1. The Sky-Walker becomes the earth shaker
Just before half-time we were treated to – and grimaced at – a bone-crunching bump that cast our minds back to some of the hits and memories of yesteryear. The ball was deep in Carlton's forward line when Blues veteran Andrew Walker and Lions midfielder Allen Christensen attacked a contest with everything they had, a rampaging Walker ironing out the Lion with an old-fashioned – and seemingly fair – hip-and-shoulder. Christensen was motionless for a time, but eventually walked from the field with the help of trainers, shaken up and nursing a sore right shoulder. He was taken to hospital for scans. Meanwhile, Blues ruckman Matthew Kreuzer didn't reappear after halftime after – as we learned post-match – showing signs of concussion. Teammate Levi Casboult could come under scrutiny for a late bump on ex-Blue Mitch Robinson in the final term.

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2. The Docklands fog
Winter arrived in Melbourne this week and this contest started in a haze of fog, despite being played under the roof at Etihad Stadium. The fogginess extended to the game itself, which opened with a distinct lack of skill, purpose and spirit. Considering some of the elementary errors, you could have been forgiven for thinking the fog was affecting the players' vision or the ball's trajectory. After 16 minutes the scores were level at just two behinds apiece. The Blues injected some life into the underwhelming spectacle by slotting four goals in the next 11 minutes to lead by that margin at quarter-time. It had been left to Blues Irishman Zach Tuohy to break the tedium with a long bomb.

3. Weitering wins the first clash of the prodigies
Some have suggested it might be the start of a Carey/Jakovich-style rivalry over the next decade, and we're grateful the coaches let it happen. The combatants were Carlton defender Jacob Weitering and Brisbane Lions forward Josh Schache – the No.1 and No.2 picks respectively in last year's NAB AFL Draft and teammates in the title-winning Vic Country team. Both No.23s had their moments, but Weitering comfortably won the duel, generally winning or killing their one-on-one contests to be one of the best players afield. However, left-footer Schache would have had a greater impact if he'd nailed two very gettable set shots in the first half. He kicked a late major but his wasteful season tally now stands at 8.12 from 10 games. 

WATCH: Weitering marks his territory

4. Rockliff's career-best 48 touches on return
Lions skipper Tom Rockliff had missed the previous three games with a hamstring injury, but you'd never have guessed, given it seemed he brought his own ball along. The 26-year-old had it on a string early, racking up 11 touches in the opening 18 minutes, during which he set up the first scoring shot of the match to Pearce Hanley with a well-weighted pass. At half-time, the Lions leader had 26 possessions (12 contested) when the next-best on either side was Blues tagger Ed Curnow with 14. Curnow, who'd kept Daniel Rich to just four touches in the first half, was then shifted onto Rockliff, and both players won a lot of ball, Rockliff finishing with a career-high 48 touches and an equal personal best of 13 clearances. Meanwhile, Robinson performed a terrific stopping job on former teammate Bryce Gibbs (12 touches). 

5. New Lion draws first blood
Before making his AFL debut, big-bodied runner Jarrad Jansen was presented with his No.16 guernsey by club great Jonathan Brown, the most famous custodian of the number. Jansen achieved a Brown-like feat in the first half, being his team's only goalkicker. Midway through the second term, Jansen competed in the air, gathered the crumb and snapped truly to break a sequence of six straight behinds. The 21-year-old West Australian, who didn't play an AFL game in two years at Geelong before being traded to the Lions last year, ended up with 21 touches in a promising showing.