1. West Coast's defence is a shadow of its former self
Remember when West Coast's 'web' defence was hailed as impenetrable? That was only last year. The Eagles' well-structured, tightly drilled backline group and team defence was difficult to pass through last season and was a key reason behind their progression to the Grand Final. That was nowhere to be seen on Saturday night at the MCG, when Collingwood cut through West Coast to register a 19-point win and deliver a big blow to the Eagles' top-four hopes. The ease with which emerging Pies forward Darcy Moore found space in the first half before his hamstring injury would have frustrated West Coast coach Adam Simpson, but it has been a pattern of concern for the club at different stages across the year. Unless they can find a solution and get back to their old ways, it's hard to see West Coast making any imprint on September. - Callum Twomey

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2. Rhys Stanley could be Geelong's September X-factor
After being dropped to the VFL earlier this month, athletic Geelong ruckman Stanley enjoyed a career-best showing against the Western Bulldogs on Friday night. Stanley kicked a personal best five goals and took seven marks (five contested) to power the Cats to a 25-point win. The 200cm big man can provide plenty of problems for opposition teams considering his mix of height and speed. Having teased throughout his career, Stanley is starting to find greater consistency at his second club. If he can put it together on a regular basis, the 25-year-old could be the perfect foil for Tom Hawkins in a forward line that will need to deliver come finals time. With a yawning percentage gap keeping the Cats in fourth place behind the Giants and Swans, they need all the firepower they can get. - Ben Guthrie

3. Gold Coast's short-term pain is almost over and the long-term gain should be worth it
If, and it's a big if after the injuries of the past two seasons, the Suns can get their first-choice midfield fit and firing then Gold Coast should be aiming to push for finals next season. While Dion Prestia seems likely to depart and Jaeger O'Meara might join him, the silver lining of the Suns' injury cloud has granted opportunities to the likes of Alex Sexton, Joshua Schoenfeld, Matt Shaw and Jesse Lonergan – and there was a lot to like in Sunday's narrow loss to Melbourne. Meanwhile, prodigious talent Jack Martin is another who should eventually move into the engine room. Prolific ball-winner Aaron Hall stepped up in the absence of big names last season and has become a bona fide onballer, and handing opportunity to depth players over the final four rounds should hold the Suns in good stead in 2017. – Travis King

4. There's more bad news coming for Justin Leppitsch
Fresh from their 94-point shellacking by the Power, Leppitsch's beleaguered Lions must travel to face the Crows on Saturday night. Adelaide's thrashing of Essendon was the first of a two-part demolition job the Crows must complete if they are to close the percentage gap on the Giants, who are eyeing a home qualifying final in second spot. Without captain Taylor Walker, Adelaide's forward line was firing at will in the second half against Essendon on Sunday. At one point, Eddie Betts flummoxed two defenders with a cavalier one-two before thumping home his fifth goal of the night. Boasting one of the League's best-balanced sides on paper, the Crows are legitimate flag contenders, but a top-four finish and ideally a home final will be critical to their chances. That all adds up to another tough night out for the Brisbane Lions next week. - Harry Thring

5. Multiple goals from midfielders make the Swans even more dangerous
The Swans have plenty of ball magnets but they have been one-dimensional up forward at times this year. Coming into the weekend Lance Franklin was the only Swan with more than 20 goals for the season, while Luke Parker was the only major midfielder with more than 10. But Josh Kennedy and Tom Mitchell kicked three goals each in the Swans' massive win over the Dockers to equal their career bests. The Swans had 10 individual goalkickers, with Franklin contributing just two. Dockers coach Ross Lyon labelled the Swans genuine premiership contenders following the 90-point drubbing, and if their midfield continues to hit the scoreboard they will be hard to beat. – Alex Malcolm

6. John Butcher has still got a place in the AFL
With Charlie Dixon (ankle) injured and Jay Schulz dropped in the past fortnight, John Butcher has been given a lifeline to salvage his spluttering six-year AFL career. After a struggle against GWS last week, the talented forward cashed in against the battling Brisbane Lions. Sure, their defence was horrible, but Butcher showed why he was rated so highly in his draft year, taking a career-high 11 marks – five of them inside 50 – and kicking four goals. He took marks on the lead, in packs and even snapped a goal after grabbing a boundary line throw-in and putting it on his boot. Whether it's with Port Adelaide or someone else, Butcher has another month to prove he deserves a contract for 2017 and Saturday night was a good start. - Michael Whiting

7. The Kangaroos have Jack Steven's measure
In round seven tagger Ben Jacobs kept Jack Steven to a two-year low of 15 disposals, and on Saturday night Trent Dumont took up the challenge. Dumont was unrelenting in his job, limiting one of the game's in-form midfielders to 14 possessions in the first three quarters and 21 for the match, while racking up 16 and a goal himself. It was a crucial role, particularly at the start of the fourth quarter when the Roos got on a roll in the centre square, where Steven can be so damaging. The star Saint played unselfish roles to free up teammates, but limiting him to two centre clearances (both coming when the result was all but settled) was a big win for the Roos. – Nathan Schmook 

8. A fully fit Devon Smith could be the Giants' finals trump card
The skillful forward has played just eight games this year because of knee issues, but Smith has showed just how much he adds to the GWS line-up in his four games back. The 23-year-old has explosive speed, fantastic skills on both sides of his body, and supreme confidence in his ability to have a major influence on any game he's playing in. He's not just an offensive weapon either, he applies enormous forward pressure for the Giants and laid 14 tackles against Richmond, and gives coach Leon Cameron a dangerous small forward who can also move through the midfield and be extremely damaging forward of centre. When the Giants hit the finals stage for an historic first time in September, Smith is a player to keep your eyes on. - Adam Curley

• The run home: Predicting the week one finals match-ups

9. Jack Silvagni's efforts don't go unnoticed
In five-game forward Silvagni, the Blues have not only a promising youngster and heir to the most famous family dynasty at Carlton, they have a player who looks set to be a talismanic figure for years to come under Brendon Bolton. With just seven disposals against Hawthorn, Silvagni hardly lit up the stats sheet, but it was the intangible influence of his constant chasing and harrying in the Carlton forward half – and his ability to rouse the Blues' support every time the play came his way – that was most telling. While another young gun in Patrick Cripps racked up the touches and dominated on the ball, Silvagni went about his work more subtly, but in a way Bolton suggested needs to "typify our whole club". High praise indeed for an 18-year-old just taking his first steps at the elite level. - Stu Warren

 

• Around the state leagues: Who fired for your club's twos?