Disco’s Weekly
In this week’s edition we pay homage to the game’s elderly citizens and the impact they are still having on the game, we then take a look at where each team is at after six games, as well as grading each club. We’ll also update the leaders board for over 30s vying for the Mirrorball Keyring in Disco’s Over 30s Casey’s Nightclub Award.
Is 30 something the new 26?
On the weekend some of the over 30s in the competition really stood out, and it is time to study why the oldies are shining so brightly.
The Tom Brady Effect
Former New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, had one hell of a career before the Pats retired him, but Tom did not agree. Tom decided he had more to give. He backed himself and his body and he went and tried his luck with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2021 Brady led Tampa to win the Superbowl, (Brady’s seventh Superbowl win) at the tender age of 43 years and 188 days, he also won his fifth MVP just for good measure.
Tom Brady is the poster boy for ‘you’re never too old’.
The closest AFL’s equivalent to Tom Brady would be the fit and healthy 38-year-old Scott Pendlebury who is about to surpass the 432 overall games played record, currently held by Brent ‘Boomer’ Harvey. Note: Boomer Harvey did not believe his career was over when he was given the chop by the Roos.
Pendlebury is still considered one of the elite players in the competition and when does finally retire he will one day be recognised as a Legend of the Game.
Pendlebury is not alone with Over 30s proving their worth in the round just gone; Jeremy Cameron bagged ten goals on the weekend, and he was ably supported by a couple of other veterans in Patrick Dangerfield, Mark Blicavs (congrats on 300) and Tom Stewart, while in other games Brodie Grundy, Max Gawn, Taylor Walker, Christian Petracca, Jarrod Witts, Zach Merrett, Zac Williams, Patrick Cripps, Jack Crisp, Jeremy Howell, Lachie Whitfield, Toby Greene, Jarman Impey, Jack Darling, Luke Parker, Jack Steele, Lachie Neale (congrats on 300), Liam Ryan, Alex Pearce and other mature aged players not mentioned, all stood up. And all of them remain central to their respective teams chances of success.
Before I forget, Pendlebury has played alongside another very handy player well over the age 30, Steele Sidebottom, and for the icing on the Gemlife cake, a player wearing the number 19 at Hawthorn, namely Old Man Jack Gunston just keeps upping his game every year.
In an era of scientific training regimes, nutritional specialists, individual player game and game time ratings, and other factors, more players than ever are playing well into their 30s, and topping up their superannuation in the process.
At extreme edges of the age and games played spectrum, in Gather Round I lauded the coming-of-age performance of Archie Roberts for the Bombers, while this week at the other end of the spectrum I laud the ageless performance of Jezza Cameron kicking ten sausage rolls. The point being, the performance of Archie and his future for years to come excites me as much as a golden oldie like Cameron booting ten in the twilight of his career.
In the coming weeks, the media’s attention will deservedly be all about Pendles; and rightly so, the guy is a true legend.
Scott Pendlebury is all class. Another great example of this came in the moments after the Pies secured the win. Carlton’s Talor Byrne missed his after-the-siren shot at goal last Thursday night, and Pendles was one of the first players to console him, and praised him for being willing to be the player with the game on his boot.
Team Ratings at the Quarter Time Mark of the Season
Preseason hype is great, and in some instances some teams live up to the hype, but for the most part, preseason hype is just talk and wishful thinking.
The following ratings are not only based on wins and losses, but also how each team has performed in relation to their preseason hype, as such some teams will be ranked higher than their current ladder position.
Team Rankings
1 – North Melbourne ‘A+’ – currently 5th.
With four wins and two losses, and finding themselves in the top six with a healthy percentage, the Shin-Boners are well ahead of all the predictions about the lads from Arden Street preseason.
2 – Fremantle Dockers ‘A’ – currently 2nd
In previous seasons, there has been some massive hype about the Dockers to which they have failed to live up to, but with five wins and a healthy percentage, touch wood, the Dockers are living up to the preseason hype.
What has impressed the most about the 2026 Dockers is they have won games they would have lost in previous seasons, including their recent gutsy win over the Pies in Adelaide.
3 – Hawthorn ‘A’ – currently 3rd
The Hawks are coming and coming hard in season 2026. A couple of seasons ago the Hawks were woeful after six games, however they came from nowhere that year to make the finals, and they have gone from strength to strength ever since, to now being considered a real contender.
A couple of years back, Sam Mictchell gave his players licence to celebrate as they pleased, and now these same players are rewarding their coach with career best form, eg: Jack Ginnivan, Nick Watson and Mabior Chol.
4 – Sydney Swans ‘A’ – currently 1st
It may seem strange to have the Swans rated fourth, however, the expectations on Sydney this season was to get back into the top four after a disappointing season in 2025.
Sitting atop the ladder with five wins and a super healthy percentage, the Bloods are doing exactly what they need to doing at this stage of the season to play deep into September.
I’m being harsh, but the Swans drank their own bath water in 2024, and we were all knew what happened.
The test for the Swans and Dean Cox is whether they have a plan ‘B’ or a plan ‘C’ when other clubs challenge their game plan.
5 – Melbourne ‘B+’ – currently 8th
Like North Melbourne, the Dees are batting well above their preseason hype, and they have surprised all, even those within the hallowed walls of the MCG would be pleasantly chuffed.
Steven King and his band of merry Demons led by Big Max on the field have not only survived the absence of a few of a superstars from previous seasons, but they are flourishing.
More importantly, the players look happy with the club, free from on and off field dramas.
6 – Geelong ‘B’ – currently 6th
Sitting sixth on the ladder with four wins and two losses, the Cats are exactly where most experts thought they would be early in the season.
The test for the Cats this season is not the first half of the season, as they will in all likelihood be eight wins and four losses come the bye, but rather how they perform after their bye and whether their form drops off.
7 – Gold Coast ‘B’ – currently 4th
For reasons I can’t explain, the Suns look vulnerable even though they have four wins and a healthy percentage to start the year,
Considering the Suns have been widely tipped to make the Grand Final in 2026, they have had a serviceable start to the season, but from outside the walls of the club they seem to lack the ruthless edge normally associated with a team in Premiership calculations.
A lot more will be known about the Suns at the halfway mark of the season.
8 – Western Bulldogs ‘B’ – currently 7th
Everything was coming up ‘Milhouse’ for the boys from the kennel after flying out the blocks with an impressive start to the season with many tipping the Doggies to go all the way in season 2026. However, since then the wheels have fallen off with injuries to key players, especially Tim English and Sam Darcy, while Tom Liberatore, the stalwart heart and soul of the club may have played his last game after suffering his fifth concussion in recent times last weekend.
It is to be hoped the club, and Doctors make the right call on Libbea’s career with his long-term health being paramount.
How deep is the Dogs list?
9 – Brisbane Lions ‘C+’ – currently 9th
The joys of being the reigning back-to-back premier carries with it the heavy burden of expectation to perform well from week-to-week by the fans and the media, however that may not necessarily be the thinking inside the Lions’ den.
Old Man Fagan is no fool and the strategy internally would be how the clubs builds throughout the season to peak on the last Saturday of September.
The Lions are going okay.
10 – Adelaide Crows ‘C’ – currently 10th
Last season’s minor premier have not set the world on fire to start the new season with three wins and three losses. It is not the start they would have expected.
The question surrounding the Crows coming into this season was whether or not 2025 was a fluke, or are they the real deal?
After six games the jury is out. A game against Brisbane will answer plenty of questions.
11 – Collingwood ‘C-’ – currently 11th
Three wins and three losses with a below par percentage is not the start Fly McRae would have wanted.
The preseason opinions and hype surrounding the Pies varied from being a potential Grand Finalist to falling out of contention. The reality is, we are really no closer to knowing in which direction the Pies are heading this season.
12 – West Coast ‘C-‘ – currently 15th
The Eagles won only one game last season, so securing two wins after six rounds has the Eagles on par to win the six to eight games most pundits envisaged preseason.
Part of the process for a club which is trying to rise from the bottom of the ladder is there will be some real bad losses along the way, however it is important they don’t lose track of what they are aiming for this season.
13 – St Kilda ‘D’ – currently 13th
The Saints have had an average start to a season with a miserly two wins.
They were highly tipped to at least make it to the Wildcard games this year, and while that goal may seem a long way off presently, St Kilda at their best are capable of beating most teams.
St Kilda is on a huge watch for the rest of the season.
14 – Greater Western Sydney Giants ‘D’ – currently 14th
With only two wins to start the year, it would really irk Giants fans that they are living up to the preseason prophets of doom (the so-called experts) who tipped the Giants would be the one club to slide out of contention this year.
Injuries and a glut of behinds relative to goals kicked has not helped the Giants’ cause this season.
15 – Port Adelaide ‘D’ – currently 12th
The Power are performing below preseason expectations with only two wins after six rounds, and on exposed form it doesn’t look likely they will be heading north on the ladder any time soon.
16 – Essendon – ‘D-‘ – currently 17th
To be fair, not much was expected of the Dons this season, so it could be said they have lived up to the preseason talk (no hype).
Until halftime in the game against the Doggies, it looked possible the Bombers could go winless for the year, however, since a spray from Brad Scott they have outscored the Doggies in the second half, belted Melbourne and came within nine points to Suns in a very impressive performance. If the Dons maintain the rage they are currently displaying, they might just exceed their own expectations.
17 – Carlton – ‘E’ – currently 17th
If I was grading Carlton on first halves, they would have an ‘A’ against their name, however, we all know football is a four-quarter game. Well… except for Carlton, it seems.
The baggers have been woeful this year, and they are positioned well below where most pundits had them this season.
Something is seriously wrong at Princes Park and unless they sort it out, they will be in the wilderness for the foreseeable future.
18 – Richmond – No Mark – currently 18th
Rightly or wrongly, I am not going to grade the winless Tigers, however, I am interested to see if they can steal a game or two before the halfway mark of the year. Keeping some veterans on the park would help, as would an injury free run for some of their young talent.
Disco’s Over 30s Casey’s Nightclub Award
This award is for the players proving there is life after 30 in the AFL. It is theoretically sponsored by the once legendary nightclub located in the Glenferrie Station arcade, Casey’s Over 30s Nightclub. On any given Wednesday or Saturday night the more mature singles of Melbourne would pack the joint to the rafters.
There are many players in the AFL aged thirty years or older performing gallantly, and as such The Mongrel Punt have introduced this award specifically for the the more refined gentlemen of the competition who will be competing for The Mirror Ball Keyring.
Similar in style to the Coaches Votes, the voting system for this cherished award is the top ten elderly citizens of each round will be ranked with ten being the maximum and one being the minimum.
Votes for Round 6
10 Jeremy Cameron (Gee)
9 Taylor Walker (Ade)
8 Brodie Grundy (Syd)
7 Zach Merrett (Ess)
6 Jarman Impey (Haw)
5 Jack Darling (NM)
4 Scott Pendlebury (Coll)
3 Harris Andrews (Bris)
2 Lachie Neale (Bris)
1 Luke Parker (NM)
Leader Board
20 Brodie Grundy (Syd)
16 Zach Merrett (Ess)
10 Jeremy Cameron (Gee) Luke Parker (NM) Jack Steele (Melb)
9 Taylor Walker (Ade) Liam Ryan (Freo)
8 Jack Gunston (Haw) Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
7 Max Gawn (Melb)
6 Jarman Impey (Haw) Jack Darling (NM) Alex Pearce (Freo) Brayden Maynard (Coll)
5 Marcus Bontempelli (WB) James Sicily (Haw)
4 Scott Pendlebury (Coll) Jake Melksham (Melb) Tom Aitkins (Gee)
3 Harris Andrews (Bris) Peter Wright (Ess)
2 Lachie Neale (Bris) Toby Greene (GWS)
1 Callum Wilkie (StK)
Note, we have decided to not backdate this award – as such, Round Zero to Round Three are excluded.
Fin
There are a lot of whacko theories in the AFL involving the one that states ladder positions after six rounds won’t change much for the rest of the season, to wit I think is a load of bull. I’d rather view the ladder after Round 6 as a point where teams take inventory and if necessary, make the changes, whether that be players, game plan, training regimes, etc.
This weekly post is specifically designed to be a bit loose, and we encourage a bit of banter in the comments – Nothing to Serious (until it is).
Thanks for reading, and as this is a new weekly we are very open to suggestions.
It was suggested by one reader last week I endeavour to publish the weekly earlier in the week so it doesn’t get hidden by the articles published on Wednesday and Thursday leading into the next wound, as such and to the best of my ability (understanding I do work) the Weekly will now be published on Monday, or at the latest, Tuesday.
May your team win in Round 7.