The top eight is finally taking shape. Instead of deciphering who can win the premiership, it’s easier to work out who can’t.

Brisbane are the lone wolf that have been anchored at the bottom of the ladder all season. North Melbourne haven’t been much higher as they endure their rebuild.

Carlton and Collingwood officially join the list of non-contenders after losing on the weekend. Gold Coast and Hawthorn are inconsistent and should have their sights set on the future.

Fremantle and Essendon are both much improved from last season, where they occupied the bottom two places on the ladder. They still have plenty of work to do before they can be considered contenders.

West Coast have been patchy this season, dropping their ‘flat track bullies’ tag to being all-round mediocre. The Western Bulldogs are a shadow of their 2016 premiership self. They’ve lost their hunger, aggression and electric ball movement.

Upwards from there, it’s anyone’s game.  While the Bulldogs did the unthinkable last year, claiming a top four spot is crucial for any genuine premiership aspire. The clock is ticking as we learn who will sink and who will swim. 

THE GOOD

Welcome to Nyhuis

Ryan Nyhuis debuted in emphatic fashion, kicking four goals in a match-winning performance that led Fremantle to a narrow four-point victory over North Melbourne.

Nyhuis came in as a late replacement for Dave Mundy. Having played as a defender his whole life, the 20-year old was sent forward to play on elite defender Robbie Tarrant. Safe to say he did his job and then some. 

All-Australian contender?

In the dying stages of the Melbourne v Carlton clash, Neville Jetta lost a critical one-on-one with Dale Thomas on the wing that left him grounded. He made a huge second effort to get to the next contest, which he won against the savvy Kade Simpson, regaining control of the game for the Demons.

It was a defining moment of Melbourne’s season – had Jetta not made the second effort, the Blues may have run over the top of them.

Jetta is putting his hand up for All-Australian selection. For years, Melbourne fans have known how good the nuggety defender is, now the rest of the AFL world is finding out.

For the... draw

Hawthorn drew level with GWS after Will Langford snapped a kick towards the goal square, that bounced high through the goals with just 16 seconds remaining. GWS suffered successive draws, something which hasn’t happened to a team in 96 years.

Nine out of 10 times, the ball would’ve dribbled into Heath Shaw’s arms, who was on the goal line. But the beauty of Australian Rules is that the oval shaped ball can cause such deviations to occur.  

THE BAD

Goldy’s blunder

With only seconds remaining, Todd Goldstein missed a routine set shot, 20 meters out on a slight angle that would’ve sealed the win for North Melbourne.  He missed by a fair margin too.

The set shot ensured Fremantle’s victory and puts more scrutiny on Goldstein, whose been under pressure all year with his form woes and Braydon Preuss waiting in the wings as his replacement. 

Talking the talk

Brayden Maynard was all talk and no action on Saturday afternoon against Essendon. The 20-year old found himself in a war of words, even staging for a free kick after receiving micro bump from Joe Daniher after one of his three goals.

His direct opponent, Orazio Fantasia, kicked five majors and Maynard was the catalyst for a series of goals due to poor defence and sloppy turnovers.

Maynard may have to spend a week in the VFL for disciplinary reasons and let his footy do the talking.

Cripps’ bad break               

Carlton young gun Patrick Cripps suffered an accidental kick from Jayden Hunt in the second quarter that caused him to miss the remainder of the game. He tried to exit the field by himself but had to be helped by trainers.

Cripps will miss the remainder of the 2017 season after scans revealed he fractured his fibula in the incident but will not require surgery. 

THE UGLY

Tigers tamed

A week on from reaching the top four and being labelled genuine premiership fancies, Richmond suffered a disastrous 67-point loss to St Kilda on Saturday night.

St Kilda buried Richmond in the second quarter with nine unanswered goals to set up an 82-point lead at the half time break. Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin and Alex Rance were all kept quiet and the Tigers’ second string players failed to step up.

It was a night commemorating Maddie Riewoldt, with the traditional ‘Coventry’ and ‘Lockett’ ends being re-named ‘Maddie’ and ‘Riewoldt’. Nearly 50,000 piled into Etihad Stadium to see the Saints, who had their usual red step replaced with a purple one, devastate the Tigers.