After 12 rounds of the 2022 AFL season we reach the second of three bye rounds, with six clubs handed a week's break to assess their season and move onto the final stretch.
Adelaide, Geelong, Gold Coast, Sydney, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs are set for the bye this weekend, giving us the perfect time to critique and grade their campaigns to date.
We put the microscope over each of the aforementioned clubs season's and name their MVP, best win and worst loss at the midway mark of this year in part one of our mid-season report cards.
These gradings factor in pre-season expectations and form across the opening 12 rounds of the year.
SEE ALSO: Mid-season AFL report cards: Part 1
Grade: C
W-L Record: 4-8
Percentage: 82%
The Crows started the season in blazing fashion, securing wins over Fremantle, Port Adelaide and Richmond in the opening five rounds, but could only buck a five-game losing streak with a win over the struggling Eagles.
Adelaide are sure to be rueing some close losses, such as a one-point Round 1 defeat to Fremantle and Round 4 four-point loss to the Bombers, which could have seen them in a much better ladder position heading into the bye.
Ben Keays has been electric for much of 2022, averaging 29.8 disposals, 5.1 tackles and 6.3 clearances per game in a career-best season, while Adelaide's defence has held up admirably throughout the opening 12 games of the season, with Jordan Dawson and Tom Doedee intercepting inside 50s with polish.
The Crows' forward line has generated plenty of conversation, with Taylor Walker producing some great football to head into the bye as the club's leading goal kicker (21 goals), with 2022 debutant Josh Rachele (15) following behind.
Despite looking like the Tex of old in 2022, the reliance on their 32-year-old former captain heading inside 50 is a worry for the Crows in the second half of the year, with their inaccuracy in front of goal becoming an unfortunate talking point too.
MVP: Ben Keays (80 votes)
Best Win: Round 3 vs Port Adelaide
Worst Loss: Round 8 vs Carlton
Grade: B+
W-L Record: 6-6
Percentage: 108%
The Suns have had an up and down 2022 so far, beginning the season slow off the starting blocks with a 2-4 record heading into Round 7, but racing towards the bye with some big wins to put them firmly in the finals conversation.
With Ben King going down with an ACL injury in the pre-season, any expectations on the Suns were quickly quashed, but the side continues to prove pundits wrong.
Big wins over the last two rounds, a 67-point win over Hawthorn and a 62-point win over North Melbourne, have given the Suns a much-needed percentage boost as the race for the eight begins to heat up.
Touk Miller has excelled, as usual, averaging 28.3 disposals, 5 tackles and 7.6 clearances per game, while Jarrod Witts and Noah Anderson continue to impress.
The off-season acquisitions of Levi Casboult (21 goals) and Mabior Chol (24 goals) have helped fill the hole left by King's absence, with the two getting plenty of service from the Suns midfield.
The club ranks fourth league wide for inside 50s per game and third in clearances per game, with Jarrod Witts doing plenty in the ruck.
While some losses would leave a sour taste in the mouths of Gold Coast fans, such as a 52-point defeat at the hands of the Brisbane Lions, there's no doubt that to be in the finals conversation heading into the bye after a pre-season of doom prophesying is far beyond a pass mark.
MVP: Touk Miller (87 votes)
Best Win: Round 11 vs Hawthorn
Worst Loss: Round 6 vs Brisbane
Grade: C
W-L Record: 6-6
Percentage: 118.5%
If not for a much-improved run of form and some big wins from Round 9 onwards, the Bulldogs could very well be looking at a much different mark.
A lacklustre start to the season saw alarm bells sounding at the kennel, with the Dogs winning just one of their opening four games.
The midfield remains stacked with talent, but seems to struggle with the inconsistency issues that plague the club as a whole. Bailey Smith is having an exceptional year, averaging 31.6 disposals, 3.7 tackles and 3.7 clearances per game, while Tim English continues to impress.
The Dogs rank second in clearances and inside 50's competition wide, with their engine room truly one of the best when up and about, while young forward Aaron Naughton leads from the front in the absence of the injured Josh Bruce with 30 goals for the season so far.
Down back, the Dogs missed Alex Keath's presence during his absence and are struggling with key position depth. Ranked second last competition wide in intercepts per game, the Dogs defence is something they would want to tidy up heading into the second half of the season.
The Bulldogs would have had loftier expectations for themselves, as many others did. Stuck in the procession of teams vying for a spot in the eight at the bye isn't the ideal spot to be, but at the very least, they've got their season heading in the right direction.
MVP: Bailey Smith (85 votes)
Best Win: Round 11 vs West Coast
Worst Loss: Round 8 vs Port Adelaide
Grade: B-
W-L Record: 8-4
Percentage: 127.6%
The Cats have had an up and down 2022 so far, at times looking like a genuine threat come September while also seeming on track for an early finals exit.
Geelong have had some big wins against bottom of the table sides, such as North Melbourne (60 points) and Essendon (66 points) but losses against Hawthorn, St Kilda and Fremantle, all winnable games, leave the cats with an 8-4 record heading into the bye.
The forward line duo of Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron is causing as much trouble as promised, combining for a total 71 goals so far in 2022. The Cats rank first league wide for marks inside 50 per game and second in score involvements per game, with their strong forward line the cause of many headaches around the league.
Down back, second year Sam De Koning has had a breakout year. After just one match in 2021, the 21-year-old has played all but one so far this year, impressing around the club, and league, with his work in defence. Fellow defender Tom Stewart has hardly put a foot wrong, as we've come to expect, averaging 8.9 intercept possessions a game.
Niggling injury concerns for Patrick Dangerfield may be cause for concern for Cats fans heading into the second half of the season, with the 32-year-old managing eight games so far this year.
Having lost two games by ten points or less, Geelong could very easily be sitting in a different spot approaching their weekend off, but those close losses to the Saints and Freo, and a defeat at the hands of the middling Hawks, leave plenty of questions unanswered.
The Cats are on track for finals and sit in the top four heading into their bye, but seemingly still have a way to go to prove their worth as a genuine premiership contender.
MVP: Jeremy Cameron (90 votes)
Best Win: Round 1 vs Essendon
Worst Loss: Round 5 vs Hawthorn
Grade: B
W-L Record: 8-4
Percentage: 118.8%
The Swans got off to a fast start in 2022, winning their opening two matches against GWS and Geelong, playing a competitive, attacking brand of footy.
Strong wins over Richmond, Hawthorn and Melbourne have set the Swans up well, but questionable losses like Round 8's defeat to Gold Coast by 14 points may be cause for concern.
Chad Warner has impressed, averaging 22.6 disposals and 3.9 clearances, while Callum Mills continues to prove that he is a genuine star of the competition.
Paddy McCartin's resurgence in defence has proved to be a masterstroke by the Swans. The former key forward has played ten games so far in 2022, forming a strong defensive partnership with brother Tom.
While up forward, Lance Franklin's 1000th goal kicked during Round 2 has just been one highlight of an impressive season so far for the 35-year-old.
However, the Swans have spent the first half of the year rueing their often slow starts and coughing up leads.
Their six-point win against Richmond was hard fought, going down by 33 points at one point in the match before a spirited comeback. While in Round 10 against Carlton, the Swans kicked the first two goals of the match but were quick to fall to a 38-point deficit at half time, failing to overcome the margin despite a strong effort in the last term.
Experience comes as sides get older, but for a team hoping to cause some chaos come September, Sydney will need to work on some of the consistency issues plaguing the team.
MVP: Callum Mills (120 votes)
Best Win: Round 12 vs Melbourne
Worst Loss: Round 8 vs Gold Coast
Grade: F
W-L Record: 1-11
Percentage: 50.7%
It's fair to say that West Coast's 2022 so far has been the stuff of nightmares.
In a season where what could go wrong, has gone wrong, the Eagles have had to contend with a COVID outbreak rampaging through the club in addition to an already stacked injury list.
Young forward Oscar Allen has been placed on the inactive list, while Shannon Hurn, Andrew Gaff and Elliot Yeo are just some of the names who have been forced to watch the carnage from the sidelines.
Despite being forced into up to 14 changes for one match, West Coast can't place the entirety of their dismal start to the season on their decimated injury list.
The Eagles rank second worst in the league for opposition inside 50s and struggle to prevent the opposition from scoring once the ball is inside. Of their 11 losses for the season, the Eagles have lost by at least 50 points on eight occasions, with a 100+ point loss occurring twice, against Richmond (109 points) and the Western Bulldogs (101 points).
In their attacking 50, things look just as bleak, only managing to score ten or more goals in a match on three occasions. The club's leading goalkicker, Josh Kennedy, has managed 16 goals from his nine appearances in 2022.
The rebuild is certainly on and at least Eagles fans can look forward to the future - except the club's WAFL team is sitting squarely on the bottom of the ladder without a win to their name and a percentage of 42.61% after seven rounds of footy.
Now boasting one of the worst percentages in club, and league, history, the Eagles will be facing an uphill battle in the second half of the season to produce any kind of highlight.
MVP: Jeremy McGovern (27 votes)
Best Win: Round 4 vs Collingwood
Worst Loss: Round 7 vs Richmond