Hinkley: The ladder's top six is already set

Ken Hinkley believes the top six teams are already set.

The former Port Adelaide coach says that Sydney, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast and Brisbane should all play finals in 2026.

After five matches each, there are a few surprise teams sitting inside the top 10 (which is now a marker due to the Wilcard Finals Round). There are teams in that group sitting seventh to 10th that Hinkley feels could still fall away.

But the top portion is set in terms of the teams that will fill those six slots.

“Right now, I think the top six are set and in,” Hinkley said on SEN’s Sportsday.

“We can look at the 10 and go, is North Melbourne going to survive in the 10? Is Melbourne going to survive in the 10? Is Port Adelaide going to survive in the 10?

“Three of the next four (after the top six), I've got some questions around, and then the opportunities present for Adelaide, Giants, Collingwood, St Kilda probably, and then it's over and done for the rest.

“Sydney are going to be there, Freo are going to be there, Hawthorn are going to be there, Western Bulldogs should be there. The only one I put a little ‘should’ around is Bulldogs. The Suns, maybe I should have a question on them too because they haven't won enough away yet.

“I think that the top part of the ladder looks pretty accurate.”

Hinkley has broken then ladder up into different categories: 1-6 are in, 7-10 there are question marks on whether they can stay in, 11-14 there are question marks whether they can get in.

Sitting in the 11th to 14th section of the ladder is Adelaide, GWS, Collingwood and St Kilda - and then there’s the bottom four of West Coast, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond which most are expecting to remain there.

Hinkley reckons some of those sides sitting outside the 10 could force their way in.

“Crows would be my favourite at the moment,” Hinkley added.

“Giants, injuries permitting, (Aaron) Cadman and (Stephen) Coniglio, they just seem to keep running into injuries at the moment.

“Collingwood is a real concern. I just don’t know where there scoring is coming from. I want to believe in them because of their experience and I'm not one of those people that want to wipe sides just because getting a bit older. You know the way we look after players now they last for longer and they play better for longer, so I'm hanging in there with Collingwood, but they need to show me something a bit more.

“With St Kilda, if Nasiah (Wanganeen-Milera) starts to light - he’s been good but not great - and I think if TDK (Tom De Koning) gets going, definitely.

“Max King is the unknown, I think there was a bit of commentary around him over the weekend, he's getting closer. If he comes in back after the year, or certainly after round 10 or so, and can play like Max King does, I think they've got enough talent to be in the top 10 for sure.”

“And in fact, if they're not in the top 10, it would be somewhat of a miss for the year.”

AFL Ladder after Round 5

1 - Sydney
2 - Fremantle
3 - Hawthorn
4 - Western Bulldogs
5 - Gold Coast
6 - Brisbane Lions

7 - North Melbourne
8 - Geelong
9 - Melbourne
10 - Port Adelaide

11 - Adelaide
12 - GWS Giants
13 - Collingwood
14 - St Kilda
15 - West Coast
16 - Carlton
17 - Essendon
18 - Richmond