SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 27: Lance Franklin of the Swans celebrates a goal during the 2022 AFL Round 11 match between the Sydney Swans and the Richmond Tigers at the Sydney Cricket Ground on May 27, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

AFL Power Rankings: Round 11

After Round 11 of the 2022 AFL season, the bye rounds are here, with a chance to take stock of the risers and fallers in the Power Rankings.

As the AFL hits the midseason byes after Round 11, it's time to take shape of the competition. Some teams have risen, some teams have fallen, and some teams haven't had a blip on the radar.

This week, catch up onEdge of the Crowd's AFL Power Rankings. Last week's rankings are in brackets.

1. Narrm (1)

Despite losing for the first time this season, the reigning premiers maintain their top spot in the power rankings and are on the ladder. After a strong first half, the Demons were well on top, before a second-half collapse led to the end of their 17 match winning streak.

The Demons were kept goalless in the last quarter and allowed Fremantle to score ten goals in a row, as the defence struggled after Steven May was forced out of the game with a concussion.

Clayton Oliver was prolific in the first half, with 24 disposals as he ran riot, but James Aish gave hope to the competition as he tagged Oliver in the second half, and had a big influence on the Narrm midfield in the second half.

The Demons will be looking to bottle their first half and play a full game against the Swans this weekend and return to their winning ways.

2. St Kilda (2)

St Kilda continues to face up against every challenge thrown it's way, although North Melbourne provided little resistance over the four quarters.

The Saints stars were out in force, as Max King kicked three goals, while Brad Hill had 33 touches in one of his best games for the Saints. Mitch Owens impressed in his second game, with two goals, 14 disposals and 10 tackles around the ground.

The Saints were not necessarily at their best in this match, but they did more than enough to secure the win, with an almost nine-goal difference, as Seb Ross and Jack Sinclair dominated in the middle. The Saints will now head into their midseason bye in top-four contention.

3. Brisbane (8)

The Lions were slow starters, as they were down by five goals within a matter of minutes in the first quarter. They quickly bounced back, part of the highest-scoring first quarter in years.

Lachie Neale continued his career-best form with 39 disposals, two goals and nine clearances, while Jarrod Berry played second fiddle with 33 disposals and a goal.

Cam Rayner had a career-best day with 25 disposals, while Deven Robertson grabbed his opportunity with both hands, with 17 touches and two goals, as he stepped in for Hugh McLuggage.

The Lions are now clear in second on the ladder, as they face a stern challenge in Fremantle in Perth next week.

4. Geelong (4)

The Cats have won back to back games for the first time in two months, after accounting for Adelaide by 42 points, despite missing Patrick Dangerfield.

Geelong was dominant up forward, as Jeremy Cameron kicked four goals, while Gryan Miers kicked three. They were in charge at the other end of the ground too, as Tom Stewart had 40 disposals, 17 intercepts and 16 marks in a dominant performance.

After a third-quarter challenge by the Crows, the Cats flexed their muscles with six straight goals to blow the game out and out the margin beyond doubt.

The Cats' midfield is in fine form, with Cam Guthrie, Brandon Parfitt and Joel Selwood all registering double-digit contested disposals, and Tom Atkins had 17 tackles.

5. Fremantle (16)

After two disappointing losses in the past fortnight, the Dockers eased those concerns with the biggest win of any team this season, ending the reigning premiers' winning streak.

After a slow start in the first half, the Dockers turned the tide, as Lachie Schultz kicked four goals, Rory Lobb had three and Michael Frederick had two of his own, as the Narrm defence struggled to contain the fast-moving Dockers.

In the middle, Sean Darcy quelled Max Gawn's influence, with 31 hit outs, 16 disposals and a goal, as he lowered the All-Australian's colours. James Aish was also key, as he tagged Clayton Oliver in the second half to give the Dockers' midfield a chance.

The Dockers will look to confirm their credentials as they go up against the Lions this weekend in a top-four showdown.

6. Western Bulldogs (6)

The Bulldogs did all that they could, as they smashed the Eagles by 101 points to make their way into the top eight for the first time this season. Seven players had multiple goals, while 16 players kicked one, in the most comprehensive performance of the season.

Tim English was outstanding with 44 hit-outs, eight clearances and 25 disposals, while Adam Treloar and Jack Macrae each had 30 disposals or ore and seven inside 50s.

The halftime margin was 32 points, but the Bulldogs broke the spirits of the Eagles in the second half, piling on eight goals and seven goals in the last two terms respectively.

Alex Keath provided one of the highlights of the year with a length of the ground effort goal, on his way to two goals, in a prolific return for the defender.

7. Carlton (3)

The Blues faltered under the biggest crowd of the season so far, as they dropped a valuable game to Collingwood, halting their momentum.

The Blues struggled after losing Jacob Weitering in the first half to a serious-looking shoulder injury, bringing their defensive structures undone.

At the other end, there was no easy joy, as the Blues were held goalless in a quarter for the first time this year, despite Charlie Curnow kicking four goals, to move clear in the Coleman Medal race.

In the end, the Blues kicked the last three goals and finished with all the momentum in the match, but were unable to find a winner when they needed it in the dying moments.

8. Sydney (13)

The Swans were far from convincing, as they fought back from being 30 points down against Richmond on Friday night. The Swans were able to get up over the Tigers in the final minutes of play and then hung on for a win as time expired.

Lance Franklin has put talks of a contract extension into focus, as he kicked another five goals, and shows no signs of being ineffective. Chad Warner was also vital, with three final term centre clearances, including the final two of the match to help the Swans hold on.

The Swans will continue to be without Josh Kennedy and are likely to be without Lance Franklin next week after he was suspended for striking Trent Cotchin (the Swans have appealed the suspension).

The Swans desperately needed the win, halting a slide in momentum that had seen them lose three of their last four games, including two at home.

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9. Richmond (5)

The Tigers were desperately close to taking the win over the Swans, as Liam Baker was a star for Richmond. The Tigers piled on seven consecutive goals in the first half, to jump out to a big lead over the Swans.

Baker had two key smothers in the fourth quarter, either of which may have been described as match-winning, had the score gone the other way, as the Tigers were back to their frantic and frenetic best.

Missing Tom Lynch, Hugo Ralphsmith, Jayden Short and Dustin Martin each chipped in forward of centre, as the Tigers were very mobile in the forward 50, causing havoc for the Swans defenders.

The Tigers will now head into their midseason bye with a chance to lick their wounds.

10. Gold Coast (10)

The Suns continued their up and down season with another highlight, this time smashing Hawthorn in Darwin. The Suns jumped out of the blocks, putting nine of the first 11 goals on the board before the Hawks got into gear.

Hometown heroes Joel Jeffrey (one goal) and Malcolm Rosas (three) starred for the Gold Coast, while Mabior Chol continued his rise as a prolific key forward, with three of his own.

Brandon Ellis was best on the ground for the Suns, with 24 disposals and two goals, but he was well supported by Touk Miller (24 disposals) and Lachie Weller (27 disposals), who has returned to his best this year.

The Suns have now strung three wins together in their last four games, and have North Melbourne before the bye, as they aim for finals for the first time.

11. GWS Giants (7)

In their second game under Mark McVeigh, the Giants were out of the blocks with eight first-quarter goals, and a strong effort through the rest of the match.

Toby Greene and Josh Kelly led the way from the front, with four goals, and 31 disposals and two goals respectively, after Callan Ward was sidelined with a concussion late in the first quarter.

A 12 point lead at quarter time eventually evaporated, and despite a tough challenge by the Giants late in the game, they weren't able to reel in the Lions and get a win for the caretaker coach.

12. Port Adelaide (9)

The Power continued their revitalised season with a win over Essendon on Sunday. The gritty win came in difficult conditions, but the four points keep the Power on track for any hope of a finals campaign at the end of the season.

Charlie Dixon returned to football, with his first two goals of the year, after an extended stint on the sidelines, as he was the only multiple goalscorers on the ground.

Ollie Wines' strong body proved vital in the midfield, as he made the most of the conditions to have an impact on the match in the second half, as the match became a defensive struggle.

With no goals scored in the final quarter, the Power held on for a win with just 42 inside 50s for the match, in a workmanlike performance.

13. Collingwood (14)

It always seems like the Magpies find another level when it comes to rivalry games, even in seasons where the team is struggling. Against the old enemy in Carlton, it was no different. Ollie Henry starred with three goals, while Pat Lipinski had two goals in the second half to kickstart the Pies.

Mason Cox turned in a performance that was reminiscent of his 2018 preliminary final, as he dominated the ruck contests and around the ground, in the absence of Brodie Grundy and Marc Pittonet. Nathan Murphy was another player who was a strong performer, stepping up in the same week that Jordan Roughead's retirement stung the Pies' key defender stocks.

While the Pies have not been able to string big performances together week in and week out, they can get up for the big occasions, and show off in front of a big crowd.

14. Adelaide (12)

The Crows would have harboured hope of another upset over the Cats, especially without former star Patrick Dangerfield, but it wasn't to be. With Taylor Walker out, Darcy Fogarty was the key pillar up forward, with three goals.

Further afield, Rory Laird led the way with 38 disposals, while Jordan Dawson and Ben Keays both pushed towards 30 disposals, continuing individually outstanding seasons.

Reilly O'Brien bounced back in his recall from the SANFL to capitalise on the Cats' ruck problem, with 46 hit-outs, 28 disposals and nine clearances, as he was almost best on-ground for the Crows.

The Crows' injury struggles are starting to bite, but a matchup against the Eagles should be the tonic to ease them into the bye on a good note.

15. Hawthorn (11)

The Hawks' downward slide made the upset over Brisbane last week seem a mirage, as a sleepy start meant that they were always off the pace in this one.

Lule Bruest was the lone light early, before Chad Wingard and Tom Mitchell got into gear, as Wingard had two goals and Mitchell had 29 disposals.

Aside from that, there were few positives for the Hawks to take out of the match, as they were out-hunted, out-run and out-marked across the board by the Suns. Jarman Impey added to their woes after he was reported for a careless knee into the back of Ben Ainsworth.

16. Essendon (16)

The Bombers were left to rue their inaccurate kicking, as they finished 6.14 in the wet conditions to lose against the Power. A 2.9 second quarter proved crucial, as the conditions deteriorated in the second half, leaving the Bombers with too much to do in a goalless final quarter.

Darcy Parish continued his run of form, as he racked up 39 disposals, but was unable to impact the scoreboard. Zach Merrett was also good, as Andrew Phillips played well in the ruck, and finally broke the Bombers' drought in the second quarter with a goal.

Essendon will go back to the drawing board, as they work out how to kickstart their season after the midseason bye so that they can find some positives to take out of the year.

17. North Melbourne (17)

North Melbourne's struggles continued this season, as the Kangaroos proved no match for the hard-running Saints.

In captain Jack Ziebell's 250th game, the stalwart kicked a goal, but otherwise, there was little to celebrate. Jy Simpkin had 29 touches as he worked hard through the midfield, but it was a lone hand.

The Kangaroos would be in the conversation for the bottom spot in the Power Rankings normally, but the depths of West Coast's performance keep them from the bottom rung.

18. West Coast (18)

The less said about this match, and this season, for the Eagles, the better. The Bulldogs were not at their best and still hammered the insipid Eagles, as they allowed 16 individual goalkickers.

Tim Kelly (38 disposals) and Jack Darling (four goals) can hold their heads up high, but once Jeremy McGovern was subbed out with a back injury, any hope the Eagles had was gone.

West Coast will face Adelaide this weekend, before mercifully reaching the midpoint of their season, in the hope that the bye will allow for some rejuvenation.