• Fantasy round review: High-flying Hawks, low-flying Giants
• Around the state leagues: Tarrant makes return, Logan stars for Port
• Ballantyne, Tigers among 10 charged by MRP
1. The Bulldogs can't keep their focus
At different stages this season, the Bulldogs have conceded single-quarter scores of 8.7 (Gold Coast), 8.2 (West Coast), 7.3 (Carlton) and 6.4 (Essendon). The frustrating thing for coach Brendan McCartney is that the quarters either side of those 30-minute lapses are usually respectable. On Saturday night it was the second quarter that exposed the Dogs, with the Brisbane Lions playing superb football to pile on 7.5 to 2.2. McCartney's men may be developing in certain areas, but they continue to "let a horror five minutes become a horror 25 minutes", as the coach said. – Nathan Schmook
2. Big Roo is still the main man at North
It might be something we've been reminded of – rather than learned – but Drew Petrie remains vitally important to North Melbourne. With his shellshocked Roos trailing Richmond by 35 points at half-time on Sunday night, Petrie flicked the switch and booted three third-quarter goals. He finished with four majors – it should have been at least five – in a memorable comeback win that could be the turning point in North's inconsistent campaign. North has a relatively easy run home, playing only Hawthorn and Geelong from the current top eight, and Petrie has the power to lead the Roos back to finals football. – Travis King
3. Joe Daniher is getting there
He remains frustratingly unreliable in front of goal, particularly from set shots, but 20-year-old Daniher is making undeniable progress. While his radar was again wayward against GWS, he still kicked three of Essendon's 11 goals to have a major say in the 15-point victory. Of course, had he been more accurate than 3.4, it would have been a far more comfortable evening for the Bombers. But he did take a game-high nine marks, six of them contested and seven of which came inside the forward 50m. If he can keep replicating the form that led to seven scoring shots from 15 touches, the Bombers will be more than happy. - James Dampney
4. It's quality over quantity for the Dockers
Many statistics can be deceiving in AFL football and the inside 50 count is by no means an exception, but forward entries are usually an indication of a team's general performance any given game. However, the Dockers are bucking that trend. In the past two weeks they have won each game comfortably despite being beaten in the inside 50 count. Against the Western Bulldogs they conceded 27 more inside 50s and won by 38 points, and against Adelaide they lost the count by one but won the game by 40 points and had 15 more scores. The Dockers can be beaten through the midfield and allow their opponents to enter the forward 50 often but the pressure on the ball carrier and the quality of the Dockers' defence means scoring against them, even from a high number of entries, is a really difficult task. - Alex Malcolm
5. The Hawks’ strength is in their depth
If the old adage that ‘a chain is only as strong as its weakest link’ is anything to go by, the Hawthorn Football Club is in a good place despite its current injury woes. Stand-in coach Brendon Bolton lauded the club’s development program having witnessed an impressive debut from young ruckman Luke Lowden and another solid showing from dashing six-game defender Angus Litherland in Launceston on Saturday. Speaking post-match, Bolton praised the club’s development coaches and expressed his delight at Lowden’s performance after a six-year ‘apprenticeship’ at the club. Having coached Box Hill on his way to the hot seat at Hawthorn, Bolton knows the talent hidden on the Hawks’ list – and how capable his soldiers are when they’re called up to the big league. - Stu Warren
6. Melbourne has a dose of World Cup fever
The Demons' style of play in the Queen's Birthday clash against Collingwood would have been more at home on a soccer pitch in Brazil than it was at the MCG. The Dees consistently had large numbers of men behind the ball, and they chose to pass the Sherrin backwards and sideways rather than kick it to a contest. It meant Paul Roos' men tallied 365 disposals but ended with just three goals, which is far more in keeping with the round-ball game than Australian football. - Adam McNicol
7. Saints fans can look forward to more pain before gain
The Saints had 15 players against Port Adelaide with fewer than 40 games of experience, and coach Alan Richardson said such reliance on youth would be a trend over the next few years. Rather than try to bring in quick-fix, ready-made mature players, Richardson clearly believes the only way forward at St Kilda is to draft young and develop. The strategy could result in a bright future for the Saints, but it translates to several years of frustration for their fans. - Harry Thring
8. Bryce Gibbs is thriving on the inside
Gibbs played his most influential game for Carlton on Friday night. The midfielder had a game-high 29 possessions against Geelong and kicked four goals, including one at the 24-minute mark of the final term that momentarily looked like being the match-winner. But it was the way Gibbs thrived on the inside of stoppages, winning a team-high six clearances, that would have thrilled Blues fans. No one has ever doubted the former No.1 draft pick's talent, but at times in his eight-season career Gibbs has seemed to lack the hard-nosed competitive instincts of the game's elite players. However, this season, Gibbs is playing with a tougher edge and appears on track to establish himself as the Blues' best midfielder by the end of the year. - Nick Bowen
9. Gold Coast might just have the next great defensive duo
It's a big call at such an early stage of their careers but Steven May and Rory Thompson are showing all the hallmarks of the next great key post defensive duo in the AFL. May, 22, and Thompson, 23, both joined the Suns as forwards, but have developed beautifully into a pair of defensive pillars that should lock up Gold Coast's back 50 for the next decade. Thompson burst on to the scene with a terrific 2013 season at fullback, while May has thrived with similar responsibility this year. Against the Swans' multi-million dollar forward line they were brilliant, with May out-pointing Lance Franklin and Thompson completely blanketing Kurt Tippett. Like their young teammates, they'll still have ups and downs, but Guy McKenna can rest easily knowing his defensive end is in good hands. - Michael Whiting
