AFL football is in a strange place at the moment. Weird things happen, and as soon as we construct a plausible explanation for them doing so, it's contradicted.
Lately, the narrative has been all about the yawning gap between the top and bottom of the ladder. So what happens at the weekend? Tenth (Sydney) beats third (Brisbane). Top (Adelaide) only just gets over the line against bottom (West Coast). Eleventh leads fifth much of the evening. And 13th scares the life out of sixth.
The other bizarre reality? That lately, two of the most reliable entities in the AFL have been two clubs whose entire persona often seemed to have revolved around their supposed 'flakiness'.
Yep, we're talking about Fremantle and Gold Coast, two teams which form suggested should get the points against respective opponents Port Adelaide and Carlton at the weekend, even on the road, but who had to struggle every last minute of the game to ensure they did.
Superficially on paper, months from now, neither will look like a particularly significant victory. But the facts are both were wins from places whence previous version of both the Dockers and Suns would have not had the strength of resolve required to see a sticky situation through.
In contrast to these new "professionals", it's some usual "old reliables" which are coughing and spluttering a little.
Collingwood has lost four of its past five games now, Brisbane two of three. Geelong, meanwhile, keeps winning, but against such poor quality opposition you're left wondering whether the lack of opposition fight might actually be doing the Cats more harm than good in their finals preparation.
That's at least something Fremantle's Justin Longmuir and Gold Coast's Damien Hardwick haven't had to worry about much this season. In fact, had either coach been able to script their run towards the finals in 2025, this is what it might have looked like.
Who's to say if the Dockers' diabolical choke at the end of the last season was the massive jolt needed to take this team where talent dictated it should already be?
Saturday night's win over Port Adelaide, at a venue at which the Dockers had won just twice in their previous 13 visits, was the fifth time Freo had come back from a three-quarter time deficit this season.
Once Connor Rozee put the Power back in front with two minutes remaining, there was maturity in everything the Dockers did, from Sean Darcy getting the ball forward at the bounce to help them rush a behind, Caleb Serong outmarking a bigger opponent to repel the kick-in, and Alex Pearce's ultimate captain's play, the huge pack mark then clutch kick to give his team the lead one last time.
That's 11 wins from the last 12 games for Freo, and even four of their six losses have been by 14 points or less. They're 5-4 on the road, and have knocked over five of the top eight, too.
None of which even now has them as finals fixtures, of course, given they've got Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs in their last two games.
But already you absolutely have to concede that this year's version of Freo, should it play finals, will not be doing so off the back of some softish home wins. The Dockers have done it tough, and will absolutely deserve a piece of the finals action.
As for Gold Coast, well, perhaps the greatest comment on their coming of age is the fact the Suns, who have won six of their past seven games, have been a little "off-Broadway" lately, which means before it even happens, Gold Coast's maiden finals appearance is being treated as something of a fait accompli.
Damien Hardwick's team had already beaten reigning premier Brisbane and top team Adelaide among others before it clocked up its third win from four starts at Marvel Stadium in 2025 on Saturday night against Carlton.
But if the fact the Suns started comfortable favourite wasn't confronting enough for those used to the old world order, so was the way this game panned out.
Despite a 45-point three-quarter time lead to Gold Coast, all it took was three quick Carlton goals within seven minutes of the restart for the gap to suddenly look gettable indeed for the Blues amidst an anticipated Suns panic attack.
Except that it isn't how Gold Coast rolls much anymore. Sure, the Suns had to soak up a fair bit of pressure as the Blues suddenly had a sniff. But by the last 10 minutes, it was Gold Coast controlling the game again with four of the last five scores of the match, the final 19-point margin comfortable enough.
Not that the Suns can't keep the foot on the throat, either. Seven of Gold Coast's wins have been by 38 points or more. They're fourth for points scored, and third for fewest points conceded. They're top three for contested ball, clearances, and pressure applied.
Those are solid numbers indeed, with spearhead Ben King second behind only Jeremy Cameron in the Coleman Medal count, averaging just below three goals per game, and skipper Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell again two of the comp's leading ball-winners.
Perhaps it's not the "sexy" story you might have imagined Gold Coast's impending debut finals appearance would be. Nor is Fremantle presenting the enigmatic, unpredictable visage of previously.
But they're profiles which suggest both the Suns and Dockers have a lot more to add to September than mere novelty value. And in a season which needs all the help it can get, that's a welcome dependability indeed.
You can read more of Rohan Connolly's work at FOOTYOLOGY.