In Round 24 of the 2026 AFL season, Logan Morris booted eight in front of a massive crowd at the MCG, but the Pies have some injury concers. Plus, has this Blue been the best small forward in the second half of the year? Here's whose stocks are up and down.
Our footy experts cast their eye over the week's action to find out whose stocks are up -- whether it's a coaching masterstroke or a player having a blinder -- and whose are down.
Adelaide
Stocks up: If this version of Izak Rankine is what we see in September, look out! We know they're strong defensively, we know they have enough offensive firepower to score, but Rankine in this sort of form, in the middle, just takes the team to a new level. The 26-year-old is one of the in-form players of the competition and played an absurd game against the Giants, racking up 35 disposals, kicking four goals, and winning 12 clearances to net himself 36.2 rating points -- the best game of his entire career.
Stocks down: The win over GWS marked the final home-and-away game for club champion Taylor Walker, and tears were shed after the game as he walked the oval and thanked the fans for their support. Tex is Adelaide's all-time leading goalkicker and has played 318 games with the finals series to come, but booted six goals on Saturday night to suggest there is still plenty more excitement to come from the 36-year-old who continues to form part of a formidable trio alongside Darcy Fogarty and Riley Thilthorpe, who both kicked three against the Giants.
Brisbane
Stocks up: Brisbane's firepower -- seriously! Logan Morris produced a career-best performance with a ridiculous eight-goal haul, but the Lions' forward-line depth was just as impressive, with Oscar Allen booting four and Eric Hipwood adding three. Morris is contracted through 2027 and surely has to be right at the top of Tasmania's wish list. The kid is an absolute superstar. And with that sort of firepower, the Lions look cherry ripe heading into September. The three-peat is well and truly alive. Scary.
Stocks down: Having just served three matches for serious misconduct involving Mitch Georgiades a month ago, young key defender Ty Gallop can count himself lucky that he avoided a second ban in as many games, after his big tackle on Charlie West in the third quarter on Friday night. He plays on the edge, Gallop, but with finals just around the corner he needs to ensure he's not pushing the envelope too far.
Carlton
Stocks up: Who's the highest-rated general forward in the AFL across the past 10 weeks? We'll list you the top three in order: Nick Watson, Shaun Mannagh, then Francis Evans. Yes, above the likes of Bayley Fritsch, Charlie Cameron, Cam Rayner, Murphy Reid, etc etc. It's been quite the rise under Josh Fraser for former Cat and Power player, who is thriving under the new system and in Round 24 booted five goals from 11 disposals, wreaking havoc in the front half as the Blues upset the Dockers.
Stocks down: Having to make their run from the wildcard round. The Blues have shown they can beat just about anyone when their game plan is well executed, and since the halfway point of the season, they look like the best team not named Fremantle or Brisbane (they've beaten both, by the way). But the 1-8 start under Michael Voss means they now face the brutal reality of needing to make a run without the luxury of a top-six week off.
Collingwood
Stocks up: Jordan De Goey can hold his head high after the heavy defeat, finishing with 32 disposals, six clearances, and two goals at the MCG. Young gun Sam Swadling (32 and one goal) was also impressive and is looking more comfortable at the level with every game he plays.
Stocks down: There are a few things Collingwood will be worried about this week. First is the lack of intensity in the loss to the Lions. Sure, they didn't have a whole lot to play for, but the word from the club was the players wanted to be out there -- not rested -- to maintain their momentum going into wildcard weekend, but their lack of pressure for the most part was notable. Scott Pendlebury is set to miss at least three weeks with a hamstring injury he sustained against the Lions, while Brayden Maynard's season could be all but over as well after he re-injured his knee during a training session.
Essendon
Stocks up: If you need to give Essendon fans one reason to look forward to 2027 after winning the wooden spoon, it's these two words: Nate Caddy. Six goals, 17 disposals, and six marks for the youngster who is capable of anything and with another preseason can quickly become one of the game's best forwards.
Stocks down: A wooden spoon is a wooden spoon. Last. At the bottom. The worst team in it. Oh how the once great Essendon Football Club has fallen. Was that Zach Merrett's last game for the Dons, as well?
Fremantle
Stocks up: The Dockers are set to regain at least Murphy Reid, Jye Amiss, and Sam Switkowski after the trio were held out of the clash with the Blues. They've managed their list brilliantly throughout the season and should now head into their qualifying final with close to a full-strength side. With the whips starting to crack, that's exactly where you want to be. However...
Stocks down: The one thing Fremantle would have wanted from their final home-and-away game was to get through completely unscathed. Winning was secondary, staying healthy was the priority. Unfortunately, Brennan Cox looks likely to miss at least the qualifying final after pinging a calf against Carlton. Oscar McDonald has shown, particularly in the back half of the season, that he can fill the void, but losing Cox at this time of year is far from ideal.
Geelong
Stocks up: Bailey Smith and Shaun Mannagh were at their explosive, damaging best against the Tigers, running rampant at GMHBA Stadium to ensure the Cats hit September in the best possible form. Smith finished with 40 disposals and three goals, while Mannagh had 33 and three of his own. When those two are playing like that, Geelong are going to be very hard to beat. Ominous.
Stocks down: We're not saying it's a bad thing to play Jeremy Cameron across half-back, we're just saying it might not pay off against a genuine contender. It was Richmond, after all, so if you're going to experiment, that's the glorified training run to do it. Cameron was actually quite good and has the skill to play anywhere, but perhaps Chris Scott was easing him back after his injury layoff. Maybe we just don't have faith in the move, but still... put him forward, Chris!
Gold Coast
Stocks up: There were some big numbers put up by several Suns on Thursday night, eager to finish the season on a high. John Noble and Touk Miller both had 40 disposals for the first time in their careers. Noah Anderson had 37 and one goal, Matt Rowell had 28 and 11 clearances, and Leo Lombard booted three goals on his way to the highest-rated game of his short career. The question is whether they can take this momentum into a new preseason and a 2027 campaign that will come with great expectations.
Stocks down: It seems like Ben King, who was in tears following the win over St Kilda, has played his final match as a Sun. The spearhead spoke after the game, saying: "Yeah, it could be [my last game]. I've absolutely loved playing with these boys." While coach Damien Hardwick also seems convinced he's on his way back to Victoria. "We love the guy ... this is free agency, he's done a stellar job for our footy club," he told Fox Footy. "Whatever the decision may be, we love him. We probably know which way it's headed, but at the end of the day he goes with our blessings." If it is the end, King finishes his Gold Coast career with 143 games played and 168 goals kicked. A fair contribution.
GWS
Stocks up: At least Adam Kingsley wasn't sugarcoating the year after the final game: "Anytime you finish in August it's gonna be disappointing," he said in his presser, pointing to the high standards he expects of his players. Wins against the contenders, losses against two of the bottom three teams. They were just far too inconsistent, but at least the coach knows it.
Stocks down: The loss marks what could be the end of Jesse Hogan, Toby Greene, and Jake Stringer in Giants colours. Stringer has already declared he is departing and the club also expects Hogan to play elsewhere in 2027, while a decision still hasn't been made by captain and inaugural Giant Greene who has been linked with a move to Geelong.
Hawthorn
Stocks up: After a couple of lean, goalless weeks for Nick Watson, he worked himself back into important form with three majors and a Mark of the Year contender in the wet over in Perth. Launching himself off the ground, the Wizard took a fantastic grab over Liam Baker in the third term. After the match, he told Channel 7 he "was due for a hanger", but doing it in the wet? Very impressive! Watson needed to find himself back in some form ahead of finals, and he did just that against the Eagles.
Stocks down: Lucky the wildcard exists, because if the AFL had not introduced it AND scrapped the pre-finals bye, the Hawks would have been travelling to Perth in back-to-back weeks! They face Fremantle in a qualifying final in two weeks' time. There's a few demons for them in Perth, too. Remember last time they faced the Dockers? Wharfie Time anyone?!
MOTY IN RD24?!#AFLEaglesHawks pic.twitter.com/KUyxdUQAtW
— 7AFL (@7AFL) August 23, 2026
Melbourne
Stocks up: Ahhh, Max Gawn. Sure, the Bulldogs were without a genuine ruck, but Gawn did what he had to do despite the loss, finishing with 28 disposals, five marks, 10 clearances, and a whopping 59 hit outs. Harrison Petty was also excellent in the air in the absence of the suspended Jacob van Rooyen, proving a constant threat with three goals and 11 marks -- eight of them contested! He'll need to play another big role this weekend if the Dees are to progress.
Stocks down: After a 15-win season, the Dees have fallen out of the top six and will now host 10th-placed Carlton in the wildcard round. The Blues are arguably the most in-form team in the competition, with Josh Fraser's system proving capable of beating anyone since he took over mid-season, including several contenders. The Demons will back themselves in, but this is a seriously dangerous matchup, especially without Jacob van Rooyen, Matthew Jefferson and perhaps Jake Lever. Given how attacking both teams can be, though, bring on Saturday night!
North Melbourne
Stocks up: The Roos get to take pick 5 to the draft, and will most likely also end up an additional end-of-second-round pick if a bid comes in the first few selections for tied prospects Dougie Cochrane and Cody Walker.
Stocks down: In what's been a disappointing year for the skipper, Nick Larkey will be glad the offseason is here for North Melbourne. It's been a challenging campaign; against the Swans he had just seven disposals and kicked one goal, whil ehe finised 2026 with 45 goals to his name -- nothing to sniff at, but there were periods of no impact when his side needed forward half leadership. Hopefully he can go away and come back bigger and better in 2027.
Port Adelaide
Stocks up: Loyalty still exists! Ollie Wines made it clear after the win over Essendon that he won't be playing anywhere else and can't wait to get back to work with the Power in 2027. Those comments came a week after star forward Mitch Georgiades re-committed to the club, providing some much-needed certainty while restricted free agent Zak Butters weighs up his future with strong links to Victoria.
Stocks down: The concerns about how they'll fare without Zak Butters. He hasn't left yet, but all signs point that way, and losing one of the best players in the competition would obviously leave a massive hole. Still, there are reasons for optimism. Jase Burgoyne has taken significant strides, Joe Richards has emerged late in the season, Miles Bergman has shown he can hurt teams through the midfield, Jason Horne-Francis missed the final game, and Connor Rozee hasn't even been there at all. The Power may be better placed to cover Butters than first thought.
Richmond
Stocks up: It's hard not to be impressed with Tim Taranto's back half of the season. Amongst a struggling young team, he's been one of the constant leaders performing in the clinches week after week. He finished his season with a season-high 36 disposals, 24 contested possessions, 10 clearances, and one goal, and there's no doubt he'll continue to be an integral part of this young group moving forward.
Stocks down: The reality for the Tigers is they're still so young, and despite that, they've also been hit hard by injuries. The frustrating part is they'll still be young next season, too. There are plenty of exciting young guns to look forward to, but this list isn't ready to play finals just yet. So, Tigers fans, another year of development awaits in 2027. Stick fat.
St Kilda
Stocks up: We've raved about the form of Max Hall and Brad Hill a lot in this column recently. We could do that again given they were St Kilda's two best players -- again -- but we really liked what Hugh Boxshall did to close out the season. The 20-year-old can do jobs in the midfield and be a threat playing above his height up forward, as proven through his 17 disposals, nine tackles, and three goals while minding Matt Rowell in the loss to the Suns.
Stocks down: We love the intention, and the desire to get better, but splashing the kind of cash they did in the offseason and winning just 10 games won't cut it. In fairness, injuries to the well-paid Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Sam Flanders, and Liam Ryan, and former Blues duo Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni playing hurt later in the season, didn't help. It also wasn't ideal Jack Sinclair went down so early in the year, and Max King couldn't get out on the park. They have the pieces there, but the season is still a disappointment nonetheless.
Sydney
Stocks up: Credit where it's due. The embattled Swans responded to a brutally tough and tumultuous week in the best, most professional way possible. Following the AFLW's win in front of a record crowd, the men's side were led superbly by an emotional Callum Mills, who was one of many leaders in tears after the impressive win over North Melbourne. Seeing coach Dean Cox embrace his staff in the box at the final siren was another raw and powerful moment. Under pressure, they all stood tall. "As much as we understand everything that's still happening with an investigation, the way the players showed up -- and the staff -- throughout the week has been something the club should be proud of," Cox said after the game.
Stocks down: It was a strong win against North Melbourne, but having to face a Brisbane side peaking at the right time is a tough ask, without three of their best players. Chairman Andrew Pridham summed up the on-field aspect well last week, saying the Swans had "effecitvely torpedoed" their finals chances, and he's right -- it'll take a monster effort to contend for the flag now.
West Coast
Stocks up: Sometimes you don't need top draft picks to find genuinely good AFL footballers, and Milan Murdock is a genuinely good AFL footballer. A preseason supplemental selection, the 26-year-old played 20 games this season and kicked 19 goals, effectively taking the place of Matt Owies who has battled form and injury issues since his move west. Against the Hawks, Murdock had 24 and kicked three majors. Thoroughly deserving of his two-year extension which will keep him at the Eagles through 2028.
Stocks down: Coach Andrew McQualter admitted as much in the post-match, but the Eagles just didn't adjust to the conditions well at all, while Hawthorn tweaked things magnificently. Overuse of handball, being overly fumbly and panicking ... West Coast had to do better at just taking territory and avoiding turnovers in costly areas. McQualter has a bit to work on for 2027; there's a fair bit of talent on the list, and fans will be expecting some genuine improvement next year.
Western Bulldogs
Stocks up: This isn't groundbreaking, but seriously, how good is the Marcus Bontempelli-Ed Richards combination?! They were the catalysts for the massive win over the Demons, doing everything to ensure the Dogs stayed in Melbourne this weekend. Bontempelli spent plenty of time forward given Luke Beveridge's lack of talls, finishing with 27 disposals, 11 marks, and two goals, while Richards was outstanding with 30 disposals, eight clearances, and a goal. They combined for a ridiculous 25 score involvements, and if the Dogs are to get past the Pies, it'll likely be on the back of them again.
Stocks down: Taking Aaron Naughton out of the game after he landed awkwardly and hurt a ligament in his ankle was a precautionary measure according to Bevo, but still, with no Tim English, no Sam Darcy, and a considerable lack of height, not having a fully-fit Naughton out there this week would really hurt their chances of progressing. Fingers crossed it really is on the minor end.