What they got right & wrong: The wins & woes from Round 21

What a season this is turning out to be!

Who were the big winners out of Round 21? And which teams had the biggest woes?

See our assessments of each game below:

Footscray v Melbourne

Bulldogs are now a defensive juggernaut

Luke Beveridge deserves all the credit in the world for taking the risk on and throwing Rory Lobb into defence.

Melbourne tried to curtail his intercept marking influence by putting Jake Melksham on him, but this three-pronged defensive group of Lobb, Buku Khamis and Liam Jones is incredibly difficult to deal with, given all three are elite in the air.

They held the Dees to 14 scoring shots, while piling on 35 themselves. Their backline felt like the final piece of the puzzle, given the firepower they have through the midfield and forward line.

They look like the team to beat right now, alongside the Lions.

Dees midfield is out of gas

I think this one speaks for itself. Max Gawn is battling manfully through multiple injuries.

Jack Viney and Clayton Oliver look like they’re exhausted and carrying too heavy of a load. Trent Rivers has looked like a future midfield star, but can’t be expected to be the main guy at this stage.

Even if the clearance numbers were similar, Melbourne simply didn’t have the ability to go with the Dogs around the ground.

This feels like a lost season for the Demons, particularly now with Steven May injured.

Nic Negrepontis

West Coast v Gold Coast

Eagles youth is starting to shine

Although West Coast’s senior players were monumental, the younger Eagles were crucial in keeping the home side in the contest.

Caretaker coach Jarrad Schofield selected seven players aged 20 or under, all of whom played a major role.

Jack Williams was brilliant with one goal, 17 disposals and 10 hit-outs playing as a forward and ruck hybrid.

Tyrell Dewar was also impressive up forward kicking two majors, accompanied by Zane Drew who found the scoreboard also.

Reuben Ginbey (22 disposals) and Harley Reid (17 disposals and six tackles) were again impressive through the midfield.

Harvey Johnston, Clay Hall and Brady Hough also deserve accolades for their performance as some of the emerging Eagles had a night to remember.

Gold Coast’s travelling woes continue

Friday night’s loss was Gold Coast's 10th defeat away from home this season as they are still yet to claim a win on the road.

The Suns had a chance to collect their 10th win of the season on Friday which would have not only kept their season alive but marked their equal most wins in a season ever.

However, Damien Hardwick's men were yet again disappointing while travelling. After leading for majority of the match, the Suns were unable to hold on and conceded two late goals in the final minutes.

Gold Coast's record this season now stands at nine wins and one loss at home and zero wins and 10 losses away, leaving question marks over the maturity of the playing group.

The Suns have two more opportunities to claim an away win against Essendon and Richmond in Rounds 22 and 24.

Tom Williams

North Melbourne v Richmond

North’s midfield runs riot, defence stands up

North Melbourne’s midfield unit had a massive say in the winning result.

Luke Davies-Uniacke had 33 disposals, eight clearances and kicked three goals, Harry Sheezel had 29 touches and six clearances, while Bailey Scott on the wing had the ball 28 times along with four clearances and the sealing goal.

They were ably supported by co-captain Jy Simpkin and youngsters Will Phillips and Tom Powell as Tristan Xerri edged Richmond captain Toby Nankervis in the ruck battle.

The Roos might have lost the clearance battle but they were dominant on the outside as evidenced by the 277-234 uncontested possession count and the fact they controlled the ball with 128-67 marks.

They held up well in defence, keeping the Tigers to just 10 goals despite conceding 60 inside 50s. Aidan Corr, milestone man and joint skipper Luke McDonald, Colby McKercher, Charlie Comben and father-son Jackson Archer were all excellent.

Shoutouts must be given to Nick Larkey for his bag of five goals and Zane Duurmsa for his Mark of the Year contender. It was an absolute beauty.

Rock-bottom Tigers unable to capitalise

The Richmond players only have themselves to blame for the 13-point defeat.

The Tigers finished the game with seven more scoring shots (27-20) and 16 more inside 50s (60-44) but couldn’t quite put the score on the board.

Adem Yze’s side, which has scored the fewest points in the league in 2024, was inefficient in attack. They won the clearance battle (39-33) but were unable to capitalise largely due to subpar ball movement.

The Tigers produced enough ball inside 50 and created enough scoring chances to win the game but they simply couldn’t finish the job. They kicked 2.5 in the final term.

It was yet another defeat at Marvel Stadium which has them staring at their first wooden spoon since 2007.

Andrew Slevison

Geelong v Adelaide

Geelong’s young core continues to impress

Credit to Geelong for how quickly they have been able to inject a new generation of talent through this side.

Lawson Humphries, Shaun Mannagh (albeit a mature-ager), Shannon Neale and Ollie Dempsey, to go with Sam De Koning and Ollie Henry gives the Cats a group to build around long term. Throw in future ruckman Toby Conway as well.

You have to shake your head at Geelong being able to find the likely Rising Star winner outside of the draft and then potentially able to lure a premium young star in Bailey Smith to their club.

It’s more of a long-term success, but they all were factors in the win over Adelaide.

Riley Thilthorpe is going to be a star

Adelaide deserves some kudos for taking what was a lengthy injury setback for Riley Thilthorpe and using it to build his size and strength.

He looked like a different person upon his return (a beard will do that), but he is getting the results on the field.

Thilthorpe booted three goals and took seven marks in the loss to Geelong and now certainly looks like a key forward who can carry this team for a decade.

Couple him with Darcy Fogarty and the Crows have a spine to build around.

Nic Negrepontis

Collingwood v Carlton

Darcy Cameron’s form

Darcy Cameron is in the form of his life, and he put Marc Pittonet to the sword on Saturday night.

Cameron may have been Collingwood’s best player in the three-point win, helping himself to 15 disposals, six marks, 40 hitouts and three contested grabs.

While Nick Daicos will surely win it, the ruckman may have genuinely sewn up second place in the Copeland Trophy with his outing, that’s how good he has been in 2024.

Cameron may be the number one marking ruckman in the competition and he ranks fifth in total contested marks this season. The only other ruckman inside the top 20 is Max Gawn.

The 29-year-old has seen big improvements in his per-game averages for disposals, marks, hitouts, clearances and inside 50s this year – he might be the only senior Collingwood player who’s improved after the premiership win.

Another cruel injury blow for the Pies

Collingwood kept their season alive with Saturday night’s win, but the flag defence is surely over after Jordan De Goey’s injury.

The star midfielder pushed to play in Scott Pendlebury’s 400th and while he was crucial in the win with a pair of big goals, his lack of training and fitness came back to haunt him when he suffered a significant hamstring injury that has ruled him out of the rest of his campaign.

After putting the side on his back in last year’s finals series, De Goey’s body has let him down in 2024 and perhaps it’s for the best that he’s put on ice in 2025.

But if the Pies couldn’t already go back-to-back, there’s no way they can do it without De Goey in the middle.

Wasteful Blues continue to be their own worst enemy

The Blues can smell something alright, but it’s not finals – it’s the 2022 capitulation all over again.

Since successive 60-point wins over Geelong and Richmond respectively, they’ve blown a 39-point lead to GWS, a 31-point lead over Port Adelaide in a low scoring game, lost to a Bulldogs team missing Treloar, Naughton and Jones and now lost in even more frustrating fashion on the weekend.

People will point to Mitch McGovern shanking the shot to win the game, and sure, but Carlton kicked eight straight behinds in a first quarter where they had full control and gave up three horrendous goals from kick outs that turned the momentum of proceedings.

From six points clear in second to barely clinging to a top eight spot. Carlton has once again turned into their own worst enemy and for the third straight season their form has yo-yoed violently pre and post bye.

A loss to the Hawks would have everyone at IKON Park at DEFCON 1.

Lachlan Geleit & Nic Negrepontis

Port Adelaide v Sydney

Are the Swans lacking depth?

Take yourself back to the end of Round 15 and the Swans were first on the ladder with three matches in hand after a 27-point win over cross-town rivals GWS. Six weeks later and the Swans are still on top of the ladder but are no longer the clear favourites for the 2024 Premiership on the back of 112-point drubbing against Port Adelaide.

So what’s changed? The obvious answer is personnel and the Swans have been hit by an unfortunate run of injuries to key players. Since the loss to Fremantle, injuries have struck Tom Papley, Justin McInerney, Dane Rampe and Lewis Melican. Veteran leader Luke Parker was bizarrely named the sub and young star Braeden Campbell was omitted from the starting lineup.

In their absence, the Swans have called upon Corey Warner, Peter Ladhams, Sam Wicks and Aaron Francis and all four players were exposed during Saturday night’s bloodbath. Warner was subbed out of the game during the second quarter after acquiring three disposals without any tackles or score involvements. In his first game of the season, Ladhams was taken to the cleaners by Jordon Sweet and also Charlie Dixon. Francis was monstered by Port’s key forwards, including Mitch Georgiades who kicked four, and it could’ve been more if Esava Ratugolea (1.4) was more accurate in front of goal. Wicks spent 86 per cent time on ground and had just six touches and one behind.

The 112-point loss was more than just personnel but it does suggest that Sydney don’t have the playing depth to plug their holes.

Port takes another scalp

Irrespective of the Swans’ form leading into the match and also during the game, Port Adelaide have knocked off another top eight side in 2024. The perception of Ken Hinkley’s tenure is that Port Adelaide have failed to match it with the elite teams of the competition.

In 2024 alone, Hinkley has won games against the Cats in Geelong, the Western Bulldogs, Carlton and now the ladder-leading Swans. A remarkable effort for a coach who was booed on his home ground over six weeks ago.

Port Adelaide currently sit in third spot on the ladder and with three games remaining, they are ready for a Premiership tilt. Saturday night at the MCG against the out of sorts Demons and the showdown in Round 23 should be easy wins. The big test will come in the final round with a trip to Perth to take on Freo. That match could be a fight for a top four spot and given Ken’s form against top eight sides this year, Port Adelaide are well on their way to securing that all important double chance.

Charles Goodsir

GWS v Hawthorn

Giants never gave up, played with dare late

It’s not a great way to win a game of footy if you’re planning to contend, but the Giants did manage to get it done when perhaps on any other day they would have been beaten.

Trailing at one stage by 28 points, Adam Kingsley’s men played with dare and dash late in the game, never giving in until the end.

In the final quarter they scored 30 points (five goals) from defensive 50 having scored only 15 from that source in the three quarters prior. That highlights the risks they took with their ball movement when all seemed lost.

While not an ideal scenario in being almost five goals down, the Giants did have the belief and mustered the courage to power home and into the top four.

Jesse Hogan was immense up forward with five goals and 11 marks (including six contested marks). He now leads the Coleman Medal race.

Three quarters not enough from the Hawks

Hawthorn coach sam Mitchell bemoaned the fact his side was unable to play a full four quarters of footy.

Mitchell said: “If you want play against the very best sides we need to be able to play at the highest level at four quarters. Three quarters is not enough.”

The Hawks were excellent for the majority of the afternoon in Canberra, but could not deny a rampaging Giants outfit who came with a rush in the fourth term.

They conceded seven goals in the final quarter while kicking three themselves. Neither side had kicked more than four goals in a quarter across the preceding three.

Hawthorn played well enough. Just not for long enough.

Andrew Slevison

Essendon v Fremantle

Nic Martin is Essendon’s match-winning magnet

Brad Scott has thrown Nic Martin forward in fourth quarters all year and he has consistently delivered as both a goal kicker and a threat to set up others.

He did it again on the weekend, going forward in the final term and kicking two goals in the narrow win over Fremantle.

It begs the question really: Should Martin stay in this aggressive half forward-wing role all game and if so, how much damage could he do?

It will be something for Scott to ponder, particularly given the Dons have to now roll the dice a bit more to make finals from here.

Regardless, Martin has been one of the great finds outside of the draft system.

Dockers could not hang on despite Serong record

It would have been a win to send Fremantle to third spot on the ladder.

The Dockers were staring at a favourable result when they led Essendon by 25 points in the fourth quarter at the MCG, but they inexplicably faltered.

Justin Longmuir’s side conceded the last five goals of the match to go down by one solitary point in a game they had at their mercy.

It was a costly lapse that has denied them a spot in the top four ahead of tough fixtures against Geelong in Perth, GWS away and Port Adelaide in Perth.

For Freo it’s not all doom and gloom, however. We must tip the hat to the remarkably consistent Caleb Serong.

Upon amassing 32 disposals in his 100th game, the 23-year-old now has a new AFL record of 71 consecutive games of 20 or more disposals.

The run started back in Round 17 of the 2021 season which was just his 30th game.

Nic Negrepontis & Andrew Slevison

St Kilda v Brisbane

Saints went from ceiling to floor in the space of a week

After last week’s 108-55 win over Essendon, St Kilda fans would have headed to Marvel Stadium against Brisbane with some genuine optimism.

Well, instead of competing again and moving the ball at ease, the Saints didn’t get anywhere near their ceiling and again returned to their floor, going down 39-124.

It was the heaviest defeat so far in Ross Lyon’s return to the club as St Kilda’s one wood – their defence – completely failed them.

Most disappointingly for the Saints, it was down back and in the middle where they were thrashed, losing clearances 27-48 and leaking 29 shots on goal from just 55 inside 50 entries.

If they failed to score but held Brisbane in check somewhat, that would have made sense, but to lose in that fashion was simply a disaster.

The ladder doesn’t lie, the Saints are a borderline bottom-four team in 2024, and last week’s result against Essendon was simply an out-of-the-box performance.

Scoring power of the Lions on full show

The Brisbane Lions were in a damaging and dangerous mood on Sunday.

Chris Fagan’s outfit piled on a massive 19.10.(124) from 55 inside 50s in 85-point win over the Saints. Their 60 per cent efficiency inside 50 was outrageously good.

The Lions’ scoring savagery was on show for all to see and they’ll have opposition sides quaking in their boots over he next two months.

Joe Daniher (four goals, 18 touches) is in very good nick, Zac Bailey (three goals, 20 touches) is finding form, Logan Morris (two goals) hits the scoreboard regularly and Charlie Cameron (two goals) is chipping in.

The standout was Cam Rayner (three goals, 22 touches) who has put together a superb for weeks of footy.

There is a lot to like about that forward line being fed by by the likes of Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage, Will Ashcroft and Dayne Zorko with Josh Dunkley providing the grunt in the middle.

Rightful premiership favourites? You’d think so now.

Lachlan Geleit & Andrew Slevison