In Round 12 of the 2025 AFL season, a new Brownlow threat emerged after a scintillating performance, but an admired veteran may have played his final game, and a club made an unnecessary apology! 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: The Crows aren't just a likely finalist in season 2025, they are a genuine, bone fide, legitimate premiership threat. A 90-point trouncing of the Swans (away from home, mind you) has rocketed Matthew Nicks' side into the top four. They have the best percentage in the competition, the best attack, and the Brownlow Medal favourite. Enough sleeping on this footy club...
Stocks down: Let's be honest, Wayne Milera describing Sydney as 'a bit of a rabble' was spot on when you looked at the Swans' organisation and execution on Saturday night. Defensively, they were pantsed. So why did the Crows feel the need to apologise? Dean Cox said similar without using those specific words in his post-match presser. Let's stop coddling each other and apologising for things akin to being walked into in a hallway.
Brisbane
Stocks up: There hasn't been a huge amount of discussion around Hugh McCluggage this season, but could he be a Brownlow Medal smokey?! The Scottish suitcase put on a clinic at the Gabba on Thursday night, leading the reigning premier with a ridiculous stat line of 41 disposals, 17 contested possessions, seven clearances, 13 inside 50s, and 12 score involvements. As a result, McCluggage has shot up in our Brownlow predictor!
Stocks down: You'd love to be a Lions fan in recent seasons, but boy has it been stressful this campaign! Hearts of Brisbane fans have been pumping overtime all year, this team making a habit of going down to the wire week after week. In Round 12, it was the Bombers who gave them a scare. The Dons took the lead in the final term before Chris Fagan's troops found another gear.
Carlton
BYE
Collingwood
Stocks up: Much is being made of the form of the older brigade at the Magpies, but the past fortnight from youngster Ed Allan is certainly worth mentioning, too. Touted going into the season as the youthful midfielder that needs to start pressuring the veterans for a starting spot in the side, it's proven to be a difficult campaign to break in and solidify a spot, but his 23 disposals and five marks against the Hawks -- and more notably his ability to cover the ground and stay composed with ball in hand -- are good signs he has what it takes to be a big part of Craig McRae's future.
Stocks down: Unfortunately, another hamstring injury for Lachie Schultz means the former Docker will have another stint on the sidelines after already missing four games this season with hamstring and concussion ailments. Tough blow!
Essendon
Stocks up: Essendon fans must be pleased at the progression they're seeing from Nate Caddy. Still just 19 years of age, the talented forward again showed signs that he'll be a 200-gamer for the Bombers. He has excellent hands, a nice physical presence already, and has the propensity to conjure big moments from little openings. His Goal of the Year contender showed just how much x-factor he has. He kicked two against the Lions -- already up to 14 in 2025. If you're getting 30-35 goals out of a second year key forward, you're laughing.
Stocks down: It was a dirty old night at the Gabba for Sam Durham. The young midfielder was well held, unable to win any easy ball all evening as his side went down to the Lions. Durham finished the night with just two tackles and two kicks, though one of them did sail through the uprights for a major.
Fremantle
Stocks up: For the second time in three weeks, Shai Bolton's stocks aren't just rising, they're soaring. The former Tiger torched his old coach on the Gold Coast, kicking three goals, laying six tackles, winning plenty of the ball, and even setting up the match winner with a piece of silky, selfless play. At his best he's arguably a top 10 player in the game. He certainly looks close to being back at that level.
Stocks down: Granted, pouring rain meant it wasn't exactly an afternoon for the big men, but Sean Darcy played a game he'd soon like to forget. The Dockers ruck managed just one kick against the Suns while partner in crime Luke Jackson put on a show with 27 touches, 13 contested possessions, and eight inside 50s. Surely this proves they both cannot play in the same side moving forward...
Geelong
Stocks up: We've sung his praises a fair bit already this season, and for good reason, but Bailey Smith's Brownlow chances have skyrocketed once more after his colossal effort against the Eagles, where he picked up 38 disposals, seven marks, five clearances, eight inside 50s, and 834 metres gained. Sure, maybe he can be a little tidier with his possession, but it's still been a phenomenal return to the AFL for the 24-year-old. Tell you what, he may also now have 'face of the AFL' claims as well.
Stocks down: Are stocks in AFL banners dropping? Maybe the Cats think so, since they didn't run through one ahead of their game at Optus Stadium!
Gold Coast
Stocks up: Sam Flanders, goal sneak. The Suns midfielder was at his opportunistic best in the wet weather loss to the Dockers, kicking three goals from his 16 disposals, the last of which was a genuine stunner that would be hard to replicate. While not hitting the highs of last year in terms of his disposal count week to week, he's proving handy in this forward role.
Stocks down: Are the Suns a bit like the Swans from 12 months back, in that they're incredibly reliant on three players? Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell, and Touk Miller continued their dominant form but it wasn't enough to drag them over the line against a rejuvenated Dockers team. Do some more contributors need to stand up and help lighten the load or are we being a tad harsh?
GWS
Stocks up: It was an 'almost' game from 2022 No. 1 draft pick Aaron Cadman, but we'll give him the plaudits anyway. He booted two goals and took a couple of massive marks including a clutch contested grab late in the fourth term. We won't label it a breakout game, but we will say the signs are encouraging he may yet reach an elite level.
Stocks down: You really have to feel for veteran Callan Ward, who suffered a suspected ACL injury in the early stages of Saturday afternoon's clash against the Tigers at ENGIE Stadium. The club's games record holder, now 35, may well have just played the final game of his AFL career.
Hawthorn
Stocks up: It might seem a little strange to laud a Hawthorn defender in such a heavy beating, but Tom Barrass showed on several occasions exactly why the club recruited him this past offseason. The former Eagle finished with nine disposals and four marks, but three of those were intercepts, and his seven spoils were the most on the ground. And fair play to Jack Ginnivan, too. For his sake, you'd love to see him face the Magpies every week!
Stocks down: The Hawks just aren't getting enough from this version of James Sicily. Playing injured? Maybe, but he's putting himself out there which means you have to find a way to perform. Whether it's forward or back, the skipper is really struggling to impact games in season 2025, and his six touches against the Pies on Friday night are the least he has had in a game since 2016!
Melbourne
Stocks up: Having a sneaky good season is key defender Steven May. As much as it was one of the Saints' best scores of the year, May was still on of his side's best, finishing with 21 disposals (all effective), 10 marks (a game-high five intercepts), and six spoils to control the skies in the back 50 for much of the contest.
Stocks down: Another game in the Northern Territory, another missed opportunity for the Demons, who have now gone down in their past three matches at Traeger Park, the 28-point loss to the Saints adding to last year's 92-point shellacking the Dockers handed them, and the two point defeat they suffered against the Giants in 2023. One has to wonder if it's worth continuing to sell their games there...
North Melbourne
BYE
Port Adelaide
BYE
Richmond
Stocks up: The Tigers may have fallen agonisingly short of an upset win over GWS but Jacob Hopper -- the former Giant -- had to have walked off the field with his head held high. Hopper played his best game in years, tallying 29 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 13 clearances, 10 inside 50s, and kicking a goal. THIS is why the Tigers recruited him a few years back.
Stocks down: You can blame the fourth quarter fade out all you like, but without some serious inaccuracy, it really wouldn't have mattered. The Tigers saw a five-goal lead disappear in the blink of an eye on Saturday afternoon, as the Giants stormed from behind to record a thrilling win. The home side finished a tidy 12.8, a contrast to Richmond's 10.17. There were 10 Tigers who finished the game with at least one behind next to their name. Oh what could have been...
St Kilda
Stocks up: How much better can the return of Dan Butler make the Saints? The small forward featured in his first game of the season after an Achilles injury delayed the start to his campaign, and he proved to be one of the most damaging players on the ground kicking four goals at Alice Springs.
Stocks down: And while Butler's return should be celebrated, it's more unfortunate news for another injury prone player, with Mattaes Phillipou subbed out of the game in the first term with a calf injury. A leg injury meant he didn't play an AFL game until Round 9 this year, but it appears one of Ross Lyon's most promising young players is set for a stint on the sidelines again.
Sydney
Stocks up: In a weird way, John Longmire's coaching stocks really couldn't be higher. After falling at the final hurdle last season, Longmire stepped down from the Swans coaching job, handing the reins to long-time assistant Dean Cox. For Longmire, the 2024 Grand Final was his fifth appearance in the Big Dance in a little over a decade, proving he was one of the highest performing and consistent coaches in the league. Now, with the Swans 4-8, and looking more like a bottom four side than one that nearly won a flag nine months ago, there will be many wondering how Horse got so much out of what's virtually the same group. He could be in for a monster pay day!
Stocks down: On the flip side, there's the aforementioned Cox. It's fair to say Cox has underwhelmed in his first half season at the helm, the Swans managing just four wins and struggling for any sort of consistency. It would be a miracle if they're able to turn things around and play finals.
West Coast
Stocks up: West Coast fans will be hoping the Harley Reid-Elijah Hewett pairing is one they'll be able to watch for a long time. Rumours about where the former may end up aside, the duo showed all their class and potential on Sunday night, both finishing with 17 touches, seven clearances, and one goal. Shout out to captain Oscar Allen, too, who played a highly-effective game with four goals from eight disposals.
Stocks down: You have to expect fadeouts in younger, inexperienced sides, but that doesn't mean they aren't disappointing. The Eagles were right in the contest and did so much right up to three-quarter time when an upset was truly on the cards, and while they kicked the first goal of the term, they still conceded seven, letting the unexpected win completely slip from their grasp.
Western Bulldogs
BYE