A lull? The end? Or a gap year? Revisiting the fortunes of every AFL club on May 1

Typically, the turn of the calendar comes with the turn of the weather and footy is still in its formative stages awaiting the bite of winter.

But so much has happened already given the early start that we’re approaching the marker pole for a third of the way through the season and fortunes are a long way cast.

North Melbourne seem stuck in a world of pain without end.

The search for progress at Hawthorn is agonisingly slow.

And there’s been no dead cat bounce for Richmond as the reality of rebuild has set in.

St Kilda went down when it expected to be rising and the hope of salvaging wins right now is jeopardised by the long suspension for Jack Higgins.

The Western Bulldogs were intent on a fast start rather than reliving the experience of chasing the season… they’re living the familiar experience of chasing the season.

The time for Collingwood to get going is at hand. There couldn’t be a better time for Carlton and the Pies to meet.

Essendon look like they are to be trusted, exceeding their small target expectations.

And the two highest placed Victorian teams - Geelong and Melbourne - square off on Saturday night.

The Showdown between Adelaide and Port Adelaide is about to get its biggest airing as a standalone free-to-air national extravaganza … that’s long overdue.

And Sydney versus GWS is a near-sold-out heavyweight clash that the Harbour City is boasting as a Grand Final preview.

Fremantle and West Coast have both found winning form and Gold Coast have been up and down under Dimma.

In all of this, the most intriguing team on May Day is the Brisbane Lions.

The historic struggles and gains given back casting deep uncertainty over last year’s runner-up.

The first 20 minutes of their season was among the best footy I’ve ever seen.

It was the falsest of promises.

These stories are only ever understood and told in hindsight.

Nick Dal Santo posed the question coming into the season whether there’s a statute of limitations on contending. He could see a bit of his Saints in the Lions.

Jack Riewoldt spoke of the eternal struggle for parity. You live the season looking at the fixture plotting your way to 5 and 5, or 6 and 6, or 8 and 8, and believing you can launch late from there.

Any loss that drops you further behind the ledger lands as a hammer blow.

Nathan Buckley talks as a coach that backs his players unconditionally but isn’t getting the unconditional buy in of the players in return.

Is this a lull, is this the end or is this the gap year?

They’re big questions given it’s only the first of May and there’s such a course to run.