AIHL Week 3 Power Rankings

James Lane

Week 3 of the AIHL sees a big change at the top of our Power Rankings. Melbourne's two teams are on the march, Perth has stumbled, and the battle for playoff positions is heating up. Here’s how the power rankings shake out after a dramatic Week 3.

1. Melbourne Mustangs (Up)

The Mustangs are flying with two huge wins this weekend. Beating Central Coast 6–1 and Newcastle 8–3 keeps them unbeaten and looking like the team to beat.

2. Melbourne Ice (Up)

The Ice found their groove in Week 3, and in style. A 3–0 shutout and a 9–3 demolition of Perth on their own ice sends a serious warning to the rest of the league. After a slow start, the Ice are very much back in business.

3. Perth Thunder (Down)

After a flawless opening two weeks, reality hit hard. Back-to-back home losses to Melbourne Ice by a combined 12–3 margin exposes cracks in the Thunder’s armour. Yu Hikosaka is still firing, but Perth need to regroup fast.

4. Brisbane Lightning (Same)

Brisbane had the bye in Week 3, so they hold steady. They’ll need to hit the ground running next week to stay ahead of the chasing pack, but their early season overtime grind has put them in a good spot.

5. Canberra Brave (Up)

Two wins over Adelaide (one scrappy in OT, one dominant late) suggest the Brave might be shaking off their early-season struggles. Brandon McNally’s playmaking is lighting it up, and Canberra’s confidence looks to be growing.

6. Newcastle Northstars (Down)

After a promising second week, the Northstars were brought back to earth hard by the Mustangs. A 3–8 home loss highlighted defensive issues, and they’re going to need to tighten up quickly if they want to stay in the playoff hunt.

7. Central Coast Rhinos (Same)

The Rhinos continue to battle hard but without much reward. An early lead against the Mustangs was quickly wiped away by six unanswered goals, and they’re struggling to remain competitive for entire matches.

8. Adelaide Adrenaline (Same)

It’s been a tough start for Adelaide. After sitting out the first two weeks, they opened their 2025 campaign with two losses from two, and just one point to show for it. They’ve shown flashes, such as pushing the Brave to OT on Saturday, but until they find a win, they'll remain near the bottom of the pecking order.