In Round 10 of the 2026 AFL season, Harley Reid showed just how scary he can be, and the Blues finally broke through. But more than one coach is under the pump. 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: We loved the game of Crows star Izak Rankine, who started on ball and dominated with 28 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 10 clearances, and one goal. He copped the Finn O'Sullivan tag early before that was dropped when the game was going one way in the second quarter, but if that's the version of Rankine and the Crows we're gonna get for the rest of the season, then don't be surprised if they make an eventual surge towards the top four.
Stocks down: Good luck to any future Adelaide small forward trying to 'claim' a pocket at the hill end of Adelaide Oval. Eddie Betts already owns one side outright, and after some of the ridiculous finishes we've seen from Rankine in the past and Josh Rachele against the Kangas, the other pocket might already be spoken for too.
Brisbane
Stocks up: Just how valuable is Dayne Zorko to this team? I mean, we know he's valuable, but geez the Lions looked void of answers for large stretches against the Cats after the veteran's late scratching. Would they have found a way to win the Grand Final rematch against Geelong had Zorko been playing? Who knows. Sometimes a week on the sidelines can do wonders for your stocks and standing in the game.
Stocks down: Speaking of senior Lions figures ... and someone who did play ... Hugh McCluggage. When Geelong had taken the ascendency and Brisbane was crying out for someone to arrest the momentum, McCluggage was nowhere to be seen. Just six touches after halftime is not a good enough return for a player of his calibre. And if we're being honest, McCluggage has been pretty hit or miss so far in season 2026.
Carlton
Stocks up: In a tough week following the resignation of coach Michael Voss, captain Patrick Cripps stood tall and helped inspire Carlton over the line under interim boss Josh Fraser. Cripps was enormous with 29 disposals, five tackles, two goals, 17 contested possessions, and eight clearances in a trademark performance. There was also plenty to like about debutant Jack Ison, who showed composure and class before capping off his first game with a late goal to seal the result.
READ: Carlton interim Fraser challenges Blues to build winning habit after Dogs win
Stocks down: Who else but Michael Voss? It hasn't been a great week for the former Blues head coach and watching on as your old side -- one that hadn't won a game in a month and a half -- upset the Bulldogs in its first hitout without you must have been tough. Not sure we'll ever see him as a senior AFL coach again.
Collingwood
Stocks up: You have to admire the bravery and hunger of the Collingwood group on Friday night. They went into the match without the experience of Scott Pendlebury, Darcy Moore, and Darcy Cameron, and had eight players with less than 20 games played, but took it right up to the ladder leaders and never dropped their heads when the momentum swung the home team's way.
Stocks down: What an awful blow for Magpies youngster Oscar Steene, who suffered a ruptured ACL in the loss to Sydney. The 22-year-old had been starting to find his feet at AFL level after debuting in Round 2, but his night -- and season -- ended in heartbreaking fashion. His absence also left Brodie Grundy to take complete control around the stoppages once he went down.
Essendon
Stocks up: Plenty has been said about Essendon's 2020 draft hand, but early signs suggest they may have absolutely nailed the 2025 crop. Pick No. 9 Sullivan Robey was one of the Bombers' best in the wet at the MCG, finishing with 22 disposals, six marks, five clearances and two goals against tough opposition. Fellow first-rounder Jacob Farrow also looked composed and effective across half-back. A lot is going wrong for Essendon right now, but there's definitely young talent there to build around.
Stocks down: Plenty has gone wrong at Essendon this season, but the focus now shifts to what comes next. Friday night brings a clash with Richmond between 17th and 18th, both sides searching for just their second win of the year. It might not be the prettiest spectacle, but if the Bombers lose this one too, the noise and pressure around the club will only grow much, much louder. You don't want to lose this one, gents...
READ: Worst Bombers MCG crowd since '90s as Freo equal record
Fremantle
Stocks up: Patrick Voss made Essendon pay in a big way on Sunday. Delisted by the Bombers at the end of 2023 before being picked up by Fremantle, Voss has turned himself into a key piece of Justin Longmuir's forward line, and against his old side, he exploded for 5.0 from seven kicks. He was up and about all afternoon letting the Bombers fans hear about it too, helping the Dockers extend their winning streak to nine straight.
Stocks down: This feels harsh given Fremantle has now won nine straight matches -- equalling the club's best AFL streak -- but coach Justin Longmuir still wasn't fully satisfied after the 43-point win over Essendon. The Dockers led by 52 points at half time after holding the Bombers to 1.8, before dipping slightly in the second half. "Give them [Essendon] the credit they deserve ... it's hard to control four quarters in modern-day football," Longmuir said after the game.
Patrick Voss has FOUR goals in the first half and is up and about! 😤#AFLDonsFreo pic.twitter.com/8JdQX3RHOp
— AFL (@AFL) May 17, 2026
Geelong
Stocks up: A sensational four-minute patch from Shaun Mannagh early in the third quarter created a gap the Lions could never close down at the Gabba, in what was a rematch of the 2025 Grand Final. Mannagh booted three goals in three minutes and 40 seconds as the Cats stunned the reigning premier on their home deck, but the 28-year-old did so much more! Mannagh finished the night with five goals and 30 disposals, the first player of the year to tally those numbers in a game, as well as a game-high 14 score involvements and almost 700 metres gained. Bravo!
Stocks down: Since his 300th game, Cats veteran Mark Blicavs hasn't really managed to fire a punch. Of course, he suffered a knee injury against the Power, the week after his milestone match, and sat the final three quarters on the pine. He returned to the team for the clash against the Lions and struggled to have much of an impact, finishing the night with just five kicks and two marks.
Gold Coast
Stocks up: If we're being honest, Noah Anderson probably hasn't been at his best this season. The Suns skipper hasn't been poor, far from it, but just not quite at the level we've come to expect from one of the best players in the competition. On Friday evening, Anderson flipped the narrative with a herculean performance to switch off the Power in Darwin. Anderson had 33 disposals, eight clearances, five inside 50s, and a mammoth 958 metres gained. One more kick and he could have joined the coveted 1km territory club!
Stocks down: Okay, this one's a little tongue in cheek, but should the Suns pack up and leave People First Stadium and start playing in Darwin permanently?! Gold Coast has literally not lost up there since 2020, having now won 10 consecutive games. Surely they've got to find a way to get another one or two games in Darwin!
GWS
Stocks up: Harvey Thomas is really starting to grow into that wing role, isn't he? The young Giant produced one of the best performances of his career against West Coast, finishing with 25 disposals, 10 tackles, five clearances, and a goal in a tireless display working up and back. He's impacting both ways now, with the bravery, work rate and skill to influence contests all over the ground. A seriously encouraging performance.
Stocks down: Some of the Giants' senior players simply didn't have enough impact when the game was there to be won. Lachie Whitfield was well held by a hard tag, Aaron Cadman went goalless against Reuben Ginbey, Finn Callaghan was restricted to 19 touches, and Stephen Coniglio battled away without really having a major influence. Most concerning though was captain Toby Greene, who finished with just 11 disposals (his lowest tally of the season), no goals, and an equal team-high six clangers. For a player of his class and importance, GWS needed far, far more.
Hawthorn
Stocks up: Saturday was a dirty day for the Hawks, rolled by Melbourne at the MCG in a game that was never really that close. There were few winners for this mob but we have to give some credit to Finn Maginness, who did an admirable job of shutting down Demons livewire Kysaiah Pickett. Maginness went with Pickett throughout the contest, restricting him to just 13 disposals, though he was able to add two goals. You have to wonder why he isn't given a similar role each week.
Stocks down: Is Hawthorn's contender status slipping ever so slightly? The Hawks are now three weeks without a win after scraping a draw against Collingwood at the death, coughing one up against Fremantle, and then being overrun badly by Melbourne. It's far from panic stations given how early it still is, but they're definitely on watch now with a tough match against the Crows awaiting them on Thursday night.
READ: Hawks at a loss after being out-hunted by Demons
Melbourne
Stocks up: With Kysaiah Pickett copping the full attention of a Finn Maginness tag, it was Tom Sparrow who stood up in the clinches and did the grunt work. Sparrow finished with 27 disposals, eight clearances, and eight score involvements in a hugely important midfield performance. And how good is Harry Sharp going?! The 23-year-old has become a vital part of Steven King's forward line, kicking another two goals and extending his streak to at least one major in all 10 games this season.
Stocks down: How about not having the freedom to play with flair and take the game on? That seems to be the complete opposite of what's happening at Melbourne right now under Steven King, with Harrison Petty revealing on Triple M that the players are being encouraged to play a "fun and dangerous brand of footy" without fear of making mistakes. The Dees are thriving with that mindset, and it's hard not to enjoy watching it.
READ: King and tonic - free-wheeling Dees the perfect elixir for the footy's ills
The horrified look as he realises it's live radio 😂❤️
— Triple M Footy (@triplemfooty) May 16, 2026
FULL CHAT: https://t.co/tOpUFLCQGC pic.twitter.com/HrpDlXDh0r
North Melbourne
Stocks up: There wasn't a whole lot to rave about with that performance by the Roos, and it might even be strange to highlight a defender in such a drubbing, but Luke Parker (28 disposals, eight intercept possessions, and seven rebound 50s) has been the side's best defender this season, again composed, tough in the contest, and making smart decisions when others can't. Been an inspired move.
Stocks down: Where do we begin? This was the sort of pitiful loss that makes us question whether or not this club really has improved. Facing an understrength Crows outfit, admittedly at Adelaide Oval, this was the sort of game the Roos should really have fancied causing an upset. Instead, it was over halfway through the second term. Some of the blame has to fall on senior coach Alastair Clarkson. Some has to fall on the playing group. It doesn't get any easier with the Suns waiting in Round 11.
Port Adelaide
Stocks up: We're getting pretty boring with these Port Adelaide stocks with how frequently Zak Butters gets a mention, but can you blame us? The in-demand free agent starred again for his side in Darwin with 35 disposals, nine clearances, eight score involvements, and 682 metres gained. Yeah, he's earning every penny he gets at the end of the season...
Stocks down: Lachie Jones had quietly been one of Port Adelaide's most improved players this season, but was concussed in a heavy first-quarter tackle against the Suns and took no further part in the game, meaning he'll now miss next week's clash with Carlton as the Power search for their first win in a month.
Richmond
Stocks up: What's better than kicking a goal with your first kick in AFL footy? Kicking your second with your second kick too! Welcome to the big time, Noah Roberts-Thomson. Thrown into the deep end amid Richmond's brutal injury crisis, the 19-year-old still managed to give Tigers fans a genuine reason to smile with a solid start to his career. Jack Ross is another who keeps on improving, again Richmond's best midfielder with 23 disposals, seven marks, a team-high 12 contested possessions, and one goal.
Stocks down: You really have to question the fitness staff at this club. The Tigers already have the longest injury list in the AFL and added two more names to it on Sunday afternoon against the Saints, with Campbell Gray (hamstring) and Sam Cumming (quad) both being ruled out throughout the contest. They might actually need a top up for this week's Dreamtime clash against Essendon!
St Kilda
Stocks up: Hugo Garcia was one of the biggest stars in St Kilda's big win over the injury-ravaged Tigers. It wasn't the first time he has relished an opportunity in the guts, but without superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, the 20-year-old again flourished, his line-breaking and IQ on full show finishing with 25 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 10 clearances, seven tackles, and two goals.
Stocks down: The Saints have climbed into the top 10 after beating Richmond, but the real test is coming. Next up is a Fremantle side riding a nine-game winning streak, followed by Hawthorn, and then the ladder-leading Swans. Yep, we're about to learn a lot more about where this St Kilda side is really at.
Sydney
Stocks up: Geez, Brodie Grundy has been in some form! He may have taken advantage of Collingwood's undermanned ruck stocks, but produced an otherworldly performance Friday night to scoop the Goodes-O'Loughlin Medal. Grundy's work at the SCG included 34 disposals, 24 contested possessions, 46 hitouts, 12 clearances, and two hours of silver service to the Swans midfielders. Could very well be in All-Australian form...
Stocks down: It wasn't a great night to be one of the Swans' key forwards. Star recruit Charlie Curnow kicked just one goal (that's now happened in two consecutive weeks), while Joel Amartey was held goalless. Logan McDonald chipped in two majors, but the trio were well contained by the Magpies' back six.
West Coast
Stocks up: Where do we even start? What a win from the Eagles. Harley Reid was colossal, showing off his brute force around the contest to go with his career-best 34 disposals, 10 clearances, and two goals in a best-on-ground performance, but there were heroes everywhere. Bailey Williams monstered the Giants around stoppages with 16 disposals, 11 contested possessions, seven clearances, and two goals of his own, while the inexperienced Milan Murdock played a superb shutdown role on Lachie Whitfield. And the ending? Perfect. Murdock tackled Whitfield holding the ball, won the free kick and calmly slotted the goal after the siren to cap an unforgettable night.
Stocks down: Speaking of Milan Murdock -- his night was almost perfect. Almost. With the Eagles trailing by three points in the final term and the ball locked deep in attack, the young Eagle gave away a 100-metre penalty after showing frustration at an earlier umpiring decision. GWS took the ball the length of the ground and eventually goaled through Joe Fonti to stretch the margin. It didn't cost West Coast in the end, but it very easily could have.
Western Bulldogs
Stocks up: It was a strong performance from Aaron Naughton, who booted three goals in a disappointing loss to the Blues. Three of the team's nine goals, that is.
Stocks down: Sure he's got a plethora of injuries to deal with, but Luke Beveridge just has to find a way for his side to beat the lowly Blues. After that red hot start to the season, the Bulldogs have failed to score 75 points in five of six games and now sit 10th on the ladder at 5-5, but with an awful percentage of 91.7. This club missed finals last year despite its healthy percentage of 137. This year, in a league that now features a top 10, it may miss because of it!
