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Jaiden Sciberras • May 11th, 2025 8:08 pm
Round 9 has come and gone, and what a round it was.
Kicking off with a brilliant away scalp for the Pies, this weekend's fixtures were nothing short of superb.
From a special Showdown, to a Giant win at the death, Round 9 saw all but one contest finish within a margin of 15 points!
With that being said, here are the things that we learnt across a phenomenal round of AFL football!
Good teams win ugly
It doesn’t matter how you get it done.
Resting four elite-level players, the undermanned Magpies head out west for a prime-time clash, taking on a Dockers side playing for their season.
Fremantle’s elite midfield and high-end talent did exactly as expected, dominating the clearance and ground-ball game to amass an absurd 62 inside 50’s, +28 on the Pies across the course of the contest.
While one could claim that Fremantle’s entries did leave a bit to be desired, Collingwood’s firm defence held up astronomically, collecting 61 intercepts and 48 rebound 50’s en route to just 12 Fremantle goals for the contest.
On the opposite end, Collingwood’s elite conversion was enough to get the job done. 15 goals from 34 inside 50’s led by an equal career-best six from the ageless Jamie Elliot, the Pies were as clinical as ever.
These are the markings of a premiership side. Undermanned and under the pump, the Pies pulled off one of the great away wins.
Injuries aside, Essendon are in great shape
Despite what’s been far-from-ideal on the injury front, the Bombers continue to prove that their list is in a very strong place.
Their contest with the Swans was the perfect showcase of their depth of talent all across the ground.
23-year-old Zach Reid has been stellar in the back half, finding his feet after a poor run of health and proving just how good he truly is. In a back six without Jordan Ridley, Reid stepped up in a big way, accumulating 27 disposals at 85 per cent, 14 marks and eight intercepts, comfortably the best player for the Dons in a great win over the Saints.
Beyond Reid’s efforts, 24-year-old Nic Martin continues to shine off the back flank, while debutant Lewis Hayes looked as comfortable as ever at the top level. While his very unfortunate ACL injury will rule him out for some time, there is so much to look forward to surrounding his future.
Up the ground, Archie Roberts, Jye Caldwell and Sam Durham were vital in maintaining the midfield with Merrett copping the tag, while Isaac Kako and Archer Day-Wicks were strong in the front half.
Not to mention Nate Caddy, who is a truly special talent.
On the verge of the eight, with an incredibly bright future. The Dons are building something scary.
Darwin is a fortress
Seven games, seven wins.
The Suns Darwin love affair continues with Gold Coast pulling off an extraordinary 10-point win over the charging Dogs.
Entering the contest, the Suns elite midfield was slightly out of form, coming in off the back of a disappointing Q-Clash loss on Sunday night. On the contrary, the Bulldogs have been on a heater in recent weeks, undefeated since the return of Marcus Bontempelli and looking every bit a premiership threat.
But that meant nothing to the Suns in Darwin, taking control of the game to lead by as much as 28 points in the final term, before hitting the brakes on the Dogs to halt their comeback just short.
Just how dangerous the Suns will be in 2025 is yet to be seen, but one thing is for sure: under the Darwin sun, Gold Coast are well and truly invincible.
But that will all be put to the test next week, as they take on Hawthorn at TIO Stadium next Thursday.
Win that, and Dimma might just submit a request for relocation.
Things are Rozee down back
Connor Rozee’s move to the back flank has been nothing short of brilliant.
Despite the Power’s five-point loss to the Crows, Connor Rozee’s performance was enough to earn the Showdown Medal for best on ground – the first time in Showdown history that the medal has been awarded outrightly to a member of the losing team.
But that only tells half of the story, as the Port Adelaide captain claimed 14 of the 15 available votes on the night. 32 disposals, five tackles, seven intercepts, seven inside 50’s, 684 metres gained and a goal, the 25-year-old stuffed the stat sheet.
Beyond Rozee’s individual performances, Showdown 57 was a showcase of the follow-on effects in the midfield since the positional shift.
The Power absolutely dominated the clearance battle, with Ollie Wines (10 clearances), Zak Butters (10), Miles Bergman (6) and Jason Horne-Francis (4) completely taking charge en route to a 56-29 clearance domination, all without Rozee attending a single centre bounce.
While the results are yet to come, Connor Rozee seems to be making himself at home in the back half.
The top eight might already be in place
Brisbane, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Geelong and GWS.
The current top eight continue to prove their ability, seemingly operating on a higher level than the rest of the competition.
This afternoon’s game between the Giants and the Cats was a phenomenal contest, with two sides playing elite level football as the Giants held on at the death. This follows the Cats’ bone-tingling win over the Pies just last week.
It’s hard to pick a side within that contingency that don’t deserve to be there when September rolls around.
The Suns got the job done over the Dogs, Collingwood claimed a major away win, the Crows edged out the Power and the Hawks responded to the Dees’ challenge.
As it stands, the top eight reflects the best teams in the AFL, irrespective of results, and while the likes of Essendon, Carlton, Fremantle and St Kilda might push the barrier from below, it’s hard to see any of these eight missing out on September football.
It’s a big week for Dean Cox
The Swans have a lot to answer for following their disastrous loss to the Bombers.
Smashed from the jump, Sydney failed to jump out of the gates, conceding nine goals to two in the first half to all but kill the game.
Despite their horror start, the Swans had the talent to bring the contest back to within a few kicks, however in identical fashion to their contest with Port Adelaide, their inability to capitalise on scoring chances was their downfall.
So where does Dean Cox start?
The injuries to a number of first team players has clearly had an impact, however on multiple occasions the Swans have done enough to prove they are more than capable of winning games. This was proven after their 14-point Derby win over the Giants last week.
Yet the last season’s minor premiers find themselves in 14th place after nine games, as their three wins leaves them on par with the Demons and the Tigers.
A lot of work to do.
