WELCOME to Reaction Time.
Early each week, AFL.com.au's Riley Beveridge will discuss the topic that deserves a reaction at your club and grade it on the 'Urgency Index'.
It could be anything from an issue that's got a team pondering drastic change, or the form of an underrated star that requires immediate recognition.
The gradings, which relate specifically to the topics, are as follows:
The gradings are as follows:
- Panic Stations.
- Simmering.
- Watch This Space.
- Green Shoots.
- Flying.
In this week's Reaction Time, we look at Brisbane's midfield chaos, the superstar leading the Brownlow frontrunners, Gold Coast's 'Darwin Drain', the unsung free agent making waves, a looming Sydney selection decision and the AFL's best 'willers' to victory.
A familiar question is now popping up about Adelaide in 2026: Do the Crows need a scalp? The combined record of the teams they've beaten this year is 23-42-1. The combined record of the teams they've lost to is 37-17-1. Of their six wins, not a single one has been against a side with a positive win-loss ratio. Of their five defeats, every single one has been against a side with a positive win-loss ratio. They seem very 'middle of the pack'.
Urgency Index:Â Simmering.
Brisbane's midfield, Lachie Neale aside, is a problem. According to Champion Data's player ratings, Hugh McCluggage has gone from being the third-best player in 2025 to the 277th highest rated player this year. Will Ashcroft has gone from 13th to 207th. Josh Dunkley has gone from 21st to 152nd. The Lions have been meandering along all year, but Sunday was a reality check.
Urgency Index:Â Panic Stations.
Welcome to the big time, Jagga. Already looks Carlton's most creative forward-half midfielder and enjoyed the best performance of his young career on Saturday night. Smith had 15 score involvements and three goal assists from his 27 disposals and looks primed to make a run at the Rising Star award in the second half of the season.
Urgency Index:Â Green Shoots.
Fancy getting to pass the torch from Scott Pendlebury to Nick Daicos. In a similar way to how Daicos flat-out refused to lose his 100th match earlier this year, the father-son champion was never going to let Collingwood lose Pendlebury's record-breaker, either. Finished with 34 disposals, three goals, seven clearances and 14 score involvements in another stellar performance.
Urgency Index:Â Flying.
Another season defined by bad performances and an extraordinary injury list. Andrew McGrath and Archie May finished this one in hospital, Matt Guelfi and Sam Durham couldn't get through, Jye Caldwell did but looked shot. Already had 12 pretty important players out of action before Dreamtime and it's only getting worse. Very grim right now and a chance it gets even worse, with the lowly West Coast and Carlton to come.
Urgency Index:Â Panic Stations.
Pat Voss kicked only eight goals from his first eight games this year, but now has another eight from his last two. Friday night's haul of three majors felt extra important, given his role on Cal Wilkie that went alongside it. The Saints skipper had been averaging 11.1 marks this season, but was held to just three against the Dockers thanks to their primary antagonist.
Urgency Index:Â Green Shoots.
It could be Bailey's Brownlow year. Smith's third term was extraordinary against Sydney. Finished with 18 disposals, a goal, three clearances and seven score involvements for the quarter alone and has now had 30-plus touches in nine of 11 games this year. He won 29 votes last season. Will surely go above and beyond that in 2026.
Urgency Index:Â Flying.
Another case of the 'Darwin Drain'. Gold Coast's back-to-back fixtures in the energy-sapping conditions of the Top End are frequently followed by flat, lethargic performances and Saturday was no different. Conceded 11 of the last 15 goals after half time to throw away a commanding 43-point lead. The Suns' Darwin doubles have now been closely followed by four defeats in five in 2022, three losses in four in 2023, three losses in four in 2024, and three straight losses in 2025. With a daunting run of Brisbane, Geelong, Hawthorn and Fremantle after the bye, there's a chance 2026 follows a similar pattern.
Urgency Index:Â Simmering.
Umm … wow. This was the Orange Tsunami as Adam Kingsley has dreamt it. The Giants' score of 26.10 (166) was their highest ever. Their third-quarter output of 14.2 (86) was the fourth-highest score for a single quarter in V/AFL history. But, for Kingsley, the most pleasing aspect of that dominant term? "Zero goals against." After two scratchy wins over North Melbourne and Essendon across their last month, this might have been the most shocking and surprising result and performance of the season to date.
Urgency Index:Â Flying.
Blake Hardwick legitimately looked like Jack Gunston out there. Went forward, led brilliantly, kicked four, and allowed the Hawks to get Mitch Lewis into his preferred spot higher up the ground. A terrific coaching move from Sam Mitchell and a throwback to Hardwick's younger days, when he kicked 56 goals from 16 games with the Eastern Ranges to win the TAC Cup's goalkicking award in his draft year.
Urgency Index:Â Green Shoots.
Not worried. Development is never linear and the Demons had chances to win late.
Urgency Index:Â Watch This Space.
George. Wardlaw. The man for the moment. Six disposals in the first three quarters, then 13 in the last. This column mentioned last week about Harley Reid's ability to will his side over the line. Wardlaw, similarly, is a 'willer'. Put the Kangas on his back when it mattered most.
Urgency Index:Â Green Shoots.
A young Port Adelaide side might be counting the cost of those narrow defeats to Hawthorn, Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs earlier in the year. Josh Carr said after Saturday night's defeat that the side was low on confidence. Well, nothing boosts confidence quite like winning and unfortunately those losses have contributed to the Power dropping six of their last seven.
Urgency Index:Â Panic Stations.
Shoutout to Patrick Retschko. You could be forgiven for having never heard of him when he bobbed up surprisingly at the trade deadline last year, shifted from Geelong to Richmond for the princely sum of pick No.99. But he's made the most of his move to Punt Road. Unlucky not to claim the Yiooken Award on Friday night after finishing with 27 disposals, eight marks, nine score involvements and six intercepts in a Dreamtime win over Essendon. Finished just one vote short, despite not getting a single vote from two of the four judges.
Urgency Index:Â Green Shoots.
St Kilda's close, but not quite there. Make that three games this season where the Saints have been within a kick of a good opponent at three-quarter time, but haven't been able to land the final blow. This felt eerily similar to defeats against the Demons and the Lions earlier in the year.
Urgency Index:Â Simmering.
Don't be surprised to see Pete Ladhams in the near future. Brodie Grundy took 67 ruck contests on Saturday night and looked gassed. Geelong, without a noted ruck, then threw four different guys at him to ensure there was always someone fit and fresh to keep prodding away at the All-Australian contender. Mitch Edwards, Sam De Koning, Shannon Neale and Mark Blicavs all had more ruck contests than Sydney's next most behind Grundy. Desperately needs some support to avoid burning out in the second half of the season.
Urgency Index:Â Watch This Space.
Market forming for Bailey Williams? The most surprising free agent to be given 'restricted' status, yet might have a queue developing for his signature after an impressive month. Does all the things you'd want from a modern, leaping ruck and had 20 disposals, a goal, 18 contested possessions, 12 clearances and two goal assists on Saturday night to finish as the highest rated player on the ground.
Urgency Index:Â Watch This Space.
Credit to both Ed Richards and Marcus Bontempelli. Both have looked banged up all season. Richards responded on Sunday with 30 disposals and three goals, Bontempelli was as good as ever with 29 disposals and two goals. Both stars.
Urgency Index:Â Flying.
FOOTY ASIDE …
The NBA's Western Conference Finals are shaping up to be an all-timer. Shai v Wemby has been worth the wait of an elongated regular season. No disrespect to the Knicks, who look primed to head to the Finals out of the East, but you'd think the NBA's champ is coming from this matchup between the Thunder and the Spurs.
Urgency Index:Â Flying.
