Finding words to describe the 2017 AFL season so far would be nothing short of difficult right now. A few come to mind, actually: breathtaking, baffling, shocking, inspiring, questionable, unbelievable. There are probably hundreds more but I have to stick to a word count.

It’s been dubbed as the most even season that anyone can remember. Week after week there have been upsets and almost every week delivers a new, outrageous headline for the Monday Morning tabloids. Whether it’s Bachar Houli and Tom Bugg’s thuggish behaviour or the fact that the Western Bulldogs’ premiership hangover is indeed that, a hangover. Whatever is spoken about on a Monday morning in the footy world, it’s no doubt something the public can sink their teeth into for a few days.

The AFL’s attempt at putting in a process in previous years to even out the competition is obviously working because no one is certain to win week-to-week.

One thing is abundantly clear though as Round 19 has finished, and that’s the fact that the premiership race is still wide open. It’s also becoming clearer that a standout team might not be the one to win it and rather the team that has the fewest flaws heading into finals.

Let’s take Richmond for example. I’m one of those guys that well and truly didn’t take them seriously until their win against Port this weekend. They’re looking like a genuine contender and they necessarily don’t have a team full of superstars. Their players across the ground are above average and their defense is quite easily a standout – will this be enough to go all the way? Who knows in this crazy season!

There are also teams like St. Kilda, Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn who sit outside the top eight currently, but should never be written off. In the top eight currently there are teams like Melbourne, Geelong and Sydney who could wreak some serious havoc if their best 22 is fit and firing.

One thing is for certain, we’re in-store for a scintillating latter part of the season where literally anyone could be raising the premiership cup above their heads at the end of September.

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