DUSTIN Martin prowled the MCG with his usual gusto in the opening term on Saturday and earned ten possessions as Richmond made a bright start against Collingwood. But once again, that was where his contribution started and ended. Martin ended with just 17 possessions for the afternoon and it is becoming the tale of the tape for the precocious youngster - blinding first halves and quiet second halves. The Tigers are delighted with his growing maturity off the field, but what they need from Martin is a bit more petrol in his tank. Against the really good teams, Martin has to be a four-quarter contributor. He was nowhere to be seen in the third term on Saturday when the Pies slammed on eight straight goals to take control of the match. - Ashley Browne
2. Let Birchall roam free at your peril
Hawthorn's Tasmanian defender did as he pleased during his team's 42-point win over Fremantle at Aurora Stadium. Birchall collected a game-high 37 possessions (20 of them came in the first half), and he set up numerous attacking moves for his team with precise kicking from inside the defensive 50m arc. After the match, Freo Ross Lyon claimed that he had tried to limit Birchall's influence, but the reality was that Birchall was not made accountable by Fremantle's forwards and was not put under enough pressure when he had the ball. - Adam McNicol
3. The Power's young midfield should be the envy of many
Last week it was captain Travis Boak (24) leading his team to a memorable Showdown win over Adelaide. On Saturday night it was 22-year-old Hamish Hartlett's blistering second quarter that paved the way for an easy victory over the Suns. They may not have any superstars just yet, but the Power's midfield is throwing up new names every week. Brad Ebert (23), Matthew Broadbent (22), Chad Wingard (19) and rookie sensation Ollie Wines (18) were also excellent at Metricon Stadium. Port Adelaide's core group are all young, run hard and should ensure opponents have a difficult match-up for years to come. - Michael Whiting
7. One small step for Melbourne
When the heat has been on in critical stages of games this season, Melbourne players have all too familiarly wilted. But that was not the case against Greater Western Sydney on Sunday. Senior players didn't hide from the spotlight, but instead rose to the occasion in what could have been a disastrous moment for their club and their coach. Colin Sylvia, Jack Trengove, Colin Garland and Nathan Jones were crucial in keeping steady heads and leading the way for a side that looked bereft of all confidence. Add to that, Max Gawn's efforts in the ruck and Michael Evans' lively speed up forward and the Demons managed to take some baby steps in their gradual progression. - Ben Guthrie
9. Majak Daw could forge a long career at AFL level
Before he made his much-hyped debut on Sunday night, Majak Daw was the highest-profile footballer yet to play an AFL game. Now he is the highest-profile footballer to have played 19 minutes at the highest level. To say the Daw debut was well worth the wait would be a massive understatement. There was no easing himself into it – he was in everything from the opening minute. Just 23 seconds into the match, he plucked a magnificent pack mark and goaled from 40 metres. The 22-year-old – the first Sudanese to play in the AFL – later outmarked Lions' monster Daniel Merrett and missed a tough angle shot. A handball, subtle knock-on and not-so-subtle tap-out that amounted to a scoring assist followed, before he was accidentally KO'd in a clash of heads with teammate Ben Cunnington. The big man was subbed out. The star of the show had left the arena, and it was a huge anti-climax. But he there is little doubt he will be back. - Ben Collins