With a month of footy now complete and a historic week of Gather Round coming up the Edge of the Crowd AFL has ranked where each team is positioned.
To see the individual players who starred, check out the Team of the Week.
1. Collingwood (4)
Collingwood may be sitting fifth on the ladder at present but there is no doubt the side is the best in the competition currently. They may have lost to the Lions on the weekend but their ability to run the ball and score heavily has been unrivalled so far in 2023. The biggest test comes this weekend as Collingwood takes on St Kilda at Adelaide Oval.
2. St Kilda (10)
Who would have thought going into the 2023 season that after four rounds the Ross Lyon-led Saints would be the ladder leaders and the only undefeated team? A dominant 10-goal win over the Suns on the weekend showed their dominance up forward but in reality, it's been their defensive pressure that has put St Kilda on top of the ladder. A massive match this weekend for the Saints as they play Collingwood.
3. Melbourne (2)
A straight-sets exit to the 2022 season was certainly a disappointment following up to a premiership-winning season. But to start 2023 the Demons look as strong as ever which culminated with a 63-point win over the Eagles last weekend. This weekend the Demons take on Essendon at Adelaide Oval a match the Demons should win.
4. Sydney (3)
The Swans might be 2-2 after four rounds but the team has been playing much better than the record would suggest. Seemingly with talent from full back to full forward, the Swans have one of the best runs and carry teams in the competition. A loss against the Power on the weekend wasn't ideal but if the ball flew just a few extra metres it would have been a win rather than a loss. This weekend the Swans take on the Tigers at Adelaide Oval with an 8:10 pm start.
5. Carlton (7)
While the Blues fans probably think the team should always be number one in this rankings there are just a few parts of the Carlton game which has pushed them down. Admittedly, Carlton are undefeated with one draw famously in the opening round. The last round saw a 23-point win over the Kangaroos on Good Friday. The Blues open Gather Round against the Crows tonight.
6. Brisbane (1)
The pride of Brisbane town currently sit eighth on the ladder having not won two matches in a row as of yet. The Lions' side looks very strong though and certainly can't be ruled out if the team manages to really get some momentum. The 33-point win against Collingwood on Thursday showed just how dominant the Lions can be, especially at home. Brisbane plays the Kangaroos in the early Saturday afternoon game this weekend.
7. Essendon (12)
It's been a strong start for the 2023 baby Bombers having won three of their first four matches this season. Additionally, it hasn't been a massive test in terms of teams played but you still have to win them.A 13-point win against the Giants in a scrappy affair on the weekend almost pushed the Dons into the top four. A huge test this weekend as Essendon come up against Melbourne.
8. Adelaide (16)
It's a huge weekend with Gather Round, leading that round on Thursday night and the launch of another guernsey. The Crows were tipped to be in the bottom half of the ladder after a two-loss start to the season but it's been a strong comeback as of late with Adelaide beating the Dockers by 39 points. The Crows are set to play Carlton this weekend.
9. Richmond (6)
The question of the Tigers is pretty simple, is the premiership window closed or like Indiana Jones will be able to reach under to grab their hat at the end? With just one win to start the season, it looks tough but as we all know with this side it's impossible to write them off. The Tigers lost by five runs last weekend and this week will come up against the Swans on Friday night.
10. Port Adelaide (8)
Much like Adelaide, it's going to be a massive week for the Power over Gather Round. The Power currently sit 10th on the ladder after a couple of wins and a couple of losses. This side on paper looks strong but is yet to really find its feet. Port got over the top of the Swans last weekend by two points and this week will be challenged against the Dogs on Saturday night.
11. Western Bulldogs (11)
Next up is the team that will be taking on Port Adelaide in the Dogs. Similarly, they have won two matches for the season, their most recent two after losing the first. The Dogs looked a little cooked to start the season but Beveridge seems to have figured out the plan and showed it on the weekend with a five-point win over the Tigers.
12. Geelong (5)
Famously, the Cats started this season slowly with a massive premiership hangover. The good news is that now it seems the Dangerfield-led side seems to be back on the winning train after an 82-point win against their long-time rivals in the Hawks. With a match against the Eagles this weekend the Cats should be 2-3 after five rounds and back on track.
13. North Melbourne (14)
A strong start to the season for the Kangaroos has led to two more recent losses pushing the Roos down to probably where they belong on the ladder. Clarkson could only do so much on the weekend, they competed well but went on to lose by 23 points against the Blues. This weekend the Roos will play the Lions on Saturday afternoon.
14. Fremantle (8)
The Dockers were and probably still are the unknown team for 2023 having finished fifth in 2022 the Dockers have been disappointing only winning one of four matches. A loss against Adelaide on Saturday afternoon was not ideal but in a game against the Suns this weekend the Dockers should be able to get back up and go 2-3.
15. Greater Western Sydney (15)
After so many years in contention, the Giants really did bottom out last year and seem to be improving under a new coach in 2023. It's still a rebuild but a positive one with the Giants at least able to compete for 90% of games. The Giants lost by 13 points to Essendon last weekend and will be taking on the Hawks for Gather Round.
16. Gold Coast (13)
The Suns promised a lot going into 2023, it seemed as if Stuart Dew had finally broken the Gold Coast code but now four weeks in and that's simply not the case. A ten-goal loss over the weekend to the Saints was horrific but a win should be more possible this weekend with the Suns taking on the Dockers at Norwood Oval.
17. West Coast (17)
There is no surprise that West Coast sits down near the bottom of the ladder after four rounds. The expectations about a rebuild were set early and they have been stuck to. A 60-point loss to the Demons wasn't ideal at home last week but there were periods where the Demons' midfield was tested. A massive match for the Eagles this weekend as they take on Geelong.
18. Hawthorn (18)
Much like on the ladder the Hawks currently sit at the bottom of the Power Rankings. The team looks weak having only beaten the Roos so far in 2023. But with expectations set, there isn't a lot of pressure on Sam Mitchell. The Hawks take on the Giants this weekend at Norwood.
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