1. Fans rally around Good Friday thriller 
The Kangaroos and AFL expected a crowd of 45,000 and CEO Gillon McLachlan said pre-game that anything above 41,000 would be a success. The crowd came in at 42,814, but a thrilling match was arguably the best endorsement for Good Friday footy. There was a larger than usual crowd starting to form outside Etihad Stadium more than two hours before the bounce and the Good Friday Appeal had a strong presence at the game, with the ability to help raise donations seen as crucial to its success. Both clubs played a big role in promoting fundraising efforts and are keen to build the match themselves. The big question is, will they be given the opportunity? McLachlan was cryptic pre-game, saying the match was "something to build on and grow into an asset for the League and the community and hopefully for these clubs".  The show they put on should be rewarded in 2018.   

Full match coverage and stats

2. Unhappy milestones 
Lindsay Thomas's 200th game could have been the stuff of fairytales. In the final 30 seconds, with his team trailing by four points, the North Melbourne forward had an opportunity to pinpoint captain Jack Ziebell inside 50 in what would have been a match-winning play. The kick missed its mark, but Thomas was given a second chance. With the ball pumped back outside 50, Thomas was in the right spot, gathering the footy and finding enough space to launch a 50m shot at goal. In a thrilling finish, his shot veered wide, with the final siren marking a heartbreaking end to his milestone match. Western Bulldogs forward Travis Cloke didn't fare much better, ending his 250th match on the bench with suspected rib injuries. He was sent to hospital, but at least he was on the winning side. 

3. Ruck rule confuses again   
The AFL's new nominated ruckmen rule has proved controversial in the opening month of the season, and so it was on Friday when Western Bulldogs' midfielder Josh Dunkley benefited from confusion on which Bulldog had nominated. In similar circumstances to those that saw Richmond's Shaun Grigg awarded a free kick in round two, Dunkley, a 190cm midfielder, nominated for the ruck late in the third quarter but his opponent Andrew Swallow was unaware and blocked his path to the ball, giving away a free kick. Marcus Bontempelli had also put his hand up, seemingly nominating himself to contest the ruck as well, but the umpire said Dunkley was the nominated ruckman and paid the free kick. With injuries to big Bulldogs Tom Boyd and Tom Campbell, Dunkley had earlier contested ruck contests against formidable big men Braydon Preuss and Todd Goldstein until Campbell was able to return after having his ankle strapped.  

WATCH: The decision that had every Roo confused

4. Goldstein takes back his mantle
Braydon Preuss may be the flavour of the month, but Todd Goldstein is the tried and true at North Melbourne. The star ruckman regained his standing as the Kangaroos' No.1 big man on Friday with a strong performance in the middle. He took the opening bounce, with Preuss sent forward, and finished with 29 hit-outs to his teammate's 17. There was a clear role reversal from round three, with Goldstein attending 67 ruck contests to Preuss's 27, according to Champion Data. The Kangaroos fans have clearly take a shining to Preuss, however, marking every possession with a chant similar to that enjoyed by Hawthorn's Luke Breust. Together, Goldstein and Preuss were able to contribute to a 41-34 clearance advantage for their team, aided by injury to Bulldogs' big man Tom Boyd, who suffered delayed concussion and was pulled from the match at quarter-time.

5. Suckling turns nightmare around
It seemed as though Bulldogs defender Matthew Suckling could not do a thing right in the second quarter, with missed marks and missed kicks piling up on his round four report card. At half-time he was challenged by the Bulldogs to work his way into the game as a forward, and the move worked wonders. Suckling kicked a magnificent checkside goal on his left boot from 50m in the third quarter, and his final quarter goal with four minutes to play stretched the margin to 10 points. Suckling's stats were identical in the first and second halves – 13 possessions and four inside 50s in each – but gone were the fumbled marks and skill errors, and he stood up when the game was on the line. "He became really important in the last two quarters," coach Luke Beveridge said. "It was good for him to be able to settle himself and get a quality outcome in his game."