ADELAIDE (11th)
Then:  The upstart preliminary finalist of last year lost gun forward Kurt Tippett to the Swans, but they still had big Taylor ‘Tex’ Walker as their no.1 marking target, and by any calculation he moved past Tippett in order of importance and value last year.
 
Now: Five wins from 12 matches and with finals hopes dwindling by the week. Adelaide's hopes of backing up from last year were sunk when Walker ruptured his ACL in round five against Carlton and was forced out for the rest of the year. With the midfield down and the forward line badly undermanned, the Crows are a long way removed from the barnstorming unit that was three minutes away from making the Grand Final last year.

Highs: Not many. Patrick Dangerfield has moved into near superstar status and coach Brenton Sanderson has lamented on occasion that he wished he had two Dangerfields at his disposal. In terms of wins, the most notable was the stunning comeback over North Melbourne at Etihad where the Crows rallied from five goals down well into the final quarter to snatch a one-point win.
 
Lows: The 77-point loss to the Sydney Swans a fortnight ago was the club's heaviest loss on its home deck in 19 years. It came about a month after Walker's knee injury, further proof that this would be a year to forget for the Crows.
 
Key stat:  Adelaide has recorded a disposal efficiency of 69.7 per cent so far this season – the equal-lowest of any side. (Champion Data)
 
Best and fairest: Dangerfield. Throw a blanket over the rest.
 
Prognosis: Looking at Adelaide's draw for the rest of the season, a 7-3 finish is not out of the question, which would leave it in the race for the eight until the death. But the Crows need an injection of speed out wide and grunt in the middle, and unless the midfield is really flying, they don't generate enough inside 50s with their threadbare forward structure to kick winning scores.


CARLTON (8th)
Then: The Blues were the talk of the summer, having dispensed with favourite son Brett Ratten as senior coach and replaced him with Mick Malthouse, out of the game for 12 months but with a point to prove. But for all the excitement brought by Malthouse (fuelled by a heavy media campaign) was the realization that he barely made changes to a playing list that missed the finals last year.
 
Now: In the eight only by virtue of percentage with a 6-6 record, but with all six defeats having been by less than three goals. The Blues are playing with more structure this year and the improvement has been incremental, but they still don't have enough quality and depth in the key positions at both ends of the ground.
 
Highs: The wins have been solid rather than spectacular for the Blues and the best of the lot might have been the first – the round four defeat of West Coast by 24 points at Patersons Stadium, which the Eagles went into as firm favourites.
 
Lows: The Blues know how to give up some leads. They led Collingwood for large chunks in round two, Essendon by 31 points a fortnight ago and the Hawks by nearly three goals last Friday and lost them all. And they have staged some mighty comebacks, albeit too late, such as the season opener against Richmond and the Monday night clash with St Kilda.
 
Key stat:  Carlton has allowed its opposition to score from 51.5 per cent of inside 50s this season – the fourth-highest percentage conceded by any side and clearly the worst defensive of the top-eight. (Champion Data)
 
Best and fairest: Andrew Walker has been in great touch for the Blues and has been talked up as an All Australian possibility for the Blues. Chris Judd has been in good touch all year.
 
Prognosis: Not too many easy games left on Carlton's slate in 2013. They'll finish with 12 or 13 wins for the year and it may come down to percentage for the final spot. It would appear to be out of the Blues and West Coast to make it.





Andrew Walker is enjoying a potential All Australian season so far.  Picture: AFL Media

COLLINGWOOD (6th)
Then: Coming off a preliminary final last season, and with the addition of experienced pair Quinten Lynch and Clinton Young plus the return from injury of Luke Ball, the belief was strong that Collingwood would contend for a Grand Final berth in 2013.
 
Now: The Pies are 8-4 and are the only side to beat Geelong this year. They have had plenty of injuries to deal with, including Alex Fasolo who won't play again this year and Dale Thomas, whose return to the side before the finals, if at all this year, is unlikely. Collingwood has used 36 players so far this season and unveiled eight debutants.
 
Highs: Beating Carlton and former coach Mick Malthouse in round two after trailing for much of the afternoon was a fine win for Collingwood, as was the win over Geelong, when the Pies surged late to seal the win after a great third term by the Cats. The Pies have turned the team over this year and the likes of Paul Seedsman, Jamie Elliott (who kicked five against the Blues) and Josh Thomas have laid claims to be in the club's best 22.
 
Lows: In some of their defeats this year, the Magpies have been opened up late in games. Hawthorn, Essendon and Fremantle all came home strongly against them while against the Sydney Swans, the Magpies were barely in the contest. Injuries have bit deep at the Westpac Centre this year. 2012 best and fairest Dayne Beams has yet to play, nor has Young, specifically sought by the Pies for his run and carry. Ball only returned in round 8, while skipper Nick Maxwell missed four matches.
 
Key stat:  Collingwood has won a hit-out from 37.6 per cent of ruck contests this season – ranked 14th. It has won a clearance from 42.2 per cent of stoppages however, ranked fourth. (Champion Data)
 
Best and fairest: Scott Pendlebury has been Collingwood's best player this season. Travis Cloke has kicked 34 goals through 12 games and is just one off the pace in a tight race for the Coleman Medal.
 
Prognosis: Good enough for the top six this year but perhaps not the top four. Collingwood doesn’t quite look ready to challenge the elite four – Hawthorn, Geelong, Sydney Swans and Fremantle - and the draw doesn't offer too many free hits from here. Still, the Pies will be better for the return of Beams and Young.




The preseason loss of Dayne Beams has been costly to the Magpies.  Picture: AFL Media

ESSENDON (3rd)
Then: Essendon's summer exploded on February 5 when it announced it had asked the AFL and ASADA to investigate concerns over the supplements program its players took part in before the 2012 season. The exhaustive and all-consuming investigation placed the players and coaching staff under enormous scrutiny, and the effect it would have on Essendon's training and matches was unclear.
 
Now:  It has been a remarkable season to date. The Bombers flew from the gates with six straight and take a 9-3 record into the bye. They have won the admiration of the entire competition for the manner with which they have approached the season despite the myriad of distractions.
 
Highs: The Bombers used to become the Gliders when they played outside Victoria, but wins interstate over Adelaide and Fremantle in the opening three weeks of the season demonstrated the mettle of the group. Against the Dockers, they were held to one goal in the first half before nine goals to two after half-time. They belted Collingwood on Anzac Day and came from the clouds to beat Carlton. Jobe Watson is playing well enough to earn a second Brownlow, while key defender Jake Carlisle and half-back Michael Hibberd headline a number of Bombers who have improved dramatically. And then there's Joe, so good that Bomber fans have no need to mention his surname. Essendon's big man stocks now run so deep that Tom Bellchambers and Scott Gumbleton can't get a game. By the way, it's Daniher if you didn’t already know.
 
Lows: Essendon's only truly bad performance this year came against the Brisbane Lions in round eight, a 10-point loss at Etihad Stadium. A series of niggling injuries to Michael Hurley is also perplexing because he is a super player when fit and firing.
 
Key stat:  Essendon has won 17 of its 24 quarters played after half-time this season – the best second-half record of any side. (Champion Data)
 
Best and fairest: Watson would be leading, while Hibberd would be polling nicely.
 
Prognosis: The Bombers still have a tough draw to negotiate including Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn, Richmond and West Coast (twice), so they face a tough battle to break into the top four and with the ASADA outcome likely to be forthcoming later in the season, the Bombers face a challenging few months. But they're well steeled for whatever lies ahead.




His first two games have already stamped Joe Daniher a favourite of Bomber fans.  Picture: AFL Media

GOLD COAST (12th)
Then: Some promising form towards the end of 2012 harboured hope that Gold Coast's third AFL season would be marked by a move out of the bottom two.
 
Now: The Suns have won five from 12 and taken the next step in their development. They're bigger, stronger and are becoming harder to beat at home. They are establishing a formidable midfield unit and their talls are becoming dangerous. The blueprint is going to plan.
 
Highs: Some significant milestones ticked off by the Suns this year include consecutive wins and the first win at the MCG. It may only have been against Melbourne, but the 10-goal win was emphatic and imperious. They also had a super win against North Melbourne at Metricon, spotting the Kangas a five goal lead in the rain in the first term before overhauling it in one quarter and then holding on from there. Even some of the defeats have been impressive, with the Suns leading Hawthorn well into the third quarter at the MCG and Geelong at three-quarter time of the much-hyped first night match at Simonds Stadium. The Suns have also enjoyed the slashing debut season of Jaeger O'Meara, the almost unbackable favourite to win the NAB AFL Rising Star. He was worth the wait for Gold Coast.
 
Lows: After a difficult second year, Zac Smith stacked on the muscles over the summer and was enjoying a fine season as Gold Coast's no.1 big man before joining the long list of players to suffer a season-ending knee injury.
 
Key stat:  Last season Gold Coast ranked 16th in the competition, averaging four fewer clearances per game. This season it has won the clearance count by five per game – ranked third. (Champion Data)
 
Best and fairest: Gary Ablett has been outstanding all year for the Suns. And don’t worry about another best and fairest because he might just win his second Brownlow as well.
 
Prognosis: The Suns would look at their schedule for the rest of the year and see plenty of winnable games. They could finish the year with up to 10 wins, which would set them up perfectly for an assault on the finals in 2014.


Jaeger O'Meara is a red-hot favourite for the NAB Rising Star award.  Picture: AFL Media

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY (18th)
Then: The Giants won two games last year and there was a reasonable expectation that the club could double that tally in 2014. Leon Cameron joined the club as senior-coach-in-waiting, which was expected to lead to improvements in gameplan and strategy.
 
Now: Winless after 12 matches, the season has been a slog for the Giants. A bit like the Suns of last year, the Giants have had stages of games where they have dominated, but also entire matches where they are barely competitive.
 
Highs: Jeremy Cameron has already become one of the premier forwards in the AFL, while Callan Ward continues to develop as a leader. The Giants led Melbourne by 19 points with a quarter to go at the MCG in round four and played some exciting football to that stage. They also led Essendon for a considerable period at Etihad Stadium and also started brightly against Geelong, leading by five goals at one stage.
 
Lows: Too many blow outs, even for an expansion team. Crowds have been poor at Skoda Stadium and a season-ending knee injury forward to 2011 no.1 draft pick Jon Patton have all made this a difficult second year for the Giants. They've also been without full-back Phil Davis for much of the year, a reason why the Giants have been leaking easy goals.
 
Key stat:  GWS has taken 6.8 marks per game inside the forward 50 – the fewest of any side. It has allowed the opposition to grab 19.2 marks inside 50 per game – the most conceded by any side. (Champion Data)
 
Best and fairest: Callan Ward would be well ahead.
 
Prognosis: The Giants set themselves for the home game against Port Adelaide last week but got smacked by 75 points. So where will the elusive win come from? Perhaps round 19 against Melbourne at Skoda Stadium. They might yet avoid the wooden spoon.
 

There's no doubt that the Giants have a star of the future in Jeremy Cameron. Picture: AFL Media


Ashley Browne is an AFL Media senior writer. @afl_hashbrowne