IN THIS week's Things We Learned, we discover a Bulldogs move has been game changing, Kozzy still needs to work on his technique and much, much more.

Check out what we learned from round 24 of the 2024 season.

1) Errol Gulden is primed for a huge finals series

Errol Gulden was in his second season and still to emerge as one of the stars of the competition when Sydney surged to a Grand Final in 2022. The then 20-year-old was one of several young Swans to be overwhelmed by an experienced Cats outfit in that decider, but Gulden is now primed to have a much bigger say on this finals campaign. The tireless two-way runner has averaged a career-best 27.4 disposals this season and was at his influential best to ensure the Swans took winning momentum into the finals with a 31-point victory over Adelaide on Saturday night. Gulden gathered 19 touches with nine clearances and a goal to the main break before the Crows tried to limit his impact and the Swans put the cue in the rack. Gulden carried his strong form even through the Swans’ late-season slump and looks ready to lift further as the stakes rise. – Martin Pegan 

2) This could be the positional move of 2024

Forget Rory Lobb's reinvention at the Bulldogs, this is the real positional move of 2024. Ed Richards looked capable of being an All-Australian half-back across 2023, but now he looks like a future All-Australian midfielder. Richards played the first five rounds as a pure defender before being moved into the engine room when Tom Liberatore was sidelined in April. Since then, the 25-year-old has thrived as a midfielder with his toughness at the coal face and destructive left foot. Richards finished the home and away season with 29 disposals and two goals in Ballarat on Sunday and if the Bulldogs are to progress far next month, he will be a key reason why. - Josh Gabelich

3) Kozzy's technique, and mindset, still needs work

Star Melbourne forward Kysaiah Pickett looks set to once again miss the start of the season having been offered a three-match ban for a high bump on Darcy Moore in Friday night's dead rubber at the MCG. Pickett sat out the start of this year after his 2023 campaign also ended with a suspension and having copped another ban in April, he has now been suspended three times in just 22 matches. After the ban earlier this year, coach Simon Goodwin said while the club loved Pickett's attack on the footy, his technique still needs work. The bump on a sliding Moore – whose head was level with Pickett's hip – was certainly clumsy, with the Pies' skipper ruled out with concussion. - Sarah Black

4) The Power have their finals brand fine tuned

With Sunday's result unlikely to impact the Power's ladder finish, there was a chance their performance could have dipped as attention turned to September. But their third quarter against Fremantle should give coach Ken Hinkley faith that this is a professional outfit that won't leave anything to chance in the next month. The Power ramped up their pressure after half time to an almost unbearable level for the Dockers and kicked all three of their goals from front-half turnovers. If it's an indication of what's to come, this could be Hinkley's best chance yet of taking a team to a Grand Final. – Nathan Schmook

5) The past two weeks have hurt aspiring Eagles coach

Jarrad Schofield had a seven-game runway to show his worth as a potential replacement for ousted Eagles coach Adam Simpson and while the early signs were promising, the last two weeks couldn't have gone any worse for the aspiring senior coach. Against a banged-up Carlton that was fielding a second-string side and a Geelong team that wrapped itself in cotton wool after half-time and chose to play a man down out of precaution, the Eagles lost by a combined 158 points in their final two games of Schofield's fill-in tenure. No one would have expected West Coast to win against Geelong, but the Eagles barely gave a whimper and only looked alive after the Cats had put the cue in the rack at half-time. With a 2-5 record under Schofield, and with wins only over the lowly Roos and travel-sick Suns, it looks like a fresh start might be the best way forward for the struggling WA powerhouse. - Alison O'Connor

6) This in-form Lion completes a dynamic midfield

A ruptured ACL cruelled Will Ashcroft's terrific first season in 2023, but with nine games under his belt on return, the 20-year-old is hitting top gear in time for his first crack at finals footy. Against Essendon on Saturday night, the clever midfielder found pockets of space all over the Gabba to finish with 30 disposals to go with 15 marks, continuing a steady improvement over the past month. With on-ball regulars Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage all playing great footy, Ashcroft's return to his best adds another element to Chris Fagan's rotation. Throw in Cam Rayner, Zac Bailey and Jarrod Berry, and the Lions should have every scenario in the middle of the ground covered in September. – Michael Whiting

7) Hawthorn's forward spread is almost unmatched

It's no secret the Hawks love the big stage, but for all the talk about the celebrations and social media theatrics, there's one part of 'Hok Ball' that could mean more than anything in September. Hawthorn's lethal weapon is its sheer spread of goalkickers, meaning the Hawks can kick goals from just about anywhere and in any scenario. From smalls like Nick Watson, Dylan Moore, Jack Ginnivan and Connor Macdonald to the taller options Mabior Chol, Calsher Dear and Jack Gunston, the evergreen and versatile Luke Breust plus midfielders capable of sneaking forward like Jai Newcombe, the Hawks are chock full of dangerous options who know how to kick goals and plenty of them. The key to stopping the seemingly unstoppable Hawks in September will be finding a way to nullify all of these weapons. Picking where to start and which player to target defensively will give rival coaches plenty of headaches. – Sophie Welsh

8) Sam Flanders is Gold Coast's No.1 midfielder

In a team that boasts Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and Touk Miller, it is Sam Flanders who has shot to the top of Gold Coast's midfield contingent. Built on a base of serious work rate, Flanders has stacks of talent and everything has clicked for him this year. Coach Damien Hardwick described him as "one of the premier players in the competition" and his 2024 season has been outstanding. With his 29 disposals against Richmond on Saturday, Flanders set a new Gold Coast record for most disposals in a season, beating Gary Ablett jnr's 675 back in 2012. More importantly, he sets the standard for defensive running through the Suns' midfield, while also being able to power forward and hit the scoreboard. His emergence will make him a likely chance for Gold Coast's best and fairest award and draw more attention from opposition stoppers in 2025. – Gemma Bastiani

9) St Kilda's season has been one of 'what ifs?'

For all the good vibes at St Kilda following an impressive finish to its 2024 campaign, it ultimately adds to the frustration in what has been a wasted season. Since their bye in R15, the Saints have beaten two top-four sides (Sydney and Geelong), lost to another (Port Adelaide) by just two points and recorded six of their 11 wins for the year in just two months, including Sunday's thriller against Carlton. The question that will grate all summer is why they only clicked into gear when finals was out of reach. Ross Lyon has plenty of young talent at his disposal but will need to get busy in the off-season to help take his group back to September. Adding some more class to the midfield is top of the shopping list, while they may need defensive reinforcements if Josh Battle decides to depart. And where does Max King fit into the forward set-up? There's plenty for Ross to ponder over the next six months. - Martin Smith