What are the key takeaways and observations relating to your club in Round 23?
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: The very definition of being robbed in a fooball game
Saturday night’s dramatic finish needs no recap, such has been the saturation of the coverage.
But the analysis of it does. Matthew Nicks was the first to say his side didn’t lose because of the controversial point and others have peddled the same narrative since.
It’s not the only reason they lost. But undoubtedly, it is one reason that they did.
Had that correctly been called a goal, Adelaide would have been holding all the momentum and Sydney would have been 100-1 to turn it around. It would have ended in a Crows' victory, one that likely booked them a finals spot.
To say they didn’t lose because of it is either naïve, offensive or simply incorrect.
It is the very definition of being robbed in football terms. Cue reruns of the famous ‘right in front of me’ video clip.
The Overreaction: Was Silvers too easy on the AFL?
The strongly worded statement from Crows CEO Tim Silvers ultimately said very little, as Kane Cornes pointed out on Monday morning.
Should Silvers have gone harder? Ultimately, he’s right in saying there’s nothing more that he and the club can do about the result.
But he could have caused enough of a storm to find some way to benefit his side next year, or at the very least make the AFL think twice about treating the Crows with any contempt any time soon.
Seb Mottram
The Key Takeaway: They passed the test and destiny is in their hands
The assignment was pretty simple for Brisbane on Friday.
Up against an under-strength Collingwood side with not much to play for, the Lions HAD to win if they were genuine premiership contenders. And that, they did.
The win now means they should finish top two and with that comes two home finals.
Given how strong their record is at home, the argument can be made that they should be there on Grand Final day.
If top two does eventuate, it’d be pretty disappointing if they weren’t there on the last Saturday in September.
The Positive: Neale and Dunkley return to form
While Brisbane have been playing decently across the last month, the form of star midfield duo Lachie Neale and Josh Dunkley was starting to wane.
Neale was struggling to break the tag while Dunkley didn’t look as dynamic as he did earlier in the season.
While Neale got some attention from Tom Mitchell, he was allowed to operate with more freedom than recent weeks and helped himself to 31 disposals and 10 clearances. As for Dunkley, he returned to form with 25 touches and eight tackles.
With Will Ashcroft out for the season, the Lions will need more performances like this from their star duo if they’re to go all the way in September.
It’s promising signs.
What they need to tweak for next week: Tighten up defensively
While Brisbane won, they wouldn’t have been pleased to give up 100 points.
Looking even closer at the game, the Lions actually only led expected score 92.6 to 90.3, proving that the result could have been far more in question if they didn’t kick so straight (19.10).
Their attack is the best in the league, and we know that. But to win it all, they won’t want to be allowing teams to score easily against them the other way.
Lachlan Geleit
The Overreaction: Charlie Curnow won that game for Carlton off his own boot
Results like the one on Saturday really make you wonder what would have been for Carlton had Charlie Curnow not missed 2.5 years with a knee injury.
Carlton was 40 points down early in the second quarter when Charlie Curnow entered the fray, kicking four goals and setting up another.
He brought energy back into the team and the travelling fans and almost singlehandedly turned the game on its head.
Curnow is set to win a second consecutive Coleman Medal and will be the favourite to win this year’s John Nicholls Medal.
What they need to tweak for next week: Give Patrick Cripps the week off and maybe a few others
The Blues have qualified for finals (happy for their fans), and now it’s time to position the team in a way that allows them to go as deep as possible in September.
That starts with giving Patrick Cripps a fortnight off. The captain has fought hard to get his side into finals, playing through significant soreness, including what looked like a mattress taped to his ribs on Saturday.
Getting him cherry ripe for an Elimination Final is the number one priority, particularly with Sam Walsh and Adam Cerra likely to return this weekend – getting some match fitness back in their legs will be important.
The likes of Sam Docherty, Adam Saad, David Cuningham and Blake Acres could also be in the mix for a rest.
Nic Negrepontis
The Key Takeaway: Played like it was a dead rubber
Friday night was always going to be a bit of dead rubber for Collingwood after they locked up a top-two spot in Round 22.
That showed at selection with several stars rested and showed on-field with a lack of defensive pressure and attack on the footy.
While the loss doesn’t hurt Collingwood from a ladder point of view, the defeats are beginning to stack up as they now have three losses from four games.
This Friday looks like another dead rubber against an Essendon side that’s on its last legs. They can’t afford to lose another one heading into September even though they’ll definitely play two MCG finals.
It’s time to recapture their best before making a genuine premiership push.
The Negative: They’re becoming too easy to score against
Collingwood were the league’s top rated defence for most of the season but they’ve become leaky in recent weeks.
The Magpies didn’t give up more than 85 points from Round 5 all of the way to Round 20 but since then have given up scores of 93, 105, 101 and now 124.
While Collingwood’s attack has still been solid throughout that period, it’s almost impossible to win more than you lose giving up those kind of numbers.
Personnel has clearly played a part with Darcy Moore and Nick Daicos out of the side, but the Magpies would know they’re far better defensively than what they’ve produced.
In fairness, the Lions have one of the league’s most potent offences. But in September, they’ll be facing quality sides week on week.
Tightening up down back will be the first area to rectify for coach Craig McRae.
The Positive: Pendlebury winds back the clock
Scott Pendlebury needed to perform on Friday night with Jordan De Goey and Nick Daicos out of the side, and that he did.
The 35-year-old attended 76 per cent of centre bounces and helped himself to 31 disposals, 10 score involvements, one goal, nine inside 50s and 12 clearances.
In an area of the field where the Magpies have struggled in recent weeks, they’ll be thrilled that Pendlebury is finding top form ahead of September.
If he can continue that when the cavalry return the Magpies will be dangerous at the coal face.
Lachlan Geleit
The Key Takeaway: The drop-off has simply not been good enough
It’s been no secret that the Bombers have recently looked a shadow of the team that started the season so brightly, but their staggering 26-goal loss to GWS on Saturday is nothing short of unacceptable and undoes some of the progress under Brad Scott this year.
The game was over within minutes, as the Giants took control and booted seven goals to one in the first quarter.
The postmortem after Essendon’s worst loss in years and Brad Scott’s worst-ever defeat as a senior coach or player would’ve been extensive on Monday.
Bombers’ fans will be awaiting a response in their final game of the season on Friday night against Collingwood.
Laurence Rosen
The Key Takeaway: The off-season couldn’t come sooner
The Dockers were defeated in their final home game of the season, going down by 16 points against Port Adelaide.
It was a similar story once again for Justin Longmuir’s side, the lack of scoring threat ultimately was the downfall only scoring 58.
A key difference between the two sides was efficiency going forward with Freo only having five marks inside 50 to Port’s 12.
Midfield superstar Caleb Serong continued his fantastic season finishing the game with 27 disposals, 11 clearances and 5 tackles. Brayshaw also stood out with 32 disposals, five clearances and five tackles.
Sam Switkowski, Michael Frederick and Tom Emmett all combined for six of the Dockers eight goals.
A season to forget for the Dockers, as they finish the season next week against the Hawks at the MCG.
The Positive: Debutant Emmett
It was a lacklustre match for the Dockers, but one thing that Freo fans can take away from the game is the debut from 21-year-old forward Tom Emmett.
The young forward has averaged 15 disposals, four marks and a goal in his thirteen games at WAFL level for Peel Thunder this season.
Emmett had a great debut and didn’t look out of place at AFL level. He kicked 2 majors and had 13 disposals, providing a lot of pressure up forward also.
It’s been a long road to his AFL debut for Emmett, beating a rare form of cancer, undergoing extensive treatment and overcoming a serious achilles injury at 18-years old where a doctor told him he may never run again.
It looks like a promising future in the AFL for the young forward, persevering through a number of setbacks to live out his dream of playing footy at the highest level.
Ethan Daffey
The Key Takeaway: Not a finals side
The Cats entered Saturday night as favourites to keep their season alive and likely advance to finals this weekend, but it wasn’t to be.
At the very least, Geelong fans can sleep with the comfort that they just weren’t good enough.
Chris Scott’s side never looked deserving of a win in Round 23 and were exposed on so many fronts against St Kilda.
Speed. Transition. Midfield. Effort. All were nowhere near what the Saints were offering and after teasing us all year, the Cats aren’t the team we thought in 2023.
Smacking the Western Bulldogs this week wouldn’t change the fact that there’s plenty of soul-searching to do in the coming weeks at the Cattery.
What they need to tweak for next week: The futures of several
This is not only for next week, although there could be some announcements.
But a number of Geelong veterans will be under the microscope in the coming weeks on if they’ve played their final games.
Zach Tuohy hasn’t been at his best this year and is 33. Tom Hawkins is 35. Rhys Stanley is 32 but has missed much of the year. Patrick Dangerfield is 33 and given he played a full game, probably hasn’t had a worse performance in years than what he put forward on Saturday.
Mitch Duncan is 32 and despite appearing slow at times, was amongst Geelong’s best at Marvel Stadium, albeit not a hard task given some of his teammates’ effort.
That’s not to say any of those players should retire. But the conversation should be there, especially if Geelong is going to look to the kids in 2024.
Seb Mottram
The Key Takeaway: What a disappointing season
Kane Cornes said it best on SEN Breakfast.
“I’m looking at them, they’re in 15th, they kick the first five goals of the game at home, they are flying, their midfield is on top, their forwards are threatening to rip the game apart,” Cornes said.
“Then they lose and we just accept it. I know we’re talking about Hardwick and the difference he's going to make, but what another wasted season for Gold Coast.”
Carlton deserves plenty of headlines for being able to claw themselves back from seven goals down at one stage, but the fact the Suns are overlooked so quickly is a dire reflection on the expansion club.
If it was the other way round, Michael Voss and Carlton figures were ducking for cover.
The Positive: Damien Hardwick announcement
This might be the biggest day in Gold Coast’s short history.
Talent has never been the issue for the Suns, but a lack of consistency and a successful mindset has plagued the expansion club since joining the league.
Hardwick may well be the best coach in the league and for him to be the Suns’ man is a big deal across the AFL landscape.
He’ll take over a list that features several of the league’s best midfields, two of the most promising forwards, a top-shelf ruckman and three likely top 15 picks on top of the swathe of developing young talent.
No wonder the Suns expect to play finals next year.
The only concern however, is that if it doesn’t work out under Hardwick, it likely never will.
Seb Mottram
The Key Takeaway: The Giants are rampaging into finals
Adam Kingsley’s Giants are coming.
After two straight defeats, they absolutely spanked Essendon to the tune of 126 points on the back of a club record score of 162.
They landed a percentage boost of seven per cent which places them in a strong position for a potential finals berth.
Some things still need to go their way to make the eight - namely beating Carlton or hoping Geelong beats the Bulldogs - but if the Giants get in they could make sides in the bottom half of the eight a bit nervous.
The Positive: Hogan the hero
Jesse Hogan was outrageous against the Bombers.
He returned a career-high nine goals, took a career-high 17 marks (six of which were contested), had 24 touches and a massive 16 score involvements.
The former no.2 daft pick has shown glimpses of this over the course of his career and it was nice to see him enjoy a day out.
It was a remarkable performance and one that simply must be acknowledged.
What they need to tweak for next week: Take another step up
The Giants have a major test in the form of the Blues who have won nine in a row.
This will be a vastly different match to the one they experienced on the weekend.
Kingsley has his side playing a finals style in that they are sturdy around the contest, can reel off high scores and are also rigid enough in defence.
But the way Carlton is playing is yet another test so they have to lift their game again in the form of a full finals dress rehearsal ahead of September.
Andrew Slevison
The Key Takeaway: Hawthorn will have a top 4 midfield in the competition by 2025
Without their best midfielder in Jai Newcombe, the young Hawks midfield held their own against the much fancied Demons on-ball brigade of Clayton Oliver, Christian Petrecca, Jack Viney and Angus Brayshaw.
The Hawks finished the game +9 in clearances (35-26), +2 in centre clearances (13-11) and +7 in stoppage clearance (22-15).
Watch for the likes of Will Day, Newcombe, Josh Ward, James Worpel, Connor Nash, Cam Mackenzie, Henry Hustwaite and Connor Macdonald to build an elite midfield mix over the coming years.
Hawthorn is in great shape in that part of the ground for the foreseeable future.
The Undroppables: Henry Hustwaite
Taken with pick 37 in the 2023 National Draft, Hustwaite will end up being one of the steals of the draft.
The 195cm midfielder had a great debut collecting 15 touches (at 80 per cent efficiency), five marks, five score involvements and kicked two goals.
He looks another great addition to a side already brimming with young talent.
The Overreaction: Goodwin’s comments on Maginness
The game’s best tagger Finn Maginness held Clayton Oliver to just the nine disposals in the first three quarters before being moved off him in the last quarter.
Oliver finished the game with just 14 touches, his lowest tally in the last seven years.
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin didn’t seem too pleased and it showed with his post-game comments relating to Maginness.
C’mon Goody!! Just admit your best player got comprehensively beaten by the best tagger in the competition and move on. @HawksInsiders https://t.co/5EgWtQ8CZ1
— Brad Klibansky (@BradKlibansky) August 20, 2023
It’s a massive overreaction to suggest Maginness doesn’t want the ball when he ended up just one touch shy of Oliver’s tally.
The Positive: The Hawks have depth
Despite being without three of their busier players over the last few months in Newcombe, Mitch Lewis and Chad Wingard, the Hawks were able to stick with the much stronger Demons side for the majority of the game.
The likes of Macdonald, Harry Morrison, Weddle and Hustwaite were among those that had a positive impact, indicating that there is a decent amount of depth on Sam Mitchell’s playing list.
The Negative: Lack of a second key forward
Demons defenders Jake Lever and Steven May both dominated all game.
Denver Grainger-Barras, who was drafted as a key defender, has spent time forward in recent weeks and played a decent first half, but has a long way to go to becoming a quality AFL player.
Jacob Koschitzke, who last week against the Bulldogs played one of his best games, struggled as the number one key forward and does not look to be the answer.
The Hawks must do all they can to attract a big name key forward free agent in the next two years.
What no one is talking about: Blake Hardwick
In the last two week’s, Hardwick has held his two opponents in Cody Weightman and Kozzie Pickett goalless.
The hard nut is arguably the best small defender in the AFL and doesn’t receive nearly as much love as he deserves.
Hardwick should be in the All-Australian side this year but will be lucky to make the wider squad.
Blake Hardwick’s last two weeks:
— Brad Klibansky (@BradKlibansky) August 20, 2023
Kozzie Pickett- 5 disposals. 0 goals
Cody Weightman- 5 disposals- 0 goals
Has been doing it for years. One of the best small defenders in the AFL & won’t get mentioned for All-Australian selection. Criminally underrated. @HawksInsiders
Brad Klibansky
The Key Takeaway: Locked away the double chance
Melbourne’s win against Hawthorn was business like.
In an arm wrestle of a contest, the Demons eventually began to roll over their opponents late and banked a solid 27-point win.
As all that was needed to secure top four was a win pre-match, the Demons wouldn’t of cared how they did it, as long as they got the four points.
They’ll now finish in the top four for the third-straight season and they’ve given themselves a golden opportunity to win their second flag in three years.
The home and away season is all about qualifying, and despite their struggles at times this season the Demons have ticked this box off again.
The Positive: Got it done without huge contributions from stars
When Melbourne usually win, they do it on the back of their superstars.
On Sunday against Hawthorn though, it came about thanks to an even spread of contributors.
There were standouts in Jake Lever, Jake Melksham and Trent Rivers, but they aren’t the names you usually see dominating for Melbourne.
Clayton Oliver (14 disposals) was well held by Finn Maginness, while Christian Petracca (22 disposals) was quiet until the fourth quarter.
Even Max Gawn wasn’t as dominant as he has been at times this season, but the Dees still got the job done.
While they’d like their stars playing well, it’s a good sign that this side is still good enough when they aren’t at their best.
What no one is talking about: Everything is beginning to line up for them
While it’s been more of a battle for the Dees than the other top four sides this season, things are starting to line up nicely for them.
If Collingwood, Brisbane and Port Adelaide all win at home, that means the Demons will face the Magpies in a Qualifying Final.
While you’d rather be heading in as the top seed, it appears likely that the Demons won’t have to travel in week one and if they win that hypothetical game, they won’t need to leave the MCG for the rest of the year.
You don’t always get that good of a draw when you’re a lower seed in the top four.
There’s no doubt the Demons would be quietly happy with how things sit at the moment.
Lachlan Geleit
The Negative: Losing 20 games in a row
North Melbourne hasn’t won a game since Round 2.
Yes, they have been mostly competitive. They haven’t had a bad loss since Round 18 against Hawthorn.
Unfortunately, the reality is the losing streak, which will continue into 2024 unless they can upset Gold Coast down in Tasmania.
Will it hang over the group over summer? It should be something that motivates Alastair Clarkson’s men.
The Positive: Hello there, Harley
On the flip side… losing 21 games in a row would grant North Melbourne the number one pick and Harley Reid.
Or: an enormous trade package that comes from a team that really wants Reid.
West Coast’s shock win over the Bulldogs has blown up their trade hand, with the Roos now slotting into the top spot and able to add Reid to Harry Sheezel, George Wardlaw, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Jy Simpkin, etc
Given how diabolical this season has been – thinking long-term – it could be the factor that lifts the Kangaroos off the canvas.
Nic Negrepontis
The Key Takeaway: Momentum is BUILDING
The Power are back on the rise at just the right time.
After dropping four straight games from Round 18 through to Round 21, Port Adelaide has secured back-to-back wins, looking much more like the side that didn’t lose for over three months.
While Fremantle hasn’t been overly successful this season, they’re still certainly no easy beat on their home turf.
Yet the Power did exactly what they had to do, riding their defence to victory as they held the Dockers to just 58 points.
With top four now secured, Port’s final game of the home and away season against Richmond sits solely to determine their matchup in the first week of finals.
If the season ended this week, the Power would finish third on the ladder and travel to Brisbane to open their finals journey.
However, there is still plenty to play out, with Port able to climb up to second place if all goes their way, as well as fall to fourth if the results go against them.
What no one is talking about: The absence of Charlie Dixon
All eyes are on Port’s medical staff to make sure Dixon makes it back according to his timeline.
Out with a small fracture in his foot, the forward is expected to return for the first week of finals.
Yet with how much the Power has missed him as of late, it would be massive if Dixon’s timeline is changed.
A big one to watch going forward.
What they need to tweak for next week: Get their attack on track.
Through their four-game slide, the Power’s offence was a shell of how it looked earlier in the season.
This was snapped when the Port piled 136 points on GWS, but they didn’t look fully in step against Fremantle.
On their home turf against a Richmond outfit that isn’t particularly in sync, the Power should use this final game as an opportunity to get their attack firing.
Jack Makeham
The Positive: Superb send off for premiership stars
It was a great day at the MCG on Saturday.
The way that Richmond sent off premiership heroes Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt was superb.
The era may now be over, but that was a great way to remember what they achieved in the yellow and black.
The Tigers also honoured retiring North Melbourne veteran Jack Ziebell in a respectful manner on what was a memorable day of celebration.
The Negative: Another key forward kicks a bag
Richmond’s defence has been an integral part of the way the team played throughout its successful era.
But in recent weeks, they’ve been towelled up as a collective by an opposition key forwards.
Nick Larkey kicked six goals at the MCG on Saturday, Max King did the same at Marvel Stadium a week earlier, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan returned five in Round 21, Harrison Petty bagged half a dozen in Round 20 and Mitch Lewis four before that.
The defence has now become an issue for the Tigers.
Noah Balta has had a decent season but appears to be worrying too much about attacking, Dylan Grimes is slowing down fast, Tylar Young is still very inexperienced and Nathan Broad has been down in recent weeks, while Nick Vlastuin is the exception having played fairly well.
The Tigers will get youngster Josh Gibcus back next year but how do they go about tightening up in defence?
A lot may rest on whoever their new coach is and how he decides to play given Andrew McQualter has looked to regularly be on the attack.
What they need to tweak for next week: Play some kids
The Tigers will lose both Cotchin and Riewoldt for this weekend’s clash with Port Adelaide.
That’s a lot of experience dropping out of a side that has already lost a chunk of senior players over the last few years.
It’s time to look to a new era, so McQualter must give some youngsters another taste.
Jacob Bauer kicked four in the VFL and must return to the senior side, Sam Banks could also be back while Tom Brown should be considered for his debut.
It would be nice to take Matt Coulthard back to Adelaide as well.
Richmond must look to the future so might as well get some experience into the kids for the final fixture of the season.
Andrew Slevison
The Key Takeaway: The Saints are one of in-form teams of the competition and are a legitimate September threat
Despite sitting in the top eight for the entirety of the year, the Saints have been written off all year.
Whether it be their lack of elite players, inability to score or their absence of midfield talent, the experts found a way to create a negative narrative around Ross Lyon and his side.
But heading into the final round of the home and away season, the Saints are a lock to play finals footy.
That’s a massive achievement and it’s one they deserve.
They made a mess of the Cats on Saturday night and if it weren’t for bad kicking, the margin would’ve been a lot bigger.
That win is their fourth in five weeks and it has them poised to make an impact in September as this is the time of the year you want to be playing your best football.
What they need to tweak for next week: They must rest some of their tired stars
With their finals spot locked in, the Saints should use this trip to Brisbane as an opportunity to rest some of their star players.
Players that come to mind are Max King, Callum Wilkie, Jack Sinclair, Jack Steele, Rowan Marshall and maybe Brad Crouch.
Those six players are arguably St Kilda’s most important players and would relish a fortnight off leading into the first final against Sydney (you’d think).
Lyon has rested his players on the eve of the finals in the past and you get the feeling he’ll do that again with this list.
The Positive: Jack Sinclair is a total star of the competition
The Cats showed Sinclair absolutely no respect on Saturday night and he made Chris Scott’s side pay.
Sinclair finished with a career-high 38 disposals, 547 metres gained, 11 score involvements and ten marks.
That’s the definition of stuffing the stats sheet.
He’s a moral to claim back-to-back All-Australians and his year has him sitting amongst the games best players.
Full credit to the Saints for remaining patient with Sinclair in his early days at the club.
The undroppables: Zaine Cordy
Zaine Cordy has to play in the first final. Period.
Since forcing his way into the side after Dougal Howard injured his wrist, Cordy has done a terrific job alongside Callum Wilkie and Josh Battle.
Even if Howard is fit for the first final, he shouldn’t be picked as the Saints are looking so much more controlled down back with Cordy in the side and Howard out of it.
That might sound harsh to Howard, but tell me I’m wrong?
Cordy has taken 13 marks in two weeks and his job on Tom Hawkins on the weekend was elite, Hawkins finished with a brace of goals but one of them was kicked on young Mitch Owens.
He’s a premiership player for the Western Bulldogs and that experience will go a long way for this young St Kilda side.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
The Key Takeaway: Finals clinched in a nail-biter
The Swans headed to Adelaide Oval in need of a win to lock in finals against a quality Crows outfit. John Longmire’s side got the job done in crazy fashion, winning by a point after a controversial goal umpiring decision that denied the Crows from hitting the front with a minute to go.
The Swans were superb in the first half which was crucial, leading by 32 points at the main break.
A player that is in fantastic form is Isaac Heeney, who was the most influential player on Saturday night. He kicked three majors and also had 18 disposals and five tackles.
Errol Gulden was once again superb in a fantastic season from him, finishing with 30 disposals, five tackles and four clearances.
Sydney made it six in a row, with an Elimination Final coming up in a few weeks, they will be a team you wouldn't want to face in September.
The Negative: Tom McCartin suspension
Key defender Tom McCartin was given a two-week ban for his bump on Adelaide’s Shane McAdam with the MRO grading it careless, high impact and high contact.
The Swans have challenged the decision and are hopeful they can have their key back in the side for their elimination final in a few weeks.
Sydney has the Demons in their final home and away game next weekend at the SCG and then an Elimination Final which is still yet to be determined if they will be playing at home or away.
If the ban were to be upheld, it will test their key defender depth which could be an issue in the upcoming finals series.
Ethan Daffey
The Key Takeaway: A stellar showing
That performance alone is a response to several aspects of the criticism levelled at West Coast all season, proving that this list does have talent worth keeping around for the future.
The Eagles were electric against the Bulldogs, kicking five of the first six goals to jump out to an immediate lead.
Even more impressive was their ability to regain the lead once the Dogs had the momentum in the final term.
It was exactly what the West Coast faithful had been wanting to see from their beloved club all season long.
The win has probably cost the Eagles the top draft pick, and it likely won’t be enough to keep Adam Simpson at the helm.
But this side managed to take down a legitimate finals contender, and that’s something the Eagles should take pride in.
The Positive: Jamie Cripps boots five
There were plenty of strong showings for West Coast on Sunday afternoon, however Cripps’ equal career-high five-goal performance caps off the lot.
He almost singlehandedly secured the Eagles’ victory, with three of his majors coming in the final term with the game on the line.
It was a stellar, stellar showing and the best of Cripps’ season.
The Negative: Top draft pick is (probably) gone
It was a tremendous win, but it was also a costly one.
The Eagles are no longer in prime draft position, having moved up to 17th with this result.
North Melbourne theoretically has a chance to defeat the Suns down in Tasmania and take back 17th, but it isn’t likely they’d want to give back the first overall pick after it just fell into their lap.
That leaves West Coast missing out on their best opportunity to acquire talent, and potentially a generational player in Harley Reid.
Even if the Eagles decided not to draft Reid (given the rumours that he doesn’t want to head to West Coast), they would have had the ability to trade the top pick for a haul.
With those opportunities seemingly gone, the light at the end of the tunnel after a rough season has become a whole lot dimmer.
Jack Makeham
The Key Takeaway: What do you even say?
This match was almost universally written off as an automatic win for the Bulldogs.
A club pushing desperately to finals was poised to face off against a club with their eyes firmly on the top draft pick.
And yet the Dogs lost, and their top 8 hopes are now in even more jeopardy.
It was an almost unfathomable loss for Luke Beveridge’s men, with their defence being taken to task by the least-effective attack in the entire competition.
They’ve still got a chance to make finals, but after this loss it’s hard to see why anybody would take the Bulldogs seriously.
For teams that see themselves as legitimate finals contenders, these kinds of performances are simply inexcusable.
The Positive: James O’Donnell
Putting the negativity to the side for one moment, James O’Donnell has quietly been solid for the Dogs as of late.
He didn’t exactly start his young career on the right foot, looking completely outmatched through his first few games.
However, he has quietly been building into solid form, putting together back-to-back showings with 14+ disposals.
At just 20 years old and incredibly raw, expectations are low for the youngster right now, yet he is certainly showing some positive signs for the future.
What they need to tweak for next week: Everything.
Enough positive, it’s back to the negative.
Saturday’s clash against Geelong is a must-win, and plenty has to change if they’re to take a crucial four points down at the Cattery.
The Dogs had issues in all areas of the field, struggling defensively and offensively, as well as lacking their usual punch through the midfield.
The Cats’ season is over, however that doesn’t mean they’re an easy beat.
Luke Beveridge’s men HAVE to bring their best, otherwise it will be the final game of their season.
Jack Makeham