Three into two does not go, meaning one of Hawthorn, the Swans and Geelong will miss out on a top-two berth come the end of the home and away rounds. And the trio continues to put the pressure on each other, with Geelong coming from behind to beat Carlton on Friday night to take top spot. The Swans responded with an emphatic drubbing of St Kilda on Saturday afternoon to not only reclaim first place but also lift their percentage to 142.7, just ahead of Hawthorn on 142.61. The spotlight now turns to the Hawks, who take on Fremantle in Perth on Sunday.
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2. Franklin celebrates 200th with nine of the best
The Swans were able to give their percentage a big boost thanks to a day out from Lance Franklin, who booted 9.4 in a best-on-ground performance and tightened his grip on the Coleman Medal. It was Franklin's biggest haul in a little over two years, trailing only the 13 he booted against North Melbourne in round 10, 2012, while wearing the brown and gold. The 27-year-old now has 61 goals this season, six ahead of Jarryd Roughead in the race for the Coleman Medal. Franklin, a two-time winner of the Coleman during his time with Hawthorn, was too fast on the lead and too strong in the one-on-one contest for first Sam Gilbert and then Luke Delaney on a cloudy afternoon at the SCG.
3. The door may still be ajar for Ryan O'Keefe
O'Keefe was given a guard of honour as he left the ground after the Swans reserves' victory over GWS. He then said on radio he had played his final match for the club at the SCG and was weighing up whether to continue on elsewhere next season. But with Josh Kennedy now potentially to be sidelined and Craig Bird also hurting a knee, O'Keefe may yet have a part to play for the seniors in 2014. Zak Jones and Tom Mitchell are also options playing in the reserves, but perhaps the door has just been slightly propped open for O'Keefe, a former best-and-fairest and Norm Smith medallist.
4. A favourite Swan says farewell
At half-time on Saturday Lewis Roberts-Thomson walked a lap of honour, having announced his immediate retirement during the week. It was a nice moment and one warmly received by the crowd 31,361 for a player who was one of the most popular during the club's successful period over the past decade. A key member of two premierships, Roberts-Thomson played 179 games over 12 seasons, predominantly as a key defender.
5. Can St Kilda avoid the spoon?
The Saints gave their fans cause for hope a few weeks ago when they produced a stunning performance to overcome Fremantle in Perth. However if the past three games - including Saturday's thrashing - are any indication, that cause for hope may prove misplaced. The Swans kicked eight unanswered goals in the first half, and strung five without reply in the third term on the way to the 71-point win, which leaves the Saints anchored to the bottom of the ladder and with the league's worst percentage. The club also has a a tricky run home with matches against Richmond (round 22) and Adelaide (round 23) to come, two teams still desperate to secure a spot in the finals.
