The talking point … Barry Hall's 'mind explosion'
Mobile phones beeping, mates frantically debating the incident and talkback radio being flooded with calls – the reaction to Barry Hall's left cross to Brent Staker's jaw on Saturday night has been astonishing.
Big Bad Bustling hadn't been all that bad for a few years but, unfortunately for a few parties, that all changed against the West Coast Eagles.
Whether it was years of frustration – of having defenders constantly grabbing and niggling at him – that led to him boiling over or whether he just didn't realise how close Staker was to him, we'll probably never know.
But it's now up to the AFL Tribunal to decide Hall's fate. While his broken wrist will keep him out of football for some time, the powers that be might rule he is to sit out even longer.
The comeback … Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions trailed by 47 points late in the third term … against last year's Grand Finalists … at AAMI Stadium … and it was bucketing down. What a win!
While the Lions' 20-point triumph was a disaster for the Power, it's just the sort of victory that instills an enormous amount of self belief among a playing group and could provide a launching pad for Leigh Matthews' side.
There's plenty to like about Brisbane when they're up and running. A dashing midfield, Jonathan Brown and how about Daniel Bradshaw's effort in leading the fightback? Who said overcoming knee reconstructions was tough going?
The upsets … A trio of tipping nightmares
Three of them at the weekend meant a few headaches for tipsters, and further complications as we try to draw a line through the form on the 2008 AFL season.
Is Port Adelaide gaaawwwn? Is Freo destined for another season of unfulfilled potential?
The topsy-turvy results helped make for an intriguing round four, and 2008 looks like it might take some time yet to sort itself out.
Player of the round … The Fev
An honourable mention to the aforementioned Bradshaw, but Fevola gets it by a wee margin.
Put simply, had the Blues' spearhead not been at the MCG on Sunday then Carlton would be sitting on 15 straight losses and morale would be, well, perhaps shot to bits.
Instead, Brett Ratten's side is on the board and the Navy Blues can largely thank the enigmatic forward for that.
Seven goals on the day, as well as some terrific chasing and harassing which would have pleased Ratten just as much, earned Fev our 'Player of the Round' nod.
Coaches of the round … Terry Wallace and Brett Ratten
We'll mention Ratts here too because he conjured up a win when the heat was on and it was also against one of the club's great rivals.
But Plough's efforts in not just getting the Tigers up, but thumping Freo over in the west, deserves special praise.
Like most weeks in recent times, some were writing Wallace and co. off, but the Tigers coach stuck his neck out. He opted not only to drop the experienced Joel Bowden, but also to use some radical tactics – and both worked.
Richo stretched his legs further afield and ran amok while the Tigers' young guns showed they have plenty of roar in them.
The heat is on … St Kilda's forward line
Ross Lyon admitted after the match that pressure was mounting on the Saints forward structure's ability to function.
That's a couple of weeks in a row now that it hasn't worked, although admittedly the Saints were up against a pretty good defensive unit at the weekend.
A worry for Lyon is the output he is getting from Fraser Gehrig. The G-Train has booted seven goals from three games, which doesn't sound too bad, but Geelong's Matthew Scarlett was able to do as he pleased at the weekend. Against the Bulldogs the Train was able to at least play a decoy role early on when pitted against Brian Lake.
He's a keeper … Matthew Leuenberger
Big man, bigger future. His potential was evident before Saturday night, but Leuenberger's effort in countering Port Adelaide twin towers Brendon Lade and Dean Brogan only further strengthened the view that the giant Lion will be a dominant force in years to come.
The late withdrawal of fellow big man Jamie Charman made his job that much tougher, but he battled more-than manfully and his workrate was instrumental in his side's outstanding win.
Who'd want to be … a Fremantle or Power player this week?
One would expect a tough session or two at both clubs in the coming days. Mark Harvey said it was the worst his team had played in his time as coach, Mark Williams ditto.
Harvey used the word "uncompetitive" to describe his side's effort, while Choco is also likely to demand answers from his players for their last-quarter fadeout.
Remember to pack the mouthguards for training boys.
Perfect records … Hawthorn, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs
All three sides look in great nick in 2008, winning impressively again in round four.
The Hawks, despite going in without skipper Sam Mitchell and Tim Boyle, did the Crows easily with Lance Franklin again making a meal of Adelaide.
Geelong was surprisingly belted at the stoppages yet found a way to get around the Saints without too much fuss, which begs the question, how do you beat the well-rounded Cats?
The Doggies' midfield again spearheaded their win. With Ryan Griffen, Adam Cooney and Jason Akermanis flying, who knows how far the Dogs can go this year?
Who would've thought … the Bombers could be further hamstrung?
Injury killed off any chance the Dons had of beating the Bullies on Friday night, with star Mark McVeigh succumbing to the dreaded hammy twang after Sam Lonergan had earlier suffered the same fate. Is Essendon's new high-paced, frenetic game style to blame for the club's spate of soft-tissue injuries?
The opinions in this story are of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or the clubs
