I RANK Patrick Cripps slightly ahead of Clayton Oliver but both young bulls were exceptional at the weekend and made my round 19 Team of the Week, brought to you by AccorHotels.

Cripps was magnificent in Carlton's second win of the season over Gold Coast and he's a couple of years older than Oliver, who dominated around stoppages against Adelaide.

However, with the Blue's extra size, combined with his ability to go forward and mark overhead, I'd take Cripps.

It was a tough week to pick a ruckman. Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn were both initially in my side, but the Dee was squeezed out because so many midfielders fired.

North Melbourne big man Todd Goldstein was also unlucky to miss out, as was Essendon captain Dyson Heppell and Port Adelaide wingman Jared Polec.

KEY FORWARDS CAN THRIVE Nine things we learned from round 19

I didn't think Majak Daw was going to make it at AFL level but he's been a wonderful story this year, and helped North Melbourne win a big game over West Coast. For Richmond, David Astbury was rock solid down back. The defensive attributes Adam Saad bring are underrated, and when he has the ball, the Bomber makes things happen. Alongside him, Michael Hurley kept Sydney superstar Lance Franklin quiet and was as good in the one-on-one contests as I've seen him. Lachie Whitfield should make the Virgin Australia All Australian side – he and Heath Shaw have been in rare form across half-back. One who has taken a little while to develop but is thriving now is Adelaide's Wayne Milera.

Closing in on the top three players in the competition is Josh Kelly, who fired in the second half for Greater Western Sydney as it beat St Kilda. Cripps has had an extraordinary season, while for the Western Bulldogs, Jack Macrae is posting similarly impressive numbers. Grundy was best on ground, doing it in the ruck and at ground level. Sometimes Gary Ablett has a high stat count but lacks influence – his performance against Brisbane wasn't one of those. Once again, Tom Mitchell racked up the footy for Hawthorn, but his two goals were also important.

Richmond's best was Shane Edwards, whose efficiency was outstanding. He should be in the All Australian side, and so should Tom Hawkins, who is the hottest player in the AFL with back-to-back seven-goal hauls. The mantle of best small forward in the game belongs to Hawthorn's Luke Breust. Collingwood's forward line is set up similarly to Richmond's and Josh Thomas is key to a Magpies attack that is going beautifully. In cold and dark conditions Charlie Dixon operated in for Port Adelaide, his five-goal haul was the equivalent of eight elsewhere. Since Jeremy Cameron has been suspended for Greater Western Sydney, Harrison Himmelberg has filled the breach very well.

Oliver and Gawn killed Adelaide around the stoppages, while for the Pies, Grundy and Scott Pendlebury formed their own terrific combination. In a crucial victory for North Melbourne, Ben Cunnington was a brute, while Paul Ahern continued his rise after injuries curtailed him at GWS.