Hawks in disarray
For many at Hawthorn, the die was cast in June last year when coach Alastair Clarkson announced he had no intention of retiring his champion skipper Luke Hodge at the end of the season.
"I don't want to be the bloke who retires him - I don't know what he'd do to me," Clarkson told the Footy Show. "He'll play another year for us."
That unilateral act came as something of a surprise to the powers-that-be at Hawkland. Graham Wright, the recruiting and list manager, had a plan in place to retire the club champions in pairs over the coming years, to minimise the upheaval.
It was going to be Hodge and Josh Gibson, say, at the end of 2016, maybe Shaun Burgoyne and Jordan Lewis at the end of 2017, then two of Sam Mitchell, Paul Puopolo, Grant Birchall, Jarryd Roughead and James Frawley each year after that, depending on their form.
But those plans were thrown out the window when Clarkson nailed his colours to the mast on Channel Nine. Two months later, in August, the Hawks announced Hodge, Josh Gibson and Shaun Burgoyne would all play on in 2017.
This painted the club into a corner with its list management. There were now too many old players in the squad (Mitchell had been re-signed earlier in the year), little room to move in the salary cap, and no high draft picks to entice young guns to the club.
That predicament prompted Clarkson's post-season discussions with Mitchell and Lewis, again off his own bat, which led to their departure - and the unsettled environment that now seems to prevail at the club.
Combine that with the departure in the past 12 months of key personnel - football operations boss Chris Fagan, CEO Stuart Fox and president Andrew Newbold - and the sense of unity at Hawthorn, once the close-knit family club, is under threat.
Several senior Hawk figures are now wondering what the short-term future holds. "It could be a train wreck," said one.
Crows opting to stay united
Adelaide swingman Andy Otten has urged his uncontracted teammates to stick with the club as it strengthens its premiership credentials.
The Crows have 19 players out of contract at season's end, including Otten and highly-rated youngsters Jake Lever, Mitch McGovern and Wayne Milera.
"We want them, they know that, and I'm sure they'll be around for a long time," Otten told ESPN.
"Our job at the moment is on the footy field and the club employs people to look after that sort of stuff behind the scenes.
"We're building some confidence, definitely. But it's a long way to go in the season, but wins like these (against Hawthorn) are priceless."
Otten, who returns to the side after he spent much of 2015 recovering from a knee reconstruction, the second of his career, says he's focused on cementing his spot in the talent-laden Crows side.
"It's great to be back. It's been a long time coming, so at the moment I'm just taking every game as it comes and really just enjoying it," he told ESPN.
"Mentally I feel great. I managed to get some time in the JLT series and I think every game I improved and built some confidence.
"I've been out for a long time, so I want to get back, get some continuity, confidence and playing time, and (my contract) will take care of itself. Personally, I'm not stressed about that at all."
Adelaide's Showdown chances take a hit
Adelaide's potent forward line could be without two integral players ahead of its do-or-die showdown against Port Adelaide on Saturday.
There are fears Adelaide's Josh Jenkins may have cracked ribs, despite initial scans clearing the big-bodied forward of structural damage.
Jenkins was floored after clashing with Hawthorn's Teia Miles in a marking contest in the opening moments of the Crows' 24-point win over the Hawks at the MCG on Saturday. A visibly distressed Jenkins was assisted from the field and taken to Melbourne's Epworth Hospital.
The 28-year-old will undergo further medical assessments to determine the extent of the injury, according to the club.
But Jenkins' likely omission could be compounded should Tom Lynch face scrutiny after colliding with Hawthorn defender Grant Birchall in a marking contest. The courageous contest resulted in Birchall breaking his jaw.
The four-time premiership player saw out the match, but later went to hospital where scans revealed a fractured jaw. He had surgery yesterday and is likely to miss a month. The match review panel will inspect the incident, but is likely to throw it out.
Lynch was a victim of a match review bungle in 2014, when a Jack Viney bump broke his jaw. Viney was handed a two-week penalty, but it was sensationally overturned upon review.
Both the Crows and Power are undefeated ahead of Showdown 42 on Saturday night at Adelaide Oval.
Jong over 2016 heartache
Lin Jong was the heartbreak story in the Western Bulldogs' fairytale premiership last year.
Jong cruelly broke his collarbone in the Bulldogs' shock elimination final win against West Coast in Perth.
With his season appearing done and dusted, surgery accelerated his return a fortnight later, where he was best afield in Footscray's VFL flag - a week out from the AFL Grand Final. Despite his miraculous return, the 23-year-old was overlooked for the biggest game of the year, against Sydney.
Surprisingly, he told ESPN he had never dwelt on his omission: "I haven't thought about it (missing out on the Grand Final)."
After playing in Friday night's re-match against Sydney, where distinguished Bulldogs alumni helped unfurl the club's second premiership flag, Jong says the pain of missing out on Grand Final glory didn't return.
"I hate to be cliché but I wasn't too fussed about this week (against the Swans)," he told ESPN.
"We're just here to play the game. I'm sure it was a special moment for everyone in the crowd, but I think it's safe to say for us, we have moved on and are just looking forward to this season."
Even though he said he didn't want to lapse into clichés, Jong, who had 23 disposals and eight marks in Friday's 23-point win over the Swans, showed he had been well-schooled by the Dogs' media department, describing the re-match as "just another week".
"We reviewed last week's game (against Collingwood) and we weren't too happy about it," he told ESPN. "It doesn't matter who we play every week. It's always the same (level of focus), regardless of whether it's a home and away game or a final."
Umpiring inconsistencies
If new AFL umpires boss Peter Schwab really wants to improve the reputation of his charges in the eyes of the footy-going public, he needs to address the woeful umpiring inconsistencies that occur when home teams host interstate sides.
Sydney has been cruelled by the umps in its last two games against the Western Bulldogs in Melbourne, the first of those being last year's grand final.
And on Saturday night, West Coast won the free-kick count against St Kilda at Domain Stadium, 23-8.
It was a lopsided ledger that had Saints' fans taking to social media afterwards in a fury. Not that they were surprised by such a lean tally; given what had happened in Perth in their last two visits, they were half-expecting it.
Last year, in round eight, the free-kick figure at Domain Stadium was 24-13 in West Coast's favour. Late in 2015, the Saints copped another hammering from the umps - losing the count, 6-23.
For the past three years then, the free-kick tally in WC-St Kilda games in Perth stands at 70-27 - a wildly lopsided count that is almost impossible to justify.
So Schwab's message to the umpires needs to be clear and unequivocal: make your decisions without fear or favour, no matter the venue, the crowd noise or the circumstances in the match.
Facts and figures:
241 - The number of consecutive rounds that Sydney has avoided being in the bottom four teams on the ladder - since Rd 2, 2006.
14 - The number of years since the two Adelaide teams - Crows and Port - have been in first and second place on the ladder (since Rd 20, 2003).