Daniel is in terrific form - he had Darren Glass covered on the lead four or five times, and then he beat him for strength a couple of times, which is no mean feat, because Glass is one of the elite defenders in the competition. People forget that Bradshaw is the all-time leading goalkicker for the Lions, so he's ahead of Jonathan Brown and Alastair Lynch. The Swans got an amazing bargain by picking him up in the pre-season draft. He's playing the SCG beautifully, and after 17 goals in five games he's at the same odds for the Coleman Medal as Lance Franklin.
Ryan Griffen
Most of the players at the Bulldogs thought that once it all gels, Ryan would be their best midfielder - ahead of absolute guns in Adam Cooney, Matthew Boyd, etc. But for a whole heap of reasons - a bit of injury, family issues - he hasn't been consistent, but he's starting to string it together. In a lot of ways, it is time - I don't think he's ever finished in the top-10 in the best and fairest. But he's got it all - his workrate on and off the track is great, his kicking, his explosive pace, that Ablett-like ability to not be tackled is awesome. When he's got it all together he's harder to stop than just about anyone.
David Rodan
This is just a brilliant story. He had his knee reco on December 6th last year, and to be playing already is just fantastic. And to be playing at the level he's at - so confident in his movement, the sidestep, the tackle pressure, it's amazing. For Port against the Saints he was best in clearances, in contested possessions, for inside-50, and second in tackles. It was just a complete performance. Everyone's just so pumped for him, and hopefully the LARS surgery becomes the norm and we get players back in that timeframe.
Stephen Milne
With 388 goals from 193 games, Milney is one of the elite small forwards of recent times. While some players have moved from the midfield to the forward line with distinction - Leigh Matthews springs to mind as probably the best example - Milne has played there his entire career. That soccered goal he kicked on the weekend is up there with the best I've ever seen. It's typical Milney - it was instinctive, he meant it, he thought it through, it was brilliant. No luck involved.
Dean Bailey
What I love about Dean is his demeanour never changes - 95-point loss, unbelievable win, it doesn't matter. He's been totally consistent with his message and his gameplan, and now he's got the cattle to be able to deliver on it. He didn't have them early, and it's a credit to him for sticking to what he believed in.
Hawthorn 2008 v now
You look back at the Hawks winning the 2008 flag, and we all thought it was going to be an unbelievable period for them. Buddy kicked a ton and had room to improve, Roughead could improve, an extraordinary midfield, a gameplan that everyone struggled with. To then not make the finals in 2009, and now facing a season-defining game this weekend against Essendon - it's just a reminder of how hard the competition is. Whoever loses out of Hawthorn or the Bombers is gone. It's a bit like Essendon in 1993 - they pinched one early, and then sometimes it just works out that you don't have things falling your way and you don't get another crack at it. A few key injuries, people working out how to beat your gameplan, and you're in deep trouble. Footy's a funny game.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
