In Round 9 of the 2026 AFL season, Freo's 'unicorn' had a last quarter for the ages, and an Irishman showed everyone how to tag a superstar. But did one Carlton forward cost his team an unlikely win? 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: Adelaide's two biggest stars stood tall when the game was there to be won. Izak Rankine was electric with 33 disposals, 10 marks, eight inside 50s and a goal, while skipper Jordan Dawson inspired his side after half time with 16 second-half disposals, six inside 50s, and one goal to help lift his side past a spirited Richmond outfit. After missing last week's Showdown following a recent passing in his family, it was great to see Dawson back out there and performing so strongly.
Stocks down: Man, what's happened to this team since last year? Top of the ladder, double chance in finals ... and now they barely look like a wildcard outfit. The first half was extremely worrying for Matthew Nicks' side, down 10 points to the Tigers, and while they turned it around and came away with four points, it wasn't a victory to get too excited about. You can sum up the side by looking at Riley Thilthorpe (1.3 and not flying for the ball well): out of form and down on confidence.
Brisbane
Stocks up: Bruce Reville is quickly going from fringe player to someone who looks impossible to leave out (almost). Even with stars to return, the wingman's form is creating the kind of selection pressure every good side wants. Reville produced one of the best games of his career against Carlton, finishing with 24 disposals, seven marks, five intercept possessions, and five inside 50s. Most importantly, he had key moments both in Brisbane's early dominance and late resistance when the Blues were surging in the second half. He looks right at home at AFL level now.
Stocks down: Levi Ashcroft is clearly a star in the making, but some of the theatrics against Carlton just weren't a great look. The young Lion earned a crucial free kick in the last quarter when contributing to high contact by lowering his knees and lifting his arm, then celebrated it with a bit of arrogant swagger that rubbed opponents the wrong way. Another scuffle after the goal saw him fall to the ground and win yet another free. He's ultra-talented and competitive, but there's probably some lessons there about not overdoing it before it becomes what he is remembered for.
Levi Ashcroft had plenty to say before AND after this goal 👀#AFLLionsBlues pic.twitter.com/wvGgWdwxsg
— AFL (@AFL) May 8, 2026
Carlton
Stocks up: Harry McKay looked like his old self again, and Carlton badly needed it. The key forward was central to the Blues' second-half charge, crashing packs, taking contested grabs and kicking big goals when the game was on the line. His final quarter was especially enormous, finishing with three goals from seven disposals and six marks, three of them contested. It was close to a match-winning display and exactly the kind of forward line presence Carlton needs more of at 1-8.
Stocks down: We've sung his praises in weeks gone by, but Brodie Kemp has one big deficiency as a key forward option. His drop punts. And that's not ideal for a guy who is in the side to kick goals. In the loss to Brisbane, he kicked just one behind from four shots at goal. In a 10-point loss, it begs the question, would Carlton have won if he'd kicked even remotely straight?!
I've had this theory for a while, but it's been proven by Champion Data.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshMedia) May 9, 2026
Brodie Kemp set shots only (2024-now):
Drop punts: 39% accuracy and -28.4 points on expected scores (worst at Carlton)
Snaps: 82% accuracy and +11.6pts on expected scores (third best at Carlton)
🤌
Collingwood
Stocks up: It's slim pickings trying to find positives at the Pies after capitulation like that, but they'll at least be buoyed by what they saw from key forward Jack Buller, who presented well all night and finished with two goals from 16 disposals and nine marks. Jordan De Goey (30 disposals, 11 score involvements, nine marks, and nine inside 50s) also enjoyed his best game of the season.
Stocks down: The stocks are falling across just about every area at Collingwood right now after a 54-point loss to Geelong. They were competitive early and even midway through the third quarter were still in it, but poor ball use and wasteful decision-making going inside 50 again proved costly before the Cats blew the game apart. Their forward connection has been an issue all season, and it needs fixing fast.
Essendon
Stocks up: Have the Archie Roberts critics been a touch harsh? Perhaps. The 20-year-old was sensational on Saturday afternoon, tallying another 42 disposals and 31 kicks. But unlike in previous contests, Roberts was able to inflict damage a little further up the ground, rather than in Essendon's defensive 50. He finished the game with a team-high 700 metres gained, as well as five inside 50s and six score involvements. Remember, he's a defender. He's not supposed to have monster score involvement numbers!
Stocks down: It says a lot about Essendon's injury struggles and lack of continuity that Nik Cox, Archie Perkins, and Zach Reid all played together for just the fourth time since being taken with consecutive top-10 picks in the 2020 draft. Saturday marked the Bombers' 123rd game since that draft night. Injuries, especially to Cox and Reid, have played a huge part, but getting your prized young core on the park together consistently is crucial, and it just hasn't happened.
Fremantle
Stocks up: You won't see many better last quarters than what Luke Jackson produced in the thrilling win over Hawthorn on Thursday night. The ruck unicorn had impact in just about every phase of play; in the ruck, clearing the ball, with his defensive efforts, and in the forward line. His smother, in particular, was the sort of match-winning effort that fans love to see. In the last quarter alone, he had nine disposals, two centre clearances, five score involvements, and four inside 50s. What a player!
Stocks down: Fremantle got the win, but their forward line inaccuracy nearly made things far more difficult than they needed to be. Against a clinical Jack Gunston masterclass (6.2) at the other end, the Dockers sprayed plenty of chances. Josh Treacy was a big presence but finished with 2.4, while Patrick Voss' recent struggles in front of goal continued, now sitting at 8.14 for the season. On another night, those misses could've cost them.
READ: Why this version of Freo is capable of winning the lot
Geelong
Stocks up: Oisin Mullin showed just how valuable taggers can be. Tasked with the huge job on Nick Daicos, Mullin kept the Collingwood star well below his damaging best despite Daicos collecting 29 disposals. Even better for the Cats, Mullin hurt the opposition the other way too, producing a career-best game with 21 disposals, five clearances, and nine score involvements.
Stocks down: Thinking Geelong has to rely solely on Jeremy Cameron is looking more and more outdated. Yes, Cameron remains the star attraction and was influential again against Collingwood, but the Cats' forward spread is becoming seriously dangerous. Ollie Henry kicked four, Shaun Mannagh had three, while Shannon Neale, Patrick Dangerfield, Brad Close, and Jack Martin all chipped in with two each. Wherever you looked, Geelong had another threat.
Gold Coast
Stocks up: The Suns' record at TIO Stadium is becoming a bit ridiculous. Since taking games to the Northern Territory in 2022, Gold Coast is now a perfect 9-0 at the venue, turning it into arguably the toughest road trip in footy. They're back there again next week against Port Adelaide, too, and with this the final year of their current NT deal, they would surely love to keep that partnership going.
Stocks down: The conditions in Darwin weren't exactly key-forward friendly, but Gold Coast still needed more from some of their talls. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan finished with just four disposals and two behinds, while Ethan Read also had only four touches before going down with a knee injury. The hope for the Suns is that Read's setback is only minor.
GWS
Stocks up: Wow, how about that smother from Connor Idun? The Bombers had a massive opportunity to cut the margin to two points late at Engie Stadium when Jayden Nguyen snapped from the top of the square, but Idun was onto it in a flash with a desperate diving smother to ensure his side maintained an eight-point advantage. Also, we weren't in the Giants rooms at halftime, but judging Adam Kingsley's famous, ahem, mid-match addresses, you can only assume he's given another almighty spray to his side at the main break. At home, against the lowly Dons, the Giants found themselves close enough to three goals adrift at the half, a far cry from the cruisy outing many had expected. But a second-half surge ensured the Bombers weren't about to pick up win No. 2 of the year and the Giants escaped what would have been an embarrassing loss.
Stocks down: The Giants desperately needed the four points, and they got them, but it still wasn't exactly convincing. Against a one-win Essendon side, GWS never fully put the game to bed and left plenty to be desired despite improving to 4-5. The season is still alive and they remain within striking distance of the top 10, but there's a sense they should be playing better footy than this. Next week against West Coast is a great opportunity to square the ledger at 5-5 before a more difficult task against the Lions one week later.
"They're the type of players you love playing with." 🧡
— AFL (@AFL) May 9, 2026
Connor Idun came up with a CLUTCH smother late in the fourth quarter.#AFLGiantsDons pic.twitter.com/i9xQTAT4kQ
Hawthorn
Stocks up: How is Jack Gunston still delivering like this?! The veteran forward took eight marks and booted five goals in the first half against the Dockers as the purple army cycled through defenders in an effort to slow him down. Gunston also booted a crucial fourth-quarter goal to break a deadlock, taking his game tally to six and season tally to 30.
Stocks down: The momentum against Freo almost switched when key defender Tom Barrass hobbled off with a hamstring. Down an elite defender, Hawthorn's backs struggled to contain the forward rotation of Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss, Luke Jackson, and Patrick Voss, and the Dockers took advantage in the last quarter in particular. Now expected to be out for a few weeks at least, he leaves a sizeable hole in that back six.
Melbourne
Stocks up: Ed Langdon was outstanding across half-back, finishing with 29 disposals, 10 marks, 11 intercept possessions, and seven score involvements in a superb all-round effort. It was also a big response from Jacob van Rooyen, who stepped up in the absence of Brody Mihocek to kick five goals from 15 disposals and seven marks. It was his best game since his six-goal haul in Round 1, but with four goalless games to his name this season as well, now the challenge is producing it consistently.
Stocks down: Mother's Day. Lunchtime slot. Dees at Marvel Stadium. Potential wooden spooners, from Perth, the opponent. This game was never going to get even a half-decent crowd, and it's just another fixturing blunder by the AFL. How low was the crowd? We don't know, the AFL's website still lists it as 'TBC'...
North Melbourne
Stocks up: Sure, the Kangaroos didn't beat the Swans. And yes, they'll finish the round outside the top 10. But this club is definitely heading in the right direction and has proved over the first two and a bit months of the season that they wouldn't look out of place featuring in September. Falling to Sydney by eight points is nothing to be ashamed of and Alastair Clarkson's side now sits at 4-5 with a percentage of 104.4. Their next three games, against the Crows, Suns, and Dockers, will likely define the year.
Stocks down: Spoiler alert! It's going to be tough for Kangaroos spearhead Nick Larkey to retain his place in our rolling All-Australian team. Larkey was already on the 'watch list' ahead of Round 9 and then turned in arguably his worst performance of the year. He contributed just two points, despite his side enjoying 67 inside 50s, 27 scoring shots, and tallying a score of 97. Just the one goal from his last two games is what we'll call a very lean patch of form.
Port Adelaide
Stocks up: Big forward Mitch Georgiades is getting chances for fun right now, and if he tidies up the accuracy, could a genuine Coleman Medal charge be on? The Power forward backed up recent big outings with another four majors against the Bulldogs, giving him scorelines of 4.6, 3.3 and 4.4 across the past three weeks. That's 24 scoring shots in three games. After Friday night, only Jack Gunston had generated more shots at goal among the game's key forwards.
Stocks down: It's yet another heartbreaking close loss for the Power, and they seem to be piling up! Port have now lost four games this season by under a kick: two points to West Coast, three to Hawthorn, one to Adelaide, and now two to the Bulldogs -- not to mention the 14-point loss to St Kilda despite having more scoring shots. Sitting at 3-6, they're one of the hardest teams in the league to get a read on because they could just as easily be 7-2. Competitive every week, but that probably makes it even tougher for the fans.
Richmond
Stocks up: Lively and a little bit cheeky, Seth Campbell is quickly becoming one of Richmond's must-watch players. The exciting Tiger produced another magical moment against Adelaide, roving a pack and nailing a brilliant goal with a drop punt from tight on the boundary as Richmond burst out of the blocks early. He's got genuine flair and looks capable of something special whenever the ball goes near him.
Stocks down: Sunday's attendance of 22,123 was Richmond's lowest at the MCG since Round 19, 2024 (19,040 vs. GWS in mid-July). Sure, it's Mother's Day, which can be a hard sell for some fans, but with a healthy number of Crows fans in attendance, there may only have been around 16,000 Tigers braving the chilly conditions. A sign of the times, sure, and not as bad as the Dees, down the road, but a little underwhelming nonetheless.
Seth Campbell that is SENSATIONAL from the pocket 😳#AFLTigersCrows pic.twitter.com/dFiDLULdoM
— AFL (@AFL) May 10, 2026
St Kilda
Stocks up: Hard-running winger Darcy Wilson was outstanding in defeat at TIO Stadium, finishing with 22 disposals and four goals while constantly finding ways to impact the contest. He also added six score involvements, four intercepts, and 433 metres gained in a tireless display that is likely going to attract more attention from opposition clubs who will no doubt be monitoring the out-of-contract 20-year-old.
Stocks down: St Kilda co-captain Callum Wilkie wasn't seen after half time after copping a knee to the back in a contest with Ben King early in the game, putting his incredible streak of 164 consecutive games since debut in jeopardy, and it's no certainty he plays in Round 10. "It was interesting to see our team without him -- it's going to happen. Hopefully he gets up for Richmond," coach Ross Lyon said after the game. Fingers crossed!
Sydney
Stocks up: The attacking prowess of the Swans in 2026 is truly something to behold. This club averaged 80 points per game last season and managed to hit the 100-point mark in just two of 23 games. This year, however, Dean Cox's side has scored 100 points in eight of nine games, averaging a whopping 117 points per contest. It was another even spread of contributors against the Roos on Saturday afternoon as Isaac Heeney, Hayden McLean, and Logan McDonald each booted three majors, while six other Swans got their name on the scoresheet.
Stocks down: One player that didn't manage to put his name on the scoresheet was last week's seven-goal hero, Malcolm Rosas. The lively small forward was well held by North Melbourne, finishing the afternoon with just five kicks and no score in a real crash-back-down-to-earth type game. Still, we've loved what we've seen from Rosas in 2026 and expect him to bounce back from this one.
West Coast
Stocks up: The Eagles blanketed Kysaiah Pickett really well in Sunday's loss to Melbourne, and you can thank Brady Hough for the important run-with job on the Dees star. Kozzy ended with just 14 disposals and a goal, well down on his usual output. A solid outing from the 23-year-old.
Stocks down: A worrying situation is developing for Harry Edwards, who suffered his third concussion of the season after a heavy first-quarter collision against Melbourne. The key defender was left bloodied after copping a stray elbow, and you'd expect West Coast to take an extremely cautious approach from here. Coach Andrew McQualter admitted he was "really concerned" post-match, and the AFL's concussion panel may now need to get involved.
Western Bulldogs
Stocks up: Sometimes in the heat of battle, you just need a quick, smart moment to win the game. With the ball locked in the Dogs' forward line with just seconds on the clock and scores tied after the Dogs had led all night, Artie Jones and Harvey Gallagher combined for a moment of brilliance. Tight on the boundary, Jones fought to get a clear handball to Gallagher, who knew any score would do. He didn't stop to wait and see where the goals were, just kicked. Underrated game nous where the habit may be to try and stop, prop, and find the goal.
Stocks down: After already missing three games earlier this season with a knee injury -- all Bulldogs losses -- star ruck Tim English will now miss at least the Round 10 clash against Carlton after entering concussion protocols. English suffered the knock in an accidental clash with teammate Matt Kennedy late in the game on Friday night, continuing a frustrating and interrupted season for the big man.