Nine more games remain, and nine more teams remain as Round 23 continued to refine the top eight.
With double chance spots lost and draft picks nearly locked, we look back at the week of footy in a multi of hindsight we like to call 5 Lessons Learned – AFL Round 23.
Dockers deemed dependent
50 points with a game remaining isn’t enough to secure AFL finals action, which is not happy news for any Dockers supporter.
It was a goal-for-goal affair at ENGIE Stadium, and with momentum swings both ways, it was the Giants who made the most of their turns, capitalising in the fourth quarter.
Darcy Jones put his name up for a goal of the round contention with his dazzling agility to finish with a checkside inside 50.
The efforts of Andrew Brayshaw with 41 disposals were emphatic for the Dockers, and with big performances from Michael Federick and Caleb Serong, they were always in the hunt.
Ultimately, it was the Giants dominance in possession that opened the door for opportunity forward of centre, with 54 more disposals and 38 more uncontested possessions.
Jesse Hogan has made sure of a Coleman Medal, booting six big goals for the Giants, extending his lead at the top by 10 goals, second to Charlie Curnow who is unlikely to play against the Saints.
The Dockers now need results to go their way to make the eight, with a win for the Blues knocking them out, but a loss meaning they must win against the Power to see September action.
Premiership hopes gone in three kicks
As soon as Joe Daniher’s kick went left, extending the margin to 18 points, instead of 23, we all knew what was going to happen next.
The Pies did what they’re best at doing, pulling off a late miracle, kicking the final three goals of the game to win by a point.
It was a nightmarish return to the MCG against the Pies, and after dominating three of the four quarters, much like their game against the Giants last week, they couldn’t put them away.
The Lions hit a game-high 31-point lead 25 minutes into the first quarter and seemed to be cruising.
Collingwood fought back and got the margin within a goal by halftime led by a Nick Daicos masterclass, but the Lions stretched the lead back out again in the third term.
The Pies led for only the final three minutes of the game, summarising Brisbane’s season in a nutshell, good, but not good enough.
It’s a loss that could define their season, losing a double-chance and a home final, but their whole Fagan era.
They’ve been plagued by close finishes and almost moments, unable to be clinical when it matters, and it feels like this loss unravelled all their hard work to get back in contention this year.
They’ll likely finish fifth and most likely find their way to a Prelim playing an out-of-form Blues and Dockers in an Elimination, and likely Geelong in a semi, but it’s hard to see them going any further.
Geelong is clogging the eight
They’re undeniably the worst team inside the top eight, and since their 7-0 start, they’ve been 7-8, extremely underwhelming.
Geelong coughed up a 33-point lead to the Saints, conceding 13 second half goals, a performance that isn’t all that surprising.
The Cats’ second half of the season has been marked by beltings at the hands of the Blues, Dogs, Swans, Suns, and Power.
Along with these losses, they’ve scraped home wins against bottom sides like Adelaide and found themselves behind by decent margins against Richmond.
Their lack of defensive running and accountability has been a massive issue all year, and they’re heading into the finals series with no real assurance their style can win finals football.
St Kilda opened up the ground in transition and killed the Cats in spread, leaving holes inside the corridor and forward 50 for quick and rapid entries which led to an influx of goals.
The Cats allow their opposition to comfortably move the ball around uncontested and it’s cost them on the scoreboard, second worst for points against for teams in the top eight.
They’re almost certain to finish top four with a remaining game against the Eagles, but they’re unlikely to cause a challenge in September having to go through Sydney and Brisbane.
Bread and Butter(s) Showdown
The 42 disposals for Showdown Medal winner, Zak Butters, was not the only prolific result of the night for the Power.
The win meant so much more as a statement, proving they can deliver in big-time games, a feat that has often been missing from their repertoire in past years.
Port Adelaide defeated their cross-town rivals by 22-points on Saturday night, fuelled with fire as it usually is.
Josh Rachelle did himself no favours, dishing up the toothless comments to the Power faithful, and the celebration, only to produce not much else.
Dan Houston’s harsh bump on Izak Rankine soured the win for the Power, and it’s likely he’ll miss the rest of the year with suspension.
The Crows were on early and matched the Power for the first half, opportunistic inside forward 50 from the help of Fogarty and Rankine.
After reaching a 12-point lead in the third quarter, the Crows were outworked by the Power midfield, conceding seven of the final nine goals of the game.
Willie Rioli and Jase Burgoyne both had huge goals in the fourth to build momentum, and from the first five minutes of the final term, it never felt like the Power were going to lose.
It’s a massive win for their chances of seeing another home Qualifying Final, with a win against the Dockers almost guaranteeing it, unless the Giants make up percentage.
2022, meet 2024
The Blues were seemingly done and dusted against the Hawks, losing key pillars, and coming into this clash against the Eagles cooked.
But the opportunity presented for youth to perform, and the Blues took it, smashing the Eagles with 14 of the last 16 goals of the game after the Eagles kicked the first two.
Led by Patrick Cripps, again, the Blues were clinical at the centre stoppages and felt a lot livelier in transition than usual.
Makeshift forward, Brodie Kemp, produced a four-goal effort that helped to fill the hole without Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.
Debutants Cooper Lord and Ashtoin Moir had elite moments, and Moir even pulled out a party trick for his first goal at AFL level.
Matt Owies had three goals of his own, and along with the help of Zac Williams and Matt Kennedy, the Blues had no problem finding the scoreboard, finishing with 29 scoring shots.
The win puts the Blues back in eight spot, meaning win and you’re in against the Saints.
But the last time the Blues needed to win to make finals, 2022, against the Pies, and well, we remember how that ended.
Could the Saints do the same again?