1. That's why you tag JJ
It seems strange that it took a move into attack to give Jason Johannisen the freedom needed play at his best. So often hunted by his opponents, the Norm Smith medallist was given unusual freedom by Essendon and he turned that into four goals in a crucial performance that helped keep the Bulldogs' premiership defence alive. The hard-running Bulldog kicked his first three goals from 50m and beyond with set shots. When he lined up for his third he looked to have the confidence of a man who knew exactly where his kick was going. The Bulldogs kept the Bombers guessing with Johannisen, sending him into defence for periods in the second half and letting him take the kick-ins. He kicked his fourth goal on the back of some Marcus Bontempelli brilliance in the fourth quarter, sealing the impressive win.    

WATCH: Bont brilliance undoes Dons

2. Fast and furious suits Dogs  
The first half of Sunday's clash under the Etihad Stadium might have been just what the Western Bulldogs needed. It was fast, free-flowing, instinctive football and the 2016 premiers looked a better team than they have for much of the season. With both teams taking risks and using the corridor, the Bulldogs were able to press up the ground and force turnovers better than their opponents. Tackle numbers were low, but it didn't matter as the Bulldogs turned their opponents' errors with the ball into scoring opportunities. When they had the ball, their kicking efficiency sat at 75 per cent (up from season average of 65 per cent), giving them a clear advantage. Only poor kicking for goal prevented a bigger half-time margin as the Bulldogs found their mojo. The Bulldogs ramped up their tackling in the third quarter and surged as a result, but they still finished the match with 38 tackles to the Bombers' 55, finding a different way to win.

3. Daniher takes the lead
Essendon's star forward Joe Daniher was the man keeping his team in Sunday's contest, booting an equal career-best six goals to take the lead in the Coleman Medal race from Sydney superstar Lance Franklin. Daniher has now booted 53 goals for the season, while Franklin and North Melbourne forward Ben Brown are tied on 51 after their round 19 matches. Daniher's season has been one of the great stories of the Bombers' year and he got his goals in all manner of ways on Sunday, taking contested marks, crumbing at the back of packs and leading up well. With a slender lead and form behind him, the 23-year-old should be favoured to win his first Coleman Medal going into the final three rounds. 

Full match coverage and stats

4. Hooker's brain fade
There were plenty of missed opportunities on Sunday, but none more avoidable than Cale Hooker's half way through the third quarter. Hooker, in his 150th match, played on after he had marked in the goalsquare and kicked the ball into Bulldog Lewis Young's shin. It wasn't a good day in attacking 50 for Hooker, who kicked 1.2 and missed a set shot from 15m out in front. On the first and more calamitous of his misses, 1999 Coleman medallist Scott Cummings had some advice on Twitter for anyone who takes a mark in the goalsquare – milk the clock and have a breather, enjoy the camera time and plan your celebration.

5. Liberatore wins merit award 
Bulldogs midfielder Tom Liberatore had a different task on Sunday, running with Essendon star Zach Merrett in a match-up that was crucial to the overall midfield battle in the first half. The premiership Bulldog wore his opponent closely in the first two quarters and kept him to 11 possessions, playing with focus and by the rules in a role that often sees players cross the line. One of the game's best midfielders this season, Merrett finished with 23 possessions at 57 per cent efficiency, while Liberatore had 14 and an important goal out of a stoppage in the third quarter. "I thought 'Libba' did a terrific job early," coach Luke Beveridge said, explaining that the match-up had to be dropped in the second half as Merrett worked into space on the wings. "As a collective around the footy I thought our midfield were pretty strong."