Round 7 of the 2025 AFL season is in the books. So, it's time to react ... or overreact.
It was another fascinating round of footy; GWS has stumbled after a fast start, while Jason Horne-Francis' fiery edge is once again a talking point -- but not exactly for the right reasons.
Let's get to this week's overreactions, where we judge a few major takeaways as legitimate or irrational.
Jason Horne-Francis needs to grow up
There aren't many players as talented as Horne-Francis in the league. There are even fewer that are likely to be the face of the league in the next few of years. However, at times throughout the early part of his young career, his attention and focus has resulted in Horne-Francis getting a little derailed. He's even let himself, his teammates, and his club down.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
"Grow up" is quite strong. Does Horne-Francis need to better channel his frustration and emotion on the footy field? Absolutely. We love his passion and desire to be the best he can possibly be, but too often we see him getting involved in silly little scraps with opposition players, who are almost baiting him into the nonsense. It has cost his side free kicks, reversals, 50-metre penalties.
This weekend we also saw Horne-Francis start walking away from coach Ken Hinkley during a heated discussion. That is such poor optics and cannot happen at any level, let alone the AFL. It also doesn't exactly scream any sort of leadership qualities.
Horne-Francis is still just 21 years of age. There's no doubt he will learn and mature but we need to understand that not everyone works to the same timeline. But ... he's now in his fourth year of senior footy.
GWS hasn't done enough to prove it's a contender
GWS entered 2025 with seriously hefty expectations after last year's top four finish and a list that many believed (and still do) can push for a premiership. Their dominant Opening Round win over Collingwood only cemented those opinions, and the 'team to beat' headlines were rife. But now, seven rounds in, things just aren't looking as convincing as we first thought.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
Sure, the Giants still have a positive 4-3 record, but when you scratch beneath the surface it becomes clear the hype with which they entered the season hasn't been backed up by on-field performance.
Outside of their Opening Round drubbing of Collingwood (impressive, yes) their wins have come only against a previously bottom-four side in Melbourne that was unlucky not to win on the day, a struggling St Kilda, and a winless West Coast. Their most recent loss against the Dogs, to the tune of 32 points, only deepens the doubt.
The talent is obviously there and the Giants still have so much time to turn things around (look at Carlton), but the month ahead -- games against Sydney, Geelong, Fremantle and the Blues -- is going to answer plenty of our questions.
Adam Kingsley's side could very well sharpen up and rediscover the gears we know they have, but based on what we've seen so far, they've simply underwhelmed and haven't proven themselves among the true contenders of the competition.