Opinion Nine things we learned: Harley needs to move back to the midfield - Hamara Watan Sports National and international

IN THIS week’s Things We Learned, we discover tagging Nick Daicos is almost impossible, Harley Reid needs to move back to the midfield plus much, much more.

Check out what we learned from round five of the 2025 season.

*This article will be updated after the Port Adelaide v Hawthorn match

1) Melbourne’s troubles run very, very deep

Amid a horror start to the season, the problems are everywhere you look for the 0-5 Demons. Good players are horribly out of form, their system looks to be completely lacking, confidence is at an all-time low and they are being thrashed in key areas. Against Essendon on Saturday night, Melbourne lost the possession count by 94 – giving the Bombers their biggest disposal haul (448) in seven years – while it also lost the uncontested possession count by an incredible 78. But the Demons’ biggest problem of all is their alarming inefficiency going inside 50. They kicked just two goals for the entire first half where just seven per cent of inside 50s translated to goals, and managed just a single point from their 11 centre bounce clearance wins. The Demons showed glimpses of what they can do in a short-lived third-quarter burst, but ultimately kicked just 57 points for the game and they average a shockingly low 61 points across the first five rounds of 2025. It’s a long road back from here, but Simon Goodwin is “incredibly confident” there’s still time to fix their myriad of problems. – Alison O’Connor

2) Good luck trying to tag Nick Daicos

It’s hard to say what clubs should do when trying to plan for Nick Daicos. Go head-to-head with him? Play someone on him at stoppages, and then attack? Try a soft run-with role? Whatever you choose, you’ll probably lose. The Swans went with the hardened tag on Friday night with one of the best in the business – James Jordon – facing up against the Collingwood superstar and he was no match. Daicos had 34 disposals, nine clearances and nine tackles. Sure, some of his explosive ball-carrying was restricted by Jordon’s presence, but Daicos stood up when he had to, shared the load and still had game-highs in key categories. In his fourth season, the Magpies jet is continuing to evolve his game and in doing so, is reaching untaggable levels. But clubs are continuing to deploy hard tags on him, and often sacrificing their own structure to their detriment. – Callum Twomey

3) The Eagles need Harley in the engine room

Moving their No.1 pick to the backline while he builds fitness might be the right move temporarily, but the clock is ticking on how long the Eagles can compete without him in his best role. After a record-low 77 contested possessions against Carlton and a clearance belting (40-18), it is clear the Eagles need a player like Reid in the midfield who can win a contested possession and burst into space. If Reid isn’t capable of doing that now and others can’t fill the void, the Eagles will continue to struggle in the most important part of the ground. Tom Gross and Jack Hutchinson showed excellent signs against the Blues, and they will learn quickly this season with continued exposure. But Reid is the key to more competitive performances right now. – Nathan Schmook

4) Matt Rowell continues to add money to his contract

The longer Matt Rowell goes unsigned beyond 2025, the more nervous Gold Coast gets. But for the dynamo midfielder, the longer it goes, the more money he’s likely to earn. Rowell was arguably best afield (not for the first time this year) against North Melbourne on Saturday, lifting when his team trailed in the third quarter. The 23-year-old was magnificent, combining his insatiable desire to win the ball with his much-improved spread from contest to rack up 10 touches in the game-changing quarter. He finished with 26 disposals, which included game highs in clearances (11) and score involvements (14) along with a team-lifting goal on the three-quarter time siren. The former No.1 pick seems to be getting better by the week. – Michael Whiting

5) The Crows need a pressure forward

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks made the suggestion after Thursday night’s loss to Geelong that the club’s four-tall forward line could be contributing to the scorelines being conceded by his exciting but leaky side. The Crows have coughed up scores of 100, 91 and 119 across the past month, with Nicks bemoaning the side’s inability to retain the ball inside its forward 50 through manic pressure. Another small forward could help that. Of course, Adelaide’s woes might be solved when Josh Rachele returns from broken ribs, but the side is still perhaps one small, tackling-type forward away from matching it with the best. Can the Crows, which is becoming a destination club and has trade ammunition to burn, find someone in October to rove at the feet of the Thilthorpe-Fogarty-Walker-Curtin beast? – Riley Beveridge

6) Josh Treacy is primed for his first Coleman Medal

Fresh off a six-goal haul against Richmond, Fremantle spearhead Josh Treacy has thrust himself into the race for the competition’s leading goalkicker. Treacy has grown in both size and confidence over summer, commanding the forward line and finding space both behind and in front of his opponent. The return of Hayden Young will ensure a greater number of clearances straight out of the middle, allowing Treacy to utilise his strength in one-on-one contests. Playing both Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson will also stretch opposition defences, of which Treacy can take full advantage. – Sarah Black

7) Toby Greene is playing as well as ever

Less than 12 months ago, Toby Greene copped plenty of criticism after a disappointing run of form, with even the Giants skipper himself conceding he had been well below his best. Based on his 2025 form so far, another All-Australian blazer – and possibly the captaincy again – could be coming his way. After willing his side to victory over Melbourne in round one, Greene did it all against the Saints on Sunday, kicking five goals as the Giants’ forward line hit top gear. With Jesse Hogan continuing his 2024 form, Aaron Cadman starting to blossom alongside recruit Jake Stringer and Harvey Thomas impressing on his return on Sunday, it’s hard to know where to look in the Giants’ forward 50 when they’re in full flight. But arguably the skipper remains their most dangerous weapon. – Martin Smith

8) This is an issue the Lions will want to fix quickly

The reigning premiers are well and truly the comeback kings. The Lions are 5-0 after Saturday’s 21-point win over the Western Bulldogs at Gather Round as they staged yet another comeback, recovering from a 39-point deficit on their way to victory. But Brisbane will be desperate to fix its slow starts, and soon. It is 5-0 but has trailed at half-time in four of those games, with the only exception being against lowly Richmond in round four. Brisbane has won its past eight matches when trailing at half-time, equalling the VFL/AFL record set by Carlton in 1909-10. The Lions are flying and have shown they can produce incredible comebacks, but they’ll be desperate for slow starts to be a thing of the past before it bites them at a bad time. – Dejan Kalinic

9) Zak Butters was the missing piece

It’s fair to say that Port Adelaide has had a spluttering start to the season, coming into its round five fixture against Hawthorn with just one win – over Richmond – to its name. But a crucial piece of the puzzle was missing for its first three matches, and was easing into the tempo of AFL footy last week. But if Sunday evening’s 30-point win over the Hawks showed anything, it’s just how crucial Zak Butters is to the Power’s system. Of the home side’s six opening quarter goals, Butters had a direct hand in three of them, and his clearance work was an endless headache for the Hawks around the contest. He finished the game with a game-high 33 disposals and 11 score involvements, shaking off the knee issue that had him on the sidelines. Keeping Butters fit is arguably the most important factor in maintaining the momentum built in Sunday’s win. – Gemma Bastiani