• After the siren: Crunch time after one round?

1. Patrick Cripps will not let the Blues be easybeats this season
If there is one player who will make Carlton a more competitive outfit this year it is Cripps. The midfield star is a clearance specialist and it is his dominance in that area that will help the Blues prevent the 10-goal blowouts that have become too regular in the past two seasons. In three quarters against Richmond on Thursday night, Cripps racked up a game-high 10 clearances and helped the Blues get the ball moving their way. The result was an inside 50 advantage of 57-46. Only once in 2014 (in a 40-point win over St Kilda) did the Blues enjoy such an advantage. - Nathan Schmook   

2. Patrick Dangerfield can live up to the hype
There were times during the summer when the excitement surrounding Dangerfield's move to Geelong was so frenzied it seemed the Cats' faithful believed him capable of walking on water. The expectations on the former Crow were massive leading into the Easter Monday clash but, somehow, he lived up to them. The three-time All Australian led the way in the midfield in the opening two terms when the Cats ran the Hawks ragged. Then in the thrilling final term he treated Geelong fans to some of his forward-line tricks, taking two contested marks over Hawks defender Ben Stratton, the second a soaring speccy. He did show he was human by missing both set shots, but Geelong will very happy knowing it can call on Dangerfield – warts and all – for at least the next six seasons. - Nick Bowen

• How Dangerfield delivered a history-making Cat debut

• How the fans saw the Cats-Hawks blockbuster

3. Increased scoring could mean a century is there for the taking
No player has kicked 100 goals in a season since Lance Franklin in 2008, but is the drought about to end? Eagles coach Adam Simpson labelled the gung-ho attacking we saw in round one "footy's new frontier", and there's reason to believe that trend stands to benefit the spearheads. Just four clubs cracked 100 points in round one in 2015. Eight did so this year, and reigning Coleman Medallist Josh Kennedy was the biggest single contributor. He kicked eight goals against the Brisbane Lions, missed two sitters, and gave away four others. His selflessness might be his greatest hindrance to kicking a ton. - Alex Malcolm

4. Matt Rosa is the perfect pick-up
He wasn't the biggest name to move clubs in the off-season, but just one game is enough to show Matt Rosa might be one of the most valuable. After 168 games and 11 seasons with West Coast, Rosa has come to the Suns to play a role as a specialist winger – something Gold Coast was lacking – and pass on his vast experience to the young list. Against Essendon he had 32 disposals (at 81 per cent efficiency), nine marks and two goal assists. Rosa keeps his width on the field, is a great attacking outlet and most importantly runs hard defensively. - Michael Whiting

• Who fired for your club in this weekend's state leagues?

5. Taylor Garner needs to be a permanent member of North Melbourne's forward line
It has been a frustrating start to Garner's career, with the 2012 first-round draft pick suffering some debilitating injuries in the first three years of his career at North. But now fully fit and ready for his fourth AFL season, Garner should command a spot in the Roos' forward half every week. Against Adelaide on Saturday night, the mobile and tough marking option chipped in with two important goals and he adds some spark and uncertainty to North's mix near goal.

It's not about how many possessions Garner gets: not yet, anyway. At this stage his value is in flying for marks, tackling opponents and tying the ball up. Add in the occasional surprise sidestep or strong grab and he should be a constant part of North's set up. This weekend's clash with the Crows was only Garner's 14th AFL game, but the 22-year-old looks in a good position to have a breakout year. - Callum Twomey

6. The Bulldogs may have the best attacking defenders in the AFL
The Dogs smashed the Dockers with repeat entries going inside 50 and "attacking mid possession gains" (as Ross Lyon termed it in his post-game press conference). However it was defenders Jason Johannisen, Shane Biggs, Robert Murphy, Easton Wood, Matt Suckling and Matthew Boyd who had an equal amount of influence on the game. The Dogs ran in waves from the back half, linking up with verve, causing the Dockers to look slow and without purpose. Adding Suckling to the mix from Hawthorn in the off-season gives coach Luke Beveridge plenty of attacking weapons to utilise when moving the ball forward. Does any other team in the League possess such an armoury? - Ben Guthrie

7. Melbourne is assembling a midfield to watch
Clayton Oliver is going to be a very good player and is just what Melbourne needed. He is competitive, has clean hands and gets where the ball is going to be. When you consider the Demons could welcome back Angus Brayshaw next week and have Christian Petracca, depending on fitness, playing senior footy soon, they have a formidable young line up of big-bodied midfielders to support Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson and Jack Viney. Don't underestimate the importance of Ben Kennedy and the bullocking style of Aaron vandenBerg. Saturday's win is a further sign respect is growing. Soon momentum should follow. - Peter Ryan

8. The Swans' depth has been underrated
Their usual big names were stars, but their lesser lights ignited the Sydney Swans' thumping of Collingwood. Tom Papley jumped off the rookie list with some spark, and fellow debutants George Hewett and Callum Mills looked like regulars. With ball magnet Josh Kennedy held to one possession in the first term, the unheralded Jake Lloyd had 12 and finished with 35, while Daniel Robinson, Zak Jones and Harry Cunningham all chimed in with cameos. With Jarrad McVeigh, Ted Richards, Sam Reid and Ben McGlynn all set to return in the next month, the doom and gloom pre-season predictions look to have been premature. - Adam Curley

9. It won't be long before Charlie Dixon starts tearing games apart
There were so many nearly-but-not-quite moments for Charlie Dixon on his Port Adelaide debut that it was impossible to keep count. But one thing seemed certain: the hulking key forward isn't far away from dominating games. While Port needs to tidy up its risky ball movement, the Power aren't going to apply the handbrake to their breakneck game style – and that's going to create endless opportunities for Dixon, who let numerous chances slip through his fingers last Sunday. The ex-Suns big man only took three marks but still finished with 3.3 against St Kilda. The next assignment on Adelaide full-back Daniel Talia won't be easy, but watch out when Dixon hits his straps. – Travis King