• Make your September forecast with the 2014 ladder and finals predictor
• After the siren: Cats, Hawks playing those mind games together
• Around the state leagues: Veteran Swan's case for a recall
• Fantasy round review: Midfields crumble at crunch time
1. Next time promises to be better
It was a good game between Geelong and Hawthorn on Saturday night, but let's face it, there wasn't plenty riding on it. Next time the sides clash, likely to be in the qualifying final in two weeks, will be an even better contest. It was hard to know what to make of this weekend's game, given they had top-four spots sewn up. Geelong was good enough to break to a five-goal lead early, but the Hawks were even better to pull it back and streak ahead. Will Steve Johnson be the difference next time around? Chris Scott and the Cats are unlikely to play Johnson in round 23 as he recovers from a foot injury, keeping him cherry ripe for another finals tilt. - Callum Twomey
2. The Tigers need John Longmire to change his mind
Richmond's finals destiny is in its own hands. After sneaking into the top eight for the first time this year with its defeat of St Kilda, all the Tigers have to do is beat the Sydney Swans and they play finals for the second consecutive year. Easy done, right? Especially when the Tigers have beaten the Swans in three of their past five clashes. Nevermind the fact that in the Swans we're talking about one of the premiership favourites. Never mind that the Tigers have not beaten the Swans in 'Sin City' since round seven, 2004, nor that they lost their only game at this Saturday's venue, ANZ Stadium, way back in round 22, 2002. At least, that's what the Tiger Army would have you believe. From where we sit, Richmond is a chance only if John Longmire changes his mind and rests a few of his stars knowing the Swans already have a home qualifying final stitched up. Otherwise, the Tigers could plausibly finish in that no man's land with which they're so familiar – ninth spot. - Nick Bowen3. Fremantle needs Ballantyne and Walters firing
Even without skipper Matthew Pavlich (quad) to provide a big target inside the forward 50, Hayden Ballantyne and Michael Walters showed just what a devastating small forward combination they could be against the Lions. Reunited for the first time in more than four months, the pair kicked 6.6 between them, and took 10 marks inside the forward 50. At the start of the season Ross Lyon said he wanted an extra two goals a game from his men to take another step forward in the premiership race, and with these two finally on the park at the same time, the Dockers now have a realistic chance to do so. - Michael Whiting
WATCH: Showreel - Ballantyne and Walters together again4. Luke Parker is quickly becoming the Swans' most dangerous midfielder
Parker was sensational against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday, working himself into the ground to finish with 32 disposals, 11 tackles and nine clearances in a best-afield display. He may have missed out on his triple double, but it's becoming increasingly clear that Parker is starting to hoist himself to the top of the Sydney Swans' midfield depth chart. Perhaps the most improved player in the competition this year, the 21-year-old is averaging 25.5 disposals and almost a goal a game. He is now an elite AFL player, combining the necessary work-rate with the bash and crash attitude that has been a hallmark of his short career. With Josh Kennedy and Craig Bird still to return, locking down on the Swans' midfielders in September is going to be easier said than done. - Ben Guthrie
5. Right now Robbie Gray is the AFL's most damaging player
The five votes promised to him by Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley on Friday night will see Robbie Gray clinch this season's AFL Coaches Association best player award. He booted four goals against Carlton, collected 31 disposals and had three goal assists in an incredible display; by quarter-time he had two goals, 10 possessions and two goal assists. He might not play for a competition powerhouse but on the eve of the finals, Friday night proved Gray is the League's most dangerous player. - Harry Thring
6. There's value in versatility
In the wake of Jack Ziebell's four-goal haul against the Crows on Saturday, North Melbourne coach Brad Scott joked that only a fine line separates "genius" from "moron" in the coach's box. Having initially sent Ziebell forward for a rest during the third term, it didn't take long for Scott to realise he was on to a winner. The hard-nosed midfielder started taking marks and booting majors, eventually finishing with 4.5 from his nine shots at goal. A week prior it had been another midfielder in Ryan Bastinac who found his way forward to star for North and this added layer of versatility will be a boon for the Kangaroos if it carries forward into September. - Stu Warren
7. Collingwood has the hunger, if not the cattle, to play finals
The Magpies trailed Greater Western Sydney throughout the entire match at Spotless Stadium on Saturday, all the way up until Josh Thomas' goal on the run 23 minutes into the final term. The Pies managed to kick the final three goals to steal a miraculous eight-point win that keeps their season alive. Making the effort all the more meritorious, Collingwood lost Clinton Young and Dane Swan to hamstring injuries prior to half-time, with Brent Macaffer then suffering a serious knee injury early in the third term. With GWS light years from the easy beat it once was, the Pies' ability to rally and grab the four points was nothing short of remarkable. Collingwood's destiny may not be entirely in its hands, needing to beat Hawthorn next week and hope Richmond don't do the same to the Swans. But the manner of the Pies' victory in round 22 indicates Buckley's young, injury-depleted squad has plenty of ticker. - James Dampney
8. West Coast cannot afford to play three ruckmen again
The Eagles are 1-4 when playing Dean Cox, Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett in the same team this season. They named all three this week but only Cox and Lycett played after Naitnaui was a late withdrawal. With two ruckmen the Eagles looked a much more balanced outfit, albeit against a tired Melbourne side. The Eagles forward line functioned better with the return of Mark LeCras and the electric pressure of small trio Patrick McGinnity, Jamie Cripps and Josh Hill. If all three ruckmen are fit for Gold Coast, and following that a potential elimination final, coach Adam Simpson must pick two. The Eagles cannot afford to play three again. - Alex Malcolm
9. Essendon's resilience is to be admired
No-one except those in the Bombers' inner sanctum can explain what the players have been through but coach Mark Thompson said it was underestimated. After the 19-point win over Gold Coast that all but secured a finals spot for the club – who was excluded from last year's finals series for failing to manage its supplements program properly and bringing the game into disrepute – Thompson said the excitement was palpable. He knows the team is struggling to play four quarters but he also knows what it is capable of at its best. It would have been easy for the team to implode but somehow the Dons have stayed united and produced good football late in the season. By winning five out of the past seven, they have cemented the best win-loss record, regardless of what happens next week, in the last eight rounds of a season since 2003. - Peter Ryan
WATCH: Showreel - Hurley and Goddard outshine the Suns
