1. It was all about Pav
Though neither side knew it at the opening bounce, the result of the match against Fremantle meant absolutely nothing to the Western Bulldogs. They would finish in seventh spot and head to Perth for an elimination final against West Coast in a fortnight regardless of the result. So that left Matthew Pavlich as the undisputed story of the day. The Fremantle champion's 353rd and final League game was cause for celebration for a club that's had little to celebrate in its 22 seasons. As a result, the Dockers wheeled out former stars, including Shaun McManus, Shane Parker, Troy Cook, Paul Duffield, Peter Bell, Dale Kickett, Antoni Grover and Luke Webster, to form a guard of honour as Freo came on to the ground. The Bulldogs' banner even paid tribute to Pavlich and Shane Yarran made everyone's day when he unselfishly gave Pavlich a goal just 14 minutes into the match. Few would have begrudged one of footy’s nice guys his moment of celebration.

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2. The Dogs were worse than ordinary
For a side that relies on fast, exciting and skillful football to win games, the visitors were extraordinarily uninspiring. Yes, Fremantle had Pavlich to play for and, yes, the Western Bulldogs couldn't improve their ladder position with victory, but momentum is important at finals time and the Dogs looked content to give it away. Of most concern was the skill level. Time after time, they missed easy targets and heaped pressure on their teammates. The Dogs went at 46 percent by foot for the game, while the 16th-placed Dockers went at 72 percent. Given their injuries, the Western Bulldogs will need to hit far more targets if they are to make any impact in September. 

3. What now for Will Minson?

Luke Beveridge has come under plenty of scrutiny over his treatment of 2013 All Australian ruckman Will Minson. After Beveridge took over as coach of the Dogs in 2015, Minson soon found himself on the outer, the ruck duties falling to Jordan Roughead or Tom Campbell. This year, he's barely been sighted. His only game, before the match against Fremantle, came against the Sydney Swans and, despite a strong year in the VFL, he looked down on confidence opposed to the League's biggest man. Aaron Sandilands (15 possessions and 35 hit-outs) controlled the ruck against Minson, who had just eight disposals and eight hit-outs. Roughead is expected to return for the finals and it's tough to see much of a future for the 31-year-old Minson.

4. Is de Boer in trouble for his head clash?
During the third quarter, Matt de Boer chose to bump Marcus Bontempelli as he kicked, and the pair ended up clashing heads. Bontempelli received a gash to his head and was forced to leave the ground under the blood rule. It had all the hallmarks of the incident that saw Nathan Fyfe rubbed out for two weeks back in 2014. Coincidentally, Fyfe was one of the favourites for the Bronwlow that year, while de Boer is one of the favourites for the WAFL's Sandover Medal this year. Any suspension would see him miss out on Peel Thunder's finals campaign, which starts with an elimination final next weekend, though it's unclear whether he would be ruled out for the entire finals series because he won't be able to serve his AFL suspension until the first game of 2017. 

5. How many Dockers were playing their last game?
While Matthew Pavlich was definitely playing his last game in purple, there were a few teammates who might also have been making their last appearances for the club. Among those whose careers at Fremantle are in doubt are Hayden Ballantyne, who is considering a fresh start at a new club, unrestricted free agents Matt de Boer and Chris Mayne and the out-of-contract Alex Silvagni. There's also the possibility that a host of others will be traded as coach Ross Lyon undertakes a rebuilding exercise. The team that takes the field in round one next year might be almost unrecognisable.