AFL.com.au's Callum Twomey takes a look at a major issue at Essendon, Harley Reid's early-season form and more in Cal-culations
BOMBERS KICK THEMSELVES INTO MORE PAIN
THERE should be equal delight and concern about Jacob Farrow's level of composure in his debut for Essendon.
In his first game, the No.10 draft pick from last year quickly showed he was one of the Bombers' classiest, cleanest players with a lovely left-foot kick and penetrating style. But that the 18-year-old did that in his first game said perhaps more about the skill level of the rest of his team.
The Bombers' effort was better against North Melbourne, but sloppy kicking and handballing across all parts of the ground was decisive in the defeat. This is Essendon's class divide – between it and most of the rest of the competition – and it's not a new issue but it is even more glaring when Zach Merrett can't get into the game and Nic Martin, a top-three player for Essendon and a creator by foot, is missing all year.
"I've heard a lot of coaches say that AFL football is not a finishing school, [like] 'If you can't kick then you don't belong here'. But the reality is we've got to keep working on our execution. We'll definitely improve it," coach Brad Scott said post-game.
"A big reason in bringing Jacob Farrow into the team is, while he didn't have a massive influence on the contest, he looked like an AFL player with beautiful composure, beautiful kick. We need to start bringing guys like that into our team."
The fear for the Bombers will be that things aren't going to get better in the short-term.
What will a red-hot Western Bulldogs do to Essendon next Sunday given the Dogs' record over the Bombers generally – they've won 11 of their past 13 encounters and at an average of 57 points – on top of their very different form lines in 2026?
Then there is Melbourne at Gather Round, Gold Coast at People First Stadium, Collingwood on Anzac Day and a clash against Brisbane to come.
North did what it needed to do on Saturday but it was an underwhelming win and the Roos will need to be better against Carlton on Good Friday in a fixture that they have failed in over its history.
North has lost its past six Good Friday games by an average of 69 points but should enter this week confident it can topple Carlton.
For many at Arden Street, Finn O'Sullivan is a favourite and his first three weeks of this season have shown his development. The No.2 pick from the 2024 draft class closed down Zak Butters' influence in round one and on Saturday completely shut down Merrett, keeping him to 10 disposals – the lowest tally of his career outside of games that were cut short by injury or as the substitute.
Next stop looks to be Blues star Sam Walsh, who is a second cousin of O'Sullivan, North's laidback but fiercely competitive talent.
THE MAKING OF HARLEY
THIS might have been the making of Harley Reid.
Reid got to work over summer so he could have days like these, where deep in games he could impact with the same power, ferocity and damage as earlier in games.
West Coast clinched back-to-back wins for the first time since 2024 with its impressive victory over Port Adelaide and Reid was everywhere.
His head-to-head physical battle with Port superstar Zak Butters was box office, with both No.9s having several heavy clashes and big contests. But Reid inspired his team to an unlikely victory after they had conceded five of the first six goals.
He finished with 21 disposals, two goals and six clearances, he sidestepped opponents for fun and his kicking was important.
The focus on Reid's second season last year, when he kicked 14 goals from 19 games and averaged 19 disposals for the worst team in the competition, was out of whack given the year before he would have won the Telstra AFL Rising Star if not for suspension.
But the noise comes because of the ability – and watchability – that Reid possesses and it is clear he is running better, has been refined well by West Coast's strength and conditioning team and is enjoying having a wider group of top talents around him.
The best thing for Andrew McQualter is that it wasn't just Reid. His other No.1 pick – Willem Duursma – kicked 1.3 from 20 disposals and looks right at home at the level, Tom McCarthy (20 disposals) has been a stellar mid-season pick, Jobe Shanahan drifted back and took a massive pack mark in defence to stop Port's run, Hamish Davis continued to do his bit and run all day and Cooper Duff-Tytler backed up last week with more moments.
It was the Eagles' best win of McQualter's era at the Eagles and since half-time of round one against Gold Coast, West Coast has kicked 37 goals to 35 across two-and-a-half games.
Port has now lost to two of last year's three bottom teams in the opening three rounds and missed a chance to get off to a strong start to the season.
TWO-TIER FEARS
IT WASN'T the weekend of the premiership contenders, which is why Brisbane's deadly burst late in Saturday's win over St Kilda was the most imposing block of footy for the round.
With the Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Sydney and Hawthorn all having the bye, it was left to the Lions to assert themselves as the key flag contenders of the weekend along with Fremantle.
Geelong and Adelaide will be thereabouts, but there are early questions on both sides. Are the Cats as hungry as last year after their Grand Final shocker and can Patrick Dangerfield and Jeremy Cameron hit the heights of 2025? And can the Crows overcome the early setbacks with fitness and injuries to key players to stake a claim alongside the best after their minor premiership last season?
Just as the Saints were pressing at Marvel Stadium, the Lions got moving by booting the last six goals of the game to claim their first win of their campaign. It was less a roar and more a snarl but had the desired effect to show the class gap that remains between the Saints and the best teams in the competition.
Freo easily dismantled Richmond at Optus Stadium as expected and the Dockers will be smarting they are not 3-0 after giving up a five-goal lead over Geelong in round one.
After a two-tier competition last year with a huge discrepancy between the top nine and bottom nine teams, four weeks into this season there appears only a handful of genuine flag contenders. And most of them had this weekend off.
RELEASE THE RUNNERS
WITH two minutes to play in Thursday night's clash between Adelaide and Geelong, the Crows' interchange steward lifted a sign with a green Crows logo.
The message was clear: it was go time for Adelaide given it was behind and it went into win at all costs mode.
The Bombers have put up a similar sign late in games, with some chips as the sign. Again, a clear message – it's a 'chips in' time of the game where attack mode is taken to level 100.
On Saturday night, the Roos had the number two circled for the last two minutes of the term, a standard placard across the competition.
The signs have added some kooky moments to the game – including Hawthorn's noodles, a dancing radio and even a controller – but is it time that coaches were given their runners back for all parts of the game?
Messages that come with the 'green Crow' example generally spread through a team very quickly but in a sport that is of the highest stakes, coaches should be able to contact their players through their runners until the final siren.
After consultation with coaches and clubs ahead of the 2024 season, the AFL made changes to runners' access, permitting them on the field four times per quarter for a maximum of 90 seconds each time, which was a rise from two times per quarter in 2023. Those periods are in addition to runners being allowed on the ground after each goal.
Runners are allowed access until the final two minutes of each quarter, which is often why the whacky signs come out in the dying moments of terms.
Those rules were brought in nearly a decade ago when runners were parking up in defensive systems and blocking space as a 19th man on the field, becoming tactically a part of a coach's plan.
If that is the concern, then add a heightened penalty for those caught breaching the rules for both in game and a soft cap fine. The runners should be released.
JUMPERS GONNA JUMP
"ONE OF your greatest strengths is going to be really important to us – jumping over people at centre bounces," Collingwood coach Craig McRae told Oscar Steene when he informed him of his AFL debut last week.
The decline of the wrestling ruck has happened quicker than we could have imagined.
Of all the AFL's suite of new rules this season, the one with the most material effect has been the 'no crossing the centre circle line' at centre ball ups, encouraging jumping and taking out the influence of the bigger, stronger ruckmen.
No better has that change been emphasised than by Collingwood's selection of Steene, in his fourth year on the Pies' list, to take on Greater Western Sydney big man Kieren Briggs on Friday night.
Steene was a revelation and Briggs, although his numbers were solid, battled to influence the game. It has been the story of his season, which coincides with Briggs' free agency year. The timing isn't super for Briggs, as clubs continue to take risks on the jumping rucks to start this season.
Geelong threw in Mitch Edwards early in the season for a taste of the action, the Lions turned to athletic tall Zane Zakostelsky for a debut in Opening Round and the Crows have sided with the athletic Lachie McAndrew ahead of experienced Reilly O'Brien after he signed a new deal last year – before the new rules were introduced.
Collingwood unearthed a gun ruck in Darcy Cameron via a late trade in 2019 but Steene's leap and size gives them a different edge – and the message will be clear to keep jumping and tapping it into space for Nick Daicos to run on to.
THE PAPLEY SHOW GOES ON
MY MEMORY of Tom Papley as a junior player was in 2015, when he had a shot for goal after the siren to win a game for the Gippsland Power. The shot sprayed off the side of his boot and he missed his chance to be the hero.
It wasn't a sign of things to come.
He was a pocket rocket that year and showed flashes playing as an overager after not being drafted the previous season, but he was picked by Swans recruiter Kinnear Beatson who had seen enough and believed in his workrate. It remains one of Sydney's best ever draft selections as a rookie success story.
That year there were 64 picks in that rookie draft and Papley is one of three who remain on AFL lists, along with Dan Houston and Mabior Chol.
This week, as the Swans travel to Perth to take on West Coast, Papley will play his 200th game – a milestone he nor anyone around him would have expected more than a decade ago.
In between he quickly grew to be one of the best small forwards in the competition and an engaging, watchable, in-your-face fan favourite or enemy.
In his debut year he kicked 29 goals at the feet of Lance Franklin, swapping the plumbing duties to be Buddy's buddy, and featured in the Grand Final against the Western Bulldogs.
Since then there have been wild goal celebrations, two more Grand Final losses, an All-Australian jumper, a best-on-ground game for Victoria, an on-field scuffle with an official from a rival, been called overweight by an opponent, a podcast that caught headlines, a trade request that fell through, a big contract extension, countless match-winning displays, and a heck of a lot of goals.
Injuries over the past 18 months have been disruptive, but Papley remains a key cog in Sydney's flag hopes. And whether you like him or not, characters like Papley are what make us all tune in every week.
GRAND CALL
CLUBS felt the AFL was leaning towards a history-making change to a twilight Grand Final this year. But they've also thought that in the past as broadcasters push for the change.
But so it was that the League had already decided it was locking in the premiership decider for a 2.30pm start not just for this year but also in 2027. A Sunday morning email at 6.30am made official the League's decision.
The AFL unveiled its 'Footy, fans, future' mantra at this year's season launch and the Grand Final decision is a nod to the fans, who have overwhelmingly, steadfastly called for a daytime decider to remain.