Riley Beveridge looks at your club's Urgency Index after wildcard round

WELCOME to Reaction Time.

Early each week, AFL.com.au's Riley Beveridge will discuss the topic that deserves a reaction at your club and grade it on the 'Urgency Index'.

It could be anything from an issue that's got a team pondering drastic change, or the form of an underrated star that requires immediate recognition.

The gradings, which relate specifically to the topics, are as follows:

Panic Stations.

Simmering.

Watch This Space.

Green Shoots.

Flying.

In this week's Reaction Time, we look at the 'Carlton Curtain' that's forming down back, the Brisbane superstar with a chip on his shoulder, Matthew Nicks' record against the competition's best coaches, Melbourne's regrettable final fortnight and whether Sydney can cope without a host of its most important players.

A significant September awaits for nearly everyone wearing Adelaide colours, coach Matthew Nicks chief among them. The Crows boss has a combined 9-25-1 record against fellow top six coaches Justin Longmuir, Dean Cox, Chris Fagan, Sam Mitchell and Chris Scott across his seven-season stint in charge. Now to correct that over the next month.

Urgency Index: Simmering.

Beware the slighted Will Ashcroft. Should have been All-Australian, wasn't named, then took to social media to make his feelings known. Now, he'll set himself for a big September. You don't really need to fuel the motivation of a player that's already won two Norm Smith Medals, but he'll undoubtedly have a chip on the shoulder this finals campaign. It's already one where Ashcroft arrives having been a top 10 rated player in the competition across the last 12 weeks of the year, as well. A scary thought.

Urgency Index: Watch This Space.

What a night for the 'Carlton Curtain'. They haven't played much footy together yet, but Jacob Weitering and Harry Dean have already formed a formidable partnership down back. Weitering was exceptional with 18 disposals, 12 marks, 10 intercepts, 11 spoils and six intercept marks as the guidance presence. Dean, on his finals debut, continued an extraordinary debut season with 20 disposals, seven marks, 11 intercepts, eight spoils and a massive, contested grab late to help the Blues seal it. And a special shoutout to the third member of the 'Curtain', Nick Haynes, who continued his late-career revival with 19 disposals, 11 marks and seven spoils. Together, the trio were all in the eight highest rated players on the ground and held Melbourne goalless for the game's final 51 minutes.

Urgency Index: Flying.

The margin, and the Tim Membrey shot after the siren, belied how comprehensively Collingwood was outplayed on Friday night. The Pies had 19 fewer entries, won 19 fewer clearances, 11 fewer contested possessions, 27 fewer disposals and trailed for almost two hours of game time. Got very little out of anyone not named Nick Daicos around the football and now enter a period of transition with Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom on their way out. An intriguing off-season lies ahead for the biggest club in the land.

Urgency Index: Simmering.

Been waiting all year for this. Now is the time to show it. Should really be playing on the last Saturday in September, if not holding the cup aloft in just 26 days' time.

Urgency Index: Watch This Space.

It was great that Geelong got some run into the legs of Jeremy Cameron in round 24, leading into finals. Now, the question for Chris Scott will be where the Cats play the star two-time Coleman Medal winner on Friday night. In round 18, when he hurt his shoulder in a defeat to the Giants, Cameron spent 97 per cent of the game in defence. On his return last week, he played 51 per cent forward, 26 per cent back, and 23 per cent on the wing. It leaves all manner of possibilities for Scott to work with as he game plans for Carlton.

Urgency Index: Watch This Space.

Time to scrub away the Wharfie woes. Led by 19 points early in the fourth quarter the last time Hawthorn faced Fremantle at Optus Stadium and then conceded the last five consecutive goals, nine consecutive scores and 34 consecutive points after the bell rung and 'Wharfie Time' started. Will there be any lingering demons on Thursday night?

Urgency Index: Simmering.

Yes, Saturday night was disappointing. But this Melbourne season was lost in two defining moments in the fortnight before. The first was Jacob van Rooyen's three-match suspension, which left Steven King without a presence in attack for the rest of the year. The second was the regrettable defeat to the Western Bulldogs in round 24, which saw the Demons throw away a top six berth. How different this side might have looked with another week's rest into players like Jake Lever, Jack Viney and Matthew Jefferson.

Urgency Index: Simmering.

Dean Cox has built his entire game plan around handball. But he'll be up against it in September. According to Champion Data, seven of the top 17 players in the competition for handball metres gained this season are Swans. But five of those seven will not be playing on Saturday afternoon. Nick Blakey (No.3), Riley Bice (No.10), Chad Warner (No.11) and Isaac Heeney (No.17) are suspended, while Justin McInerney (No.2) is injured.

Urgency Index: Simmering.

Arty made art on Friday night. While his fourth goal, a lovely snap around the body, ultimately provided the game's winning moment, it was a passage minutes earlier that best exemplified why Jones is enjoying the best year of his career and why Brisbane and Essendon remain in the market for the lively forward. He chased down Jeremy Howe, forcing the Collingwood veteran to slip into a mistake, then in almost the same motion he had the composure to instinctively prod the ball off the deck to Josh Dolan. It set up Cody Weightman for one of the crucial momentum-altering final quarter goals. That was Jones at his best, capping a display that also featured 17 disposals and nine score involvements.

Urgency Index: Green Shoots.

FOOTY ASIDE …

Liverpool's transfer window has been utterly shambolic. An entire off-season to address significant issues in terms of depth and within key positional areas and yet the Reds enter the final 48 hours until the deadline having sold more senior players than they've bought and with gaping voids at right back, right wing, central midfield and up front. The problems at Anfield are best summed up like this: Last year, Liverpool sold a 28-year-old Premier League winner in Luis Diaz because it appeared unwilling to offer a new deal to a player of his age with two years remaining on his contract. Now, having rotated through a cycle of potential right wing targets, it looks as though the Reds could spend upwards of £50 million on a 28-year-old Ismaila Sarr to beef up the attacking options that Diaz's departure helped create. Add a slow start to the season into the mix – not helped by Saturday night's 2-2 draw at home to Nottingham Forest – and there are problems everywhere for the Reds.

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