• Forecast the final eight with the 2014 ladder predictor
• Fantasy round review: Cometh the final, cometh the captain
• Around the state leagues: Young Hawk in mix to replace Roughead
1. Hawthorn's key forward stocks could be vulnerable
There are very few chinks in Hawthorn's armour, but if there's one area in which the Hawks' haven't been truly tested during an injury-hit campaign it's their tall forward stocks. The Hawks have had Jarryd Roughead and Jack Gunston in combination in all but three games this year. They have never gone into battle without at least one of their spearheads. That could be about to change if Roughead is suspended for his trip on Melbourne's Dom Tyson. Coach Alastair Clarkson was confident the Hawks have plenty of options up front and it will be interesting to see how they structure up if the worst occurs. – Travis King
2. The Bulldogs got the right man in Jake Stringer
There were plenty of clubs who wouldn't have picked Jake Stringer with a first-round selection at the 2012 NAB AFL Draft, let alone pick No.5, which the Bulldogs used to secure him. At the time there were still questions on his leg, which he had broken badly and had still not fully overcome. Could he run well enough and long enough? Could he dominate games like he had before? The Western Bulldogs simply liked what he could do. He could jump, burst off and kick goals like few others, so they used their prized draft selection on him. It has been a good, brave call, as shown on Sunday when Stringer kicked four goals in the Bulldogs' win over St Kilda. With more and more fitness and pre-seasons, the future is very bright for the 20-year-old. - Callum Twomey
3. There is a new Irish talent
The Blues found a player on Saturday, with Corkman Ciaran Sheehan making a seamless transition to the top level. An admirer of Brisbane Lions star Pearce Hanley, Sheehan kicked the ball like a master craftsman. His bouncing, however, could do with some work. Of his eight kicks, the left-footer sent seven of them long. He went inside 50 five times and would be favoured to play out the season now with an eye to 2015. Coach Mick Malthouse was thrilled with his contribution. - Nathan Schmook
4. Port isn't the real deal yet
In Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley's own words, the Power just aren't good enough to compete with the competition's best – not yet. There's no doubting the talent at the club – we saw it at full strength earlier in the season. But it was found out on Saturday night by the Swans' intense pressure and that of the game itself. As Hinkley said, in crucial moments it was the Swans who kept cool heads and executed their skills. The Power appeared fumbly at times and made too many errors when the heat was on. - Harry Thring
5. The Eagles can outgun teams in a shoot-out
Opposition teams must lock down the Eagles' midfield otherwise they will get burnt. The Eagles' mids have run riot in the last two weeks against Adelaide and Collingwood and as a result they have racked up huge scores courtesy of the heavy artillery they possess inside 50. On 10 occasions this season the Eagles have kicked 100 points or more; on six occasions they've failed to score 60. The common thread in those low-scoring games is the inability of Luke Shuey, Andrew Gaff and Shannon Hurn to gather uncontested possessions at will and supply their forwards with pinpoint passes. As West Coast edges closer to a finals berth that looked most unlikely a month ago, coach Adam Simpson will be acutely aware of the need to get his outside men into space. - Alex Malcolm6. Harry Taylor is a marking machine
For much of the clash between Geelong and Fremantle at Simonds Stadium on Saturday night, the Dockers seemed unable to get the ball past the star Cats defender. There were times when it seemed Freo players were deliberately kicking it to him, and there were times when you just had to marvel at Taylor's extraordinary ability to read the play. Taylor, who the Dockers attempted to sign last year, finished the game with 19 marks. Nine were intercept marks. In the dying stages of the game, as Freo roared back into the contest, even Taylor seemed unable to stop the Dockers in their tracks. But it would have been mightily unfair if Taylor had performed as he did and finished on the losing side. The two-point win was due reward for his magnificent performance. As Geelong coach Chris Scott said after the game, "If he's not the best in the business at (taking intercept marks), he's pretty close." - Adam McNicol
7. Tex is still the ace in the Crows' pack
While Sam Jacobs was brilliant in the ruck, Rory Sloane damaging in the midfield and Eddie Betts lively up forward, it was the form of big Tex Walker with six goals that would have most opposition coaches shivering after the Crows' win. The big guy has been a little slow to find form after recovering from his ACL, but with Adelaide sniffing finals, he's coming good at just the right time. The supply was great and he had plenty of chances, but four final-quarter goals on experienced Daniel Merrett was enough to show he was returning to somewhere near his best. Walker still has a quick first few steps and a rocket-launcher of a right boot and can take the Crows from a mid-packer to a challenger at his best. - Michael Whiting
8. Drew Petrie is far from a spent force
In the twilight of an outstanding career, the 31-year-old has faced criticism at times this year for some quiet performances. He has played every game, but Petrie's output virtually across the board is down on his past three years; kicks, marks and goals among them. There have been some bright moments, but he has also kicked one goal or none in 11 games this year. Against GWS in round 20, however, Petrie showed just how damaging he can still be. Producing a season-high 18 touches, Petrie also took nine marks – five of them contested – and kicked 5.3. Some wayward kicking late on prevented him from getting an even bigger bag, but he spent the entire match on the park and was comfortably the most dominant big man out there. - James Dampney
9. Tiger recruit is the best value by Miles
Richmond was able to snare Anthony Miles for just pick No.27 in last year's rookie draft. If you watched Miles dominate at the stoppages against Essendon on Friday night you're entitled to think this is a typo. The midfielder, who was discarded by Greater Western Sydney at the end of 2013 after 10 games in two seasons, starred against the Bombers with 28 possessions and a game-high seven clearances. It continued his outstanding form since breaking into the Tigers' team in round 12. Miles has averaged 24 possessions and six clearances a game in that time, form we think makes him 2014's best value recruit. - Nick Bowen
