Review

6 rounds down and we’re over a quarter of the way through the regular season. So what, if anything, have we gleaned from the first 6 weeks of season 2016?

Well, for one – the Hawks are not invincible. They never really have been, especially early in the season, but as we know – if they’re around the mark when the whips are cracking, they’re going to be hard to beat. We know they’ll be welcoming back players later in the season – and I really get the sense that there might be a few Hawks players starting to think that this could be Last Chance Saloon in respects to Premiership Glory. We’re already seeing some contenders start to raise their hands – perennial finalists Sydney and Geelong are sitting 2nd and 3rd respectively, and they’re joined in the top 4 by the Kangas and Doggies – somewhat surprisingly for me to be perfectly honest. I wasn’t expecting either side to feature in the top 4, yet both have made great starts to the year. It will get harder for the Dogs from here on in, with their ever increasing injury list starting to test their depth. This might be a blessing in disguise actually – I don’t think this was going to be their year for ultimate glory anyway – and with their injuries – now they have a chance to really build some squad depth for a crack at the flag next year. The Giants, Eagles, Crows, and Hawks round out the top 8, and all 4 sides have played impressive footy at times this year. Could this be the year someone wins the flag from outside the top 4? Potentially. I feel like at this stage – we’ve got a really even competition, and we’re no closer to knowing which two clubs will be playing off in the last game of the season. I like Sydney and Geelong at this point – both teams have tough, hard midfields, capable key forwards, and solid defenders, but honestly – it’s a futile exercise in round 6.