Versus top six: 4-1, 92.27%

The good: Eight wins in a row to start the season gave the Dragons the perfect foundation for 2021. Good teams find a way to win close games and the Dragons edged out premiership rivals Strathfieldsaye, Golden Square, South Bendigo and Eaglehawk by a combined margin of 33 points. Ruckman Chris Down has been the Dragons' standout performer, while their backline, which looked undersized at the start of the season, has been superb led by Lachlan Ross, Sean O'Farrell and Liam Ireland.

The bad: Hard to be picky when a team is 8-1 and sitting on top of the ladder. One concern could be the workload experienced midfield trio Lee Coghlan, Blair Holmes and Nick Stagg are forced to carry. They're doing a lot of heavy lifting and there's still a long way to go until finals. The imminent return of the classy Jeremy Rodi will help the Dragons' midfield.

Where to now: History shows that 14 wins will lock away a top three spot for the finals. The tightness of the competition this year means 13 wins a strong percentage might be enough. Wins against the bottom four teams will get Sandhurst to 12 victories and then it's a matter of grabbing a win or two against the big six. It would be a shock to see Sandhurst fall out of the top three.

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Ladder: Second, 7-2, 221.8%

Versus top six: 3-2, 108.8%

The good: We know Pat McKenna is a star and we know Brad Bernacki is as good a ball winner as there is in the competition, but what we didn't know was how good Gisborne's next crop of youngsters are. As well as the Bulldogs' elite players are performing, it's the youngsters that are turning heads. Macklan Lord, Frank Schipano, Ben Eales and Zac Vescovi are four rookies who have come in this year and don't look out of place at senior level one bit. Inside midfielder Flynn Lakey, who was best on ground for Calder in the NAB League last week, is another with huge upside.

The bad: Losses to Golden Square and South Bendigo inside the first month of the season put the Dogs on the back foot, but they've responded strongly. A lack of height remains the question mark. The Dogs can't afford any injuries to their key position players.

Where to now: It starts on Saturday with the trip to Tannery Lane to play the Storm. Win that game and you can just about lock the Dogs inside the top three. Their remaining tough games against the top six teams are all at Gardiner Reserve and they'll win more of those than they lose.

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Ladder: Third, 7-2, 219.7%

Versus top six: 3-2, 124.55%

The good: Some BFNL rivals thought, or maybe hoped, the Storm's dynasty was done and dusted after they lost a stack of experienced premiership players. The first nine rounds have proven that, even if the Storm don't win the flag this year, they're going to be at the pointy end every season for the foreseeable future. The group of 18 to 22-year-olds that are now senior regulars have been brought up in the Storm system and just know how to play senior footy. 22-year-old Cooper Jones and 20-year-old Cal McCarty are probably in the top three in the club's best and fairest and they're best footy is years in front of them. Scary.

The bad: Two narrow defeats when they were in winning positions against Sandhurst and Gisborne are the only black marks on the Storm form card. In a way it could have been a blessing. They're hungrier now than ever. The groin injury to Kal Geary is a worry. There's no-one more damaging on a fast track on the QEO in September.

Where to now: Look like certainties to finish top three and are probably favourites to claim the minor premiership. The Gisborne game on Saturday and the final round clash with Sandhurst shape as their two most crucial encounters.

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Ladder: Fourth, 7-2, 172.0%

Versus top six: 3-2, 111.90%

The good: Burst out of the blocks with two great wins, then had a lull and have returned to something like their best form in recent weeks. Three things standout for the Dogs - somehow ruckman Matt Compston is still under-rated by those outside of Wade Street despite a decade of consistent great form; Ryan Hartley has developed into one of the most valuable stoppage and clearance players in the competition and the "JB Show" inside forward 50 starring Jayden Burke and Joel Brett is as entertaining and potent as any forward combo in the league.

The bad: Depth remains a query. The Dogs have several lightly-built youngsters, who have done well to this point, but will they stand up in the big games against the big boys of the competition. Jake Thrum's broken hand was a major blow to the Dogs. They need him fit and firing for the finals.

Where to now: Lock the Dogs in for the finals, but not sure about their top three credentials. They should get past Kyneton on Saturday and then they face Sandhurst and Strathfieldsaye in successive weeks. We'll know where the Dogs stand after those two matches.

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Ladder: Fifth, 6-3, 136.3%

Versus top six: 2-3, 89.62%

The good: Anyone outside of South Bendigo who tells you that pre-season they tipped the Bloods to be 6-3 at the halfway mark of the season is talking more garbage than those annoying over the phone salesmen. South's resurgence is refreshing and arguably the best story of the season so far. Coach Nathan Horbury has the Bloods playing an exciting style of footy that is good to watch. Wins over Gisborne and Eaglehawk are a testament to their improvement.

The bad: With the competition so tight, the Bloods could have done with bigger wins over some of the bottom sides. Percentage could be crucial in determining the top five and they have the worst percentage out of the top six clubs.

Where to now: Firstly, win the games against the bottom four teams. That will get the Bloods to 10 wins and within touching distance of a first finals appearance since 2012. Under the revamped fixture, the Bloods are drawn to play Eaglehawk in the final round of the home and away season - potentially an elimination final one week before the elimination final.

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Ladder: Sixth, 4-5, 160.7%

Versus top six: 0-5, 79.44%

The good: For a club with Eaglehawk's high standards and pride, very little has gone right. The positives centre around the form of some of the Hawks' younger players. Koby Hommelhoff has made a great return to senior footy, while Joel Mullen has taken his game to another level.

The bad: 0-5 against the other teams in the top six says it all. Some circumstances haven't helped the Borough, but they were in good positions in the second half of all five of those games only to come up short. If you can't beat any of the teams in the top five then you're in for a long year.

Where to now: A 7-2 split in the final nine games might be enough for the Hawks to sneak into the top five. To achieve that they need to build some confidence and momentum quickly. They play the bottom four teams in the next four games before an arduous run home against the top five teams. If the Hawks do make the finals we know they'll be in peak form.

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Ladder: Seventh, 3-6, 71.1%

Versus top six: 0-6, 45.23%

The good: The Tigers played some great footy to defeat Kangaroo Flat and Maryborough and to give South Bendigo a scare in round three. The Tigers, rightfully, have put a lot of faith in their youngsters and the signs are promising for the future.

The bad: With youth comes inconsistency and that's the story of Kyneton's season so far. The Tigers can win the ball as well as any team, but their ball use is not at the level of the top teams and that's where the improvement will come in the second half of the season.

Where to now: Pinching a win against a top six team in the second half of the season would be a great achievement for the Tigers. If they finish the season with a 7-11 record that would be two wins more than 2019.

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Ladder: Eighth, 2-7, 45.7%

Versus top six: 0-6, 26.53%

The good: The rebuilding Roos aren't going to win many games this year, so the first win of the season at Maryborough gave the whole club a huge lift. The youngsters that have come through the junior ranks at the club showed plenty in the first nine rounds. They'll be even better with another nine senior games under their belt. If the Roos can add a couple of mature bodies in the off-season then the club will be well-placed to win more games in 2022.

The bad: Ball movement. It's not so much "the bad", but more the area of the game the young Roos need to improve the most. They've only scored 100 points once and were held to 50 points or less seven times.

Where to now: Build on the way they've played in the past month and close the gap on the scoreboard between themselves and the top six teams. Could the young Roos defeat a top six side in the second half of the season? Probably not. Wins and losses don't matter so much this year. It's about getting senior games into the kids and developing a style of play that will see the club thrive in the future.

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Ladder: Ninth, 1-8, 49.7%

Versus top six: 0-6, 25.59%

The good: The round five performance against Golden Square gave the Magpie faithful plenty to cheer about. The Pies didn't win, but they tested the Bulldogs until late in the game.

The bad: One win and eight losses is well below the club's pre-season expectations, but they haven't had much luck. The trainers at Princes Park have been busier than your local fish'n'chip shop on a Friday night. The Pies haven't had close to their best team on the park all season because of a very long injury list. With no under-18s at the club and the reserves not competitive, it's been a tough time for the club.

Where to now: Cross fingers that the injury curse is finished and that some senior players start to return to action. If the Pies can get half a dozen players back then they can look at defeating a team above them on the ladder. Three wins out of nine games in the back of the season would be a good result and something to build on for 2022.

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Ladder: Tenth, 0-9, 16.1%

Versus top six: 0-6, 8.08%

The good: On the scoreboard there hasn't been much to smile about, but the Pies deserve some credit. Senior coach Don Moran has set about rebuilding the club's culture and, from the outside, it seems to be working. Reserves players are not doubling up in the seniors, the under-18s are not just playing but they're very competitive and there's a sprinkling of young players in the seniors that are showing plenty. Brodie Byrne, Will Moran, Declan Slingo and Callum McConachy headline a young group that the Pies can build around.

The bad: The three-week stretch against the top three teams dented the Magpies' pride. Losses to Gisborne, Sandhurst and Strathfieldsaye of 212, 188 and 213 points respectively took the gloss off some promising signs for Castlemaine.

Where to now: It's a long season when you're not winning, but the young Magpies aren't throwing in the towel. The Magpies will have round 17 on August 21 and round 18 on August 28 marked on their calendars. Those two weeks will be Castlemaine's finals series. They play Kangaroo Flat and Maryborough in the last two games of the season and they'll be the only chances the club has of winning a game in 2021.

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