Round six of the 2015 AFL season has been run and won and there were many talking points to come out of the weekend’s fixtures.
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Geelong kicked off proceedings with a big win over a disappointing Collingwood, while the Giants pulled off one of the upsets of the year to defeat reigning premiers Hawthorn on Saturday.
West Coast continue to impress despite its injury issues, while the less said about Carlton at the moment, the better…
Here’s five things we learned in round six:
West Coast Eagles’ depleted backline impresses yet again
When the Eagles lost Eric Mackenzie and Mitch Brown to knee reconstructions early in the year, many were struggling to work out just how Adam Simpson would deal with the issue.
Makeshift defender Jeremy McGovern and Will Schofield have had to shoulder the defensive responsibility and both have been excellent so far, and the Eagles’ work as a defensive unit against a highly-fancied Port Adelaide outfit was outstanding.
Nobody would have picked the Eagles to be sitting second on the ladder after six games, but they’ve provided a solid platform to build on for the rest of 2015.
St Kilda showing signs of a brighter future
The Saints have been up-and-down in 2015, but their performance in Saturday’s win over the Western Bulldogs left fans dreaming of a better future.
Jack Billings was superb as St Kilda turned around a 55-point deficit to come away with the four points in a match the Saints faithful won’t forget for a long time.
Alan Richardson’s side will take a huge amount of confidence from the win despite the fact finals football will likely be off the radar in 2015.
Hawthorn struggling without its biggest stars
Without Luke Hodge and Jordan Lewis, Hawthorn were made to look very average by an exciting young Greater Western Sydney side on Saturday.
Giants forward Jeremy Cameron booted a career-best equalling seven goals while Ryan Griffen, Adam Treloar and Dylan Shiel took the game to the reigning premiers: and won.
Ryan Griffen is helping transform the Giants
Griffen has helped transform the Giants from cellar-dwellers into a dangerous outfit since joining from the Western Bulldogs.
The Giants were brilliant in their win over the Hawks, and a lot of the team’s early success can put down to the influence of Griffen.
It’s going to be long year for Carlton fans…if only it wasn’t already.
The pressure was eased on Blues coach Mick Malthouse following its big ANZAC Day win over St Kilda, but Carlton’s two most recent performance have left a lot to be desired.
Carlton were insipid against the Magpies last week, and a late fade on Sunday saw the Blues lose to the winless Brisbane Lions.
The Blues’ list certainly isn’t top quality, but the lack of pressure and intensity is what is most disappointing.
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