AFL 2023 Power Rankings: Round Five

Some changes through the rankings this week as we head into five days of footy.

Five weeks of footy are now complete and we are starting to get a feel of where each team belongs. After Gather Round the Edge of the Crowd AFL team has ranked where each team is positioned.

To see the individual players who starred, check out the Team of the Week.

1. Collingwood (1)

It was a huge win for Collingwood over the weekend as the boys got over the top of the Saints at Adelaide Oval to finish off Gather Round. The ability to beat the top four sides will be key to winning the premiership and right now the Pies look poised to do exactly that. With matches against Essendon, Adelaide, Sydney and the Giants over the next month it's going to be their biggest test yet.

2. St Kilda (2)

The Saints have been the surprise package of 2023, they still sit first on the ladder having only lost one match, that being to Collingwood at Gather Round. The Ross Lyon game plan looked a little too defensive for the Pies but that's something Lyon will be able to adjust going forward, especially before finals. St Kilda has a mixed month coming up with matches against Carlton, Port Adelaide, North Melbourne and Adelaide.

3. Essendon (7)

Essendon has shot up the rankings after a huge win against Melbourne who most pundits expect to be in the top four come to the end of the season. Can Essendon win the premiership? Probably not, still a year or two away from really competing but right now the Dons look as good as ever. The next month is the real test for Essendon with matches against Collingwood, Geelong, Port Adelaide and Brisbane coming up.

4. Sydney (4)

No team has been as consistent for as long as the Swans and the big win against the Tigers on the weekend showed just how good this team is going to be again in 2023. Losses to Melbourne and Port Adelaide have been bumps in the road but there is no doubt Sydney will be there in September. Games against Geelong, GWS, Collingwood and the Dockers over the next month will provide a difficult run.

5. Melbourne (3)

The loss against Essendon moves the Demons down the rankings slightly. However, there is no doubt Melbourne is a good side and will be around the mark come finals time. Getting Max Gawn back in a few weeks will be a massive plus both on the field and off the field. The Demons have Richmond, North Melbourne, Gold Coast and the Hawks over the next month. A pretty easy run.

6. Brisbane (6)

Brisbane is a very similar side to Sydney in that they are around the mark of the really good teams but can't quite crack into the St Kilda/Collingwood tier of teams. A big win for the Roos was good for the Lions but doesn't move Brisbane up because let's be honest it's the Roos. The next month sees Brisbane play GWS, Fremantle, Carlton and Essendon.

7. Adelaide (8)

The Crows needed Thursday night to go well to get Gther Round going and lock in the next three years as was announced on Sunday. With wins against quality teams and losses against average teams the Crows certainly seem destined for a finish between 6th and 12th this season. Matches over the next month include the Hawks, Pies, Geelong and Saints.

8. Geelong (12)

The aging list of Geelong looks a little bit past it compared to the premiership-winning team of last season. Having said that the quality is still there and if Geelong makes the top eight come September anything would be possible. Matches over the next month are tough with Sydney, Essendon, Adelaide and Richmond.

9. Carlton (5)

It's been a series of highs and lows for the Blues in 2023. A draw to start and then great wins before the loss and come back to Earth against the Crows in Adelaide over the weekend. The Blues certainly have a strong midfield and even forward line but the question about their defence will always be there. Over the next month, the Blues have the Saints, Eagles, Lions and Dogs.

10. Port Adelaide (10)

The Power looks like a middling team in 2023 but is stringing together some good performances after having played difficult teams to start the season. The list looks strong from back to front but the question about Ken Hinkley will remain this season. Matches against the Eagles, Saints, Bombers and Roos are coming over the next month.

11. Richmond (9)

The Tigers look off the mark compared to the side that has been so dominant over the best part of the last decade. Injuries are a plenty and Dusty is clearly slowing down getting towards the end. An almost 50-point loss against the Swans could be the first part of a terrible month with the Demons, Suns, Eagles and Cats coming up.

12. Fremantle (14)

After a fifth-place finish last season, the question about the Dockers was simple. Is that really where they belong? Through five rounds it's pretty clear the Dockers aren't that good having even lost to the Roos at home. There are good players in the Fremantle lineup but will Freo be able to keep them or will they go the way of Lachie Neale? The Dogs, Lions, Hawks and Swans are next up for the Dockers.

13. Greater Western Sydney (15)

It's all about the rebuild at the moment for GWS and it seems to be going well with young guns coming through as well as old heads like Toby Greene all standing up in difficult times. A two-point win over the Hawks on the weekend showed just about where the team is. Over the next month, the Giants play the Lions, Swans, Dogs and Collingwood.

14. Western Bulldogs (11)

The Dogs are clearly going downhill from where the team has been over the last five years. One has the feeling this will be the final season for the coach unless, of course, something changes over the next few months. A 14-point loss against the Power shows the side is just off the pace, even of the lower top eight sides. Over the next month, the Dogs have the Dockers, Hawks, Giants and Blues.

15. Gold Coast (16)

Going into the season we were all hoping Gold Coast would finally move up the ladder to become a competitive team and get that monkey off the back. That clearly hasn't happened and was shown by a 10-point loss to Fremantle over the weekend. The next month see the Suns play the Roos, Tigers, Suns and Eagles.

16. North Melbourne (13)

Clarkson started the season with a great message, great method and plenty of fun at the Kangaroos. The hard work has really begun now though with the side sliding down both the Power Rankings and the ladder. The Roos have matches against the Suns, Demons, Saints and Power over the next month.

17. West Coast (17)

Last season the Eagles were hit by COVID and this season it's been injuries with Adam Simpson talking about having to bring in academy players in simply due to the injury list which now sits at 16 players. It's going to be hard not just for the next month but for a couple of years as West Coast look to rebuild. Matches are coming against the Power, Carlton, Richmon and the Suns.

18. Hawthorn (18)

The Hawks were always going to be at the bottom of the ladder and the Power Rankings as the side looks to really build their side back again. Just one win has come for the Hawks, over the Roos at the start of the month and it looks like the drought will continue with matches coming up against the Crows, Dogs, Dockers and Demons.