In Round 11 of the 2025 AFL season, a young key forward had a breakout game, and a debutant shined on a massive stage. But one contender has a big issue, and a couple of rucks struggled. 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: It was no surprise to see Jordan Dawson (27 disposals, eight clearances, 11 inside 50s, and two goals) and Josh Rachele (five goals from 16 touches) monster the struggling Eagles, the duo finishing as the highest-rated players on the ground as the Crows surged into the top four after 11 games. Is it a surprise to see Dawson as favourite to win the Brownlow? Perhaps not to Crows fans.
Stocks down: Darcy Fogarty has had a fantastic season to date but struggled to capitalise on Sunday afternoon, registering just the one major with Sandy Brock keeping him company for the majority of the contest.
Now THIS is a captain's goal 🫡#AFLCrowsEagles pic.twitter.com/YcrXKzDUA0
— AFL (@AFL) May 25, 2025
Brisbane
Stocks up: He was the hero in finals last year and Callum Ah Chee reminded the footy world of his value to the Lions, playing a monster role on Saturday night to sink the Hawks. Ah Chee didn't just boot a game-high four goals, he also tallied 20 disposals, 10 marks, and an equal game-high eight score involvements.
Stocks down: So much for Brisbane's MCG hoodoo? Chris Fagan's men have now won four in a row at the home of football, including last year's Grand Final against the Swans. They've also won five of their last six at the MCG, that only loss coming by a point against the Magpies in Round 23 last year.
Carlton
Stocks up: The emergence of Cooper Lord in 2025 has been a rare shining light for the Blues. After getting the nod last week as the Rising Star nominee, Lord was again one of Carlton's better players in the loss to the Giants. His 21 disposals, four clearances, and a goal were notable, as were his hands in traffic and his want to surge forward. The Blues must persist with him and play him for the rest of the year.
Stocks down: It's been a constant theme in 2025, but Carlton's small forwards are not holding up their end of the bargain. While Charlie Curnow toils, and Harry McKay continues to find his feet, others have needed to step up, but Patrick Cripps has kicked the second most goals for the Blues so far this season. Jesse Motlop has gone goalless in six games this year, Will White is a stop-gap, Corey Durdin lacks consistency, and Lachie Fogarty is a great pressure player but doesn't always kick many goals. It's a problem area for the Blues, whose efficiency inside 50 is the league's worst.
READ: The Blues are on the ropes, and it's clear who needs to step up
Collingwood
Stocks up: Ned Long has improved out of sight in season 2025 and he was again sensational for an undermanned Collingwood outfit against the Kangas, registering 29 disposals, a whopping 14 tackles, six clearances, and 15 score involvements to only further cement his spot in a starting 23 he is yet to be absent from. Teams will need to start putting more work into Jamie Elliott, too, who is arguably in career-best form and booted another five majors on Saturday night.
Stocks down: Scans will determine the severity, but it doesn't look good for Pies defender Brayden Maynard, who has been nursing a foot issue all season and was subbed out after injuring his Plantar fascia issue at Marvel Stadium, certain to spend several weeks on the sidelines. It leaves a hole, but the club will be expecting to regain captain Darcy Moore for its clash against Hawthorn next week.
Essendon
Stocks up: Have a debut, Angus Clarke! In front of nearly 80,000 people, the South Australian had a first game to remember, booting three majors and looking lively in the forward line in the Bombers' Dreamtime win at the MCG on Friday night. Not only was he accurate in front of the big sticks, he could hold a mark; on more than one occasion he outmuscled bigger opponents to notch an equal game-high two contested grabs. It'll be tough to back it up!
Stocks down: Even in their wins, the Bombers don't look terribly convincing. Despite four players racking up more than 30 disposals and the team posting 26 scoring shots to 18, there just isn't a sense that this is a 6-4 team. Are we crazy?
Clarke now has three on debut 🤯#AFLDonsTigers pic.twitter.com/DhUIrwdbQt
— AFL (@AFL) May 23, 2025
Fremantle
Stocks up: Well, wherever he plays next season (if you want to believe the rumours) there's no doubting Luke Jackson has to be the No. 1 ruckman. Again in the main role while Sean Darcy recovers from a knee injury, Jackson was the best player on the ground with 21 disposals, 38 hit outs, eight clearances, one goal and a game-high 25 rating points. Just a simply brilliant performance.
Stocks down: The Dockers are facing the prospect of captain Alex Pearce being sidelined for multiple weeks, sure to come under MRO scrutiny for an incident that left Darcy Byrne-Jones concussed.
Geelong
Stocks up: Is this the Shannon Neale breakout game we've been waiting for?! Yes, Jeremy Cameron kicked six goals, but Shannon Neale's evening was arguably more impressive. The big man showed off not only his goalkicking prowess in Thursday night's win over the Bulldogs, but his speed and agility too, kicking a nice snap goal and eventually the crucial deadlock-breaker after outsprinting his opponent from the centre circle back for goal. Massive!
Stocks down: Defensively, giving up 33 scoring shots isn't going to work out in your favour every week. The Cats are very, very lucky the Bulldogs couldn't convert in front of the big sticks.
Gold Coast
Stocks up: We've made not of it a few times this season, but boy is this Suns midfield tough to top. On Sunday afternoon against the Saints, skipper Noah Anderson played an inspired game, finishing with 36 disposals and 11 clearances. Matt Rowell had 24 disposals and an insane 15 tackles, while Touk Miller continued his excellent start to the season, with 30 touches and a goal. Is there a better midfield trio in the league?
Stocks down: Fingers crossed Mac Andrew is okay. The talented defender went down with what looked to be a nasty ankle injury late in the game. Hopefully he's right to go this weekend against the Dockers.
GWS
Stocks up: Was there ever any doubt that the milestone man would deliver in game 250? Toby Greene was everywhere in the win over the Blues, it's almost as if Michael Voss didn't put any time into him! Three goals (should have been more) and six clearances from 28 disposals was a vintage Toby outing, but is it enough to get him back into ESPN's Rolling All-Australian?
Stocks down: The Giants snagged the four points and looked pretty comfortable throughout, but would you believe it if we told you they were absolutely smashed in the contested possession stakes? GWS lost that count by 38, and yet managed to win the game by 28 points. Unreal!
Hawthorn
Stocks up: It was a tough night for the Hawks but Connor Macdonald was one player who could walk off the MCG with his head held high. The young forward kicked three goals and had 20 disposals in what was clearly his best performance of the season.
Stocks down: The Hawthorn midfield has talent and potential, but right now, it's not stepping up enough. The Lions spanked them in the centre, winning the clearance count by 17 and contested possessions by 18. Sure, Brisbane's midfield is as good as it gets, but these are the teams the Hawks will need to be beating in September... They really lack a point of difference, and some speed through the middle, especially with Jai Newcombe, Conor Nash, James Worpel rotating through.
Melbourne
Stocks up: Nobody produced a more breathtaking performance in Round 11 than Kysaiah Pickett. The mercurial Melbourne forward kicked five goals (and four behinds), had a season-high 24 disposals, 11 contested possessions, and game-high 13 score involvements, helping the Demons to a mammoth win over the Swans.
Stocks down: Sure, it's a little tongue in cheek, but honestly, could Pickett have played one of the greatest games of all time if he'd kicked accurately? Again, five goals and four behinds was his end result. Oh, what could have been..!
North Melbourne
Stocks up: We're liking the look of Riley Hardeman in this North Melbourne side. The young defender does some very nice things and has been solid for over a month now, but his game against the Pies was absolute the best we've seen of him, finishing with 28 disposals, five intercepts, 10 marks, and 776 metres gained to show he has what it takes to be a long-term AFL player.
Stocks down: They did so much right for much of the contest, but they'll be lamenting that last-quarter fade-out, conceding 8.1 (Collingwood had kicked only seven goals to three-quarter time) and kicking 1.1 themselves. The signs are still there, and to be within striking distance of an upset win against a contender is a positive, but it doesn't mean much when the end result is still a 45-point thumping. Four quarters, lads... four quarters.
Port Adelaide
Stocks up: Ollie Wines is really starting to rediscover his best form at the Power, despite the side's poor results. The Brownlow medallist racked up 33 disposals, eight tackles, and seven clearances against Freo, lifting without Jason Horne-Francis in the engine room. Can he use the footy better? Absolutely, but it's great to see him getting his hands on the footy.
Stocks down: It's fair to say young ruck Dante Visentini had an absolute nightmare outing against the Dockers. Not only did opponent Luke Jackson dominate the game, Visentini committed an extraordinary nine clangers and used the Sherrin at a lowly 43% disposal efficiency. Not a night to remember, that's for sure.
Richmond
Stocks up: The Tigers were always going to be up against it with no Tom Lynch, Noah Balta, and Toby Nankervis, but fair play to Campbell Gray who looked composed at times in defence. He had 11 touches, took six marks, and had six intercept possessions. Worth persisting with him!
Stocks down: It's never great seeing anyone injured, but No. 1 pick Sam Lalor has been a shining light for the Tigers this year, and him going down with a hamstring injury just makes the whole 'rebuild' thing a bit tougher to watch. Fingers crossed he's not sidelined for long.
St Kilda
Stocks up: You have to wonder why the Saints are so desperate to splash millions for a player like Tom De Koning when they have a legit star, out of contract, on their list in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. Nas was arguably best on ground in St Kilda's loss to the Suns. He had an equal-game high 36 disposals, 28 kicks, 902 metres gained, and booted an absolute ripper goal.
Stocks down: C'mon, Ross Lyon. Keep your thoughts to yourself. Calling the Suns the "AFL's nepo baby" is just asking for trouble. Damien Hardwick's right, focus on your own backyard, Ross.
Sydney
Stocks up: For the second week in succession, Isaac Heeney was far and away Sydney's best player. The dynamic Swan led his side with another three majors and 22 disposals. Shoutout to Angus Sheldrick who played arguably the best game of his young career, tallying 26 disposals, 13 contested possessions, and a game-high nine inside 50s.
Stocks down: Where do we begin? A nine-goal loss to the Demons sums up the Swans; just not good enough. The lack of contributions from the bottom third of players was alarming. Hayden McLean did basically nothing in his return, the same can be said for the likes of Joel Hamling, Braeden Campell, Taylor Adams, Sam Wicks. The list just goes on and on.
West Coast
Stocks up: Tyler Brockman gets our praise after a highly-effective outing against the Crows. At his best he has box-office ability and we saw shades of that at the Adelaide Oval, the former Hawk gathering 16 disposals, 10 contested possessions, six score involvements, five inside 50s, and kicking one brilliant goal from around 70 metres out. It's great to see him playing some good footy.
Stocks down: He started strongly and booted three goals from seven disposals and four marks, but Jake Waterman left the game after being crunched in a marking contest in the third quarter and as a result dislocating his shoulder, further cruelling the luckless forward's interrupted 2025 campaign.
Western Bulldogs
Stocks up: Many might have Bailey Smith as recruit of the year, but in terms of value pick-ups, a second rounder for Matt Kennedy is right up there. He was again a standout for the Dogs, in their tight loss to the Cats on Thursday night, picking up 25 disposals, five clearances, and kicking three goals straight, on a night in which many of his teammates didn't have their kicking boots on.
Stocks down: In more than one crucial moment, it was Tim English who let the Bulldogs down on Thursday night. Whether it was being outmuscled by a bloke half his size (Brad Close) who set up the sealer with a couple of minutes left, or giving away free kicks -- including a downfield free which gifted Geelong a goal -- with the game in the balance, it was just a poor performance from the big man.