AFL Power Ranking Round 5 (or handball at your own peril)

I noticed this week that foxsports.com.au has started doing power rankings as well. Ah well, bugger ‘em.

If all the matches of this week highlighted one thing, it was that sides will lose matches through dumb handballs – handballs to players standing still, handballs to players surrounded by 3 opponents, handballs to players behind them. And what is worse is the excruciating number of players who are unable to hit a team mates with a handpass.

The Crows of course are the worst at all facets of this – and it is the number one reason why they are 0-5.

Brisbane, Saints and Geelong all had a chance to stamp themselves as the best team going around, instead working out who is best is a bit of a throw the names up in the air and see who comes down last effort.

Next week will reveal a good deal more – Saint-Bulldogs; Brisbane-Sydney; Carlton-Collingwood will do some serious sorting out.  

Oh and my final word on the Anzac Day clash – if Essendon and Collingwood are serious about the match really being about honouring the memory of war veterans then both clubs should have  no problems with the match being played by the two teams from the previous year’s Grand Final, because they would know that Anzac Day is bigger than the two clubs, and the match is of such significance that you should earn the right to play it. If they do have a problem with it, then it’s obvious it is just a money spinning operation for them. Today at the MCG 70,000 saw Geelong play Carlton, they would have easily got close to 90,000 had it been the Anzac Day clash (as that game gets a lot of neutral supporters – I know of 4 people who went to the Anzac Day game just because it was the Anzac Day game – they have no care about Collingwood or Essendon).

The only reason it hasn’t happened is that Andrew Demetriou is too gutless to take on Eddie McGuire.

My final word: if it really is about honouring the vets, get the RSL to send out a poll to all RSL members asking if they would prefer the Anzac Day game to be between Collingwood and Essendon or between whoever played the previous year’s Grand Final. I have a suspicion that contrary to what Eddie would like to believe, not all who served in wars were Pies and Bombers fans…

	Rank	LW	Team	Record	Comment
	1	1↔	St Kilda	4-1	The Saints were missing their best big man – and Kochitske is definitely no Reiwoldt. Now they face a rested Bulldogs (coming off the “Crows-bye”).
	2	5↑	Collingwood	4-1	The Pies beat a pretty hopeless Essendon side in a game that meant absolutely no more than does any other game worth 4 points.
	3	4↑	Fremantle	4-1	The Dockers started slow, but it was poor kicking that really cost them (4.12 at half time!). They won easily, and should account for the Eagles in the derby.
	4	3↔	Brisbane	4-1	The Lions were made to look ordinary by the Demons – Brown looked half paced, and Fev lazy (Carlton fans would be nodding their heads wisely at that).
	5	7↑	Sydney	4-1	A strong win over the Eagles. The Swans are looking good for another finals campaign. A huge game against the Lions this week.
	6	9↔	Carlton	3-2	A big win for the Blues – if only you could count on them being this good, I would rate them much higher.
	7	2↓	Geelong	3-2	The Cats were sloppy, wasteful and looked lost in the forward lines, now at least they get to play the Tigers at home.
	8	6↓	Bulldogs	3-2	The Dogs got a much needed win, but  next week they play the Saints, which compared to the Crows is like going from kindergarten to university in a week.
	9	11↑	Melbourne	3-2	The Demons were fast, hard and skilful. The self belief was obvious, and they should account for North this week with ease.
	10	12↑	Port Adelaide	3-2	The game was ugly, and suited Port. They will now fancy themselves to flog a demoralised Crows outfit.
	11	14↑	North Melbourne	2-3	The Roos score a typical “Shinboner spirit” win. They now face Melbourne who are playing like they think they can beat anybody.
	12	8↓	Hawthorn	1-4	Yeah the Hawks have had some injuries. But the cold hard reality is they’re one win above Richmond.
	13	10↓	Essendon	1-4	Essendon saw 90,000 in the crowd, thought it was a final and played accordingly – ie they got flogged.
	14	13↓	West Coast	1-4	Not good enough - will struggle against the Dockers this week (and bloody Naitanui only scored me a lousy 55 Dream Team points! $#@!#)
	15	15↔	Adelaide	0-5	Will never win a game when they think handballs to people standing still are a good strategy.
	16	16↔	Richmond	0-5	A great first quarter. A terrible last three quarters. Says it all really. (Oh and now they have to play Geelong in Geelong)