1. Every finals opponent should fear the Dogs in September
Coach Luke Beveridge still doesn't want to talk finals, but the Western Bulldogs shouldn't just get there, they should loom large as a threat to any opponent. The Doggies' form has been irresistible with eight wins from their past nine games. Now entrenched in the top four with a rocketing percentage after Sunday's 98-point demolition of Melbourne, they arguably have the strongest home ground advantage in the pressure cooker under the Etihad Stadium roof. Their run-and-gun attack means they have the artillery to outgun opponents, but their fanatical team defence promises to keep them in a finals arm-wrestle. Wins already achieved over the Swans, Eagles and Richmond will give them belief. An upset against the Eagles in Perth next Sunday would be another giant leap forward. Watch out if the Doggies secure a home final. – Travis King

• Around the state leagues: Tom Boyd's 'pick me' game in the VFL

2. The end of the season can't come quickly enough for Essendon and James Hird
After another heavy defeat, this time a 112-point drubbing at the hands of Adelaide, Bombers coach James Hird said he didn't think his players were just playing out the season hoping for it to end. That might be the case from Hird's perspective, but it's hard to find anything the Bombers have left to gain this year. They play Gold Coast next week at Metricon, and then face Richmond and Collingwood to close out their season, and the uncertainty around Bombers will not dissolve until a final finding is reached in WADA's appeal. We know a number of out-of-contract players are trying to impress enough to salvage another year or two on the Bombers' list, but even those players seemed exasperated and completely devoid of confidence and spirit on Saturday. And as for the coach himself, the end of his tenure could be nigh after the Crows loss. It was a damaging blow for Hird's hopes of leading the club into next year, particularly with the club halfway through its internal review. - Callum Twomey

• After the siren: Passive Hird out of ideas and out of time

3. The Eagles keep losing key defenders but they keep winning
Will Schofield was subbed out of the derby during the third term and had ice applied to his lower left hamstring. Jeremy McGovern is unavailable for the next couple of weeks after injuring his hamstring for the second time last week. The Eagles have been without Eric Mackenzie and Mitch Brown all season. And yet ... they keep finding a way. Showcasing the value of a team-based defence over a reliance on any one individual, the Eagles withstood a second-half Docker fightback on Sunday to break their six-game losing streak in Western Derbies. Despite the relentless injury toll they now have one talon on a top-two spot. Get past the Western Bulldogs in another blockbuster next Sunday afternoon, and a deserved home qualifying final will be theirs for the taking. – Alex Malcolm

• How the West(ern Derby) was won

4. Richmond's intensity can still be inconsistent
If the most accurate gauge of effort and intensity is a team's tackle count, the Tigers failed against Gold Coast on Sunday. They eventually won by 83 points but lost the tackle count 30-61 (their lowest tally of the season). Some might give the simple reason that Richmond had much more of the ball, and that would be true – for the second half. Most damning was that in in the first term the Tigers were credited with just one tackle (by Dustin Martin) – a competition-low this season. By half-time they had applied just nine tackles. And this was despite a pre-game focus on tackling, and harsh reminders from coach Damien Hardwick at the quarter-time and half-time breaks. Hardwick won't be struggling for motivational ammunition this week. - Ben Collins

5. Sometimes stats don't matter
The Swans scrapped and clawed their way to an ugly, yet vitally important win on Friday night against the Pies, with midfield ball magnets Tom Mitchell and Josh Kennedy racking up 41 and 35 touches respectively. They were super important in a tight, low-scoring affair, as were Jarrad McVeigh (34 possessions), Dan Hannebery (31) and Kieren Jack (30). Cast your eyes to the bottom of the stats page and you'll find a trio with low numbers, but had just as much significance in the win. Gary Rohan touched the ball just seven times and kicked two goals, but the harassment he imposed on the Collingwood defence caused countless turnovers and scoring opportunities for the Swans. Brandon Jack had 10 touches and also booted a couple of goals, but his attack on the Pies' players was ferocious, the type that inspires teammates and tells the coach you want to be a permanent part of the side. Then there's Teddy Richards, the old school defender who will never be in anyone's fantasy team. The veteran hardly touched it but he didn't need too, because his opponent Travis Cloke managed just one goal when he loomed as the home side's biggest threat pre-game. It was a good night for the quiet achievers. - Adam Curley

6. St Kilda's double act has a future
Most teams have been reluctant to play two specialist ruckmen during the substitute era, and St Kilda has only paired together Billy Longer and Tom Hickey eight times this season. But the St Kilda duo's performance against North Melbourne suggests their partnership has a future. In shouldering the majority of the Saints' ruck duties, Longer did something few others have been able to do in 2015, keep Roos ruckman Todd Goldstein to a serviceable game (11 possessions, one mark and 39 hit-outs) rather than an outstanding one. Many support ruckmen struggle to have the forward-line impact required to make a ruck tandem work, but Hickey was a constant aerial threat against the Roos, exploiting a mismatch against North's third tall Michael Firrito to take a team-high six contested marks and kick 2.2. The only real blemish on Hickey's encouraging afternoon was a couple of botched shots on goal during the Saints' wasteful 3.8 second quarter. - Nick Bowen

7. Ken Hinkley is wise to test Port's depth
The Port coach's highlighting of his team's slim inside midfield depth might have appeared to be a thinly-veiled excuse for the Power's poor season. But if this weekend has proven anything, it's that the Power have genuine AFL talent beyond the starting 22 that fans have become accustomed to since 2013. Big-bodied Brendon Ah Chee took a huge step as a genuine contributor against the Giants and Sam Gray was again impressive, while in the SANFL Matthew Lobbe (64 hit-outs) and Aaron Young (29 disposals, 11 clearances, two goals) responded well to their omissions. Karl Amon and Paul Stewart are both ready for a call up and there are plenty of others not far off. - Harry Thring 

8. Maybe the Lions' forward woes aren't as bad as we think
It was only one win, so let's not get carried away, but the Lions' tall forwards showed signs of life against the Blues. They're still desperate for either Victorian Josh Schache in the draft or Gold Coast's Charlie Dixon in the trade period – or both – but maybe Justin Leppitsch's cupboard isn't that bare. Veterans Luke McGuane (second game for the year) and Trent West (first) provided solid targets, but it was 21-year-old Academy product Jono Freeman who gave reason for hope. Injury has kept Freeman to just three games for 2015, but his six marks (three contested) and three goals against Carlton were very exciting. With promising Daniel McStay still an option and Michael Close to come back next year after an ACL injury, the stocks are solid. Schache or Dixon would top them off nicely. - Michael Whiting

9. Hawthorn can play the long game
Perhaps the most daunting thing about the Hawks for opposition teams is their ability to maintain possession and hit up dangerous forward targets on the lead. They average 14 marks inside 50, more than any other team, with Geelong averaging 12.8. On Saturday night the Hawks took a different route to goal and had less marks inside 50 than the Cats as a result (12-13). The reason was a long-kicking game-plan to suit Cyril Rioli, Luke Breust and Luke Hodge, who combined for 13 goals. It served as a reminder that this is the most versatile team in the AFL and shutting down one avenue to goal will not be enough to beat the reigning premiers. – Nathan Schmook