Reigning premiers Geelong are the only winless team left in the AFL, as round three delivers another Showdown to remember and a Demons performance that caught the eye.
Welcome to the AFL Round-Up, where we digest the week that was.
How worried are we about Geelong?
It was a fun Sunday afternoon for the stat-lovers and the historians.
As soon as it became clear that Gold Coast were in fact going to beat Geelong, they came flying out — first time since 1976 a premier has started 0-3! Worst Geelong start since 2004! Something about Doug Wade probably!
The little nuggets of history go some way to putting Geelong's start to their premiership defence in context, but probably don't tell the full story of what's going on at the Cattery.
Geelong have been off, by some measure that is difficult to fully quantify, all season.
A round-one loss to Collingwood wasn't cause for alarm, not least because they were right in that game into the last. The Carlton loss was much the same, because the Blues are a pretty good team too and the Cats had a sniff late.
But this one is a bit different. The Suns were pretty damn good, showcasing the daring and high-pressure version of themselves we get to see on occasion, but Geelong seemed to let this loss happen.
The last quarter in particular was meek. Led by Matt Rowell, Gold Coast badly showed the Geelong midfield up in the second half, dominating contested ball and clearances.
Even more obvious was the spread from those stoppages, and the ever-lengthening gaps between Suns players and their chasing Cats opponents. It's this sort of stuff Geelong wouldn't have stood for last year, or in just about any year for the last 16.
The hole left by Joel Selwood is bigger than perhaps we expected. So much was made of Selwood's aura and leadership, that his actual quality as a footballer could often be forgotten. The Cats are missing both at the moment.
The fixture improves for Geelong in coming weeks — though we said that last week too — but the injury list is worsening.
Given time, Geelong will most likely be fine. But we expect more than fine of this club, as do they of themselves. This transitional year that Chris Scott is preaching needs some tweaking.
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Let them play every week
The Showdown is just the best.
It's one of the few rivalry matches in the AFL in which the "form goes out the window" cliché actually rings true. They get to play it at the most beautiful stadium in the league, with the most wonderfully frothing crowds, and somehow they almost always end up tight at the end.
Given their underdog status, Adelaide probably enjoyed the neutral's backing on the night, and the fervour that built as those young Crows overwhelmed their fancied Port opponents at the end was captivating.
The pre-season Adelaide optimism was justified, and in glimpses against GWS and Richmond there was a team that looked ready to make a sizeable 2023 leap. Maybe that crisp Showdown air was all they needed to turn promise into practice.
Izak Rankine remains one of the five most watchable players in the league, and he had a night out. His triple effort on the wing in the last, to somehow stop an opponent, keep the ball in and slip out the back with it, might have been the moment that the Crows truly believed.
Or it could have been any of the game-breaking grabs and goals from Riley Thilthorpe, who throughout his career has looked equal parts entirely lost and unstoppable force.
It was much needed reward for effort for Adelaide, and just another set of questions for Ken Hinkley and Port Adelaide to ponder.
The first-round win over Brisbane seemed a turning point, but even though there were positive signs on Saturday, the contested possession numbers over the past two weeks make for ugly reading.
There's no leeway for Port this season, largely due to the expectations they've put on themselves. It's Sydney away next week, and things could soon get worse before they get better.
Dees and Swans set the standard
The first three quarters of Melbourne-Sydney might have been the highest quality footy we've seen so far this season. Everything aside from Sydney's goal kicking was to the absolute highest standard.
The return of Steven May seemed to signal the return of Melbourne early, as he and Jake Lever put that familiar wall back up and largely stifled Sydney's ball movement.
The Demons scored from counter-attack and stood up in the contest, thanks largely to the phenomenal Clayton Oliver. They were dead-eye in front of goal and threatened to run away from the Swans early.
But because Sydney are a genuinely exceptional team, they found a way back in with subtle tweaks. The game ebbed and flowed, but the Swans could never quite get their noses (bills?) in front, due almost entirely to missed shots at goal.
Then the Dees made them pay, just as those Dees of 2021 tended to do. Young Jacob van Rooyen got his moment in the sun, Jake Melksham dobbed a silly one after the siren. It all fell neatly into place.
It would have been reasonable to expect Melbourne might have had some slight internal doubts after last week's poor showing in Brisbane and injury to Max Gawn, but they were washed away at the MCG on Sunday. Of course they can win it all again, they have every weapon required.
The Swans? Ignore the margin and don't worry about them. They are right at home in these clashes of titans.
Around the grounds
What a special night for St Kilda, and what a spectacular jersey. Ross Lyon's Saints are top of the ladder and a joy to watch, well worth their primetime billing. There will be bumps along the road, many related to their increasing injury list, but Ross has reinvigorated this club.
Collingwood weren't at their best, but adapted and won handily against Richmond. The Darcy Cameron injury is a bit of a worry, but the Pies' emergence as one of the premier contested ball teams in the comp should mitigate the ruck hole a little.
Fremantle were up and about in the last quarter of the derby, and will relish stripping the weight off their shoulders after a winless fortnight. But that it took until the last 10 minutes to overcome an almost comically decimated West Coast should force some introspection and worry.
What a cathartic evening that must have been for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. To face such ugliness and overcome it with class, grit and the complete and unwavering support of those that care about him should be a source of immense pride. A night that saw his star rise ever higher.
We don't like talking about umpires here, but that dissent free against Stephen Coniglio was a little bit silly. Still, there was 10 minutes left on the clock when it happened and ample time for the Giants to make amends. Controversy aside, not a game to remember but an important one for the Blues to bank.
Sam Mitchell has full belief in his plan, but there are a handful of games he will have circled this year as important for proof of concept. Any win when you're starting from scratch means the world to a club, as Mitchell's smile gave away after the game.
In the clubhouse
Here we take stock of who is leading the race for the season's individual awards.
Another decent week for Harry Sheezel and Will Ashcroft, who are ahead of the chasing pack in Rising Star terms for now.
But we're giving this week's nod to Eagles midfielder Reuben Ginbey, who is carrying an oversized load in their engine room. Lucky he's absolutely massive and can clearly handle it.
Ginbey led the Eagles for contested possessions and clearances against Freo, and currently leads the entire league for tackles three weeks in. Not your typical first-year player.
In a pretty slow week for hangers, we'll go with Ben King for mark of the week. Harry Himmelberg still looking largely untouchable, quite literally on top of the pack in the MOTY race.
And for something different, we'll go the Suns double and give Jack Lukosius goal of the week for kicking the Sherrin approximately 89 metres to ice the win for the Suns.
Still like Chad Wingard's round one goal best so far this year though.
