Round 14 taught us plenty about the AFL.
As we’re in the thick of the bye rounds, six teams sat out, but we still had plenty of interesting action.
The round had huge individual performances, milestone games, top-eight shaping results, ridiculous comebacks and more!
With that in mind, here’s what we learned from the weekend’s footy.
Sydney has a gear that no other team can go with at the moment
We all know Sydney is the best team in it, but it’s quickly becoming by some margin.
In Saturday’s 67-109 win over Adelaide, the Swans were genuinely challenged and even trailed 60-44 with 5:45 remaining in the third term.
With 0:41 remaining in the clock in that exact same quarter, the scoreline read 60-81 in the Swans’ favour.
Simply put, Sydney’s ability to punish the opposition when they have momentum is far superior to any team in the comp right now.
Whether it’s their elite running, ball use or stoppage prowess, the Swans can get you in a raft of different ways and really get going whenever they feel like turning the screws.
We’re a long way out until this year’s Grand Final on Saturday, September 28 – 104 days to be precise.
But it would be a HUGE shock if the Swans aren’t lining up on the MCG that afternoon on current form.
What a side.
Never count Collingwood out
We’ve known this the entire time Collingwood has been coached by Craig McRae, but you really cannot count this Magpies team out ever.
Down by 54 early in the third term on Sunday against North Melbourne, it honestly looked like this was finally a bridge too far for a Collingwood side that looked like its injury woes had caught up to them.
Well, enter the likes of Nick Daicos, Jack Crisp, Bobby Hill, Jeremy Howe and Lachie Schultz who simply refused to let their side lose.
Collingwood’s ability to score quickly is a sight to behold and it’s the belief that they have that carried them to a flag last year that just lives inside every single player that puts on the black and white.
Even though it was only against North Melbourne, the Roos have some genuine talent and were kicking goals from just about Southern Cross Station all day until things tightened up late.
Those late moments were where Collingwood shined and ultimately, North faltered.
It also goes into the history books as the equal-seventh biggest comeback victory in V/AFL history.
Hats off to them.
He may have missed some opportunities on Saturday, but Nick Watson is going to be a player
Hawthorn draftee Nick Watson copped some heat for his performance on Saturday against Richmond as he kicked 1.4 including some bad set shot misses.
While there’s no doubt he has to clean up that part of his game, it’s impressive that such a young player is even getting that many scoring opportunities, and the finishing will no doubt come.
It’s obvious that the kid has talent, there’s no way a club like Hawthorn would be willing to take a player that stands at just 5’6 with pick No. 5 in the Draft if he didn’t have star potential and you feel like his breakout game is going to come very soon.
While he didn’t have the scoreboard impact he could have in the win against Richmond, he finished with eight score involvements and a goal assist to boot.
Once his accuracy tightens up, watch out.
There’s no doubt he’s going to be a player as the Hawks quietly build towards an unlikely finals appearance.
Rory Lobb is becoming a valuable asset again
Western Bulldogs tall Rory Lobb enjoyed by far his best game of the season on Saturday against his former club Fremantle.
The forward/ruck finished with three goals, 19 disposals, 11 score involvements, six marks and three tackles which is just about as good a return as you can hope for in that role.
It was a great response from the 31-year-old who was subbed out of last week’s game against Brisbane with just five touches to his name.
While there’s no doubt he’s still too inconsistent, Lobb proved on Saturday that the ceiling is still there for him to be a quality AFL player and while he may be pushed out of the Bulldogs’ side once Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy return, a player capable of that performance could be of huge value to another club.
If he does seek a move at season’s end, more performances like that will ensure that he’ll have plenty of options at his disposal and the Bulldogs will be able to get something of real value in return.
It’s a big week for Geelong
After starting the season 7-0, Geelong are now 8-5 and don’t look the side we all thought they were.
While they had the bye in Round 14, their next clash is huge in the context of their season as they face Carlton in a huge Friday night MCG blockbuster.
The week off probably gave their senior heads some much-needed rest, and they face a true test against a top-four side in the Blues on the big stage.
While they took care of the Blues last time they faced them, things have changed a LOT since Round 7 and they’re going to need to win here to prove to us that they’re a genuine challenger.
If they fall short, it’ll be proof that their early season form was a false dawn and that this side is destined to probably play finals, but not really contend for the flag.
Over to you, Chris Scott and team.