Carlton forward Jarrad Waite was banished to the VFL for the second week running and his cause to get back to senior level wasn't helped by the Blues' forward line domination against St Kilda. In the 85-point win, the Blues benefited from four goals from each of Lachie Henderson, Levi Casboult and usual defender Simon White, while Chris Yarran bobbed up with three. The three talls took 23 marks between them with nine contested and proved a headache for the Saints' undersized defence. Waite, 31, is out of contract at the season's end and his versatile teammates are not doing him any favours by starring in his absence. - Jennifer Phelan
2. Greenwood's comeback the best of the year
Levi Greenwood's AFL career could easily have been over at the end of this season, but he could now win North Melbourne's best and fairest award and be crowned football's 'Lazarus' of 2014. The 25-year-old is set to come out of contract at the end of this season and looked set for the football scrapheap after playing just 11 games in total over 2012 and 2013. But Greenwood has bounced back so emphatically in 2014 that he should be among the leaders in North's best and fairest count after 16 rounds. The hard-running midfielder was outstanding again on Friday night against the Hawks, finishing with a team-high eight clearances and six inside 50s to go with 27 disposals and two goals. It's just a matter of time now before he is rewarded with a contract extension. - Nick Bowen
3. Anthony Morabito could be the X-factor in Freo's premiership push
He didn't set the world on fire by any means, but Anthony Morabito's return after three left knee reconstructions showed just how important a cog he could become in Fremantle's powerful midfield. Morabito tallied eight disposals after coming into Saturday night's win over Melbourne mid-way through the third quarter and said he felt at ease being back at the level. The 22-year-old has pushed himself to new heights at training; now his challenge is to rediscover the form that saw him play 23 games in his debut season. If he can do that then, as Ross Lyon said, Morabito could be "significant" in Fremantle's journey towards an inaugural flag. – Travis King
WATCH: Saturday showreel - Anthony Morabito4. Eddie holds the key to Adelaide's September hopes
Josh Jenkins has emerged as a goalkicking threat for the Crows, James Podsiadly's abilities are well known and Taylor Walker is continuing to find his feet following his long layoff. But when it comes to electrifying, unpredictable goals and an ability to sway a match in a matter of minutes, Eddie Betts is now the headline act for Adelaide. For a side sitting one win outside the top eight with just seven games remaining, Betts' unique skills could prove the difference between playing in the finals and planning that off-season trip. He kicked five goals against GWS on Saturday, including two in three minutes just prior to half-time to stop a run from the Giants in its tracks, taking his tally for the season to 33. He will also bring up game No.200 in Friday night's massive clash with Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval. It's no surprise coach Brenton Sanderson labels him "worth every cent". - James Dampney
5. Bombers can still fly high without Jobe
Every club would like to think it's plan-based, not personnel-based, but there's bound to be questions when a leader like Jobe Watson goes missing with a hip injury. The Essendon skipper hasn't played since round 12 but the club is finding plenty of options capable of standing up. Even on Saturday night when Dyson Heppell was brilliantly tagged by Port Adelaide's Kane Cornes, the likes of Zach Merrett, David Myers, Travis Colyer and of course Brent Stanton and David Zaharakis all stood up to ensure their club's finals hopes remained alive. - Harry Thring6. Look who stood up without the competition's best player
When Gary Ablett went down on Saturday night, you could hear the audible sigh around Metricon Stadium. Previously it would have ended Gold Coast's chances of victory, but against Collingwood a new wave of Suns leaders carried them to a remarkable win. David Swallow is already a vice-captain, but his lead-from-the-front attitude was something to behold. The 21-year-old had 31 touches and ran so hard both ways coach Guy McKenna told him to back off and conserve energy for his rotation-less team. It's just not in Swallow's nature. Jaeger O'Meara, Harley Bennell and Sam Day were all second-half heroes after being held in the first two quarters. While a long-term injury to Ablett would once have cripple the Suns, they have now unearthed more on-field leaders to cover that void. - Michael Whiting
WATCH: Gold Coast v Collingwood - match highlights7. Luke Parker is no longer an emerging star
No, the 21-year-old Swan has well and truly arrived. The midfield names in red and white that immediately spring to mind are Kieren Jack, Josh Kennedy and Jarrad McVeigh but Parker can be considered a genuine A-grader right alongside that trio. He was outstanding in the Swans' 28-point win over the Eagles, gathering 33 disposals - including 22 contested - and kicking two goals. He also laid five tackles but that is still shy of the 5.7 he averages for the season. The 21-year-old also averages 25 touches and a goal a week this year. The Swans hardly needed another A-grader, but not surprisingly they have found one. - Alex Malcolm
8. Tall forwards must top the Lions' shopping list
Granted, we are stating the obvious but the Brisbane Lions desperately need a big marking target to fill the void left by the retired Jonathan Brown. Against the Tigers on Saturday, it was the Lions' fleet of smaller forwards who got them into the game. Daniel Merrett tries his best, and the club has a few younger talls developing who have been later picks in the NAB AFL Draft or academy selections, in Jono Freeman, Michael Close and Marco Paparone. But if a quality tall youngster is available for the Lions at this year's draft, he'd be right on the radar. - Callum Twomey
9. 'The Bont' is bringing Bulldog fans through the gate
After kicking two brilliant late goals in the Dogs' victory over Melbourne in round 15, first-year midfielder Marcus Bontempelli produced another standout performance in his team's narrow loss to Geelong at Simonds Stadium on Sunday evening. Not only did Bontempelli rack up 21 disposals, he also slotted a great goal from out near the boundary midway through the third quarter, then slotted a banana kick from near the goalsquare a few minutes later. The Bulldogs will finish well down the ladder, but 'The Bont' is worth the price of admission for the club's long-suffering fans. - Adam McNicol
