Reaction Time: Your club's Urgency Index after round six

WELCOME to Reaction Time.

Early each week, AFL.com.au's Riley Beveridge will discuss the topic that deserves a reaction at your club and grade it on the 'Urgency Index'.

It could be anything from an issue that's got a team pondering drastic change, or the form of an underrated star that requires immediate recognition.

The gradings are as follows:

Panic Stations.

Simmering.

Watch This Space.

Green Shoots.

Flying.

In this week's Reaction Time, we delve into the second coming of Mark Blicavs, the positional switch that's rejuvenated a wayward forward, and the biggest frustration for West Coast after another derby defeat.

There's life in the old dog yet. Five goals for 'Tex' in a match-winning performance, but almost just as significant was the way he was able to negate Cal Wilkie after the St Kilda skipper had 13 disposals and five intercept marks in the first term.

Urgency Index: Flying.

Not going great, are they? Oh well. As has always been the case with Chris Fagan's Brisbane, the last six weeks matters a whole lot more than the first six weeks.

Urgency Index: Watch This Space.

If you need to know how opposition clubs and coaches view Carlton right now, let Craig McRae's three-quarter time address to his players speak on behalf of all of them: "We were questioning whether they could do it for four quarters. That's the evidence they've put in front of everyone." He was right, and the fact more and more opponents are now willing to speak so openly about it is an indictment on the Blues.

Urgency Index: Panic Stations.

For some bizarre reason, people love trying to denigrate the greatness of Nick Daicos. They shouldn't. His 100th game was another stellar moment in a young career chocked full of them, while his final term was one for the ages. The little champ single-handedly muscled Collingwood to victory with 13 disposals, nine contested possessions, five score involvements, two goal assists and a Goal of the Year contender. All in the last quarter alone. Given he is still only 23 years of age, and has more than a decade of football on his side, we are witnessing something truly special unfold.

Urgency Index: Flying.

Last week set a new benchmark for what Essendon must bring to every game and, to the club's credit, the Bombers found it again on Saturday. Yes, the result didn't go their way against a very good side. But fans will forgive that at this stage of a side's development if they can see the effort and intensity. The loss to the Suns saw 72 tackles laid, their most in nearly 12 months, and a season-high pressure rating of 189. More of that, please.

Urgency Index: Green Shoots.

It's been a good month for Jye Amiss. Four goals against Adelaide, his clutch moment against Collingwood, a career-high five goals from nine shots against West Coast. Still just 22 years of age, he is coming along nicely and is a great foil to Josh Treacy and Pat Voss.

Urgency Index: Green Shoots.

If anything, Geelong's 75-point margin of victory on Friday night perhaps flattered its opponents given it had 36 scoring shots to 16. When you consider the Cats have now played five legitimate top four contenders in the first six weeks – Gold Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs – their 4-2 start has gone a little under the radar. This is a genuine premiership contender that is starting to purr.

Urgency Index: Flying.

We are watching Mark Blicavs 2.0 with Ethan Read. Drafted as a ruck, has played mostly forward at AFL level, went to a wing on Saturday and finished with two goals and eight score involvements from 16 disposals. The makings of another unicorn.

Urgency Index: Green Shoots.

Bad kicking is bad footy. The Giants couldn't capitalise when it mattered on Friday night, kicking three goals from 15 shots from turnover. Conversely, the Swans kicked 12 goals from 13 shots from turnover. It will irk an already frustrated Adam Kingsley.

Urgency Index: Simmering.

Talk about timing your run. Mitch Lewis is doing exactly that. Two crucial goals against Geelong, three against the Western Bulldogs, another three against Port Adelaide. He's also having a genuine impact around the ground. As a key forward, and as an unrestricted free agent, his value is only going up.

Urgency Index: Watch This Space.

This could be the making of Harvey Langford. Powerful, dangerous and effective, all of the reasons why many clubs had him top two or three in an incredibly strong 2024 draft class. He finished with 27 disposals, three goals, two goal assists, eight score involvements and was the highest rated player on the ground in a massive win over the reigning premier. Crucially, he also proved he doesn't need to play midfield to make a difference. Gun.

Urgency Index: Green Shoots.

Cam Zurhaar had looked like he was hanging out for a way to get into the game after two goals in his last three weeks. So, he goes to half-back for the first time in his career and has 23 disposals, 11 marks, six intercepts, 658m gained and is North Melbourne's second highest rated player on the ground. That'll do it.

Urgency Index: Green Shoots.

The best indication yet that Todd Marshall has a career down back. Five intercept marks and 10 intercept possessions, most of them in a dominant first half.

Urgency Index: Watch This Space.

Can't take a trick. Tim Taranto, Maurice Rioli and Sam Banks all wiped out in the first half, had kicked 2.12 to 10.3 at the long break, then got made to pay for it. Richmond's midfield just can't get its hands on the footy and finished this clash -148 for disposals, -8 for clearances and -24 for contested possessions. A real worry.

Urgency Index: Panic Stations.

Hard to know what to make of St Kilda. Lost two games in which it started overwhelming favourites against Collingwood and Melbourne, won two games it maybe should've lost against Greater Western Sydney and Port Adelaide, then fell just short in two games that it started as significant underdogs against Brisbane and Adelaide. Ross Lyon said afterwards the Saints have improved, but at 2-4 they need the results to show for it.

Urgency Index: Watch This Space.

The team to beat. They're now 5-1 with an average winning margin of 62 points and Errol Gulden still to return. Scary.

Urgency Index: Flying.

Must be frustrating for Andrew McQualter. West Coast had 51 entries, more than Fremantle, for five goals. It generated 22 forward-50 stoppages, a huge number, but didn't score from a single one. Hard for the coach to sell promise from a 56-point loss to the arch rivals, but this didn't feel as bad as the scoreboard suggested.

Urgency Index: Simmering.

You can't win a premiership in April, but you can go some way to losing one. This was disastrous for the Bulldogs. Sam Darcy gone for the year, Tom Liberatore with another concussion, hamstring injuries to Rory Lobb and James O'Donnell. Plus, of course, the result. Never write a Luke Beveridge team off, but it will be a long way back from here.

Urgency Index: Panic Stations.

FOOTY ASIDE ...

Can't be much worse as a sports fan than when success is so close you can smell it, then it … suddenly … starts … slipping … away. Arsenal is in that boat right now. Nine points clear on top of the Premier League table barely a month ago, that gap was cut to three by Manchester City on Sunday night. The Gunners could now be second by Thursday morning. For a side that's fallen short so often recently, this has heartbreak written all over it.

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