Form can be a fickle creature. Just ask fans of the Bulldogs. When Crikey began tracking the recent form of AFL teams with the Hot Form Chart three weeks ago, the Dogs were listed second. Now, they sit 12th and one more arrow in the form of a sharp St Kilda this Friday night would shoot down their season for good.

But perhaps the most furrowed of brows after round 17 belong to supporters of the Adelaide Crows. The Crows have won just one of their last five matches and sit 13th on the Hot Form Chart, seemingly with little chance of featuring again in September.

In contrast to Adelaide are the red-hot Lions who handed out their second drubbing in as many weeks, this time to fellow finals aspirant Collingwood. The loss means the Pies have dropped three of their last five but have what seems on paper to be a cushy run home.

Unfortunately for Hawks fans, the same cannot be said of their club. In the next five weeks, Hawthorn play four games against teams currently above them on Crikey’s Hot Form Chart. The other match is this week, when the Hawks host Essendon at the MCG. Apparently, the Bombers are fired up over some recent ructions at board level.

Finally, astute observers might have run their eye over the teams currently occupying sixth and seventh on the Hot Form Chart. Both clubs appear to be running into a little form and I’m told their records in recent finals series are pretty fair too.

Form over

last 5 weeks

Team

Last week’s form rating

AFL ladder

position

Sequence

1

Geelong

1

1

W-W-W-W-W

2

Kangaroos

3

4

W-W-W-W-W

3

Brisbane

6

11

L-W-W-W-W

4

Port

2

3

W-L-W-W-W

5

St Kilda

4

9

W-L-W-W-W

6

Sydney

10

7

L-W-W-L-W

7

West Coast

12

4

W-L-L-W-W

8

Hawthorn

5

5

W-L-W-L-L

9

Fremantle

11

13

W-L-L-W-L

10

Collingwood

7

6

L-W-L-W-L

11

Essendon

14

8

W-L-L-L-W

12

Bulldogs

8

10

L-W-W-L-L

13

Adelaide

9

12

L-W-L-L-L

14

Melbourne

15

15

L-W-L-L-L

15

Richmond

13

16

L-L-L-L-L

16

Carlton

16

14

L-L-L-L-L

Columns indicate: Comparative form over the last 5 weeks; Position on form as of last week; Position on AFL ladder; Win/Loss sequence.

Crikey’s AFL Hot Form Tips for round 18 are:

  • St Kilda
  • Collingwood
  • Geelong
  • Port Adelaide
  • Kangaroos
  • Sydney
  • Hawthorn
  • West Coast

Last week: 6