaide has got the win to prove it's among the top handful of teams at the moment.
The Positive: The Fog’s not far off Coleman Medal form
He’s only played three games this year, but it’s clear to see Darcy Fogarty has picked up where he left off late last year.
Five majors against the Blues makes it 10 for the year, particularly impressive given he was matched up on one of the league’s best full-backs in Jacob Weitering.
Add 10 marks, 12 score involvements and some superior field kicking and it’s clear to see Fogarty is a serious player.
Averaging over three goals a game will have him in the Coleman conversation at some point if he can keep it up.
What no one is talking about: Nicks outpoints Voss again
Matthew Nicks sending Ben Keays to Adam Saad was a masterstroke when these two sides met last year, a coaching move that will go down as one of 2022’s best.
That move ultimately cost Carlton a finals spot. But when asked pregame what would happen if Keays played the same role, most of what Voss had to offer revolved around stating Saad needed to win his one-on-one battle.
Despite his hot start to the season, when Keays went to Saad this time around, the Blues’ speedster wasn’t at his damaging best and more importantly, Keays again went on to kick three goals.
In a 56-point win, it would be silly to say Keays won the game off his own boot, but he certainly played a role in challenging the Blues in a way they hadn’t before.
Seb Mottram
The Key Takeaway: The forward line is buzzing
After an indifferent start to the season, Brisbane’s forward line is absolutely clicking.
We saw the best of it against Collingwood on Easter Thursday, and while North Melbourne are clearly lesser opponents, the Lions would have been thrilled to put on the performance they did inside 50.
Having 42 scoring shots is incredibly potent and with five players kicking multiple goals and 10 players kicking majors, the Lions are starting to get the spread that the best teams have in front of the big sticks.
With games to come against GWS and Fremantle in the coming fortnight, don’t expect that scoring to slow down either.
The Positive: Daniher building nicely
After copping it from the media for his start to the season, Joe Daniher has quickly quietened his detractors with two strong performances.
On the back of his two-goal, 20-disposal performance against Collingwood, the key tall stuffed the stat sheet against the Kangaroos with five goals, 18 touches, 12 score involvements and 13 marks in a huge outing.
While Daniher will know he probably won’t get it any easier for the rest of the season, it’s an importance confidence booster for a player who clearly relies on it.
At his best, the left-footer is near unstoppable and the Lions will be pleased with how he’s building into his campaign now.
The Undroppables: Darcy Fort
Ruckman Darcy Fort made the most of his chance after being recalled from the VFL for the Round 5 clash against North Melbourne.
While he didn’t dominate by any stretch, Fort’s one-goal, 13-disposal, eight-score involvement and six-mark performance was by far his best so far this season.
With most sides going with two ruckmen, Fort proved himself as a quality back-up option for Oscar McInerney and it’s almost certain that the Lions will persist with that pairing for at least the next week.
Lachlan Geleit
What they need to tweak for next week: The midfield mix
Carlton needs to omit one of Matt Kennedy, Ed Curnow or George Hewett and inject a bit more run and speed around the on-ball unit.
Curnow is likely the one who misses out, given the Blues need greater leg speed and spread from stoppages.
They also, simply, need their star midfielders to start winning some clearances and win the territory battle at stoppages.
Young outside midfielder Jaxon Binns should be considered for a debut, following a strong run of VFL performances.
What no one is talking about: Sam Walsh hits the ground running
The Blues said Sam Walsh would miss the first month of the season after his back surgery and they were spot on with that timeline.
Not only that, but Walsh hit the ground running, covering the ground well and leading the Blues with 25 disposals.
Expect him to find touch as the year goes on, but he fit seamlessly back into the club’s best 22.
The Negative: Inside 50 efficiency
You have to feel for Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay. The ball use coming their way inside 50 on Thursday night forced them into some ugly looking contests, simply to bring the ball to ground.
The Blues were smashed by Adelaide, but had just as many opportunities going forward. While the Crows used short kicks and sharp ball movement to penetrate Carlton’s defensive zone, the Blues tended to kick the ball up a chimney and hope the talls could make something happen.
Carlton’s ball movement has been a worry all season, with McKay and Curnow papering over the cracks at times.
They will need to be better or St Kilda will pick everything off on Sunday.
Nic Negrepontis
The Key Takeaway: Collingwood proved they can alter their style
Collingwood have been credited for their fast, go-forward game style under Craig McRae but following their Round 4 to Brisbane, many wondered if they could still defend transition.
Against the Saints – with the game turning into a slog – Collingwood proved that their defensive shape holds up and that they are happy to take a nil-all draw at times when they are finding it hard to score themselves.
With St Kilda a strong defensive unit, the Magpies knew they’d have to hold their opponents to a low score to win and barring the last three minutes of the game, the Saints could only manage six goals.
It’s a good sign going forward that this side has several gears and can play what’s in front of them instead of a boom-or-bust style.
The Negative: Tall stocks further decimated
Collingwood’s tall stocks may have reached breaking point.
Already without the likes of Darcy Cameron, Mason Cox and Jeremy Howe – all walk-up starters when fit – the Magpies would have been shattered to lose both Dan McStay and Nathan Murphy against the Saints.
While Murphy should only miss one game, McStay may miss far more if he requires surgery, and the Magpies will need to patchwork their spine until at least the mid-season bye.
We’ve got no doubt this team is one of the best in the competition when they’ve got most of their best 22 available, but it’s getting shaky now without a ruckman, intercept defender and full forward.
What no one is talking about: There’s room for the smalls
At the start of the season, many thought Bobby Hill and Jack Ginnivan were fighting for one spot, but based on Sunday’s game, the pair can certainly play together.
While Ginnivan was quieter than his fellow small who booted three goals, the pair seemed to combine well and didn’t get in the way of each other.
Collingwood believe Hill is a crumbing, pressure forward with x-factor while Ginnivan is more of a smaller marking option that uses his smarts to get opportunities inside 50.
You get the feeling they’ll line up in either forward pocket for the rest of the season if they remain fit.
Lachlan Geleit
The key takeaway: Essendon produces the performance everyone was waiting for
The Bombers have flown out of the box so far this season, but their form so far in 2023 really needed a win over a contender to frank their start, which had seen them beating Gold Coast, GWS and Hawthorn.
Brad Scott’s side on Saturday in Adelaide comprehensively beat Melbourne by 27 points, in what was one of the shock results of the season so far.
Essendon’s style at Adelaide Oval felt sustainable, built largely on structure and pressure rather than on the back of individual brilliance.
At 4-1 after five rounds, they now have a real platform to build on as they seek an unlikely finals spot.
Collingwood on ANZAC Day awaits next, a game which shapes as a genuine blockbuster with both sides currently in the top four.
The positive: Five goals from ruckmen
Essendon’s forward line remains a work in progress, with Peter Wright out for most of the season and young forward Harrison Jones still finding his way at AFL level.
Up stepped Sam Draper and Andrew Phillips, who somehow combined in the wet for five goals.
While that won’t happen every week and may not even happy for the rest of the season, Essendon’s ability to find goals from unlikely sources should hold them in good stead in the coming weeks considering their difficult draw.
What no one is talking about: Nic Martin’s forward 50 efficiency
While the likes of Darcy Parish, Zach Merrett and Dylan Shiel continue to receive plaudits, it’s time to put the unheralded Nic Martin on the agenda.
He landed up being the last player on Essendon’s list last year, yet was one of his side’s only positives from a disastrous 2022 campaign.
Fast forward 12 months and he’s now averaging over 20 disposals, which also have a canny ability to bob up and kick a crucial goal.
He’s now booted six majors from five matches, while proving to be a crucial cog in Essendon’s side.
Laurence Rosen
The Key Takeaway: Got the 4 points when it mattered most
That fourth quarter against Gold Coast was the most important 30 minutes of the season so far for Freo and they managed to find a way.
A loss there puts them at 1-4 and with a lot of work to do to get back into the finals mix.
But they managed to pull off the comeback, leave Gather Round with the four points and set themselves up to get back into this season.
The Positive: Michael Walters turning back the clock
After starting the season in the substitute mix due to an injury interrupted pre-season, Michael Walters has looked his dangerous best in two of his last three games.
Walters kicked four goals and had two further goal assists against Gold Coast. He dragged the Dockers over the line.
At 32, he is proving he still has much more left to give at AFL level.
The Undroppables: Matthew Johnson
One of Fremantle’s key picks from the 2022 draft, Matthew Johnson had his best game of his short career against Gold Coast, finishing with 15 disposals at 86 per cent disposal efficiency and kicked a goal.
Expect him to hold his spot in the side and continue to grow into his role with Freo.
Nic Negrepontis
The Key Takeaway: The gap between Geelong’s best and worst is startling
Perhaps the only better quarter played this year than Geelong’s second term against West Coast on Sunday was the week prior when the Cats slammed on 10 in a quarter against Hawthorn.
The midfield was on top, the ball movement was sublime and the forwards feasted. It was a quarter that ultimately set up the 47-point win, but beyond that the Cats were disappointing.
Silly mistakes, poor kicking and out-of-form players became the norm for the second half. It could be argued the Cats have only played three quarters of their best football this year and have looked a fair way off the mark in the rest.
Chris Scott would want to hope he knows what he’s doing with priming the Cats for later this year.
The Positive: Ratugolea can make it as a defender
With positional changes such as this, all we need to see is a few glimpses of potential in a solid enough team role.
Ratugolea has taken some sensational intercept marks in 2023 and been solid enough in locking down in defence, but he’s looked out of depth on occasion.
He might not always get his positioning right, but Ratugolea is a commanding presence in the air and dominated against the Eagles with an equal game-high nine intercept possessions.
It’s clear to see why Geelong was keen to keep him in last year’s trade period.
What no one is talking about: Hawkins is back
After an admittedly slow start to the year, Hawkins’ last six quarters have been more like what we come to expect from the five-time All-Australian.
It wasn’t just four goals, but an equal game-high 11 score involvements and two contested grabs was a strong return on one of the league’s better full-backs in Tom Barrass.
Suddenly he’s only nine goals behind Oscar Allen in third of the Coleman Medal standings, and Hawkins could be back among the big boys in less than a month.
Seb Mottram
The Key Takeaway: Gold Coast isn’t playing finals
With the way the game played out, Gold Coast had to win this clash.
They had chances to put the game to bed before and after half-time but bad misses kept Fremantle in it.
Even with their midfield leaders standing up in the final term, the Suns were overrun from midway through the third quarter and didn’t deserve victory.
With all the pressure on this game after a slow start and Fremantle’s troubles to start the year, Friday’s loss was a disaster.
Where to from here? It’s not much higher, because the Suns aren’t getting inside the top eight.
The Negative: Ben King’s struggles
It’s never easy coming back from an ACL injury, but Ben King’s output just isn’t where he’d want it to be. Two goals reads well on paper, but King had no other impact on the clash and was one of the Suns' lesser players.
It’s now 10 disposals in two weeks for King. It’s undoubtedly tough on the track back from injury, but King looks far away from the assertive player he was in 2021.
What no one is talking about: The Gold Coast Football Club
It’s unfortunate how quickly the Suns have become irrelevant after their slow start to the year. If this was a Victorian club, all the headlines would read that Gold Coast are now seriously long odds to play finals again, a feat they’re yet to achieve six season into Stuart Dew’s tenure.
But after one of the club’s most disappointing losses this year, it’s been crickets in terms of pressure on Dew. While it may be good in the short term, ultimately it’s a sad reflection of a club that’s been in existence for over a decade.
Seb Mottram
The Key Takeaway: Harry Himmelberg's stock price has increased
A lot had been made during the week of Himmelberg’s contract situation at the end of the season. The 26-year-old is a restricted free agent at season’s end and he couldn’t have picked a better time to have not one but two career defining moments.
After taking a spectacular mark and calmly slotting the match winning goal, Himmelberg then proved his ability to be an effective swingman and got a crucial touch to secure the important win for the Giants.
The positive: GWS are a four-quarter team
The Giants had a third quarter to forget as they surrendered a lead to Hawthorn in dramatic fashion. Whilst they didn’t play the most attractive brand of footy in the fourth quarter, they continued to toil away and put aside an inaccurate 4.6 (30) last quarter to come away with a vital win. Coach Adam Kingsley wouldn’t be happy with the skills on display but he would be ecstatic about the fight and character his team displayed.
The undroppable: Aaron Cadman
It took a while but the number one draft pick finally made his AFL debut and during Gather Round no less. Cadman may have had a relatively quiet afternoon but kicking a goal on debut would give him great confidence. The 19-year also took a handful of strong contested marks which gives a glimpse of the talent GWS have at their disposal.
Charles Goodsir
The Undroppable: Seamus Mitchell
Seamus Mitchell had a very solid debut on the weekend playing a range of roles for the Hawks.
He spent time both forward and back, collecting 17 touches, and also took a few kicks-ins, showing Sam Mitchell’s trust in him.
With Jack Scrimshaw due back from injury, it will be interesting to see who makes way, but Mitchell should have done enough to keep his spot.
The Positive: Nash’s best game
Conor Nash had his best game as a Hawk to date.
He finished with 31 touches, nine tackles and seven clearances and played a negating role on Tom Green in the second half, holding him to just 12 touches after he had 20 in the first half.
The day ended in a narrow defeat but the performance of Nash was a major bonus.
The Negative: Wingard injured again
Chad Wingard’s horror injury run continued after he was subbed out with a lacerated tongue - that is not a joke.
Wingard is due to undergo surgery on Monday and may miss a few weeks.
He has struggled with various issues since joining the Hawks, tallying 14, 17, 16 and 10 games in each season prior to his two appearances in 2023.
In seven seasons with Port Adelaide, his lowest tally in a single season was 18 games.
What no one is talking about: Unheralded Greene
Having been delisted by the Bulldogs in 2021, Fergus Greene led the goal kicking in the VFL for Box Hill last season.
After 5 rounds, he is currently the Hawks’ equal leading goal kicker with eight (alongside Luke Breust), after kicking 3.0 against the Giants.
After Jack Gunston departed to the Lions, the Hawks were desperate to find a replacement and Greene looks to be that player.
He also leads the club for marks inside 50 with 12 and has impressed in the absence of Mitch Lewis.
What they need to tweak for next week
The Hawks are in desperate need for a key position marking forward.
With Wingard looking likely to miss through injury, further hampering their amount of forwards who can mark the ball, it clears the path for Max Ramsden to soon debut.
Ramsden is a 200+cm forward/ruck that kicked four goals for Box Hill on the weekend.
Could it be time to get him into the senior side to give a different look inside attacking 50 against the Crows next weekend?
Brad Klibansky
The Overreaction: Melbourne aren’t a dominant force
The Demons are 3-2 on the season, but this side doesn’t have to peak now.
While sides are no doubt finding it easier to play against them compared to late in the 2021 campaign, Melbourne are still going to be one of the competition’s top contenders when the whips are cracking.
The list is simply too talented and deep to not be dominant and they should rebound well against Richmond on Anzac Day eve.
Let’s not jump to conclusions, Melbourne are still the horse you’d be picking over any other to win it all at this stage.
The Negative: Gawn’s absence felt dearly
Melbourne had done well in the first two weeks of Max Gawn’s absence, but Essendon quickly exposed the Demons in the ruck without their captain.
While Brodie Grundy battled away, he was well beaten by the duo of Sam Draper and Andrew Phillips who made it their mission to push forward and impact the scoreboard, which they did with five combined goals.
On top of Essendon’s scoreboard impact from their ruckmen, Melbourne struggled to get their hands to contested marks – a skill Gawn excels at – and while it was wet, they would have been disappointed to lose that stat 11-7.
They’ll go in heavy favourites in their next four games, but there’s no doubt they’ll be desperate for Gawn to return as soon as possible.
What they need to tweak for next week: Bringing the heat
Melbourne would have been disappointed to lose the tackle count 71-55 in defeat, particularly in the wet.
While they were chasing for most of the game, to be outhunted by a team that had the lead would be disappointing for Simon Goodwin.
As a team that prides itself on its pressure, Melbourne will be keen to make amends with a big tackling effort against Richmond on Anzac Day eve.
Lachlan Geleit
The Positive: Jaidyn Stephenson
Jaidyn Stephenson has found some nice form in the last fortnight, playing primarily in the role he starred in at Collingwood across half forward.
He has kicked seven goals in the last two games, finding space out the back and working some magic inside 50.
The question for Jaidyn will be whether he can keep a consistent level up across the season and stay out of the limelight.
The Key Takeaway: Roos dominated around the ground
-24 in inside 50s. -38 in disposals. -22 in contested possessions. -41 in marks. And yet only -2 in clearances.
The Roos were absolutely battered around the ball at Adelaide Hills. The stats couldn’t make that any clearer.
They will need to regroup next week in a winnable game against Gold Coast.
The Overreaction: Nick Larkey’s form
Is it too reactive to be worried about Nick Larkey’s form? He started the season with 10 goals in two rounds, but has only had 16 disposals since and averaged one goal per game.
He copped a knock to the hip early on against Carlton and struggled to finish out the game and was largely absent against Brisbane.
However, given the hip injury and the nature of the loss to Brisbane, we’re not ready to jump down his throat just yet.
Nic Negrepontis
The Key Takeaway: Port Adelaide can play gritty when they need to
In what is arguably just as impressive as their electric win over Brisbane to kick off the season, Port has grinded their way to victory for the second week in a row.
After taking the lead in the early goings, the Power had the game taken out of their hands by the Bulldogs through the middle two terms, falling behind as the slippery conditions made a single goal margin feel massive.
Yet the Power simply refused to go away, showing the exact same resolve as they did last week against the Swans to fight back, kicking four goals to one in the final term.
Through the first few games of the season, it looked as though Port’s game plan was to turn every game into a shootout, putting up big margins but conceding plenty.
Yet in these last two matches, their work rate on the defensive end results in a far less volatile form of football.
This ensures that the Power are never out of a contest and can make these dramatic comebacks, which is exactly where their surging attack comes into play.
The Overreaction: Zak Butters is THE guy
Zak Butters was named to the 40-man All-Australian squad in 2020.
Could he find himself back there in 2023?
The young gun dominated the midfield battle throughout the game, trading blows with Marcus Bontempelli as he demonstrated that he has exactly what it takes to be one of the game’s very best.
Butters’ hunger for the football was readily apparent throughout the entire match, racking up contested possessions, intercepts and clearances at a game-breaking rate.
There’s a lot of talent in Port’s midfield, but this season it’s looking more and more likely that Butters is THE guy.
What no one is talking about: Willem Drew
What do you do when Marcus Bontempelli is doing Marcus Bontempelli things?
Ask most coaches and they will not have too much confidence in their answer.
Ask Ken Hinkley, and he points straight to Willem Drew.
The Bont was running rampant in the first half, racking up a monster 10 clearances from his 15 touches as the Bulldogs were on track for their third straight victory.
Then Willem Drew was instructed to line up next to Bont, and the game was turned completely on its head.
Bontempelli was almost completely taken out of the match under Drew’s watch, collecting only 8 more touches and 2 clearances for the rest of the game.
This is not the first time Drew has been tasked to shut down Bontempelli, and judging on how comprehensively he accomplished that task on Saturday, it won’t be the last.
Jack Makeham
The Key Takeaway: Is it as bad as everyone is saying?
Things aren’t quite going to plan for Richmond in 2023.
The injury list is long and has plenty of important players on it which has opened the door for the club’s youth.
Nine players had 21 games or less of experience heading into the Sydney game and aside from a 10-minute patch when blown away late, the Tigers were largely competitive.
While the big guns are out, the inexperienced get the chance to develop and learn in the cutthroat AFL environment.
Looking at it through a positive lens, the Tigers are seven points off holding a 3-2 record and if that was the case the narrative would be fairly different.
However, that’s not the case, so they have to deal with the criticism for now.
But is it as bad as it seems? The next few weeks will tell.
The Overreaction: Sold the farm for Taranto and Hopper
Already in 2023 there has been a fair bit of talk around Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper.
And most of it hasn’t been positive.
The Tigers gave up plenty to recruit the pair from GWS and given the club’s current position, it’s easy to sink the boots in.
But it’s not their fault the Tigers are sitting 15th. They would be two of the top four or five players at Richmond this season.
Yes, it might have been a lot to part ways with to get them in, but they should be given more time to prove themselves.
It will be a different story if Richmond misses finals this year, however.
The Negative: Playing in fits and spurts
For the second week in a row, Richmond basically played just one quarter of good footy.
Last week it was the second term when kicking eight goals against the Dogs, this week it was the third quarter against the Swans when they kicked seven.
In the last two games, Richmond has kicked 15 goals in two quarters, and just eight in the remaining six terms.
That’s not enough of a spread to win games in the AFL in 2023.
What they need to tweak for next week: Discipline must improve
The Tigers were quite undisciplined against the Swans.
There were silly free kicks, inexplicable 50-metre penalties and general carry on from some of the players that Damien Hardwick admitted was not good enough.
At the moment in large portions, it’s Richmond killing Richmond.
If the Tigers can rid themselves of those frustrations and avoid such glaring mistakes, they might just be able to turn things around sooner than later.
Andrew Slevison
The Key Takeaway: The game plan stands up against quality opposition
Yes, they went down in defeat, but St Kilda fans would have been proud of their side’s performance.
Giving such an effort all the way until the final siren proved that this side has belief and there’s no doubt the game plan is repeatable.
While the Magpies dominated inside 50s for most of the clash with the ball living in their forward half, St Kilda’s defensive shape meant that Collingwood were often getting shallow inside 50s or going deep to an outnumber, restricting their scoring ability.
Up against sides that don’t have the class to break through that as often as Collingwood, St Kilda will continue to restrict teams to low scores.
They’ll be better for the run, there’s plenty to work with here for coach Ross Lyon.
The Positive: Callum Wilkie is headed for a maiden All-Australian blazer
The key man behind that defensive prowess is tall defender Callum Wilkie and he was easily his side’s best player on Sunday.
Entering the game with 18 coaches votes, Wilkie was probably the competition’s most in-form defender and he solidified that standing with his 24-disposal, 11-mark, 14-rebound 50 performance.
He locks down as well as any, but the offensive side to his game is beginning to shine through with his intercept marking and kicking a highlight.
If his form keeps up, there’s no doubt he’ll be an All-Australian in 2023, a huge nod for the mature-age SANFL recruit.
What they need to tweak for next week: Improving foot skills
With all other aspects of their game humming, St Kilda’s foot skills let them down on Sunday.
While some of that should rightly be credited to Collingwood’s immense pressure, the Saints would have been disappointed with how they used the ball going forward.
With Collingwood’s defensive set-up high, the Saints just weren’t able to break through and get over the back like Brisbane did on Easter Thursday … until the dying stages of the game.
It’s a fixable problem though and the Saints will hope to use it better under the roof against Carlton on Sunday.
Lachlan Geleit
The Overreaction: Tom Papley is the best small forward in the competition
Whether you love or loathe him, there is no denying that Tom Papley is one of the most exciting players to watch in the competition. Papley booted a career-high six goals and amassed 25 touches as he spent the night in both the forward line and midfield.
With the match up for grabs at the start of the fourth quarter, Papley kicked four goals in the final term alone to break the game open like only the elite players can. Expect rival teams to go to work on Papley in the future.
The positive: Winning without key players
The Swans were missing four starters including three key pieces in their backline in Dane Rampe and the McCartin brothers. In their absence, several players stood tall including Nick Blakey, Braeden Campbell and debutant Will Gould who made an impact when he was subbed on. Friday night’s match was a real test of Sydney’s depth and they passed with flying colours.
The Key takeaway: Swans didn’t give Richmond a sniff
In Round 4 against Port Adelaide, the Swans were firmly in control for the whole match yet never put the result to bed which ultimately proved costly. It was the polar opposite on Friday night at the Adelaide Oval as despite the scores remaining close throughout the match, the Swans were able to repel Richmond's advances whenever they were tested.
Sydney blazed away in the final quarter and eliminated any hope of an improbable Tigers comeback. A ruthless final 30 minutes from the Premiership hopefuls.
What they need to tweak for next week: Don't let history repeat itself
Next week is a massive test for the Sydney Swans as they travel down to Geelong to take on the Premiers in the Grand Final rematch.
The Swans essentially lost the Grand Final in the first quarter in 2022 and there were periods in the third term against Richmond where they allowed the opposition to dictate terms. The Swans are set to face Geelong off the back of two strong wins. A four-quarter performance is needed from Sydney to claim their fourth win of the season.
Charles Goodsir
The Positive: The comeback
Down 89 to 25 at half-time to the reigning premiers, Eagles fans were bracing for an absolute disaster on Sunday.
Yet it didn’t eventuate. The rabble that turned up in the second term righted itself to kick 10 goals in the second half and show more than a bit of fight.
West Coast couldn’t win the game, but it could certainly have let all dignity go from its season with a repeat of the second term in the second half. But a 47-point loss looks far better than a 150-point defeat.
What no one is talking about: TK’s back in vogue
Tim Kelly is quietly putting together his best season at West Coast.
It’s only five weeks into season 2023, but Kelly’s last month has been sensational. His influence was limited by Mark Blicavs on Sunday, so Kelly picked up the slack at the coalface and went and recorded 11 tackles, an equal career-high.
He’s one of the only Eagles who can say they tried all day and Kelly will hold his head high after getting back into the form he once displayed at Geelong.
The Negative: Another run of injuries
This week it was prized draftees Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett, with the latter especially under a cloud after an ankle injury in the WAFL.
Ginbey was subbed off after numerous knocks, but Adam Simpson admitted post-game he “might not have a choice” on playing Ginbey given the ridiculous injury list of his club.
Elliot Yeo also couldn’t run out the clash.
The club’s injury list now exceeds a dozen, with just five AFL Eagles – a number of which haven’t played senior footy yet – featuring in the WAFL.
It’s got wafts of 2022, unfortunately.
Seb Mottram
The Key Takeaway: Dogs have to play more than half a game
Aside from their stellar victory over the Lions in Round 3, the Bulldogs haven’t controlled a game for all four quarters this season.
This was on clear display in the clash against the Power, with the Dogs looking the better side through the middle two quarters, yet failed to make an impact in the opening and closing terms.
As a result, Luke Beveridge’s men fall to 2-3, completely halting the momentum they had been building over the last two weeks.
It was the Dogs’ backline that seemed like the weakness this week, struggling at times in the wet with their matchups and ball use.
When the backline was rolling in the middle portion of the game, the Bulldogs looked every part of the juggernaut many tipped them to be in pre-season.
However, with teams as capable as ever in this competition, playing half a game is simply not going to get the job done.
The Positive: Cody Weightman
Welcome back Cody Weightman!
The small forward had missed every game this season with an adductor issue, yet showed no signs of rust in his return.
Weightman booted four goals for the match, thriving in the wet conditions and supplying the Bulldogs half of their majors for the entire contest.
With the Dogs having been left wanting for small forward depth early in the season, the return of Weightman is certainly a welcome sight.
The Negative: What’s going on with Jack Macrae?
Jack Macrae hasn’t looked quite right this year.
Averaging a tasty 26.6 touches a game, his stats have certainly been there, but Macrae’s impact on a game hasn’t been what we’ve come to expect from the midfielder.
Against the Power he was lacking some of his usual penetration and burst, looking as though his 213 career games may be starting to catch up to him.
Whether he’s carrying an injury or just a bit out of form, the Bulldogs will be desperate for Macrae to get back to his best in a hurry.
What the need to tweak for next week: Time to ring the Buku bell
Buku Khamis could be exactly what the Dogs need down back.
While he has been playing up forward in the VFL, he has shown plenty in his previous appearances in the Bulldogs’ backline.
With the Dogs sorely lacking some penetration from their defenders, the burst and tidy skills Khamis provides could give them a different look.
Jack Makeham