The 2024 Grand Finalists continue to fall away from Premiership contention but those around them are displaying their grit and composure at the right time of year.
The big winners of Round 22 were...
The Fremantle Dockers, who continue to grind out epic and hard-fought victories in the second half of the season. Sometimes a series of difficult wins can be more constructive than a heap of large winning margins, because it builds resilience and helps a team guard against complacency when they know how close they can be to results not going their way.
This time, they ticked off their first ever victory over Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval from eight attempts.
Seven of Freo's last ten matches were decided by a margin of less than 15 points and the Dockers were the victors in six of them, which is a fantastic sign going forward into September where they will be expected to face many more arm wrestles.
Head coach Justin Longmuir nervously watched on as Alex Pearce kicked a late goal eerily similar to his own after the siren against St Kilda back in 2005.
Without taking any credit for the result, Longmuir revealed that Pearce's match-winning goal was the result of "a set play where one of our tall backs goes forward and looks for a mismatch", illustrating what a shrewd tactician he has become in his first coaching stint at the elite level.
The Dockers have jumped ahead of an out-of-form Brisbane into the top four, who they will face off against next week in a potential play-off for fourth place before heading to Melbourne to take on the Bulldogs. With their percentage far interior to the three clubs above them, fourth may be the best they can achieve come season's end, but it'll certainly leave them well placed for the finals.
The big losers of Round 22 were...
Brisbane Lions were one straight kick away from spending this week in second place instead of fifth, so instead the blowtorch is against on Collingwood following their fourth loss in five matches.
Has Craig McRae ruined a good thing by choosing to rest his players three-quarters of the way into the season? It's hard to put our finger on what exactly has gone wrong for the former Premiership favourites, but disrupting a settled 23 is never a good thing.
Perhaps the most concerning thing of all is that the Magpies aren't just being outskilled this month but their effort has been akin to that of a side that has already missed out on finals qualification and subsequently packed it in.
"I apologise to our Magpie Army," a devastated McRae said after their embarrassing 64-point loss to Hawthorn last Thursday night in what should have been a top-eight epic battle.
"We're hurting, that one really hurt. Just a lack of system and then a lack of fight, a lack of effort, sometimes at the same time, which leaves us really vulnerable."
McRae admitted his players and staff were rocked by the sickening incident involving defender Jeremy Howe, which saw him stretchered off the field with a silent MCG praying for his health, but that certainly doesn't excuse some other insipid performances from weeks prior.
An enormous response will be required next week against new ladder leaders Adelaide.
Coleman Medal leaderboard
It's such a shame that Jeremy Cameron already has the Coleman Medal wrapped up, because the race for second took another fascinating turn when Ben King booted six straight to leapfrog several other players, including Aaron Naughton who kicked five of his own in a stellar display.
The other big bags went to GWS' Callum Brown (5.0) and Sydney's Isaac Heeney (5.1).
Mark of the Year: Round 22
Sam Darcy (Western Bulldogs):
Ben King (Gold Coast):
Connor O'Sullivan (Geelong):
Goal of the Year: Round 22
Jack Lukosius (Port Adelaide):
Murphy Reid (Fremantle):
Caleb Serong (Port Adelaide):