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Round 8 had some exciting football… but it also had some stinking performances.
Geelong and Collingwood set the benchmark in a game worthy of finals, while Fremantle, Carlton and Port Adelaide were the complete opposite, crashing back down to earth.
Sydney and Adelaide returned to form but need to make sure their victories are not just flashes in the pan – and after a slow start to the year, are the Bulldogs starting to put the bite on the rest of the competition?
Here’s how the teams stack up after Round 8.
The game of the season and the fact that the Magpies only lost by a kick – literally – it’s hard to dislodge Collingwood from top spot.
The way they have been playing is a dangerous style of footy; with the Daicos boys getting their hands on the ball at will, and Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom playing like young men again – they were a Jack Crisp kick away from another win.
The 2023 premiers had led by as much as 20 points in the third quarter, only to be run down by a more determined Geelong side looking to bounce back.
There’s no reason for concern, and the Magpies are still the team to beat.
Jack Crisp misses a shot after the siren to win the match for Collingwood. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Ever since the loss at the Gabba on the Easter weekend, the Lions have barely put a foot wrong.
It was shaping up as the most anticipated Q-Clash ever, but after the tight opening stages, Brisbane flexed their muscle and began pulling away in the second term.
The Ashcroft brothers combined for 63 disposals, while Hugh McCluggage also climbed past 30 disposals.
The Lions are bucking the trend of premiers struggling the following year, and now wins have come in all shapes and sizes; they are no longer leaving results until late in the match, which would impress coach Chris Fagan.
A brave and gutsy effort to bounce back after the disappointing loss to Carlton.
The Pies had more than a three-goal lead late in the game, but again Bailey Smith and Patrick Dangerfield rose to the occasion.
A straighter Jack Crisp kick could have painted a different picture for Geelong, but the tenacity to fight back in pressure situations is a skill that many of the teams in the competition do not have.
Don’t write the Cats off yet.
Bobby Hill conceded a free kick for legging Geelong’s Shaun Mannagh in this chasedown tackle attempt. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
It may seem weird that a comfortable 65-point win sees you drop down the rankings, but Hawthorn do slip to fourth only because of the team that they were playing compared to Geelong.
The Cats – who beat the Hawks a few weeks ago – were up against the ladder leader, and Sam Mitchell’s side were against wooden spoon contender Richmond.
That said, Hawthorn never looked troubled, moving to 6-2 ahead of a clash with Melbourne, gradually pulling away at every change to win by more than 10 goals.
Josh Battle (33), Changkuoth Jiath (32) and Massimo D’Ambrosio (30) all starred in terms of the possession count, while Jack Gunston and Nick Watson kicked three goals each.
The Western Bulldogs continue their surge up the ladder. It was looking shaky early in tricky Ballarat conditions, but after quarter time, Luke Beveridge’s side just stamped their dominance.
An increase in midfield pressure gave the Bulldogs a greater share of the ball, with five of the top six possession getters wearing the red, white and blue.
Aaron Naughton continued his straight kicking up front with 3.1 to go, with Tim English, who bagged three. The dominance of the win has put the rest of the teams in the competition on notice.
But are they better placed than they have been in previous seasons for a late-season surge?
Buku Khamis of the Bulldogs celebrates with teammates. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)
What a way to bounce back for the Crows in Adelaide, but it’s still just two wins in the past five games, and it’s hard to tell what team you are going to get to turn up from week to week.
Fortunately, the win over the Blues showcased everything that is good about the side, dominating the disposals and inside 50s, and there were three multiple goal kickers for Adelaide.
At their best, they are a genuine finals team, but you don’t know which version you will get and if they will last the four quarters.
So, still a few questions to answer before the business end of the season, but they are better than most teams currently.
The Suns managed just seven goals in their lowest score for the season, kicking just 49 points, with equal goals to behinds.
Handballs and hit outs were the only two areas in which Gold Coast were on top statistically, with the premiers having more possession and using it smarter, with the inside 50 count 56-40.
It’s only the second loss for the season for Damien Hardwick’s side, who cling to a top-four spot on the ladder – so no need for panic – but they don’t want to make a habit of playing in this fashion too often.
It was a fiery Sydney derby with spot fires breaking out from the early exchanges, but the Giants were on the back foot from the opening quarter and never really looked likely.
Greater Western Sydney actually won all the key stats, except for the main one – the score – while the inside 50s were tied at 54-54.
The loss has shown where GWS are at in 2025, slumping to three straight losses – and the last two wins before that were against the Eagles and Saints – and only just clinging to the top eight on percentage.
The Swans really needed a win to stay in touch with the top eight themselves, and it was an important win over cross-town rivals.
Racing to a 30-point lead in the first term, last year’s grand finalists shared the scoring around with 11 individual goal scorers, and James Jordon (2) the only one for the team with multiple majors.
The final margin was 14 points, but could have been a lot bigger with Sydney kicking 15 behinds, but it has them back in the winners list and four points behind the Giants – which is the important thing.
The Blues crashed down to earth in a big way against Adelaide after a strong past month.
A team that had been kicking 14 goals or more in the past three, including the upset win over Geelong, Carton managed just 7.8 on the interstate trip.
George Hewett was the only player to reach 25 possessions, as the Crows won the battle as a team 380-311 and had seven players out of the top nine.
Harry McKay finished goalless as the Blues fell to a 3-5 win-loss record in 13th spot, and are still not convincing as a finals contender.
It was a 10-goal win from the Saints, although it was just as much a woeful performance from Freo as anything that St Kilda did well.
Ross Lyon’s men hammered their opponents in the disposal count 376-286 as well as the inside 50s 61-34, but while the Dockers managed just five goals, St Kilda kicked 14.10.
They are now locked at 4-4, and their percentage is just keeping them out of the top eight.
Simon Goodwin promised that his team was unified and, since then, the Demons made it three on the bounce – albeit over struggling sides Fremantle, Richmond and West Coast.
Jack Viney did a strong job tagging Harley Reid, limiting last year’s No.1 draft pick to just 13 disposals and one behind.
Max Gawn had a massive performance for the Demons, with 22 contested possessions, nine clearances and finishing with a game-high 12 score involvements.
Melbourne needs to show more against the top sides before they can be considered a serious side again, but they are only one win off eighth spot.
Caleb Serong and Alex Pearce react to Fremantle’s loss. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
One good performance seems to be followed by a poor letdown for Freo, and this week was no different.
In fact, the five-goal performance was widely slammed across the AFL world for being one of the worst performances of the season and unwatchable at times. The visitors managed just seven points in the first half.
It’s hard to see Fremantle challenging for a finals spot on that effort, despite only just sitting outside on percentage, until they do something about their consistency.
The Bombers backed up their ANZAC Day loss to the Magpies by just scraping over a spirited North Melbourne side, who fought back in the third term and challenged for the lead.
One area of concern was that the Bombers managed just two goals after the main break, relying on their first-half dominance to grind out the win.
Essendon have won four of the past five, but they have been against struggling teams down the bottom of the ladder.
The Power were another team who came crashing down to earth; chasing four straight wins, the game slipped away in the second quarter, and they never recovered.
In breezy conditions in Ballarat, Port Adelaide kicked just 5.11 – but the weather can’t be used as an excuse, as the Bulldogs managed to score 131.
The scoreline reflected the inside 50 dominance, which the Bulldogs won convincingly 67-41, as well as the disposal count 415-305.
Jade Gresham is tackled by Harry Sheezel. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
It was a brave fightback by North Melbourne against the Bombers, and the effort would have impressed many Kangaroos supporters. Both teams kicked nine goals each, with just three behinds the difference.
The Roos even had a late chance to win it; a missed shot to debutant Finnbar Maley with less than two minutes to go, who didn’t realise how little time he had left to kick and ended up rushing it.
It was so close, but the loss still leaves the Kangaroos second last on the table with just one win this season.
The Tigers did a good job sticking with the Hawks until quarter time, but it went all downhill quickly from there. Hawthorn took control and pulled away to post their biggest win of the season to date.
Jacob Hopper was impressive in a tough day for his side, with 28 disposals and five score involvements, but it was hard to find too many other positives for a side beaten by 65 points.
Another week, another West Coast loss. Despite taking a double-digit lead just after the main break, the Eagles couldn’t capitalise as Melbourne surged home, winning by 32 in the end.
The Demons did a good job tagging Harley Reid and limiting his involvement in the game, as the rest of the Eagles’ midfielders struggled to impact the contest.
The loss extended West Coast’s worst start to a season to 0-8 – a tough initiation to coaching for Andrew McQualter – and it is just hard to see how it’s going to turn around.
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