1. Parker is powering the Swans up the ladder
Luke Parker had an uncharacteristically slow start to the season after a disappointing Grand Final last year, but the star Swan is back to his best. He gathered a game-high 38 disposals to go with his important goal in Sydney's comfortable win over Melbourne on Friday night. It followed another very strong game the week before against Essendon. Parker was down on form during the Swans' surprisingly bad start to the year, but it's no surprise his resurgence has coincided with his team's brilliant run of form. Parker and his side might just have timed their run. - Callum Twomey

• After the siren: Flaws that could stop the contenders

2. Planned rotations need to be banished when the game is on the line
When GWS power forward Jonathon Patton took a huge contested mark and converted his fourth goal deep into the final term against the Cats, the scores were level and the home side had the momentum with three straight. 'The General' gave a fist pump and headed straight for the bench. At that stage the clock was stopped with 6:49 left to play, but a planned short breather turned into Patton standing on the boundary line unable to get back on the ground for over five minutes of actual game time, as the footy was marooned on the opposite side of Spotless Stadium after several stoppages in a row. GWS coach Leon Cameron admitted post-match that if he had his time again he would have left his man out there, especially given he was the only forward on the ground clunking them, and looked like being a match-winner. The loss of debutant Jeremy Finlayson before half-time had forced the Giants to ask extra minutes of their talls, but when a monster target like Patton is hot, a bit of flexibility on the bench can be the difference between snagging four points, none at all, or in rare cases, two. - Adam Curley

Jonathon Patton takes a strong mark in front of Tom Lonergan. Picture: AFL Photos

3. The Hawks won't have a lengthy rebuild
Hawthorn has received a torrent of criticism in its fall from grace this season, but there is plenty to like about the way it has dusted itself off and got on with the job. That might be because it doesn't have a first-round pick to lust over, but regardless it is admirable to watch. The Hawks may not have the depth of young talent of some sides – which is no surprise, given their sustained success – but they still have some promising types and a coach in Alastair Clarkson who knows how to get the most out of his players. Ryan Burton is the best of the next wave and is already one of Hawthorn's most critical players, while Tim O'Brien, Blake Hardwick, Daniel Howe and James Sicily are among the others with a bright future. Back-to-back wins over Adelaide and Collingwood mean finals – however unlikely – remain a mathematical possibility for the Hawks. But, more importantly, Clarkson and his team have salvaged something from a season that could have been disastrous. - Marc McGowan 

4. Cripps shows key signs
Carlton's Patrick Cripps is one of the competition's most outstanding young on-ballers. The 22-year-old wins clearances more effortlessly than West Coast players rack up frequent flyer points, so he won't ever be too far away from the midfield coalface. But the West Australian showed against Adelaide he can also be deployed highly effectively as a pinch-hitting key forward. One moment at the MCG on Saturday stood out. Early in the second-quarter, Cripps got the drop on emerging key defender Jake Lever and expertly used his 195cm, 93kg frame to hold out the Crow (also 195cm and 93kg) and mark. Cripps missed the resultant set shot from 40m, but made no mistake two minutes later with a bomb from outside 50m after marking on the lead. Blues coach Brendon Bolton said after the game Cripps had shown "some real growth" in his contested marking at training and during games this year, and would likely be used more often in attack once Carlton's midfield depth improved. It's an exciting prospect for Blues fans. Their sense of anticipation is unlikely to be shared, however, by opposition defenders. - Nick Bowen

• Around the state leagues: Who starred in your club's twos?

5. The Bulldogs are losing their trademarks
One by one, the traits of the 2016 premiers are disappearing in this year's Western Bulldogs team. They have lost their dominance in contested ball and clearance, as well as their ability to force the game to be played in their half for long periods. Now, at crunch time in their season, their ball-use is becoming an issue. Against West Coast on Saturday, the Bulldogs registered 67 clangers to the Eagles' 57 (Luke Beveridge's team averages 48.6 a game). Their effective disposal percentage dropped to 69 per cent from a season average of 73.5. Beveridge said his team had always prided itself on handling opposition pressure and using the ball well. With their other traits disappearing, they can't allow that one to also drift into the sunset. - Nathan Schmook   

• The run home: How the race for the finals is shaping up

6. Alex Rance can do anything, including beating a tag
Not so long ago, tagging was a dying art. But in 2017, the reincarnation of the lost skill has extended to giving forwards shut-down roles on key defenders. Yes, a full-back getting tagged. Ridiculous, I know, but such is the influence of Richmond's All Australian defender Alex Rance that Jackson Trengove was instructed to harass him at every opportunity. The pair engaged in a fiery battle at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night. The tactic worked a treat during the first half as Rance struggled to get involved, but the wheel turned after the break. Rance was brilliant in the last quarter as the Tigers stormed home for a 13-point victory. Opposition teams will continue to try different things to keep Rance locked on his direct opponent, and prevent him from sagging off and taking intercept marks. - Lee Gaskin

7. The Bombers have only themselves to blame
There was plenty of criticism coming the way of John Worsfold's team following the Bombers' late capitulation against Sydney in round 14. Essendon's response in an eight-point loss against the lowly Brisbane Lions provided an accurate reflection of where the club sits in the pecking order. The Bombers are a good team, but not a great team. They coughed up a 27-point lead to the cellar dwellers and failed to win the moments that counted late in the match. It was a similar story against the Swans and it's why Essendon sits a game outside the eight, at 6-8, rather than at a comfortable 8-6. Essendon is as dangerous as any side in the competition when the game is on its own terms, as it proved against Geelong, West Coast and Port Adelaide, but when challenged Worsfold's men need to do a better job of maintaining composure and holding firm when the game is on the line. After all, it could cost the Bombers a finals spot in an incredibly tight season. - Ben Guthrie

8. Not all ruckmen take years to develop
So often we've heard about clubs' reluctance to use a prized draft pick recruiting a young ruckman, with many preferring to use a rookie selection or pluck a mature big man from a rival team. But in preparation for life after Aaron Sandilands, the Dockers pounced on Sean Darcy with pick 38 in last year's NAB AFL Draft - and they've got a beauty. Freo coach Ross Lyon admitted before Sunday's clash with St Kilda that picking two ruckmen threw out the Dockers' structure, but the raw Geelong Falcons product simply couldn't be left out after winning 40 hit-outs and 14 touches on debut against the Cats. The selection paid dividends. With Sandilands going down early with another hamstring injury in his comeback match, Darcy stood tall against the Saints, competing fiercely against Billy Longer (33-48 hit-outs), winning 16 disposals, laying seven tackles and booting his first career goal. The 19-year-old is proving not all ruckmen need to be aged in their mid-20s before having an impact. - Travis King

9. Jarryd Lyons is quietly becoming one of the recruits of the year
After losing Dion Prestia to Richmond and Jaeger O'Meara to Hawthorn in the off-season, there was a lot of pessimism around Gold Coast's midfield. But the Suns went to the trade table and added Pearce Hanley, Jarryd Lyons and delisted free agent Michael Barlow to top up their stocks. While he's not the biggest name and doesn't have the flashiest game, former Crow Lyons has been a terrific addition in 2017. Against the Kangaroos he had a career-high 39 disposals to upstage milestone man Gary Ablett (37) and the return to form of co-captain Tom Lynch (five goals). Lyons is a terrier in tight and finished with 23 contested possessions and 10 clearances to be the sources of most things positive for the Suns. He won't jump clear of congestion or kick long goals, but the 24-year-old will often be the one at the bottom of packs setting things up. - Michael Whiting