• How did your team's players fare in this weekend's state leagues?
• After the siren: Who dares wins for the season's surprise packet
• Fantasy form watch: round five

1. The Eagles' depleted defence is still standing tall
There were grave fears for West Coast after the Eagles lost their best two key defenders Eric Mackenzie and Mitch Brown to knee reconstructions before round two. On Saturday night they faced the third-best attack in the competition so far this year. But they held the Giants to just 4.9 (33) - the second-lowest total in their short history - while star duo Jeremy Cameron and Cam McCarthy kicked just two goals between them. Eagles coach Adam Simpson credited the pressure up field but the Eagles defence, led by Jeremy McGovern and Will Schofield, worked magnificently as a collective with players dropping off to support one another and then spreading quickly to set up a counter-attack once they won possession. – Alex Malcolm

2. The king of Adelaide Oval's old scoreboard pocket needs support
On Eddie Betts' heat map of Adelaide Oval, the old scoreboard pocket would be glowing white-hot. Betts nailed three goals in as many weeks from the 'Eddie Betts' pocket last year, the third of which had the crowd hailing him against Port Adelaide in round 15. With his side struggling badly to capitalise on its weight of possession against the Power on Sunday, Betts struck again from his pocket – somehow squeezing a miracle goal through that will again have him in running for goal of the round. He finished with five goals and had he enjoyed more help up forward, the Crows might have surged past the Power after their slow start. – Harry Thring

3. The Magpies' deal for Dayne Beams is looking very good
Midfielder Jack Crisp was item No.3 in the package the Brisbane Lions sent to Collingwood last year, bundling him with draft picks No.5 and No.25 in exchange for Dayne Beams. In the short-term he has been the most valuable, highlighted by his performance against Carlton. The only area Nathan Buckley was unhappy with on Friday night was the Magpies' centre clearances, which they lost 9-19. Crisp had five and was the only Magpie with multiple. He also led the team in tackles (10) and overall clearances (six). With Steele Sidebottom and Levi Greenwood injured, he has been a revelation in a new-look midfield, giving the Magpies' recruiting team a big tick. – Nathan Schmook   

4. Richmond is better at chasing than being chased
Many Tigers fans arrived at the MCG on Saturday expecting their finals-aspiring team to overcome a depleted Geelong line-up, but if there's anything we've learned about Richmond over the last couple of seasons, it's that they far prefer doing the chasing than being hunted themselves. It was clear last year when they won nine games in a row to sneak into the finals when all hope looked lost. And it was obvious again on Saturday, when they fell to a 31-point lead 10 minutes into the final quarter. At that point they began to play some attacking, bold footy in an attempt to snatch a win, and they did get within nine points by the final siren.

But it was too little, too late. Richmond needs to take the initiative at the start of games rather than flick the switch when it is all but gone. – Callum Twomey

5. The Suns have found a rookie steal in Adam Saad
Six months ago Saad was preparing for another VFL season with Coburg, but now he's one of the most exciting players on the Gold Coast list. After being snapped up by the Suns in the NAB Rookie Draft, the 20-year-old has played all five games this season, but his 26-disposal outing against the Lions was his best. Saad's energy is infectious, and his electric pace when he bounces out of defence is hard to combat. He is a fearless attacker, solid defender, and despite still making the odd mistake, Saad adds an X-factor to the Suns that makes them more difficult to counter. – Michael Whiting

6. The difference a bit of bravery can make
The Saints disappeared into their shells last week after their early ascendancy against the Blues proved fleeting. It's been a pattern for Alan Richardson's men this season and he used his post-match press conference after the loss in Wellington to highlight the need for his players to shed the conservative tag and play with more bravery. They did just that against the Bombers and while the Saints were pipped at the post by just two points, they followed the lead of David Armitage and took the game on, even when they were being hunted. A mid-week player-only meeting allowed the youngsters – some of whom have battled when opposition teams have mounted a charge – to address their concerns, and the result was a four-quarter effort where the likes of Jack Billings and Jack Lonie did some brave things when they needed to. – Jennifer Phelan

7. Nobody could be more Bulldog than Liam Picken
When it bucketed down in Sydney on Saturday afternoon, Picken must have been grinning from ear to ear, and he played like a man who loves contested footy. Much more than a stopper these days, Picken racked up 32 possessions, laid 12 tackles and had 10 clearances against the Swans. The Dogs have been smashed by the Bloods in recent times but led by their No.42, the visitors made a stand against last year's grand finalists and pulled off a massive upset. If they make the finals, the Doggies might look back on this one as the official start of their season. – Adam Curley

Watch the last two minutes: Syd v WB

8. Hawthorn's backline soldiers on
One of Hawk coach Alastair Clarkson's favourite sayings is 'when you lose a soldier, bring in another soldier'. The Hawks were forced to call on fringe tall Ryan Schoenmakers against North Melbourne after their best key defender Brian Lake (knee) was injured against Port Adelaide. The Hawks' backline army had already lost fellow key defender James Frawley (pectoral) in round two against Essendon, and some thought it was ripe to be exploited by North's tall forwards on Saturday night. However, Josh Gibson – for the umpteenth time – beat a taller and stronger opponent, keeping Drew Petrie to two goals and little influence. Ben Stratton completely blanketed Aaron Black and Schoenmakers also played his role, even if he probably lowered his colours to Ben Brown (three goals). The Hawks' cause might have been helped by the late withdrawal of Jarrad Waite, but their backline soldiers performed well enough to suggest they can hold the fort until Lake and Frawley return. – Nick Bowen

9. The Dockers are going to take some stopping
Fremantle kicked seven goals to zero in the final quarter against Melbourne despite only having two on the interchange bench for the second quarter. The Dockers had not put a four-quarter performance together until round five but they overcame injury challenges to thrash Melbourne in a dominant display. They had 113 more disposals, 100 more uncontested possessions, 20 more inside 50s and one more tackle. They were able to test some defensive plans to use against better opposition and give Hayden Ballantyne a run to get his touch back after two weeks suspension. Who's going to deliver Ross Lyon's team its first loss? Barring an off-day the Dockers will start favourites for every match between now and their trip to play Hawthorn in round 15. – Peter Ryan