BRISBANE LIONS (15th)
Then: Not many rated the Lions during the summer but then came their barnstorming run to the NAB Cup premiership, which had us recasting our final eights to see whether there was room for the revitalized Lions.

Now: 3-7 and with a horror draw to come, the Lions will do well to win eight games, which is two less than last year and will place the future of coach Michael Voss in grave doubt.

Highs: The win over high-flying Essendon in round 8 at Etihad Stadium gave us a glimpse of what we thought might be the norm from the Lions this year. Brent Staker's sealer from the boundary line was one of the great clutch goals of the year.

Lows: The opening round belting from the Western Bulldogs and the insipid showing last Friday against Collingwood have bookended a disappointing season to this point. The Lions have had their share of injuries but dumb suspensions to Daniel Merrett and Jonathan Brown have arguably hurt them more.

Key stat: Brisbane has scored at an accuracy of 51.9 per cent - ranked last. It has recorded a lower scoring accuracy than its opposition in six of its 10 games.  (Champion Data)

Best and fairest: Pearce Hanley would be miles in front.

Prognosis: Fremantle, Geelong and Hawthorn to come. Ouch.

FREMANTLE (4th)
Then: Pundits were bullish on Fremantle over the summer, and why not? The combination of last year's slashing elimination final win over Geelong and another off-season under the tutelage of the canny Ross Lyon was seen as a key reason why the side was tipped by many to be playing deep into September.

Now: No Pavlich, no Sandilands, no Griffin, no Walters…no worries. The Dockers have done well to graft their way to fourth on the ladder despite Lyon not having close to his best side to pick. Put your feet up, boys. You've earned it.

Highs: Last week's seven-point win over Adelaide was brave but Freo's best game might have been the draw with the Swans at the SCG where they came from 27 points down in the final quarter to split the points. The Swans almost never let it slip at home. Midfielder Michael Barlow is back to his best after that horrific leg injury.

Lows: Losing to Essendon by four points after leading by six goals at half-time the week before was the worst effort of the season. But the last month has been outstanding.

Key stat: Fremantle concedes just 44 inside 50s per game – the fewest of any side. The opposition score a goal from just 23.5 per cent of entries – ranked second. (Champion Data)

Best and fairest: David Mundy might be ahead at this stage, but a feature of the Dockers in 2013 is how even they have been across the park.

Prognosis: With four of their next five games at Patersons Stadium, the Dockers are well positioned to cement their place in the top four. And they have a dream run in to the finals, finishing with GWS, Melbourne, Port Adelaide and St Kilda.





David Mundy is enjoying a great season personally and with the team.  Picture: AFL Media

HAWTHORN (1st)
Then: Too slow, a battered skipper, a horror draw and the Buddy contractual issue. The Hawks were flag favourites with the bookies, but the reasons why they mightn't win it were long and compelling.

Now: Luke Hodge has returned as good as ever, the Franklin question has been managed well and after the mandatory season-opening loss to Geelong, the Hawks have negotiated a tough draw to win nine straight and sit atop the ladder.

Highs: Six straight wins over finalists from last year is an impressive feat. Jarryd Roughead is playing his best footy in five years, Grant Birchall and Luke Breust are verging on elite status and Brian Lake has fitted seamlessly into the backline. Bradley Hill has added zip and excitement.

Lows: Losing to Geelong yet again and season-ending knee injuries to Matt Suckling and Ryan Schoenmakers.

Key stat: Hawthorn has been in front for 83 per cent of game-time this season – ranked No. 1 in the competition and 12 per cent higher than the second-placed team. (Champion Data)

Best and fairest: Sam Mitchell would be ahead of Birchall, Roughead and Shaun Burgoyne.

Prognosis: Look assured of a top four finish and should enter the finals healthier and fresher than last year. Then it comes down to resolve and hunger.




If Buddy's been a bit quiet then Jarryd Roughead has more than filled in any gaps.    Picture: AFL Media

PORT ADELAIDE (11th)
Then: The unheralded Ken Hinkley assumed the job at Alberton and went to work on his young playing list, leaving new club president David Koch to use his TV profile to attract new sponsors and fresh interest to the club.

Now: Port started the season in a blaze of glory with five straight wins. Since then has come five straight defeats, which is perhaps a more accurate reflection of where the team sits. Hinkley is overseeing a rebuild, but is earning rave reviews for his manner and his smarts.

Highs: Port smashed Melbourne by 79 points in the first game of the season, a result that looked better then than it does now. But the best wins were the Showdown defeat of Adelaide by nine points and five-point win over West Coast, both of which came after stirring second half comebacks. Travis Boak has been an inspired choice as skipper, while Chad Wingard is enjoying an excellent second season.

Lows: The first time Hinkley has been downbeat after a loss was in Darwin on Saturday night after losing by nine points to the Western Bulldogs in a game his side had control of at half-time. Losing Jarrad Redden to a bad shoulder injury would not have helped his mood. Justin Westhoff's form as a key forward has dipped at the same time as his team.

Key stat: From rounds one to five, Port Adelaide ranked No. 1 in the competition averaging 381 disposals per game. From rounds six to 10, it has averaged 330 disposals per game – ranked 15th. (Champion Data)

Best and fairest: Boak has been the best through 10 games. Hamish Hartlett got off to a flyer, but has battled to cope with some hard tagging since then.

Prognosis: Port would appear to have six, perhaps seven winnable games on its slate for the remainder of the season, so would consider itself to be in the hunt for the finals. But this was always a year for rebuilding and redeveloping for Hinkley and that will continue at pace. A 10-win season would be an outstanding achievement.





A sensational start to the season has gone quiet for Justin Westhoff and Port Adelaide. Picture: AFL Media

RICHMOND (8th)
Then: The perennial bridesmaids of the AFL were happy to talk themselves up over the pre-season and to embrace the expectations of their impatient supporters and the many others who believed their time was nigh.

Now: 6-4 and in the eight, so they are tracking well enough. Three wins to open the season and the lid was truly off, but the Tigers had been disappointing since then, until Monday night's 41-point thrashing of West Coast at Patersons Stadium, arguably the club's finest win in 30 years.

Highs: The emergence of second year defender Brandon Ellis and the ripping debut season of Nick Vlastuin. Snapping a four-year streak of losing to Carlton in the season opener is another. Troy Chaplin has been a welcome addition to the backline.

Lows: The Tigers were stiff to lose to the Dockers in Perth, but looked exposed in losses to Geelong, Essendon and Collingwood. Games later this season against Sydney and Hawthorn will tell us plenty. Chris Knights out for the year with a knee injury is a blow.

Key stat: Richmond has scored 44 points per game from clearances this season – ranked second in the AFL. This is impressive considering they average 88 stoppages per game – the equal third-fewest of any side.   (Champion Data)

Best and fairest: Trent Cotchin would be leading the count at Punt Road, but the player in career best touch this year would be Daniel Jackson.

Prognosis: Back in the eight after the win over the Eagles, the Tigers are in pole position to make just their third finals series in 30 years, but with only four gimmes in their remaining 12 games, it will be a close thing. Imagine the euphoria if they beat the Bombers in round 23 to get there.





First year player Nick Vlastuin has been a revelation for the Tigers.   Picture: AFL Media

WESTERN BULLDOGS (14th)
Then: Closed out 2012 with 11 straight defeats and the 'slowly, slowly' mantra coming out of the Whitten Oval didn’t engender much enthusiasm for this year's campaign.

Now: Opened the year with a stunning 68-point win over the Brisbane Lions who were fresh off their win in the NAB Cup Grand Final, before embarking on the all-too-familiar six-match losing streak. But wins over St Kilda and Port Adelaide has affirmed the faith of coach Brendan McCartney that the Bulldogs are on the right track.

Highs: It is a year for player development out west, and while the wins have been nice, it is the injection of class youngsters such as Jake Stringer, Jack Macrae and Nathan Hrovat that has created the biggest buzz this year.

Lows: The loss to Gold Coast sparked a week of 'What's wrong with the Bulldogs?" headlines, although the Suns might be better than we thought. McCartney continues to shake up the side and stalwarts such as Daniel Cross are no longer considered to be automatic selections.

Key stat: The Bulldogs have recorded a kicking efficiency of 60.6 per cent – ranked last. Their overall kicking efficiency is 5.3 per cent lower than their opposition – the worst differential of any side. They have recorded a higher kicking efficiency than the opposition in just one game this season.  (Champion Data)

Best and fairest: Ryan Griffen could miss the rest of the season and still be far enough ahead to win the best and fairest count.

Prognosis: There are four or five wins still on the horizon for the Dogs if they maintain their form of the last fortnight, but it's all about getting games into the kids.


There are no guaranteed starts in a young Bulldog team for veteran Daniel Cross.  Picture: AFL Media



Ashley Browne is an AFL Media senior writer. @afl_hashbrowne