If we could add daylight between positions in the ESPN AFL Power Rankings, it would be Adelaide -- followed by daylight -- then Greater Western Sydney after six rounds.
The Crows are one of just two teams (along with Brisbane in 18th) to hold their ranking from Round 5, after a number of results shocked the competition and forced some minor leapfrogging.
Geelong swapped spots with the Giants after the Cats were upset by Collingwood -- though we are willing to cut them some amount of slack considering their prior form -- and the 'Tiger Train' has derailed somewhat after some promising signs.
The Dogs have jumped into the 'unofficial top four' despite losing -- it was decided that West Coast simply couldn't be ranked fourth after losing to Hawthorn by 50 points in Round 5...
A log jam seems to be developing around the all-important eighth spot, with St Kilda, Melbourne, Fremantle and Essendon all jostling from week-to-week, however Hawthorn have yo-yoed themselves back towards the bottom after what could only be described as a disgraceful display at their Tassie fortress.
North Melbourne is finally on the board in 2017, leaving Sydney as the AFL's only winless side to start the year, while after shock wins at the weekend, somewhat of an unconventional blockbuster looms when Collingwood hosts Carlton on Saturday.
1. Adelaide:
Last week: 1 (no change)
Round 6: defeated Richmond by 75 points
To borrow a phrase from Brian Taylor: "Boy oh boy, wowee!" Not only did Adelaide cast aside any doubts of their premiership credentials by beating a 'proven team', they did it to the tune of 76 points. Adelaide Oval is fast becoming the ground at which no team wants to play, and though Richmond are (realistically) just a top eight contender, the Crows responded to media beat-up and pressure beautifully. It genuinely seems like the Crows will simply eclipse whatever score is thrown at them - regardless of their opponent. Don Pyke is a genius, and this could be the Crows' year.
Next: North Melbourne (Blundstone Arena, Saturday, 1:45pm local)
2. Greater Western Sydney:
Last week: 3 (up 1)
Round 6: defeated Western Bulldogs by 2 points
After sitting patiently behind the Cats on our Power Rankings for three weeks, the Giants have finally jumped up to second place. In their first ever Friday night fixture - and the first Friday night fixture for Canberra - the Giants ensured that fans got their money's worth. Clutch fourth-quarter efforts from Jon Patton and Toby Greene sealed a two-point win over the reigning Premiers, and further highlighted the orange and charcoal's premiership credentials. Another test under Friday night lights looms, however, with the Giants set to clash with a St Kilda side full of confidence after dismantling Hawthorn.
Next: St Kilda (Etihad Stadium, Friday 7:50pm local)
3. Geelong:
Last week: 2 (down 1)
Round 6: lost to Collingwood by 29 points
Geelong's effort at the weekend can only be described as disappointing. With the chance to end Collingwood's season and further pressure Eddie McGuire to stamp Nathan Buckley's papers, the Cats were simply outplayed in their 29 point loss to the Pies. Worryingly for Geelong, Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield were both well held, and lo and behold, the Cats were undone. Tom Hawkins and Dan Menzel were also underwhelming up forward, while Geelong's characteristic fourth-quarter flurry was nowhere to be seen. A trip to Surfer's Paradise awaits the Cats, who will be keen to stake their claim at a top four spot.
Next: Gold Coast (Metricon Stadium, Saturday 7:25pm local)
4. Western Bulldogs:
Last week: 5 (up 1)
Round 6: lost to GWS by 2 points
They might have lost to the Giants by two points, but the Dogs finally seem to be hitting their straps. Coach Luke Beveridge will be a little disappointed in his side's kicking for goal however, as the Bulldogs finished with nine goals and 19 behinds, and effectively kicked themselves out of the match. Had they been accurate they would have knocked the Giants over, and while they sit at 4-2, the reigning champs are not as far off the pace as what some might think. They lead the league for tackles and commit the fewest clangers in the AFL, and with some key names to return throughout the year (Wallis, Morris, Crameri, Cloke, Roughead), they'll be hoping to once again peak at the right time.
Next: Richmond (Etihad Stadium, Saturday 7:25pm local)
5. West Coast:
Last week: 6 (up 1)
Round 6: defeated Fremantle by 41 points
It's hard to know just what a 41-point win at home means for West Coast. To be fair, this victory did come at the expense of Fremantle, which shares its digs with the Eagles, but, rightly or wrongly, questions remain. The Eagles' loss to Hawthorn in Round 5 looks even worse after St Kilda dismantled the Hawks at their Tasmanian fortress, but all the Eagles can do to silence the haters from now on is perform on the road. This week brings with it an excellent chance to do so: the Eagles travel to the Portress to face a Power outfit fresh off an 83-point demolition of the Lions in Brisbane.
Next: Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval, Saturday 4:05pm local)
6. Port Adelaide:
Last week: 7 (up 1)
Round 6: defeated Brisbane by 83 points
Port Adelaide has defeated Carlton and Brisbane in the last two weeks, by 90 and 83 points respectively. While these opponents can hardly be described as world-beaters, if nothing else the Power can take a huge confidence boost heading into a crucial clash with West Coast this week. Against the Lions, the Power forwards continued to find form with forward pocket revelation Robbie Gray kicking another four, while Charlie Dixon and Jarman Impey also kicked four each. First-round draft pick Sam Powell-Pepper continues to impress, as do the likes of Brad Ebert, Chad Wingard and Jasper Pittard, who were all influential.
Next: West Coast (Adelaide Oval, Saturday 4:05pm local)
7. Richmond:
Last week: 4 (down 3)
Round 6: lost to Adelaide by 76 points
Consider the Tiger Train derailed - for now. After an almost unbelievable run, in which the Tigers won five straight matches to start the season, Richmond has been brought back down to Earth with an almighty thud after the ladder-leading Crows cruised to a bruising 76-point win. Admittedly, the Tigers are likely to be a team fighting for a spot in the bottom half of the top eight, and were gifted a favourable early draw. It doesn't get any easier for Damien Hardwick's men when they meet the reigning premiers at Etihad Stadium after a six-day break.
Next: Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium, Saturday 7:25pm local)
8. St Kilda:
Last week: 9 (up 1)
Round 6: defeated Hawthorn by 75 points
How sweet Saturday's 75-point win over the Hawks must have been for St Kilda fans after last year's umpiring debacle in Launceston. The Saints are doing enough to keep in touch with the top eight through six rounds and - alongside Melbourne - look the most 'likely' of all teams sitting at 3-3. Their tall forwards have played themselves into some form, with Josh Bruce and Tim Membrey both kicking three, while the fleet-footed midfield brigade continues to impress onlookers. The Saints have a real chance to scare the Giants this Friday night at Etihad Stadium.
Next: GWS (Etihad Stadium, Friday 7:50pm local)
9. Melbourne:
Last week: 12 (up 3)
Round 6: defeated Essendon by 38 points
The Dees have jumped three spots this week - not simply because they were overly impressive, rather, every team ranked around them lost. The Dees waited until after half time to really kick it into gear against the Bombers; in the third term, they kicked seven goals to their opponents' one, with Jack Watts, Christian Petracca and Jeffy Garlett all playing an instrumental role. Jordan Lewis picked up where he left off, and with Jesse Hogan set to return after taking the week off to spend time with his family, the Dees could shoot further up the top eight with a win over the lowly Hawks.
Next: Hawthorn (MCG, Sunday, 3:20pm local)
10. Fremantle:
Last week: 8 (down 2)
Round 6: lost to West Coast by 41 points
Fremantle's three-game winning streak came to an end in the western derby at the weekend, to the disappointing tune of 41 points. Interestingly the Dockers posted 51 inside 50s to 52, meaning the Eagles were simply more efficient when going forward. Cam McCarthy kicked three for the Dockers, but when your opposite number in Josh Kennedy kicks six (and LeCras three), it just shows that the Eagles were a class above with their delivery and forward pressure. Positively, however, the Dockers stay in Perth this week and welcome a struggling Essendon side on Sunday.
Next: Essendon (Domain Stadium, Sunday 2:40pm local)
11. Gold Coast:
Last week: 10 (down 1)
Round 6: lost to North Melbourne by 13 points
Gary Ablett has 45 touches, gets 18 clearances and kicks a goal... surely Gold Coast wins? Wrong. The Suns went down to the winless Kangaroos on Saturday night and were carved up by none other than Ben Brown. While midfield production was good for the Suns (Alex Sexton, Jarryd Lyons and Touk Miller all played well around Ablett), the holes left by key backs Steven May and Rory Thompson were too big to plug, with Brown kicking six on the night. The Suns have slipped to 2-4 and face a Geelong side which will be keen to make amends for its dismal showing against Collingwood. Who is going to stop Tom Hawkins?
Next: Geelong (Metricon Stadium, Sunday 2:40pm local)
12. Essendon:
Last week: 11 (down 1)
Round 6: lost to Melbourne by 38 points
Amazingly Essendon is just percentage out of the top eight with three wins and three losses, but is not showing it. After an impressive display on Anzac Day (and after a five day break), the Bombers simply couldn't match it with the Dees in the second half. Melbourne kicked seven goals to Essendon's one in the third term and were smashed in the clearances. Worryingly, stalwart Jobe Watson looked well of the pace, while Joe Daniher kicked 0.6 to half time and was down on confidence. The Bombers must now travel to Perth for their third match in 12 days when they take on the Dockers on Sunday.
Next: Fremantle (Domain Stadium, Sunday 2:40pm local)
13. Collingwood:
Last week: 14 (up 1)
Round 6: defeated Geelong by 29 points
When the Magpies have their backs against the wall, invariably they pull a win out of their you-know-whats. This week, it was Geelong which found itself in the firing line. Pies coach Nathan Buckley himself said he put the onus on his players to give the Cats 'everything they had' following a five-day break after Anzac Day, and his players responded remarkably well. Scott Pendlebury rebounded with 32 touches after a horror match last week, while Levi Greenwood was instrumental in curtailing the influence of Geelong champ Joel Selwood. What remains to be seen is how the Pies will back-up this performance after another short break... they play Carlton in a blockbuster on Saturday afternoon.
Next: Carlton (MCG, Saturday 2:10pm local)
14. Carlton:
Last week: 16 (up 2)
Round 6: defeated Sydney by 19 points
Not many - including the bookies - gave the Blues much of a chance against Sydney, but Brendon Bolton's green shoots were wonderful to watch against the winless Swans. Coming off a 90-point loss to the Power the week before, the Blues responded in fine fashion, tackling hard, hitting targets and kicking accurately on the scoreboard to run out strong 19-point winners. Sam Docherty showed why he was last year's best and fairest winner, while Kade Simpson, Matthew Kreuzer, Levi Casboult and draftee Tom Williamson were all impressive. Oh, and Alex Silvagni was all but flawless on Lance Franklin. An interesting match against the Pies looms...
Next: Collingwood (MCG, Saturday 2:10pm local)
15. North Melbourne:
Last week: 17 (up 2)
Round 6: defeated Gold Coast by 13 points
There would have been a few nervous North Melbourne fans in the stands at three quarter time. Up by seven points over the Suns at the last change, it had all the hallmarks of a classic Kangaroos choke job, but to their credit, they kicked the first three of the last quarter and ran away with a hard-fought 13-point win. Ben Brown was instrumental up forward, kicking six snags, while Shaun Higgins, Aaron Mullet and Taylor Garner were all pivotal in the victory. Draftee Jy Simpkin was a bit quiet (eight touches), but coach Brad Scott would be happy his side could close out a tight game.
Next: Adelaide (Blundstone Arena, Saturday 1:45pm local)
16. Hawthorn:
Last week: 13 (down 3)
Round 6: lost to St Kilda by 75 points
Is it fair to say that Launceston is an accurate barometer of Hawthorn's form in recent years? The Hawks won 19 straight at their Tassie fortress between 2012 and 2017, but after losing to the Saints by 75 points, it's fair to say Hawthorn's season is over. To make finals from this point the Hawks will need to win at least 10 of their remaining 16 games, but with matches against the Dogs, Cats, Giants, Crows and Power all yet to come in the second half of the season, 2017 could be a pointless endeavour considering they have no first-round draft pick...
Next: Melbourne (MCG, Sunday 3:20pm local)
17. Sydney:
Last week: 15 (down 2)
Round 6: lost to Carlton by 19 points
Sydney has condemned itself to its worst start since 1993 with a shock 19-point loss to Carlton on Saturday. The Swans looked disinterested against the Blues, with the like of Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery and Luke Parker all having down days by their lofty standards. The Swans have the lowest disposal efficiency in the competition, while they're also ranked in the bottom four for disposals, marks, contested marks and centre clearances. Adding insult to injury is that they will yet again lose the enigmatic Gary Rohan - he seems certain to spend some time on the sidelines after a sickening fall which left him out cold in the third quarter. On a positive note, the Swans play Brisbane at the SCG this week - the Lions are the only team ranked below Sydney in the Power Rankings.
Next: Brisbane (SCG, Sunday 1:10pm local)
18. Brisbane:
Last week: 18 (no change)
Round 5: lost to Western Bulldogs by 32 points
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan's honeymoon period is well and truly over. The Lions were belted - at home - in front of a poor crowd to the tune of 83-points, with the Power dominating from the outset. The Lions, while young, seem to be struggling with the pace of the game, and are ranked in the bottom four in the league in eight key areas: disposals, contested possessions, disposal efficiency, contested marks, marks inside 50, inside 50s and tackles, and they're behind only Richmond for clangers committed per match. It's going to be a long year...
Next: Sydney (SCG, Sunday 1:10pm local)