It was a big round of footy and there were important storylines across the weekend.
We have selected one positive and one negative from the Round 17 performance of each of the 18 clubs.
See our thoughts below:
Positive: Schoenberg shows up
There weren’t many Adelaide players who could hold their head high after the lacklustre 63-point loss to Essendon.
One Crow who did his bit was youngster Harry Schoenberg.
In just his 23rd game, the 20-year-old was one of only a few who led the way with 20 disposals and a team-high seven tackles, four clearances and one of his side’s two goals.
It wasn’t the most dominant showing by any stretch of the imagination, but it was certainly promising from a highly rated young gun.
Negative: Lack of serious intent, lowest score ever
The Crows were battered by the Bombers.
What’s worrying is that they put on just 45 tackles despite their opposition having much more of the ball throughout.
13 Crows players had one tackle or less, highlighting their lack of intent around the contest.
It was a bad night all round for Matthew Nicks’ men who kicked the club’s lowest score ever of 2.9.(21).
They also lost defender Tom Doedee in the first quarter and will be without him next weekend due to concussion protocols.
Doedee showed ridiculous courage when attempting to win an aerial ball, copping a heavy knock which ended his night prematurely.
Unfortunately, following his courageous act, his teammates went into their shells and did not show the same commitment.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: Neale starting to get rolling
Lachie Neale is starting to find his best form after an up and down season.
There’s been multiple reasons why the 2020 Brownlow Medallist hasn’t been at his best this season, there’s been injuries, a lack of continuity and added attention – but the star ball winner is edging closer to his peak.
Neale had 31 disposals, seven tackles and nine clearances against the Saints and was probably the Lions’ best in the loss.
In his last three games, he’s averaged over 28 disposals, seven clearances and almost eight tackles – elite numbers for even the most prolific on-ballers.
After falling just short of the Grand Final in the last two seasons, Brisbane will need Neale at his best if they’re to go one better in 2021.
Negative: Hipwood’s injury
Brisbane have confirmed that forward Eric Hipwood suffered an ACL injury in the loss to St Kilda on Saturday night.
The rangy tall has kicked 26 goals this season and has often been the key man ahead of big-money recruit Joe Daniher, with his loss potentially shattering for the top four side.
SEN’s David King believes Hipwood’s injury means the Lions will now have to rely on their defence if they’re to win the flag, instead of the potent scoring offence some thought they’d come into September as.
It’s a big loss for Chris Fagan’s side, we’ll have to see how they adjust without him.
If they struggle, this could be the turning point where their season goes downhill.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: Undermanned backline holds firm
Despite losing the inside 50 count 56-38, Carlton’s backline held their own against the potent Cats.
Liam Jones was a late withdrawal before the game, with the Blues not having a healthy alternative on their list.
Instead, Lachie Plowman and Tom Williamson were forced to play tall, while Liam Stocker and Adam Saad also stood up in one-on-one contests.
Jacob Weitering’s performance on Tom Hawkins speaks for itself, keeping the reigning Coleman Medallist goalless.
The Blues’ backline have been heavily scrutinised this year, in part because of the club’s midfield structures, but they deserve credit where it’s due.
Negative: Kicking themselves out of it
Given the above, it is a shame that Carlton wasted the performance of their backline by kicking 5.14.
The Blues controlled the first quarter and missed gettable shots at goal, ultimately putting the Cats in a position to break the dam wall and kick a winning score.
Basic set shots were missed and 50-50 chances went against them as the game slowly slipped away.
It unfortunately sums up Carlton’s season, missing opportunities that could otherwise have them in top eight contention.
Nic Negrepontis
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Positive: Brown’s midfield move
Callum Brown had by far his best game of the season against Richmond on Sunday.
His disposal tally of 24 shattered his next best of 14 this year as he spent far more time at both stoppages and centre bounces.
Under Nathan Buckley, Brown was often used as a half-forward, but perhaps under interim coach Robert Harvey we’ll see more of the 23-year-old as a midfielder.
Brown and Collingwood fans will be hoping this is an indication of where his career heads from here, in a set position where he can make consistent impact.
It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of his season plays out.
Negative: Kelly injured… again
Collingwood tall Will Kelly was injured again against Richmond on Sunday.
The defender turned forward suffered a quad injury and was taken out of the game at half-time, a cruel blow which is coming all too familiar for the 20-year-old.
From three AFL games and one pre-season game, Kelly has been injured on three occasions, only seeing out a full match once - against Essendon on ANZAC Day.
A quiet game there consigned him to the reserves the following week until he finally broke into the seniors again on Sunday.
The second-round pick is highly rated inside Collingwood’s four walls, he just can’t get on the park consistently to prove himself at the top level.
He’ll hope to return and make an impact before the 2021 season concludes.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: Archie Perkins shows his potential
SEN’s David King had high praise for Archie Perkins on Friday night, comparing his attributes to that of a young Paul Chapman.
The top draftee had a big night that could have been even bigger with accurate goal kicking, finishing with 3.3.
Perkins finished with 18 disposals, nine score involvements and four inside 50s to go with the scoreboard impact.
Nik Cox has received more praise, but Perkins has quietly put together a strong debut season.
Negative: Kyle Langford’s hamstring
The only sour point on a night where Essendon held Adelaide to their lowest ever score was Kyle Langford’s hamstring injury.
On a night where Bombers fans got to see what the future might look like, Langford came from the ground with what was reported as hamstring tightness.
It remains unclear how long he will be on the sidelines, but he is currently in doubt to face North Melbourne on the weekend.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Bailey Banfield takes his chance
Bailey Banfield finally got a chance at AFL level in Round 17 after spending the year in the WAFL and he took it with both hands.
Banfield kicked three goals from 13 disposals against the Hawks, providing a spark forward of the ball and getting to all the right spots.
The inconsistent Rory Lobb also stood up, kicking four goals from seven shots, while Josh Treacy continues to show promising signs, booting 2.2.
In the absence of Matt Taberner, this is what the Dockers need from their other forwards.
Negative: Where was this effort last week?
Fremantle sits precariously on the edge of the top eight and performances like Saturday show just how good the unit can be when everything clicks.
Unfortunately, the Dockers haven’t been able to produce it consistently, with the Carlton loss a perfect example of that.
Had they beaten the Blues, they would be a game clear inside the top eight with a home game against the Cats to come and a chance to extend that gap.
For now, they will have to continue to battle it out with the group fighting for eighth.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Found other avenues to goal
Geelong found a way to win despite missing Jeremy Cameron to injury and Tom Hawkins failing to hit the scoreboard.
Knowing that at least one of the duo will more than often fire in front of goal, it would be pleasing for Chris Scott knowing that his side possesses other strong attacking options.
Zac Tuohy booted two goals, while the Cats had eight other individual goalkickers as unlikely scorers bobbed up inside 50.
If they can continue to find goals from multiple sources it’ll make them an even more dangerous proposition come September.
Negative: Struggled to contain Blues when they went inside 50
While they held the Blues to just 44 points, it wasn’t exactly due to a dominant defensive effort.
The Cats weren’t bad by any means inside 50, but it was probably down to Carlton’s lack of execution that they couldn’t put a more challenging score on the board.
The Blues actually had 19 shots on goal compared to the Cats’ 20, and that’s despite them losing the inside 50 count 38-56.
Carlton’s ability to take a shot on goal every other time they headed inside 50 would have frustrated Chris Scott and his coaching panel.
They won’t want to let teams be that efficient against them going forward again … particularly if they get it in there more often than the Blues managed to.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: Winning a close one
Getting home in a tight contest would have delighted coach Suns coach Stuart Dew.
It’s Gold Coast’s first one-point win in their history, surviving a barrage of Giants attacks in windy conditions in Ballarat.
David Swallow’s late goal from a free kick was enough to clinch Gold Coast’s second straight win, backing up their upset victory over Richmond.
In-form midfielder Touk Miller (35 disposals, 14 tackles, 11 clearances and two goals) was enormous, while ex-Tiger Brandon Ellis also starred with 41 touches.
"He's a leader, he's desperate, he loves his footy club and I think the players feed off it," Dew said of Miller.
Negative: Serious knee injury for key Sun
Gold Coast’s win over the Giants was soured with key midfielder Hugh Greenwood suffering an MCL injury.
Greenwood went down clutching his right knee in the first quarter and was later subbed out of the match.
The ex-Crow is averaging 18 disposals, 8.6 tackles and six clearances per game this season.
He will miss the remainder of the season.
Alex Zaia
Positive: Hopper goes huge in game 100
Jacob Hopper has taken giant strides in 2021.
He finished equal fourth in the GWS’ best and fairest last year, but has taken his game to another level this season.
In the one-point loss to Gold Coast on Sunday - which just so happened to be his 100th AFL game - Hopper eclipsed his previous career best of 35 disposals by amassing 41, including a career high in kicks (27), clearances (12) and inside 50s (12).
The 24-year-old has become a star midfielder with elite contested ball winning abilities and is one of his club’s prime movers in the engine room.
He is out of contract this year and the Giants will be intent on locking him away for the foreseeable future.
Negative: Failure to close it out
When Toby Greene converted in the 14th minute of the final quarter, the Giants found themselves 12 points up.
They kept the Suns at bay for the next 10 minutes before conceding two goals late to Matt Rowell and David Swallow.
It will be that inability to close out the contest that would have Leon Cameron feeling frustrated.
The Giants dominated the clearances (53-38) but were unable to stop the Suns scoring from turnovers as they slumped to a disappointing defeat in Ballarat which saw them drop out of the eight.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: Emerson Jeka getting his shot
Emerson Jeka has had to earn his opportunities this year and the young key forward showed a glimpse of his potential against the Dockers.
He kicked two goals from 10 disposals and three marks and will be a long-term development project, but one worth sticking with.
Given where the Hawks are at, it’s time they gave Jeka a consistent run in the senior side.
Negative: Changkuoth Jiath's injury
One of the bright lights of Hawthorn’s season has been the breakout of Changkuoth Jiath.
The 22-year-old has been one of the breakout players of the 2021 season as an intercept defender who hurts teams on counterattack.
Unfortunately, he went down with a season-ending knee injury in the side’s loss to Fremantle.
While it is bad news for Jiath and the Hawks, they can rest easy knowing they have a piece of their backline locked away for the next decade.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Stood up in face of massive test
Melbourne passed another major test when accounting for Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval last Thursday.
Simon Goodwin’s outfit was challenged by the Power on multiple occasions but always found an answer.
It was a performance full of merit and further strengthened their standing as a genuine premiership ontender.
Their efficiency inside 50 monstered Port’s and they were sublime in defence once again, restricting Ken Hinkley’s men to their second lowest score of the season (55).
Next up is Hawthorn as they look to lock away a double chance as soon as possible.
Negative: Viney beaten by old mate Wines
It’s hard to fault much of what the Demons did, but it wasn’t Jack Viney’s best night.
He returned to the side in Round 15 and was welcomed with open arms, as he should be given the scene he sets with his toughness around the ball and his tackling intent.
Viney was tasked with quelling the influence of his primary school pal Ollie Wines who ended up with 33 touches and five clearances.
The former Demons skipper finished with 18 disposals and although he had 10 tackles, he won just one clearance and only had eight contested possessions. He also went at 44 per cent disposal efficiency.
Viney was well below his best, but he did have the last laugh as his side got the job done.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: The Jaidyn Stephenson trade
North Melbourne was reportedly the only team to have serious discussions with Jaidyn Stephenson in last year’s trade period, which is making every other team in the competition look a bit silly.
The Roos got the former top 10 draftee for essentially pick 26, a deal that could have been trumped by any team if they really wanted to.
Despite a few injury issues this year, Stephenson has been everything North Melbourne would have hoped for as a 22-year-old playing his first full season as a midfielder.
His dominant 38-disposal performance against West Coast highlights what Stephenson could be capable of with a few more pre-seasons under his belt.
Negative: Cam Zurhaar’s radar
You would have to be picky to find a North Melbourne negative from Monday night.
Cam Zurhaar is in a purple patch of form, having kicked 14 goals since Round 11, but could have put the cherry on top last night.
He kicked 2.6 in tough conditions, with the Eagles having absolutely no answers for him.
Zurhaar is in electric form, but obviously he’ll want more than two goals from eight scoring shots in the future.
As we said, being picky.
Nic Negrepontis
Positive: Youngster continues breakout year
Willem Drew is now firmly entrenched in Port Adelaide’s best side.
The 22-year-old was one of Port’s best on the big Friday night stage, finishing with 21 disposals, six tackles and four inside 50s.
Drew has taken big strides in 2021 after an injury-interrupted start to his career.
Brownlow Medal fancy Ollie Wines (33 disposals and five clearances), Travis Boak (25 and eight) and Karl Amon (28 and 813 metres gained) continued their consistent seasons.
Negative: Failed another top four test
Four of Port Adelaide’s five losses this season have come against the top four sides on the ladder.
The Power slipped to fifth after losing to Melbourne by 31 points at Adelaide Oval with an ankle injury to Zak Butters further souring the defeat.
Butters hurt his knee in his first senior game since Round 4 and will miss another month in a major blow to Port’s quest for a securing a double chance.
Ryan Burton sustained a groin injury and finished the night on the bench.
Coach Ken Hinkley conceded post-game that too much was left to too few against the Demons.
Alex Zaia
Positive: Scoring from turnovers, Jack 700
Richmond ultimately lost to Collingwood, but they were good value for a win early.
The Tigers had eight less inside 50s in the first half but found themselves in front by 17 points at the main break. It was their ability to score form turnovers, the hallmark of their premiership winning teams, which saw them ahead.
It was a similar story in the third quarter until the Magpies broke it open in the final term, kicking seven goals to Richmond’s one.
After sitting in the high 690s for a few weeks, Jack Riewoldt finally nailed his 700th AFL goal.
It came in his 299th game and saw him become just the 24th player in VFL/AFL history to reach that goal milestone.
The Tigers will now hope to celebrate his 300th with a win over the Lions on Friday night.
Negative: Is the dynasty over?
The Tigers have been standing perilously on the edge for the last few weeks, but did the loss to the Pies tip them over?
Of course, they sit only a game out of seventh spot but with tricky fixtures against Brisbane and Geelong to come, they are going to need a minor miracle to get things back on track.
The injuries have mounted, some of the older players are looking banged up and the dynamic game style has gone. It looked like they lay down in the last quarter.
Is there still a sniff of hope? Or are they dead and buried for 2021? The next two weeks will tell the story.
Andrew Slevison
Positive: Major scalp ignites finals hopes
St Kilda is finding form at the right time of the year.
The Saints now sit outside the top eight on percentage after beating Brisbane by 32 points in what was their best and most complete performance of the season to date.
Five goals to one in the final quarter blew the Lions away with captain Jack Steele (31 disposals, two goals), Luke Dunstan (29) and Zak Jones (26 and 10 clearances) playing key roles in the win.
Dougal Howard, Tom Highmore and Jimmy Webster helped blanket Brisbane’s star-studded forward line, while Max King took 10 marks and kicked three goals.
Momentum is building at Moorabbin.
Negative: Injury sidelines Wood
Mason Wood was a late withdrawal from Saturday night’s match on the Gold Coast with hamstring tightness.
The ex-Roo had been in solid form before his setback, collecting 22 disposals and laying seven tackles in the win over Collingwood in Round 16.
Wood, who has a chequered history with soft tissue injuries, felt hamstring tightness in the warm-up and was replaced in the side by Dean Kent.
In better injury news for the Saints, Dan Hannebery made a successful return from a lengthy injury layoff in the VFL on the weekend.
Hannebery kicked a goal and had 12 disposals on limited minutes for the Sandringham Zebras.
Alex Zaia
Positive: Took another scalp
Are the Swans genuine premiership contenders?
They have just about entered calculations after beating the Western Bulldogs by 19 points on Sunday afternoon having led at every break.
Out of the current top four, Sydney has beaten the Bulldogs, Cats and Lions, and almost beat both the Demons and Power as well.
Currently in sixth place, they’ll probably have to win it without a second chance come September.
While it’ll be a tough task, there’s no doubt the Swans should be confident that their game stacks up against the best sides in the comp.
They could just be the finals wildcard this season.
Negative: Smashed at the source
Despite taking the four points, Sydney were belted at the stoppage by the Bulldogs.
The Swans’ on-ball unit lost the clearance count 46-26, and even gave up more inside 50s (52) than they had (47) despite claiming the win.
It’ll be both pleasing and concerning to John Longmire that they took the result despite the obvious disparity.
On one hand, they were good enough around the ground and in the air that it didn’t matter.
On the other hand, they would lose more games than they’d win if those statistics continued for the rest of the year.
If the Swans can tidy up this aspect of their game and keep their defensive work and aerial game strong, they’ll become even more dangerous.
It’s one to think about for the club’s midfield and coaching staff.
Lachlan Geleit
Positive: There was a tactical adjustment
The Eagles cordoned off their defensive half in the opening quarters, winning more than 20 forward half intercepts and more than twice as many forward 50 entries as North Melbourne.
Josh Rotham and Shannon Hurn were brilliant, plucking intercept marks in less than favourable conditions for a defence that sits up in the sky.
However, they weren’t generating high percentage opportunities closer to goal. In slippery conditions, with a waterlogged ball, the hosts managed just 3.10.
The message to be more direct got through in the early stages of the final term, and Oscar Allen, Liam Ryan and Tim Kelly each kicked goals on the end of frenetic play.
Given the Eagles’ top line midfield, paired with the most impactful minute-for-minute ruck in the league, it is bewildering why they didn’t bring the grind earlier.
Negative: Outclassed and outmanoeuvred
While West Coast were comfortable with their forward trap set up in the opening half, their capacity to shift their defence fell away.
After half-time North Melbourne were crisper with the ball coming out of their defensive arc, and the Eagles were pulled apart.
When the ball came to ground in the rain, the Roos worked to get an extra number to each contest and were sharper than the West Coast midfielders.
It created mismatches and one-on-one contests for the burly North forwards, Nick Larkey and Cam Zurhaar in particular.
Were it not for the oscillations on the score worm and in the bigger picture, what we know about West Coast, this may have felt like an ambush.
We saw the best of the Eagles at times, but their lack of street smarts was evident against a young and hungry team, willing to roll up their sleeves and work for each other.
Nathan John
Positive: Jamarra isn’t as far away as you think
The community has swiftly arrived at the consensus that Jamarra Ugle-Hagan isn’t ready, but even a cursory scan of his involvements on Sunday indicates he is very close.
A Gunditjmara man from Framlingham in far south-western Victoria, he crackles with potential, and will take the crowd’s breath away long after his presence becomes routine.
Ugle-Hagan zeroes in on pockets of space, has a slippery sidestep, times his leap over defenders who have established front position, and impacts with and without the ball at ground level.
His nerves were evident as he fumbled in open play on occasion, but contrary to assumptions of his work ethic and fitness, the 19-year-old got into positions to impact and score throughout.
‘Marra’ should be backed in to face Gold Coast on Saturday, and not just for his development. On a dirty day for the Dogs he was a spark, and pulled his weight on the defensive end.
Negative: Some tinkering will be required
It all just… fell apart for the Dogs on Sunday afternoon. Luke Beveridge’s men trounced the Swans in the clinches, recording a +20 clearance differential.
Without key forward Aaron Naughton however, they were disorganised forward of centre, and they were unable to disrupt the Swans’ crisp, cerebral ball movement on the way out.
When they most needed the safety net of closing down exits, harrying the opposition and scoring on forward half turnovers, it wasn’t there, and their structure splattered onto the Docklands turf.
Expect personnel changes. Naughton will return, Josh Dunkley will up the menace in the Dogs’ team defence if ready, but Beveridge may also feel inclined to shuffle his smalls.
Mitches Hannan and Wallis have been cumbersome. A return for stealthy speedster Lachie McNeil is in play, while Toby McLean can bring bite and goal nous to forward 50 stoppages.
Beyond that, Laitham Vandermeer’s fitness looms large over the composition of the Dogs’ finals tilt.
Nathan John
