Round 6 of the 2025 AFL season is in the books. So, it's time to react ... or overreact.
A returning superstar put the competition on notice with a stellar performance, and an old powerhouse might just be showing signs of life. But is a Good Friday tradition starting to wear thin?
Let's get to this week's overreactions, where we judge a few major takeaways as legitimate or irrational.
Marcus Bontempelli is still the best player in the game
After missing the opening five matches with a calf injury he sustained during preseason, Marcus Bontempelli made his long-awaited return against the Saints in Round 6 -- and instantly reminded everyone why he's always in the 'best player in the game' conversation.
The Bulldogs skipper finished with 30 disposals, two goals, and 12 score involvements, and was the most impactful player on the ground. He didn't miss a beat. It was a complete performance, the kind we've come to expect from Bont -- even if we hadn't seen it in a little while.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
There are plenty of contenders for this crown; Collingwood's Nick Daicos is arguably the most skilful and hardest-working player in the country, and his IQ is off the charts, while Carlton's two-time Brownlow medallist and inspirational leader Patrick Cripps remains a contested beast who can dominate teams around the stoppage.
But what sets Bontempelli apart is that he combines all the strengths of the others, and he has no glaring weakness. He has the size and strength to match it one-on-one, he's a brilliant overhead mark, elite below his knees, incredibly skilful, and has genuine scoreboard impact. He can play inside, outside, forward - anywhere. Whatever Luke Beveridge and the Dogs need, he delivers.
There's a reason so many think he's the best player in the game and has been in that conversation for so long. And despite missing the first month of the season -- and after that Round 6 display -- it's pretty easy to see why.
North Melbourne no longer deserve Good Friday footy
It's been a tough old trot for North. They've tried to pioneer Good Friday footy, mostly while being a rebuilding team. The most recent loss on the public holiday, an 82-point capitulation to Carlton, comes on the back of a string of mostly poor showings in prime time.
Since 2017, the Roos have, on Good Friday, lost by 56, 23, 68, 128, and 58 points, with a win by 52 points coming in 2018, and a further loss by three points coming in 2017. So should the AFL continue North's idea without them?
Verdict: Overreaction
Swings and roundabouts. This is their marquee game. Like the 'traditional' Round 1 opener between Richmond and Carlton, both sides have been poor at different times of the contest. And much like Anzac Day even when the Bombers were basically a team of top-up players, you're just not going to take it off them.
Plus, what's to say if the AFL does look to other teams, that North doesn't shoot up the ladder in 2026, while the replacement team plays at a level below?
Yes, the losses have been bad -- especially recently -- but it is what it is; a fanstastic initiative headed by two teams situated either side of the Royal Children's Hospital. Leave it be.
The Tigers will rebuild quicker than we think
There's nothing like the sugar rush of an upset win over more fancied opposition, and while the Tigers have now done it twice in the opening seven rounds of footy -- first against Carlton in Round 1, and on Saturday night against Gold Coast -- is it possible we're already seeing light at the end of the tunnel?
Verdict: Overreaction
While the Tigers' draft in the offseason was a massive hit, and will ensure there's top talent at the club in coming years, the list is still in transition. Their key forward may only have a couple of years left (especially given his injury history), and premiership experience in this squad is only getting older. On the weekend, Vlastuin, Taranto, Hopper, Broad, Short, and Nankervis were among the best, meaning we're still waiting to see consistently high output from the younger players.
There's potential to claim that the bottoming out for the Tigers might not be as bad as, say, North Melbourne, but declaring the rebuild will be 'complete' and the team will be competing for flags again sooner rather than later is a little optimistic.
The Tigers have shown they're not going to be 'historically bad', rubbishing claims they'd be winless in 2025, but will the build be over quicker than we think? Well, it depends how long you first thought it would take, but it'll still take time.