Everyone's a winner, baby ??? almost

It's just as well the AFL gave away the idea of a pre-season cup a few years back. Because just about everyone had some sort of victory this year.

Of 18 teams, only Carlton and Essendon failed to register a win in their three JLT Community Series games. And even the Blues and Bombers had impressive patches here and there.

Eleven teams won two out of their three, and another five at least one. Collingwood averaged the highest score, at 101.3 points, and their only loss came after the siren against Fremantle. St Kilda were the stingiest defensively, conceding an average of just 54.3 points per game, and their only defeat was by just three points to Sydney in the final game on Sunday night.

Saint Jake Carlisle wraps up Lance Franklin. The Saints were the stingiest side in the pre-season series. Photo: Getty Images

The standout performances, and the sorriest

Of course it's difficult to compare teams at different stages of preparation and fielding different strength line-ups. But you can only take on what's put before you.

To that end, St Kilda's 92-point demolition of Carlton in week three was pretty complete, Josh Bruce finishing with seven goals and midfield recruit Jack Steele dominant. Jack Billings also looked ready to deliver on his promise.

The Blues were the hapless recipients the week before, too, when Melbourne looked slick indeed in taking them apart.

The Demons were hard but seemed a lot more polished in that demolition job, Christian Petracca a real standout with four goals from his 19 touches and Jesse Hogan particularly ominous up forward with three goals.

Carlton, it should be pointed out, were without Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Kade Simpson and Sam Docherty in the St Kilda smashing. And the Blues did look much better in their last game against Fremantle with those players in the mix, while small forward Jarrod Pickett also added plenty of bite in attack.

Jesse Hogan looked ominous against the Blues with three goals. Photo: Getty Images

A game of two halves

We seem to have said that a lot over the past month. And with good reason, several of these games marked by one team getting out to a handy lead only to be subsequently reeled in, perhaps as good a pointer as any to the different goals being pursued.

Indeed, Essendon were the subject of that in each of their three games, 27 points up early against Collingwood before losing by 11, close to five up against Gold Coast to lose by a kick, and on Sunday, 40 points up against Geelong only to lose by 22.

Geelong were 41 points down in their first game against Hawthorn, too, before a scorching nine-goal third quarter, the Cats leading until young Hawk Kade Stewart pinched the win after the final siren.

The biggest single turnaround, though, came in the Western Bulldogs' win over Gold Coast in a highly-entertaining game at Metricon Stadium last Thursday night.

The Suns jumped the reigning premier to lead by as much as 49 points late in the second term. But the giant awoke from his slumber when it mattered, the Doggies slamming on nine goals in the final quarter to win by 21.

The Bombers gave up leads in their three matches. Photo: Getty Images

Football fashion

Football tends to play follow the leader, and the Western Bulldogs' creative handball in traffic left a big impression on 2016. So perhaps it hasn't been too surprising to see a number of sides up the handball ante in the JLT series.

Geelong and Gold Coast in particular seemed particularly handball happy over the pre-season, each recording more handballs than kicks in every one of their three games, attempting to inject a bit more "run and gun" into their play.

Last year, Melbourne had the lowest kick-to-handball ratio of 1.04 in the AFL. The Cats, Suns and Carlton, too, have this pre-season come in under that figure. The Demons, meanwhile, under Simon Goodwin, seem to be backing their increased skill by foot, Melbourne's kick-to-handball ratio up to 1.16, over the pre-season ranked ninth for use of the ball by foot.

Run and gun: Gary Ablett returns for the Suns and contributes to the side's spike in handballs. Photo: Getty Images

Which stars shone brightest?

The AFL's biggest names certainly haven't showed any signs of slowing down thus far in 2017. While it may have been rehearsal time, some established stars looked ominous indeed, while others returning to the stage showed plenty.

Nat Fyfe played all three games for Fremantle in his comeback from a broken leg and looked better each week, culminating in a dominant 38-disposal game against Carlton. And after just five games last year, ruckman Aaron Sandilands did likewise in his two games, keys to the Docker engine restored successfully.

Sam Mitchell bobbed up in different colours, and if anyone had any doubts he could provide West Coast with the same midfield impetus he'd given Hawthorn all those years, they were soon put to rest, the 34-year-old turning out 28 and 39-disposal efforts against Fremantle and Melbourne.

Lance Franklin booted a couple of goals in each of his two games for Sydney after off-season shoulder surgery and generally looked in ripping nick. And Gary Ablett played just the one game for Gold Coast, but after only 20 appearances in two seasons and major shoulder trouble, it was a significant one, the little master ominous against the Bulldogs last week.

Sam Mitchell adds and extra gear to West Coast's midfield. Photo: Getty Images

Trading places

We've already mentioned Sam Mitchell, but he wasn't the only player with a new AFL home to impress.

Zac Tuohy looked particularly comfortable coming off half-back for Geelong, a more-than-handy replacement for the retired Corey Enright. Former Giant Caleb Marchbank, meanwhile, stood up well in Carlton defence often under siege.

Gold Coast looked to have picked up a couple from other clubs likely to make an immediate impression, former Magpie Jarrod Witts very solid in the ruck for the Suns, and former Fremantle veteran Michael Barlow ready to make the most of another chance, among the Suns' best in each of their three games, averaging more than 26 disposals.

And after a slow start, Cam McCarthy's second coming at Fremantle began to look like it finally deliver the Dockers the goals they've been searching for in vain for years.

He was lot better in his second game against Collingwood than he had been in his first against West Coast, and against Carlton last Friday night he really put it together with six goals and plenty of hard work in the Freo forward line.

Young Bulldog Roarke Smith is in for another knee reconstruction. Photo: Michael Dodge

The hard-luck stories

There's always a few, and this pre-season has been no exception. Gold Coast's Sam Day's season was over before it barely begun after a shocking hip injury in the Suns' first game against Brisbane.

Ditto for tall Adelaide midfield Cam Ellis-Yolmen after hyperextending his knee in the Crows' first hit-out against Richmond. At a time Adelaide needs every midfield hand on deck, Ellis-Yolmen is recovering from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and won't play all year.

And Western Bulldogs youngster Roarke Smith made for one of the sorriest sights of the pre-season as he was helped into the rooms after injuring a knee against Brisbane. He had good reason to fear the worst, having already had a reconstruction of his left knee a year-and-a-half ago. This time it's his right.

The Bulldogs copped another significant casualty in game one when ruckman Jordan Roughead, a star in last year's finals campaign, suffered a serious hamstring tendon injury requiring surgery. He's out for at least the first six games of the flag defence.

There was a shorter-term injury of significance on the weekend, too. Essendon's already thin ruck stocks took a big hit with a hamstring injury to Matthew Leuenberger, a challenge looming for Shaun McKernan over the next few weeks.