WELCOME to Reaction Time.
Early each week, AFL.com.au's Riley Beveridge will discuss the topic that deserves a reaction at your club and grade it on the 'Urgency Index'.
It could be anything from an issue that's got a team pondering drastic change, or the form of an underrated star that requires immediate recognition.
The gradings, which relate specifically to the topics, are as follows:
- Panic Stations.
- Simmering.
- Watch This Space.
- Green Shoots.
- Flying.
In this week's Reaction Time, we look at the implications of Melbourne's sorry Saturday afternoon, delve into the most remarkable of career paths, and analyse Geelong's barometer, Collingwood's confidence levels, the Giants' off-season ahead, and take an early stab at the 2027 Coleman Medal winner.
Izak. Rankine. The highest rated player in the competition across the last eight weeks and ready for a September that could define him as a footballer. His outrageous form continued on Saturday night with 35 disposals, four goals and three goal assists to go with 12 clearances, 845m gained and 10 score involvements. Simply unstoppable right now.
Urgency Index: Flying.
Logan Morris is walking on sunshine. Eight goals on Friday night, 63 for the year, after 53 in his sophomore campaign, could make it three premierships in three seasons next month, and is about to get offers that will likely tip beyond $10 million in a contract year in 2027. One of the most remarkable career paths you'll see, and he's only played 67 games.
Urgency Index: Flying.
Want to know something crazy? Carlton would have finished two points clear of Fremantle on top of the ladder had the season started when Josh Fraser took over. The Blues dismantled the Dockers on Saturday and showed the balance Fraser has implemented in their system. Won it on the inside, finishing with 13 more clearances and 22 more contested possessions, and smashed the minor premier on the outside to have 113 more disposals and 51 more uncontested marks. Might just be a very good football side.
Urgency Index: Flying.
The good vibes that had emanated from this Collingwood group across the last couple of months were pricked somewhat across the weekend with a big loss to Brisbane, a dispiriting injury to Scott Pendlebury, and a brutal setback for Brayden Maynard. Still got belief in the Pies, but they'll need to pick themselves up by Friday night.
Urgency Index: Watch This Space.
Mark McVeigh will be waking up Monday morning thinking, 'How can I build this entire team around Nate Caddy?' That should be his priority. A personal best six goals on Sunday, reward for a season where he's worked his socks off. At just 21 years of age and now 49 games into a hugely hyped career, it's Caddy who has the ability to explode next year and give 'Spike' an immediate leap. Three, maybe four picks inside 20 will help as well.
Urgency Index: Green Shoots.
You can afford to rotate players, rest others, and lose two of your last three when you're already three games clear with a month to play. The real stuff starts now for Freo.
Urgency Index: Watch This Space.
There will be higher profile players, carrying more headlines heading into September. But few will be more important to their team's finals hopes than Shaun Mannagh. Such a barometer for this Geelong side. The club's highest rated player since round 18 and again shone on Saturday night with 33 disposals, three goals and two goal assists.
Urgency Index: Flying.
As one of 2027's best free agents, Matt Rowell is going to get paid next year regardless of whether he stays or goes. But if he plays like he did in the last six weeks of this season, his next paycheque could be astronomical. One of the few positives in a dim second half of the year for Gold Coast. Finished as the No.4 rated player in the competition across the last six matches and won 28 disposals, 20 contested possessions and 11 clearances on Thursday night to ensure the Suns finished a disappointing campaign on a high.
Urgency Index: Green Shoots.
All change. Jake Stringer is gone despite a 48-goal season, Jesse Hogan will almost certainly follow him, Kieren Briggs is set for Richmond, Stephen Coniglio is deciding on his future, while the club's captain and its best ever player Toby Greene remains 50/50 on a call that could define the Giants' short-term future. That's a sizeable chunk of the core that has made this group so competitive for so long under coach Adam Kingsley.
Urgency Index: Simmering.
A full fortnight to prepare for the hardest test in footy: Fremantle at Optus Stadium. Hawthorn hasn't conquered that challenge in six consecutive matches, dating back to 2018, and lost a cracker there earlier this year when 'Wharfie Time' froze Sam Mitchell's men and helped the Dockers kick five of the last six goals to claim victory. Daunting.
Urgency Index: Watch This Space.
Let's play a game of what would you rather: A week off to rest the legs and bask in the positives of a much-improved season, or a do-or-die wildcard game against the form team in the competition? That's what was on the line for Melbourne on Saturday. A missed opportunity from a Dees side that can't be faulted for much else this year.
Urgency Index: Simmering.
If there is any positive for North Melbourne from Sunday's performance – and they are incredibly hard to find – it's that the Kangas will finish in the bottom five and are now set to receive the compensation pick that will inevitably come with that.
Urgency Index: Simmering.
An early tip for 2027: Mitch Georgiades for the Coleman. Only Jack Gunston and Jeremy Cameron have taken more shots at goal than the Port Adelaide spearhead across the last two seasons, campaigns that have yielded 58.42 and 51.47 for Georgiades. If he can kick straighter, he can take this League by the scruff of its neck. Glad he got some reward for his efforts on Sunday, including a dead-eye set-shot effort with the game on the line late.
Urgency Index: Green Shoots.
And now, finally, the fun begins for Richmond. After a painful season, the Tigers can look forward to an October and November that will either bring at least three top 25 draft picks … or a pretty handy player in the form of Zak Butters on around $2 million per year.
Urgency Index: Watch This Space.
St Kilda didn't have the off-season it did last October to go from 9-14 to 10-13. A disappointing, underwhelming, letdown of a season. Can't spin it any differently.
Urgency Index: Panic Stations.
With Errol, anything is possible. Remarkably, Gulden is now averaging 40.4 disposals across his last five matches. His 202 touches across that stretch are the fourth most Champion Data has ever recorded across five games. Meanwhile, his last fortnight has seen him become the first player to ever have 1000m gained in consecutive matches.
Urgency Index: Flying.
The season clearly got away from West Coast, which lost 11 straight to finish and undid some of the promising signs from the first half of the year. Andrew McQualter will point to the seven losses by under 20 points, and the five by under two kicks, as a sign that the Eagles are in more games. But the time is quickly arriving to turn the win-loss around. After only 15 triumphs in the last five years, 2027 looms as the season to make the jump.
Urgency Index: Simmering.
If anything's going to keep Luke Beveridge's side alive this season, it's the Bulldog Blockade down back. A top five team defensively since round nine and resolute again on Saturday, holding the Demons to just five goals from 33 entries in a first half that set the foundations for their upset win. Look to have found something again heading into September.
Urgency Index: Green Shoots.
FOOTY ASIDE …
Problems everywhere for England's Champions League clubs to begin their domestic seasons. Manchester United looked putrid in a 2-0 loss to newly promoted Hull where the side's lack of physicality was on full display, Liverpool disappointed in a 2-2 draw at Newcastle as the glaring gaps in a paper thin squad were exposed, a much changed Aston Villa got whipped inside half an hour to lose 4-0 to Brighton, while even Manchester City hardly looked convincing as it scraped a late 2-1 win over Bournemouth. Said it last week, will say it again now, this is Arsenal's title to lose. Should really win it in a canter.
Urgency Index: Watch This Space.