Three big winners, but two glaring fails have coaches under pressure: AFL Report Card

On a weekend with a few big winners, three teams earned an A-plus grade.

But at the other end of the spectrum there were two big fails – and those teams face off this week…

Every team’s performance analysed and graded in foxfooty.com.au’s Round 4 Report Card.

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ADELAIDE CROWS

A 39-point win over Fremantle was a big statement from Adelaide in a contest that was virtually decided after the first quarter. It prompted Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy to label Matthew Nicks’ side “scary” and declare it’s “entitled to think big in 2023” as it played with boundless energy across the four quarters. The win included ample Crows highlights — most notably electrifying highlights Josh Rachele and Izak Rankine — as fans at Adelaide Oval went nuts. It’s fair to say the Crows look like one of the big improvers this year, are a genuine finals contender and will be tough to beat at home.

In the votes

Crows skipper Jordan Dawson was enormous, racking up 27 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 598 metres gained, five marks, six tackles and a brilliant captain’s goal. Taylor Walker (four goals), Izak Rankine and Josh Rachele (three goals) all came up big, too, and provided a huge spark in attack.

Room for improvement

Matthew Nicks was a happy man post-match — and understandably so. It’s really hard to fault Adelaide’s performance, and if anything, it probably should’ve won by more. The Crows also did it without two of their guns in Sam Berry and Darcy Fogarty, so they could yet go to another level.

Grade

A+

BRISBANE LIONS

Now that is more like it. At this point the Lions may as well have a different team name when they’re not playing at The Gabba, because the differences are so stark. Chris Fagan’s side was firing on all cylinders on Thursday night and Collingwood simply had no answers. Virtually all of the Lions’ stars shone bright and it was a warning of what they’re capable of at their best. The challenge is that best coming interstate, but Melbourne and now Collingwood are some very impressive scalps in the opening few rounds of the season.

In the votes

Cam Rayner was moved back into the forward half and may not be heading back to defence anytime soon. He was sensational, with 17 impactful disposals, four goals and some brilliant marks. Charlie Cameron booted six goals and Joe Daniher was everywhere after a week of scrutiny. Oscar McInerney had a day out with no genuine ruck opposition.

Room for improvement

Collingwood did generate plenty of opportunities forward of centre and the Lions were slightly lucky so many of those chances were squandered. There were some warning signs early as the Lions looked like they were just hanging on against the Pies’ surge, but those fears were short-lived.

Grade

A+

CARLTON

It was a tale of two halves for the Blues, who were conservative and disappointing in the first two quarters before storming over the top of North Melbourne in the final two. Michael Voss said after the match he was far from satisfied with the performance given the ebbs and flows of the side’s form throughout the contest, but it is Carlton’s best start to a season since its 1995 premiership year — all without one of the side’s most important players in Sam Walsh, which will change next week.

In the votes

Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay kicked 10 goals between them, albeit against an undersized North Melbourne back six. Mitch McGovern was good in defence before being subbed out due to tightness and Jacob Weitering was brilliant in one-on-ones. Patrick Cripps was a contested beast as per usual, especially during the Blues’ second-half blitz.

Room for improvement

As Michael Voss said, it was far from a consistent performance. The Blues were far too hesitant and slow in the opening half and once again let the Roos get on top late in the contest, albeit when the win was secured. They’ve struggled at clearance in the first few rounds and there’s plenty in the first half of Friday’s match to work on.

Grade

B+

COLLINGWOOD

If it bleeds… the Pies were never going to go through the season undefeated and many a side will lose to Brisbane at the Gabba, so there aren’t exactly alarm bells going off inside the Collingwood coaches box. Still, conceding 10 unanswered goals is rarely acceptable, even with the high-risk, high-reward style of play Craig McRae’s side has employed to great effect. Any genuine judgement on the side should be reserved until another few losses are on the ledger, such has been their form so far this season barring Thursday’s loss.

In the votes

Nick Daicos was again everywhere with 38 disposals and he hit the scoreboard with two goals as well. Scott Pendlebury was fantastic as he continues to perform at the top level, while John Noble was also impressive. Brody Mihocek kept the Pies alive throughout the second half.

Room for improvement

Conceding 10 straight goals is the big one. They won the centre clearances but the lack of a genuine ruck clearly had an impact on them, which was evident with the two free kicks they gave away for not adhering to the six-six-six rule. Their game plan will receive some negative focus when they lose given how easy it seems teams score against them, which saw a number of Lions waltz into an open goal on Thursday night.

Grade

C-

ESSENDON

There’s a lot to like about the Bombers at the moment. If it wasn’t for an inaccurate 11.22 kicking display, they would’ve beaten the Giants by much more than the final 13-point scoreline. But Brad Scott’s side looked in control across the four quarters and it was really only a matter of time before it broke down the Giants. The late switch of putting Andrew Phillips into the 22 instead of Dyson Heppell proved to be a good call too, with the two rucks dangerous in attack all day and particularly valuable after Sam Weideman got struck down with concussion. With it, the Bombers soared into the top four ahead of a huge test against Melbourne.

In the votes

Jake Stringer was the match winner – exemplified by an epic 55m torpedo goal – and could’ve had a monster bag if not for an inaccurate 4.6 conversion rate. Mason Redman (27 touches, one goal, seven marks, six tackles), Zach Merrett (28 disposals, one goal) and Nic Martin (24 possessions, two goals) were also busy for the Bombers.

Room for improvement

If it’s not completely obvious, the Bombers were seriously let down by their goalkicking – including going 3.13 in the first half and 1.8 to start the game. It could’ve – and probably should’ve – been a much more one-sided affair in an area Essendon will look to tidy up moving forward.

Grade

B+

FREMANTLE

Where to here for the Dockers? Justin Longmuir’s side continued its underwhelming start to 2023 with another loss at the hands of the Crows. Fremantle barely fired a shot and was comprehensively outplayed across the four quarters, dropping to 1-3 on the season. Most alarmingly, the Dockers again played too passively and lacked any flare. While the Crows’ blistering form was arguably the bigger story of the match, Freo has plenty of soul searching to do.

In the votes

Caleb Serong was a one-man show for Fremantle in the midfield for the most part, racking up 28 disposals, 16 contested possessions and six tackles, with Fox Footy’s Nick Dal Santo labelling him the “lone soldier” for Longmuir’s team. Sean Darcy can also hold his head up, giving his midfielders first-use with 38 hit-outs (13 to advantage) to go with 17 disposals. Andy Brayshaw finished with 31 touches himself, but struggled to have a big influence on the a game.

Room for improvement

The spark the Dockers played with against West Coast last week was really lacking as they reverted back to playing slow and reactive to their opponent. Coming out with more intent and dare should therefore be the number one priority for Fremantle going forward, as too often its slow play led to it getting punished by the Crows. Saints great Nick Dal Santo said on Fox Footy: “I want to see the Dockers, when they are not forced to slow up, get some lively ball use and a bit of run off the half-back line. Take some dare and take some brave kicks through the middle of the ground … they are not going to win with this style of football.”

Grade

F

GEELONG CATS

The Cats were far from perfect in their 82-point win over last-placed Hawthorn – but they did what they needed to do to find that spark for the 2023 season. The reigning premiers had started 0-3 and were out to avoid a 64-year low had they suffered a fourth loss. And by half-time, the only reason they were still in the contest against Hawthorn was star Jeremy Cameron. But it was a completely different Cats outfit that came out of the main break, as they piled on a 10-goal third term. The Cats suddenly had all the run through the centre of the ground, and reeled off a whopping 12-0 inside 50 run to start the quarter. Geelong’s forwards took a whopping 18 marks inside 50 in a dominant display.

In the votes

Expect “J. Cameron 3 votes” to ring out on Brownlow Medal night for this Round 4 clash as the Cats star was everywhere. He racked up 22 disposals, a game-high 12 score involvements and kicked 7.1 in one of the most dominant displays seen this season. Only boundary umpire Matthew Tomkins could stop Cameron as his night finished a few minutes early thanks to that heavy collision between the duo. Mitch Duncan made a welcome return with 31 disposals playing across the backline. Cam Guthrie laid a game-high 11 tackles, while Patrick Dangerfield got his hands on the footy after some heavy criticism to finish with 27 disposals and 10 clearances.

Room for improvement

The Cats midfield was outgunned in the first half in worrying signs for coach Chris Scott. The ball movement just wasn’t quick enough to give forwards Cameron and Tom Hawkins one-out opportunities in the first half, especially in the opening term. But that all turned around in a perfect second half avalanche.

Grade

A

GOLD COAST SUNS

Outside of a competitive first quarter, the Suns’ disappointing start to 2023 continued against St Kilda as pressure builds on Stuart Dew’s 1-3 side. The Suns failed to throw any punches for most of the game in an uncompetitive showing – albeit against an in-form Saints. In a season where Gold Coast had genuine hopes to contend for finals, it looks set to again feature at the wrong end of the ladder.

In the votes

Noah Anderson (38 disposals, 10 tackles, 1 goal) and Touk Miller (32 disposals, 8 tackles) battled hard in the midfield all game, but not enough of their teammates stepped up elsewhere. Lachie Weller (30 possessions, eight marks) was impressive off half back.

Room for improvement

There was a period in the third quarter where the Suns were getting dominated inside the contest, losing 11 of 14 clearances as the game started really slipping away. Roos legend David King on Fox Footy implored Dew to “spin the magnets” and break up its midfield mix by exposing more young talent in there. While the pre-game blow of Jarrod Witts was clearly a big loss, the Suns may consider expanding their midfield rotation moving forward to throw something different at the opposition.

Grade

F

GWS GIANTS

Perhaps the most frustrating element of GWS’ loss to Essendon was that the Bombers’ inaccurate kicking continually let Adam Kingsley’s side in the game – but it couldn’t capitalise. After a promising start to the contest, the Giants got outworked and were wasteful with their possession, consistently turning the ball over as they struggled to execute and their system broke down. Kingsley let out his frustrations with a fierce spray to his players at three-quarter time, but it didn’t have the intended outcome as the Bombers kicked away in the last term. The final 13-point margin probably flattered GWS as it fell to 1-3 on the season.

In the votes

Although the midfield got beaten as a collective, Josh Kelly (28 disposals, 2 goals) and Tom Green (34 touches) fought valiantly. It even looked like Kelly was going to single-handedly pinch the game from the Bombers at one stage in the third quarter as the star on-baller looks back to some of his best form. Lachie Whitfield (24 touches) was also busy and Toby Greene added two goals from 18 disposals.

Room for improvement

Kingsley revealed post-match his message to his players during his three-quarter time spray was to “get to work” — but they struggled to respond. When the game was there to be won, the Giants just didn’t look up for the fight, struggling to bring pressure on both sides of the ball and letting themselves down with basic skill execution. Their field kicking in particular was an issue all day, going at 40 per cent in inside 50 efficiency (20 shots from 50 entries). GWS will hope for a better result against Hawthorn next week.

Grade

D+

HAWTHORN

The Hawks avoid a F grade given they were not only in the contest against Geelong, but they actually led for more of the clash. Hawthorn’s young gun brought the intensity early against the Cats, and could have been four or five goals in front had they taken their chances. Despite being on the end of a third quarter Cats’ blitz, and a second half where they coughed up 15 goals to one, the Hawks still managed to break even on clearances. And even in an 82-point loss, the Hawks only finished -8 in contested ball as they showed they can compete.

In the votes

Will Day continues to show why he’s considered one of the best young talents in the game. He racked up 22 touches – a team-high 14 of those contested, eight tackles, six clearances, four inside 50s and six intercepts to lead the way for the Hawks. Luke Breust was clearly Hawthorn’s focal point in attack as he had two goals in the first term and added a third late in the contest.

Room for improvement

Connor Macdonald couldn’t find the radar in front of goal as he finished with 0.3. Lloyd Meek could be in strife for his ugly kneeing incident that felled Cat Mark Blicavs. The action, where he raised his knee at the centre bounce, was widely criticised by AFL experts and is set to come under review.

Grade

D

MELBOURNE

It took a half, but once the Dees smelt blood, they feasted on an undermanned West Coast. After leading by four goals at half-time, the Demons kicked 6.5 to 2.4 in the third term, while they were also +5 for clearances and +11 inside 50s for the quarter, as they set up a 63-point win. Overall, they were +21 for contested possessions, +10 for clearances, +11 tackles and +20 inside 50s. It’s the first time in Melbourne’s history it has won three of its first four matches by at least 50 points.

In the votes

The midfield was dominant. Jack Viney was the No. 1 rated player on the ground, booting one goal from 22 disposals, 15 contested possessions, nine score involvements, seven clearances, six tackles and five inside 50s. Brodie Grundy thrived as the solo ruck as he finished with 22 disposals, 13 contested possessions, seven clearances and six tackles, while 13 of his 33 hit-outs went to a teammate‘s advantage. Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver showed their class and brutality at the coalface after quarter-time, with the former kicking three goals. Tom McDonald made the most of his lifeline with 4.1 from 16 touches, while Bayley Fritsch added three majors.

Room for improvement

It could’ve been a monster day for Kysaiah Pickett, whose first five scoring shots were behinds. Yet he ended up kicking two goals in the fourth quarter, while 11 of his 15 disposals ended up in Dees scores. Outside of that, close to a flawless performance.

Grade

A

NORTH MELBOURNE

Unbeaten after two rounds, North Melbourne has crashed back to reality after back-to-back losses. But there were plenty of positives for coach Alastair Clarkson to take away from the Good Friday fixture. The Roos won two quarters and fought back from 46 points down in the final term, while they also won the key contested ball, clearance and inside 50 counts. But aside from Cam Zurhaar, there wasn’t a lot of danger inside that forward line. North finished -10 in tackles on their season average as they struggled to get their hands on the Blues in a third quarter blitz.

In the votes

Cam Zurhaar was all-in from the opening bounce as he coughed up a free kick to Blues skipper Patrick Cripps and gave him a spray to go with it. He finished with 17 disposals, 12 score involvements and a wayward 3.4. Jaidyn Stephenson also stepped up with a three-goal haul from his 14 touches. Young Harry Sheezel’s fairytale debut season rolled on with a casual 37 touches, eight score involvements, five marks, three clearances, three tackles and plenty of composure deep in defence that defies his rookie status.

Room for improvement

Coach Clarkson didn’t hold back in his honest assessment of Ben Cunnington, who was subbed out late in the contest. Clarkson said the veteran was in the side to win clearances — and didn’t have a single one to his name. Jack Ziebell coughed up free kicks and a 50m penalty at crucial moments. Early Coleman Medal hopeful Nick Larkey just couldn’t get into the game after his first quarter knock on his hip and was visibly struggling throughout the contest.
Grade

B-

PORT ADELAIDE

The Power had just five goals until the almost 18-minute mark of the final quarter. The fact alone shows why they didn’t get the A+ grade, because what happened from that point was described as a “miracle”. Four goals in 10 minutes ensured Port Adelaide ran over the top of the Swans, to claim a thrilling two-point win. The Power had no right to claim the four points, finishing -22 in inside 50s, they had just 27 hitouts and spent just 27 minutes in front for the entire contest. But Port Adelaide were determined and fierce – especially in their forward half as they racked up a whopping 24 tackles inside 50, double their 2023 average. The win eased some pressure on under-fire coach Ken Hinkley, with the emotional post-match scenes just how much the victory meant to them.

In the votes

Jeremy Finlayson took the contested grab – one of his three for the night – and kicked the winning goal with just minutes remaining. He finished his night with 3.1 from 18 disposals, eight score involvements and eight marks. Todd Marshall, while having just eight touches, was brilliant at ground level for a big man, applying plenty of pressure with a team-high six tackles. His goal was the spark Port needed in the final quarter. Aliir Aliir was an absolute rock in defence, with a game-high 12 intercepts. He was the man on the goalline to prevent Ollie Florent’s potential matchwinner after the siren.

Room for improvement

There’s no doubt Charlie Dixon is one of the most aggressive big men in the game. And when he’s on, it really works in Pot’s favour. But Dixon just didn’t have it go his way at the SCG, as he coughed up a costly 50m penalty for failing to give the ball back to Nick Blakey correctly. Instead he kicked it over his head, and allowed Blakey to kick the goal that saw the Swans reclaim the lead with minutes to go – and almost win the match. Junior Rioli didn’t have an impact – despite the brilliance of Port’s forwards to lock the ball in. He finished with 0.3 from his six disposals, operating at less than 34% efficiency with those few touches.

Grade

A

RICHMOND

Outside of a 15-minute burst in the second quarter where they piled on seven goals in quick succession, the Tigers will be rueing poor kicking and poor execution as they went down by five points to the Western Bulldogs at a soggy MCG. Holding the lead heading into the final quarter, the Tigers were overwhelmed by the Bulldogs in the final quarter.

In the votes

Daniel Rioli (29 disposals), Tim Taranto (27) and Liam Baker (25) were all busy for the Tigers, while Dustin Martin was close to his brilliant best with 23 disposals (15 contested) along with one goal and an equal game-high 10 score involvements.

Room for improvement

The Tigers won more disposals (392-363) yet failed to convert their chances moving forward by foot. Albeit on a day where yardage and territory was the order of the day in inclement conditions, the Tigers would be after an improved showing from their two gun midfield recruits Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper efficiency wise, (Taranto 63%, Hopper 67%). Injuries to spearhead Tom Lynch and Toby Nankervis, two of their least-replaceable players, mean this loss may be felt for weeks and months, not just days.

Grade

C+

ST KILDA

A 53-point mauling of Gold Coast saw the Saints improve to 4-0 for the first time since their 2010 grand final season as the last team remaining in the competition to have won every game. After a slow first quarter, St Kilda flexed its muscles with its potent outside run, kicking 14 of the final 19 goals in a dominant showing. Returning coach Ross Lyon’s impact on the Saints has profound despite their lengthy injury list, with Roos legend David King noting on Fox Footy post-match it was a “powerful” performance “all on system” and that the club is “united again” and a “happy place to be.” It sets up a mouth-watering clash against Collingwood next weekend to close out Gather Round.

In the votes

Jack Higgins was brilliant with five goals, including three majors in a decisive second quarter to break the game open. Fellow forward and breakout Saint Mitch Owens was brilliant with two goals from 27 disposals, playing as a pseudo full-forward to fill the Saints’ void and then some. Brad Crouch (34 touches, eight tackles) was also enormous at the coalface all game to continue his hot start to 2023.

Room for improvement

Other then a slow start to the game, it was a comprehensive performance from St Kilda. But as noted by Saints legend Leigh Montagna on Fox Footy’s First Crack, gradually wearing down the opposition with system is atypical of a Lyon side. Outside of getting stars back in the coming weeks – and testing themselves against better opposition – there’s not much room for the Saints to grow right now, having found a number of gems to plug holes and cause selection headaches down the track.

Grade

A+

SYDNEY SWANS

The Swans should have come away with four points against Port Adelaide after dominating the contest – but should doesn’t count for much in the AFL. The loss of key defensive duo Paddy and Tom McCartin, Paddy in the opening minutes and Tom early in the second quarter both to concussion, left Sydney exposed down back. But it took Port Adelaide until the final 12 minutes of the clash to actually cash in. Sydney were more than -11% for efficiency inside 50 in a disappointing stat for coach John Longmire. They led by as much as 25 points midway through the second term but couldn’t see the match out. Ollie Florent’s after the siren shot falling just millimetres short on the goalline.

In the votes

Chad Warner is just going from strength to strength in his fourth AFL season. The Swans midfielder turned the match in Sydney’s favour with his 10 disposals and 1.1 for the third quarter alone. He finished with 30 touches, five tackles, nine clearances, nine inside 50s, six score involvements, 543m gained and two goals. Ollie Florent may have fallen just short of stealing the win for Sydney after the siren, but he was impressive before that moment. Nine intercepts – without the bigger bodied McCartin brothers to back him up – showed his bravery in defence. He rebounded impressively with eight inside 50s.

Room for improvement

Callum Mills will want the dying seconds back. The star Swan took off early, leaving his spot on the goal line to go celebrate what he thought was Ollie Florent’s match-winning goal after the siren. Instead, the spot he left was filled by Port’s Aliir Aliir who stopped the footy crossing the line. The debate over Lance Franklin’s place in the line up will flare again after a goalless showing against the Power. Fellow tall Joel Amartey also didn’t have an impact as he didn’t hit the scoreboard from his five touches.

Grade

B-

WEST COAST EAGLES

It was always going to a tough task for the severely undermanned Eagles to overcome flag fancies Melbourne. And you certainly couldn’t fault Adam Simpson’s troops in the first half, matching the Dees’ pressure and moving the ball with freedom and dare from their back-half. Ultimately, West Coast lacked the polish and class to match it with Melbourne for the entire four quarters, fading away in the second half to go down by 63 points.

In the votes

Star midfielder Tim Kelly continued his strong start to the season, booting two goals from 36 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 10 inside 50s and 703m gained. He almost played a lone hand in the midfield. Stand-in skipper Tom Barrass stood tall in an undermanned defence, finishing with 17 disposals, 12 spoils, 11 intercepts and six marks from 100 per cent game time. Luke Edwards and Jamaine Jones were admirable against Melbourne‘s tough midfield.

Room for improvement

It was always going to be a difficult task for the undermanned Eagles to match it with the Demons’ star-studded on-ball brigade, but the numbers were ultimately undeniable. The Dees thumped West Coast at the coalface, winning the contested possession (+21), clearance (+10) and inside 50s (+20), leading the to 63-point margin. Individually, Jack Darling had a ‘mare, finishing with 0.2 from just 10 touches, four marks and zero tackles.

Grade

C-

WESTERN BULLDOGS

A 15-minute patch in the second quarter aside, the Bulldogs were the better team for most of their game against Richmond, holding on for a stirring five-point win at a wet MCG. The Dogs proved too dominant and strong around the contest when the game was up for grabs. Clearance kings Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore shared 10 first-quarter clearances between them to set up the game.

In the votes

Dogs ruckman Tim English was the highest rated player on the field, recording 20 disposals, 23 hit-outs, eight tackles, two contested marks and two goals, while skipper Bontempelli led from the front with 25 touches, 17 contested possessions and 12 tackles. Bailey Dale was outstanding off half-back with 30 disposals and a game-high 625m gained. Aaron Naughton booted three goals while Liberatore was prolific in midfield, amassing seven clearances as part of his 23 disposals, 10 tackles and hitting the scoreboard for 2.1.

Room for improvement

After a six-goal opening quarter, the Dogs will go to work on how they surrendered the lead almost instantly after allowing Richmond to pile on seven goals in succession — and in quick time. They wrestled control back and went on to win the game yet Luke Beveridge will be hoping that the lapses don’t reoccur for the Dogs as the season rolls on.

Grade

B+