Power Rankings: Round 16

Another massively intriguing round of the 2021 season has passed, and we're a little over two-thirds of the way through the year now.

The Tigers slumped to another shock loss, the Demons were humbled on their home turf and the Saints made it two from two - all results with huge implications on the season.

With this, let's see where each team sits on our power rankings ladder with a little under two months left.

1. Western Bulldogs (+1)

The Doggies secured the four points against bottom of the table North Melbourne on Sunday in a good albeit tough win at Marvel Stadium.

The four points were the most important thing for the Doggies, with Luke Beveridge's side needing to capitalise on the Demons' shortcomings to regain top spot.

Yes Bontempelli was probably the Dogs' best-on with 27 disposals and 12 score involvements, but young forward Cody Weightman had a great time down in attack with a bag of four.

This clearance 👨‍🍳👌

🎥 Watch the full highlights: https://t.co/X5eIKEX2Yr pic.twitter.com/L97jooGWJ4

— Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) July 5, 2021

Tom Liberatore had a stellar outing as well with two goals, 25 touches and eight clearances in the middle of the park as the Doggies outlasted a tenacious Roos outfit.

This win is huge for the Bulldogs' minor premiership hopes with their vastly superior percentage relative to their rivals a huge advantage in the long run.

Round 17 sees them lock horns with the Swans at Docklands and the side will have to be at their best to come out on top against John Longmire's men.

2. Brisbane (+1)

The Lions had an easy win on Saturday afternoon in Adelaide against the Crows, getting the job done by 52 points and moving that much closer to a top two spot.

The Crows did look like they were up for it in the first half, with Chris Fagan and his side going into the main break just eight points to the good.

The second half was where Brisbane flexed their muscles, kicking 12 goals to four to seize victory on the road.

Jarryd Lyons continued his career-best form with 31 touches and ten tackles from midfield, while Lincoln McCarthy (four goals, 16 touches) and Zac Bailey (26 touches, three goals and nine clearances) shone for the Lions as they rolled on.

Brisbane go up against the Saints at a neutral venue next round and will be hoping to make it four-in-a-row. They will need to keep winning if they want to get a top two spot and show no signs of stopping anytime soon.

3. Melbourne (-2)

The Demons slumped to a second loss in three rounds, losing to a GWS side that is, as of current, impossible to get a read on.

Simon Goodwin's side was kept at arms' length for the majority of the encounter, with a brief fightback in the final term simply not enough to overturn a spirited Giants outfit.

Christian Salem finished with 31 disposals and a goal in a superb display from the half-back while midfield star Christian Petracca too shone with 30 touches, six tackles and five clearances.

However there simply wasn't enough offered from Melbourne's role players to warrant a win here, and Simon Goodwin will now be wary of the sides below him ready to pounce on the Demons should they lose again.

There is a very real possibility that they might be dealt back-to-back losses as they face the Power on Friday night in Adelaide. A win would give Melbourne the spark they need to press on an regain top spot, with the opposite potentially being the beginning of a slide down the table.

4. Geelong (-)

The Cats were stunned out of the blocks by Essendon down at Kardinia Park, but wrestled back control and ended up claiming victory comprehensively on Friday night.

An eight-goal second term was key to Geelong's victory however the loss of Jeremy Cameron to another hamstring injury will put a massive dent in their premiership aspirations.

Nevertheless it didn't stop the aforementioned forward finishing with three goals, whilst his attacking partner in Tom Hawkins finished with six goals in a mammoth display from the 32-year-old. Patrick Dangerfield returned to his best with a whopping haul of 37 touches, 11 clearances and a goal as he ran the show from the middle and finished as his team's best-on.

Tom Hawkins kicks his sixth! #AFLCatsDons pic.twitter.com/dY8ymfGr9H

— AFL (@AFL) July 2, 2021

Geelong would have been glad to get this game done and dusted, with Essendon proving a real handful for sides above them in recent weeks.

The best part for the Cats is that they are down in fifth yet still equal on points with the third-placed Brisbane, meaning they are well and truly in the top four hunt still.

A match against the Blues on Saturday afternoon in Melbourne should be a win for a team of the Cats calibre, with Chris Scott keen to get on a roll heading into finals.

5. Port Adelaide (-)

Port Adelaide didn't care much for romance on Saturday night in ex-player Shaun Burgoyne's 400th match, playing the villain as they ran out 34-point winners at Marvel Stadium.

Ken Hinkley's side seldom looked threatened and kept the Hawks well outside arms' reach for the majority of the night.

Ollie Wines continued his incredible season with a stonking 43 disposals and 14 clearances, further pushing his case to be one of the dark horses for the Brownlow.

Charlie Dixon has a productive night in front of goals with four majors whilst John Cahill medalist Darcy Byrne-Jones finished with 29 touches in a solid outing for the young defender.

Port are doing exactly what they need to do at the minute and that is keeping the wins coming. This week they can make a huge statement if they get over the Demons at Adelaide Oval on Friday night, further solidifying their top four and, more importantly, premiership credentials.

6. Sydney (+1)

The Swans were utterly ruthless on Sunday afternoon, absolutely killing the Eagles and then some more as they ran out 92-point winners at GMHBA Stadium.

Sydney have been scarily lethal at points in the year but this was them at their most potent with John Longmire's side finding themselves ten goals up at half time.

Callum Mills, similar to the aforementioned Wines, solidified his status as a Brownlow smokie finishing with 35 touches and seven clearances in a commanding display. George Hewett was imperious on the ball, finishing with 26 touches and five clearances while his partner-in-crime Luke Parker finished with 30 disposals and five tackles.

The fact that they put one of their close rivals to the sword so comprehensively only bodes well for the Swans as they look to secure a home final.

This week they have a huge test against the Bulldogs in Melbourne as they spend another week on the road. If they manage to pull of an unlikely upset, could we put them in the conversation as premiership smokies?

7. West Coast (-1)

What a torrid fortnight it has been for the Eagles. First getting battered by the Bulldogs at home, then travelling to their bogie ground where they were beaten there by 90+ points for the second time this year.

This is definitely the beginning of the end for the Eagles, who luckily still find themselves inside the eight despite being so poor for the bulk of the year.

Dom Sheed was one of a scarce crop of players who turned up for the Eagles as he finished with 37 touches, whilst Elliott Yeo (26 touches, one goal) and Liam Duggan (22 disposals) were solid on a day where Adam Simpson's side only managed three goals.

It seems as if West Coast will be in damage control for the remainder of the year, with the side firmly entwined in the rat-race that is securing finals footy.

Next week they face they will face North Melbourne on Monday night footy back in Perth. If the Eagles somehow fail to win this one then expect for some to be writing them off as finals candidates.

8. GWS (+4)

The Giants decided to show up again on Saturday afternoon at the 'G, beating flag favourites Melbourne on their home patch.

Leon Cameron's side were insipid a week earlier against bottom-dwellers Hawthorn but seized the opportunity to go inside the eight following Richmond's loss on Thursday.

GWS' mids were super impressive with Tim Taranto (28 touches, one goal), Josh Kelly (29 touches, one goal) and Callan Ward (24 touches, one goal) amongst others running the show against an elite Melbourne midfield.

"They were hungry, they were desperate ... they weren't going to let this opportunity slip."

Kath Loughnan was full of praise for GWS' impressive win over Melbourne 🙌

Tune into #AFL360 on Ch 504 or stream on @kayosports pic.twitter.com/ZLn9HWtEiJ

— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) July 5, 2021

It's bemusing how the Giants can go from dishing up a shocker of a display against the Hawks to getting one over the benchmark team for season 2021 so far. If Leon Cameron's side manages to keep their spot in the eight, then anything could happen in finals.

The Giants meet the Suns next week and will be hoping to burst Stuart Dew's bubble, with Gold Coast coming off a momentous victory over the reigning premiers.

9. St. Kilda (+2)

The Saints made it two wins on the trot with a victory over the poor Pies on Sunday putting them within two points of the top eight.

St. Kilda were rarely threatened until late on, when the Pies came hard and fast at them in the last quarter to cut the final margin to just nine points.

Jack Steele is the name that has been repeated consistently throughout the season and will keep being said well into the future as he dished up a 36-disposal, 14-tackle display to win best-on-ground. Midfield partner Luke Dunstan too was lethal finishing with 27 touches, nine tackles and 10 clearances and further pushing his case to be rewarded with a new contract.

Saints fans will be wary not to get carried away with their form but things are ramping up nicely for them based on recent results. Despite this, the bubble could be burst this week against the Lions when they play them on Saturday night in what could be a great match for the neutral.

10. Essendon (-1)

The Bombers for the umpteenth time this season made a great account of themselves for most of the match against the Cats but could not keep up with Chris Scott's side on their home patch.

Despite going down by 41 points the Bombers stormed out of the gates, finding themselves 21 points up going into the quarter-time however were put to the sword, letting in eight goals in the second term.

Darcy Parish has all but secured his status as the most improved player of 2021, finishing with 43 disposals, 13 clearances and a goal and was easily the best player on the ground. His midfield partner Zach Merrett too was influential with 36 touches and a goal while Jake Stringer gave his club more contract woes, finishing with three goals and 25 touches.

It's frustrating that for all Essendon's great performances in 2021 they only find themselves in 12th and two wins off 8th spot. They have a real shot at shrinking that gap this week as they face the Crows in Melbourne in a match they should comprehensively win.

11. Richmond (-3)

Richmond's season is fading - and fading fast.

The Tigers now find themselves outside the top eight off the back of an extremely underwhelming display, losing to the lowly Suns at Marvel Stadium on a dark night for the club.

Tom Lynch was superb in his return game finishing with five goals, while Bachar Houli played through injury to press on and finish with 24 touches as his side struggled to get any real momentum going.

If there were those still believing that Richmond were still premiership chances, you'd be hard pressed to find them after this performance. The Tigers will have to put on an incredible streak to make finals, let alone have an effect on the events of September.

Damien Hardwick's side goes up against the Pies on Sunday afternoon and will be hoping that they can scrounge a win to get their season somewhat back on track.

12. Carlton (+1)

The Blues got a good win against the Dockers on Saturday night, although were lucky not to have the result flipped the other way off the back of the Dockers' horrid accuracy in front of goal.

Carlton's season might not be totally dead and buried yet, with two wins on the bounce giving the Blues faithful a small grain of hope for the rest of the year.

Paddy Dow was Carlton's best player on the night, finishing with 22 disposals, a goal and eight clearances whilst Sam Walsh put up 25 touches and sealed the game for the Blues with a superb snap from the boundary. Jack Silvagni put up one of his best displays yet, working hard to finish with two goals and 19 disposals whilst Jacob Weitering was influential down back.

Would you please welcome to the stage, Sam Walsh 👏#AFLFreoBlues pic.twitter.com/3Wd76YzvPD

— AFL (@AFL) July 3, 2021

Many fans are convinced the Teague train is back on track but such talk is still extremely premature given the club's results prior to the last fortnight.

Perhaps the talk might be validated next week if they somehow beat the Cats. With Cripps touch-and-go for the match with a foot injury, this one might be too much for the Blues to handle.

13. Fremantle (-3)

The Dockers for all their attacking dominance could not make it stick on Saturday night at the MCG, losing to the Blues in a bitterly disappointing display.

Despite having 12 more inside 50s and 19 more clearances, Fremantle were wasteful in front of goal finishing with 8.16 as they were bested by the more accurate Blues.

Sean Darcy had a field-day in the ruck finishing with 40 hit-outs and 20 touches whilst Andrew Brayshaw (28 disposals, two goals), Adam Cerra (24 touches, seven clearances) and Luke Ryan (25 disposals) were great for the losing side.

There is no doubt that the Dockers will be contenders in years to come but their performance on Saturday was disappointing to say the least.

This was a golden opportunity for them to go inside the eight but they simply could not capitalise. This week they go head-to-head with the Hawks in Tasmania, a must-win game if they want to have a shot at finals footy.

14. Adelaide (-)

The Crows were out-classed by the Lions at home, slumping to a 52-point loss at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

Adelaide stuck with Brisbane for the best part of two quarters but could not go with them for the whole match as they were comprehensively beaten in the second half.

Once again it was their midfield brigade who were the best on the day, with Rory Laird (37 touches, nine clearances), Paul Seedsman (21 touches, two goals) and Ben Keays (28 touches, seven clearances) all putting in stellar shifts. The Crows will be sweating on Taylor Walker as he went down with a neck strain and was subbed off in the second term.

Adelaide will be wanting to finish the year off strong and have the potential to do so in the coming weeks. An upset win against the Bombers on the road next week could be the spirit-lifter they need to press on and finish 2021 on a high.

15. Gold Coast (+3)

In one of the all-time great Suns victories, Stuart Dew's put up an epic display against the struggling Tigers to win by ten points on Thursday night.

Finishing with 10.17, Gold Coast would have felt as though it should have been more as they out-played Richmond for large portions of the night in a superb game for the team.

Touk Miller was ridiculous out of the middle, finishing with 36 disposals, nine clearances and seven tackles as he solidified himself as one of the game's most underrated players. Ben King was a menace all night down forward as he out-hustled Dylan Grimes to finish with four goals in one of his best performances yet.

Ben King/sealer appreciation post 🤝 pic.twitter.com/AuvHaUKeBs

— Gold Coast Suns (@GoldCoastSUNS) July 2, 2021

With this win against all the odds, maybe things aren't as dire as they first seemed on the Gold Coast. This week they play the Giants in Ballarat and will be aiming to repeat the previous week's grit and determination.

16. Collingwood (-1)

The Pies were woeful for the majority of Sunday's match against the Saints, mounting a brief but doomed fightback in the last term to go down by a flattering nine points.

In Robert Harvey's second game in charge, Collingwood looked like they had gone backwards in their progression and were outclassed all over the ground.

Taylor Adams (34 touches, six tackles) and Jordan De Goey (32 touches, one goal) were standouts for the Pies on the day despite an overall poor performance from the side. Scott Pendlebury did his bit with 28 touches and eight clearances whilst Josh Daicos too was impressive with 20 touches, a goal and six tackles.

The Pies will be hoping to nail down a new coach sometime soon in order to get some closure about what the future will look like. Next week they face the seriously struggling Tigers in a match that they could potentially win should they play their cards right.

17. Hawthorn (-1)

In Shaun Burgoyne's 400th, Alastair Clarkson's side could not get the chocolates as they went down by 34 points to Port Adelaide at home.

The Hawks would have loved nothing more than to get the win for 'Silk' in his milestone match but were simply outclassed by Ken Hinkley's side on the night.

Tom Mitchell was everywhere for Hawthorn, finishing with 29 disposals and eight clearances whilst James Worpel finished with 23 touches, a goal and nine clearances. Blake Hardwick too put up an admirable display down in defence, finishing with 22 touches.

The Hawks wouldn't be too troubled by this loss with it being an expected one and will still be buoyed by their great run of results as of late.

Next week they welcome Fremantle down to Tasmania as they look to get back on the winner's list against a side whose season is still very much alive and kicking.

18. North Melbourne (-1)

For all their good work over the past month, North find themselves once again down the foot of our power rankings. This week they were unable to get over the top-of-the-table Bulldogs, going down by 29 points on Sunday.

It was an admirable display however, not rolling over for the Doggies midfield and instead proving not to be easy beats as they were last time around against Luke Beveridge's side.

Aaron Hall finished with 31 touches and was superb for the losing side, while Ben Cunnington had a fantastic outing finishing with 26 touches and two goals as he continued his great 2021 form.

Cam Zurhaar was lethal down forward with four goals in one of his standout games for the club while veteran defender Robbie Tarrant was rock-solid in defence finishing with 24 touches.

The Roos aren't putting up bad performances by any stretch of the imagination and the next step for David Noble will be to string together consistent wins out of these good displays.

Next week they travel to Perth to face the Eagles and, if they replicate their game from last week, might just come away with something.