AFL ladder: Port Adelaide, Adelaide on top, Sydney, Hawthorn still looking for first win
PORT Adelaide and Adelaide are set for a blockbuster top-of-the-table Showdown next week but Sydney, Hawthorn and St Kilda remain winless.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
AFTER two weeks, eight teams remain undefeated.
Sitting No.1 and 2, Port Adelaide and Adelaide have set-up a blockbuster Showdown next week while surprise packets Richmond, Melbourne and Essendon are also yet to taste defeat.
History suggests it’s almost impossible to play finals after starting 0-2 but Sydney, Hawthorn, St Kilda and Collingwood will hope that doesn’t prove true.
THE LADDER
1. PORT ADELAIDE (2-0-0). 184.8%, 8PTS
To be 2-0 to happiness. Charlie Dixon straightens this team up while Sam Powell-Pepper plays like a 10-year veteran and makes them even stronger in the contest.
2. ADELAIDE (2-0-0) 144.4%, 8PTS
To win by four goals after losing Josh Jenkins and being four down early tells you they have the firepower. They are also extremely even, a team that takes joy in working for each other. Those sides often win flags.
3. RICHMOND (2-0-0) 136.7%, 8PTS
Nothing too flash about Thursday night but they get points for honesty. Now they need to beat a top-four contender so West Coast this Saturday afternoon at the ‘G is a perfect starting point.
4. MELBOURNE (2-0-0) 133.8%, 8PTS
On early form Christian Salem, so talented at junior level, has taken the biggest steps. His teammates need to realise it’s a competition when Brisbane and Carlton can upset anyone.
5. WEST COAST (2-0-0) 132.6%, 8PTS
Kennedy, Cameron and Buddy can hopefully push each other to the ton. Need to get more out of Jack Darling who threatens but rarely dominates. Nathan Vardy, while beaten by Tom Hickey, will thrive on continuous game time.
6. ESSENDON (2-0-0) 129.7%, 8PTS
When it mattered late, when a cool head was required, it came from the cool presence of Jobe Watson and the youthful brilliance of his apprentice Zach Merrett. But do they have the class to make the eight?
7. GEELONG (2-0-0) 123.4%, 8PTS
Didn’t get the same contribution from their bottom six as last week and kept bombing the ball high inside forward 50. Zach Tuohy looks like a guilt-edge recruit.
8. WESTERN BULLDOGS (2-0-0) 121.4%, 8PTS
Mightn’t be running at full throttle but like great sides before them, generally find a way to get it done. A club best described them as “willing”, or ready, eager and prepared to do something. Travis Cloke must be thinking ‘how good is this?’.
9. GWS GIANTS (1-0-1) 122.4%, 4PTS
Some team was going to pay. The temptation is to say it was only the Suns but reality says they would have decapitated most rivals. Toby Greene’s transition from at times wasteful midfielder to deadly half forward is testament to his development.
10. BRISBANE LIONS (1-0-1) 87.9%, 4PTS
They will tire given their youth but there’s plenty of evidence to suggest the Chris Fagan message is being heard. Tom Rockliff, who could easily have walked or kicked his dummy away, produced 11 tackles to make a statement.
11. COLLINGWOOD (0-0-2) 83.4%, 0PTS
Too many times when it really matters they miss teammates or goals by hand or foot. Too much is being expected of Darcy Moore who at this stage is a floating forward rather than a building block. And copping Sydney at 0-2 and at the SCG isn’t ideal.
12. NORTH MELBOURNE (0-0-2) 82.3%, 0PTS
Ben Cunnington’s inclusion was significant while the journey of Ben Brown continues. Reckon they might be just short of the eight but are going to claim some scalps.
13. ST KILDA (0-0-2) 79.2%, 0PTS
Threw it away early when they had so many chances to take the crowd out of it. And what were the frees, 28 to 8 in favour of the home side? I don’t subscribe to umpires being deliberately biased, but screaming home crowds usually win out.
14. HAWTHORN (0-0-2) 78.6%, 0PTS
History says it’s impossible to keep AFL socialism via the draft at bay, and the Hawks are feeling it with very little coming through from recent picks. But write them off from the eight at your peril.
15. SYDNEY (0-0-2) 76.8%, 0PTS
If you have any friends who support the Swans, perhaps best not to mention umpires in general conversation. In their last two games against the Dogs (including the Grand Final) they are running 51-26 against.
16. CARLTON (0-0-2) 70.6%, 0PTS
In terms of football smarts, Matt Wright has plenty. And hopefully Daisy can still prove the doubting Thomas’s wrong. The Blues responded to a week of rare criticism.
17. GOLD COAST (0-0-2) 59.7%, 0PTS
Gary Ablett played like someone who doesn’t want to be there and as it stands he would appear to have pulled the wrong rein in every sense other than what goes in the bank. As for his team, the road is long with many a winding turn.
18. FREMANTLE (0-0-2) 49.6%, 0PTS
When teams are scoring so much there won’t be too many wins for this stodgy outfit. It’s hard to see the upside given their lack of youthful development.
Originally published as AFL ladder: Port Adelaide, Adelaide on top, Sydney, Hawthorn still looking for first win
Cornes: Big detail fans have wrong on Crows list of failures
At Port it’s Ken Hinkley who endures the wrath of the disenchanted and impatient supporters. At Adelaide it’s the list management team, writes Graham Cornes.
More games at Cattery as Geelong set to receive fixture boost
Geelong put in a fixture request to the AFL and it has been confirmed by the club.