It seemed only a few weeks ago the top eight was just about set in stone. Luckily for the sake of the neutral, many teams have chipped away at that stone and left the race for finals wide-open.
While the top six looks much more secure, it's becoming a case of where not who. The top six spots have no clear order as of yet and it seems teams are determined for it to stay that way for as long as possible.
Losses from the Western Bulldogs and Brisbane as well as a very commanding win by the Swans have seen the top six race blown wide-open yet again.
1. Melbourne (+2)
The Demons have proven in 2021 they can get up for the big games. And while that has meant they have fallen to some opposition they were well fancied against it's a formula that will prove reliable in September.
They were superb in Adelaide as they took Port Adelaide to task. They showed that they are all-but a lock for top four and a genuine flag chance. The deserved number one seed at the moment.
2. Western Bulldogs (-1)
The Dogs were brought back a notch after a disappointing loss to the Swans. They missed key forward Aaron Naughton, and while blooding number one draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan didn't fill the void left it was a handy experiment none the less.
The Bulldogs system held up but they didn't take advantage of their midfield dominance. They had 20 more clearances and 5 more inside 50's than the Swans but were unable to capatalise. They won 15 of 18 centre clearances! They're ok.
3. Brisbane (-1)
It was a dirty, dirty night for the Lions. They were blasted away by the Saints and forward Eric Hipwood suffered a season-ending ACL injury. It's a blow that may see the Lions flag hopes blow up in smoke.
Eric Hipwood has been subbed out of the game following this incident late in the first quarter.
Rhys Mathieson replaces him.#AFLLionsSaints pic.twitter.com/fgJwrPlbZ6
— AFL (@AFL) July 10, 2021
They looked a step off the pace from start to finish against the Saints and were outhunted by a team that simply wanted it more.
4. Geelong (-)
What looked a simple task against a depleted Blues side was made all the harder by a poor start. The Cats were lucky the Blues couldn't hit a barn door early and came out ready to pounce after half-time.
They did well to kick a winning score with no Jeremey Cameron and Gary Rohan kicking one goal and Tom Hawkins being held goalless. That's a handy trick that could come up big in the finals so it may be a blessing in disguise that their forwards didn't fire.
5. Sydney (+1)
The Swans are flag contenders. Make no mistake about it. They were the better team against the Dogs for all four quarters and showed they are right in the top four race.
Jordan Dawson played arguably his best ever game collecting 26 disposals and booting three goals to lead the way for the Swans. They have proven time and again this season they can go with the best of them and they are a real threat.
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6. Port Adelaide (-1)
The Power's reputation of flat-track bullies is growing by the week it seems. Usually they have been pretty reliable at home even agaisnt the better teams, but they never looked likely of getting the better of Melbourne.
The Power are lucky that some results went their way keeping them in the race for top four but on their body of work they seem a step or two behind the other contenders for the double-chance.
7. St Kilda (+3)
A win over Brisbane in Queensland was just the tonic their season needed as they begin to launch towards a push for finals. The Saints were the best team all night and deserved their win.
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Jack Steele was huge leading his team to victory in a true captains performance. All of a sudden clashes with Port Adelaide and West Coast look much more winnable and they're now right in the mix for a top eight finish. Have the Saints got their mojo back?
8. West Coast (-1)
Perhaps lucky to be this high considering their disappointing loss to the bottom placed Kangaroos. The Eagles have looked very poor in recent weeks and look a shell of the team, many of us viewed as a contender at the start of the season.
The Eagles have blown away any chance of top four and are now in a firm race for finals footy of any kind. And with their home dominance now seemingly a thing of the past there are serious doubts over whether they will figure in September at all.
9. GWS (-1)
What to make of the Giants? Their best is so, so good and they have beaten some of the better teams in the competition. But when they aren't on they are genuinely gettable. A loss to Gold Coast grouped with a loss to Hawthorn and a draw with North Melbourne have put them in a dog fight for finals.
They seemingly had a spot in eight sewn up but now find themselves in the depths of a scrap for the last two spots.
10. Fremantle (+3)
The Dockers are in the top eight, and while that is largely down to the fact the teams around them tumbled across the weekend. They still went and got their job done in Tasmania against the Hawks.
174 touches between the six of them.
Our engine room was huge on the weekend ๐ #foreverfreo pic.twitter.com/V0S0CplOoy— Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers) July 13, 2021
They are now as good a chance as anyone to play finals. This performance was their most complete of the season and if that can use that to launch into a run of form they may be locked away in the top eight before too long.
11. Essendon (-1)
Again stiff to fall a spot but Fremantle's jump into the eight has upset the algorithm a little bit. The Bombers dominated an Adelaide side lacking any sort of forward line in a Friday night clash not destined for the archive.
Archie Perkins looks destined for this weeks NAB Rising Star nomination after a dominating performance. Perkins kicked 3.3 in a best on ground display. Zach Merrett had 35 disposals as well in a terrific performance for the Bombers.
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12. Richmond (-1)
Oh how the mighty have fallen... The Tigers don't resemble the team we have come to know in the slightest and are now on the back of a four-game losing streak. They seemingly had the game against Collingwood in control when leading by nearly six goals before capitulating.
They had no resistance as the Pies stormed home and their leaders were no where to b found. The heat is on Punt Road and they are now a real chance to miss finals.
13. Carlton (-1)
It was all bit of same old, same old for the Blues. Carlton held their own against a top 4 team and for large parts of the first half were the better team. But when you miss 14 of your first 15 shots at goal you leave yourself vulnerable.
Sam Walsh was best on ground in an incredible display but another honorable loss has the Blues losing touch with eight just as quickly as they were back within reach. They had only three talls across the ground which made life hard but if they took their opportunities who knows?
Sam Walsh was a bright spark in yesterday's clash with Geelong. ๐ฅ pic.twitter.com/nmIezgzCS4
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) July 11, 2021
14. Gold Coast (+1)
The Suns have turned their season around of late with some very impressive win. They beat the Tigers in Melbourne and defeated the Giants in a nail biter in Ballarat. The Suns have shown some terrific maturity of late and have gotten back on track.
Touk Miller has been in career best form and is a genuine superstar of the competition now. He has been the man who has pioneered this turn in form and was huge again on the weekend.
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15. Adelaide (-1)
They were poor. They didn't show up willing to show the same courage as defender Tom Doedee and it showed. After he was subbed off after a courageous effort going back with the flight of the ball the Crows fell apart. To be fair they were barely holding on when he was out there.
They need Taylor Walker back ASAP which isn't ideal considering the young talent in their forward line. The effort needs to be better win or lose.
16. Collingwood (-)
The Pies were terrific when overrunning arch-rivals Richmond at the MCG on Sunday afternoon. They kicked seven last quarter goals to blast the reigning premiers off the park.
Taylor Adams stood up when needed and was key in getting the Pies over the line for interim coach Robert Harvey's first win. They played a style of game that we saw in the last quarter of the loss to St Kilda. Leave the shackles off Harvs!
17. North Melbourne (+1)
North are off the bottom... Of the Power Rankings at least. Their win over the Eagles was one of the upsets of the season and was reward for the work being put in by David Noble and his team.
With this hit-out, Todd Goldstein surpasses Aaron Sandilands for the most hit-outs in V/AFL history ๐ฅ#AFLEaglesNorth pic.twitter.com/cdn0GpYxB5
— AFL (@AFL) July 12, 2021
They were superb all night and even when challenged and surpassed by the Eagles in the last term they didn't lie down. Shinboner spirit lived on as they stormed home to claim an inspiring win in the West.
18. Hawthorn (-1)
They normally go well in Tasmania. However, last weekend they were smacked in every aspect of the game. They never looked like threatening the Dockers and this comes off the back of a pretty poor display against the Power the week before.
It's all part of a rebuild, but you still want to see better effort than that especially when you have such a usually significant home ground advantage.
