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• Around the state leagues: Waite injured, De Boer returns
1. You can't shut down all of Freo's midfielders
Fremantle's midfield is a beast when its full compliment is fit and available. The question of which midfielder to tag is a vexed one for opposition clubs. The emergence of Nat Fyfe has seen clubs pay more attention to him this year as opposed to Stephen Hill, who has been the go-to option for opposition taggers in the last couple of years. Fyfe was tagged against the Bulldogs in round 11 and was relatively well held but Hill was best afield with 24 touches and four goals. Sharrod Wellingham ran with Fyfe early in the Derby but the reigning Fremantle best and fairest got on top and ended up gathering 31 possessions and kicking a goal. But no one went anywhere near Hill who won the Ross Glendinning medal with 32 disposals and three goals. Add to the mix David Mundy, Michael Barlow, Lachie Neale and Danyle Pearce and the worries for opposing clubs grow. - Alex Malcolm
WATCH: Saturday showreel - Hill's heroics2. Chris Judd should play on
When Chris Judd twanged a hamstring six minutes after coming onto the ground in his first game this season, against the Western Bulldogs in round five, it seemed odds-on that this season would be his last. But the way the two-time Brownlow medallist has performed since returning against Hawthorn in round 13 suggests he should play on next year. Judd's performance against Collingwood on Sunday night was his best of the season. As usual he won his fair share of the ball, but it was the way he broke the Pies' defensive lines with his run and creative handball that suggests the former Blues skipper still has at least another year's good football left in him. - Nick Bowen3. Some defensive Swans are firming as All Australians
All Australian spots are so hard to secure at the best of times, but can be that much more difficult for running halfbacks and small defenders as selectors try to squeeze so many talented midfielders into the line-up. But in Nick Malceski and Nick Smith, the Sydney Swans boast two genuine defenders with claims for higher honours that seemingly improve every week. Malceski is in outstanding form, among the competition leaders in kicks and metres gained. Smith is rarely beaten and must surely rank among the best small defenders in the competition. If they can continue in this vein, helping to keep GWS to just one goal to half-time in the Swans' 46-point win this week, they will give themselves every chance of greater recognition at season's end. - James Dampney
4. Size still counts against Suns
The kind of torrential rain experienced at Aurora Stadium on Saturday afternoon can be one of the greatest levellers in football, but in the case of Hawthorn and Gold Coast it also highlighted a major point of difference between the two sides. Hawthorn’s bigger, stronger bodies and more intense attack on the ball saw them easily win the contested possession count by 174-149 and clearly influenced the result. Stand-in coach Brendon Bolton said the conditions demanded a focus on the ‘essence of the game’ and lauded his players for their ability to ‘take yards and win contested possession’ in accounting for the young Suns. - Stu Warren
WATCH: Hawthorn's match-winning five-minute burst5. The Crows can play finals
Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson has been saying so all year – his side's best is good enough to trouble any side in the competition. His claim was put to the ultimate test on Sunday when the Crows took on the table-topping Port Adelaide, but it proved to be correct. Sanderson's men outworked their opponents inside the contest, easily winning contested possession (163-133) in difficult, slippery conditions. Consistency remains the key to Adelaide's ticket to September. The Crows' last nine games have alternated between wins and losses. - Harry Thring6. Saint Savage might have found his niche
It hasn't been an easy introduction to St Kilda for Shane Savage, but the ex-Hawk might just be finding his feet. Savage is in his third coming as a Saint after twice being dropped to the VFL this season and is enjoying success in his new role as a running half-back flanker. He tallied 21 disposals with eight marks upon his AFL return in the loss to West Coast last round and built on that performance with a 26-possession effort against Richmond on Saturday. The 23-year-old, who was involved in the shock Ben McEvoy trade, has 64 games under his belt and is starting to live up to the Saints' expectations. – Travis King
7. Steven Motlop is a genius
Motlop's two final-quarter goals in Geelong's narrow win over Essendon on Friday night were simply sensational. Both put the Cats back in front after the Bombers had shown some serious resilience of their own. And both goals were audacious banana kicks on the run. The first was from the left pocket and the second one from the right. In a year when the standard of footy has been talked down by all manner of folk, Motlop's artistry was a perfect example of why so many people love the game. But why is Motlop so proficient at slotting banana kicks from all angles? "I don't have a left foot, mate," he told AFL.com.au in the rooms after the match. "Some guys do and some guys don't, so I'm pretty blessed that I'm good at the check-sides." - Adam McNicol
WATCH: Geelong v Essendon - match highlights8. Tom Liberatore has another hurdle to get over
Melbourne coach Paul Roos knows how valuable Tom Liberatore is to the Western Bulldogs' midfield so he sent Jack Viney to him on Sunday with a clear directive to shut him down. Captain Ryan Griffen would normally attract the opposition tag, but with the classy on-baller sidelined it was up to Liberatore to shoulder that burden. It would have been a learning curve for the clearance specialist, who finished with 12 possessions and four clearances. Leading into Sunday's match, Liberatore had averaged 24 possessions this season and 33 touches in his three career games against the Demons. Griffen, who was being monitored with back spasms this week, could return in round 16, but it's not the last time Liberatore will confront a tag. – Nathan Schmook
9. Stefan Martin is saving his career
The former Melbourne ruckman has had an amazing month since being recalled to step up in the absence of injured first choices Matthew Leuenberger and Trent West. In successive weeks he has taken on Will Minson, Shane Mumford, Aaron Sandilands and Todd Goldstein, and cut even or had the better of all four. Against the Roos he had 20 disposals, 36 hitouts, six marks and four clearances in another influential display. The athletic Martin is 27 and his unreliable body looked like curtailing his career, but with some continuity he is now showing what he's capable of and resurrecting his career. Leuenberger was back in the reserves at the weekend, but Martin has demanded he remains in the team. - Michael Whiting
