Gerard Whateley

Good morning.

It wasn't hard to figure out why last weekend's footy was lacking that little something.

You could make the case the four most intriguing teams were left in the sheds.

Fremantle is the competition leader.

Any opposition team with aspirations will now be studying what's happening out west and where the vulnerabilities might lie in a team that has won 12 on the trot.

Justin Longmuir has his team humming, but will need to fortify for what's coming over the border.

Hawthorne still looks the most likely contender from this state, but Sam Mitchell's team has won only two of its past six games.

And its last showing raised questions of temperament as much as conversion.

You'd imagine it gave the coach plenty of material when his team reconvened.

Collingwood has been shuffled all the way back to 13th with just five wins to its name.

Craig McRae's tasks are plenty.

Striving for momentum, managing important retirements, making decisions on the underdeveloped youth and working through injuries to key defenders.

Plus the declared ambition to bring players to the club to return to contention next year.

That's a full bill for any coach.

And Carlton resumes rather curiously in a better position than 2023 at the corresponding time.

An interim coach has never been in this position, having won four in a row at the start of his tenure.

Does the Blues' rise continue?

Do they take a ping at 10th?

It's a question Josh Fraser told us was in the hands of the senior players when last we saw him two Sundays ago.

Do you want to chase something now?