If Steele Sidebottom can take the step Dayne Beams took two years ago and become an elite player it will make the Magpies a contender sooner rather than later. Nathan Buckley admits he marks the talented 23-year-old hard because he knows how good he can be, but slot him in next to Beams, Scott Pendlebury, Alex Fasolo, Josh Thomas, Taylor Adams and the yet to debut Nathan Freeman and Matt Scharenberg and the future looks bright. Add in a spine where premiership defenders Nathan Brown and Ben Reid will suddenly have to force their way back into the team, and Collingwood could be better than many imagined. - Peter Ryan

The stakes could barely have been higher – struggling with a 1-3 record, facing a Fremantle side that played them off the park last time out and with their season hanging by a thread. That was the scenario awaiting the Sydney Swans in round five. Ben McGlynn commented during the week it was time to take some pride in their jumper and that's exactly what they did. McGlynn (24 touches, 12 tackles, two goals) and Dan Hannebery (29 touches, 10 tackles) were among those leading the way, while Lance Franklin kicked four important goals in a morale-boosting victory. Their 100 tackles were also the equal-third most in club history. It was a grind, but the Swans won this game virtually on will alone to indicate they have plenty left in the tank. - James Dampney

4. Carlton players much prefer their old game-plan
During the latter years of Brett Ratten's coaching stint, the Blues developed a run-and-gun style of play that involved playing on a lot and taking the ball through the middle of the ground. This was replaced with a more defensive game-plan when Mick Malthouse took over. But after losing their first four games of the season, the Blues returned to their old ways against the Bulldogs on Sunday. They played on at all costs and repeatedly swept the ball the length of the ground by taking it straight up the middle. Not only was the style of play a great deal more attractive that than that served up during the first four rounds, it also helped Carlton break its drought with a 28-point win. Not that Malthouse was prepared to acknowledge that anything different had taken place. Asked in his post-match press conference if he had changed his team's style of play, he replied: "Not one inch." Hmmmm. - Adam McNicol

5. Suns can make their mark
Heading into Sunday's game against Melbourne, Gold Coast was the worst team in the competition for marks inside 50, averaging just 6.2 per game. But the Suns turned that statistic on its head, taking 17 marks in attack in their eight-point victory over the Dees. Key forwards Tom Lynch and Sam Day each had four marks inside 50, while midfielder David Swallow pushed forward to take three. While their goalkicking accuracy – they kicked 11.20 – left a little to be desired, at least the Suns gave themselves a fighting chance, and it paid off with their third win of the season. - Nat Edwards

Adam Simpson has made plenty of changes to West Coast's game plan since taking over from John Worsfold. However, the ghosts of goalkicking past returned against Port Adelaide. The Eagles kicked 7.14 against Port following on from 4.8 against Geelong in round four. They kicked very accurately in round one against the Bulldogs (21.8) but the opportunities missed against the Power were reminiscent of 2013 when the Eagles lost to Port Adelaide, Carlton, and Essendon despite creating more scoring opportunities than their opponents in all three games. Simpson, like Worsfold, believes his side could not possibly do any more goalkicking practice. The first-year coach wrote it off as an aberration. Eagles fans will be getting a sense of déjà vu. - Alex Malcolm  

With Tyrone Vickery left out, it wasn't just Jack Riewoldt who profited under the restructured Tigers' forward line. While Damien Hardwick played Riewoldt deeper in attack – and he responded with four goals – he also had to find another reliable avenue to goal. Dustin Martin played as a near permanent third forward, kicked 3.3, and was a handful all night. Martin's power is well renowned, he has a strong set of hands and is clever at ground level, giving Hardwick a genuine headache as to where his best position is. While his explosiveness is crucial in midfield bursts, Martin has now showed he can be just as dangerous as a forward target. - Michael Whiting