IN THIS week's Nine Things We Learned, we discover Isaac Heeney could be the answer to Sydney's midfield issues, Charlie Ballard should be in the All-Australian discussion and much, much more.

Check out what we learned from round 11 of the 2023 season.

1) Pies clash will tell us where the Dees are at

While they were without star midfielder Clayton Oliver, the Demons were still well below their best in Saturday's loss to Walyalup. Narrm is still 7-4 and well and truly in the top-four race, but unlike last year, its first half of the season has not hit great heights. The opening-round win over the Western Bulldogs looks good, but their other victories have come against teams currently in the bottom eight - Sydney, West Coast, Richmond, North Melbourne, Gold Coast and Hawthorn - with defeats to Brisbane, Essendon, Port Adelaide and Walyalup thrown in. A clash against struggling Carlton on Friday night may not give us the best indication of where the Demons are at, but King's Birthday against Collingwood definitely will. – Dejan Kalinic

2) Heeney might be the answer for the Swans 

Having played almost exclusively as a forward early in the season due to player unavailability, Isaac Heeney has had a slower start to 2023 than most would have hoped. His move into the midfield against Carlton on Friday night, however, was a vital structural choice from coach John Longmire that worked wonders. The Swans have been particularly vulnerable at stoppages this year, but Heeney's physicality and strength, resulting in a game-high 14 contested possessions, 10 tackles and seven clearances, offered more support at the contest. No longer was the reliance almost solely on Luke Parker, with protection coming from tackling beast James Rowbottom, while it also allowed breakaway runner Chad Warner to find more space and attack on the outside. – Gemma Bastiani

3) The Crows are must-watch TV

It's a strong field but Adelaide has the most exciting forward line in the competition, led by livewire duo Josh Rachele and Izak Rankine, who both booted Goal of the Year contenders against Brisbane. Rankine, who has been one of the recruits of the season, kicked truly with a superb left-foot snaps running towards the boundary from a Reilly O'Brien tap. The ex-Gold Coast Sun played provider in the third term when his delayed handball perfectly freed up Rachele, who slotted home from a tight angle with a low banana with a slippery ball. Rachele's celebrations are becoming legendary too, with that moment setting alight Adelaide Oval. - Ben Somerford

4) Charlie Ballard should be in the AA conversation

A lot of names are thrown up at this time of year as possible All-Australian candidates, and it's time Gold Coast's Charlie Ballard is thrown into the mix as a genuine key defensive option. Ballard continued his brilliant season with another stellar showing against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, limiting Aaron Naughton to one goal from 65 inside 50 entries. More than that though, he again showed he is one of the best in the AFL at winning the ball back for his team with 11 intercept possessions. Ballard is comfortably the League leader in intercept marks (51), is second for contested marks and top five for intercept possessions. With Darcy Moore and Callum Wilkie among the frontrunners for key defensive posts at the season's midpoint, it's time to throw Ballard's name right up there. – Michael Whiting

5) Zak and Charlie have some competition for game of the year

The debate last week was if Zak Butters' round 10 performance against Narrm was the best of 2023 to date, and Charlie Curnow's nine-goal haul over West Coast was officially the highest rated game of the season, but James Sicily's showing on Saturday could be the pick of the bunch. In a week where Hawthorn was under the microscope again, the skipper played like Superman. No one could stop him as he amassed 43 disposals - 10 more than his previous best - 22 intercept possessions, 17 contested possessions, 16 marks (eight intercept marks) and 658 metres gained. Sam Mitchell called it the best individual performance he'd seen and it might prove to be the best one-man show of the year, especially when you factor in the upheaval at Waverley Park this week. Unfortunately, Sicily also copped a one-match ban for a high bump on Anthony Caminiti, but it shouldn't take too much gloss off what was a brilliant performance. - Josh Gabelich

6) Forget the talk, Tiger Tim has been Richmond's best

If Richmond had defeated Yartapuulti on Sunday, Tim Taranto's 33-disposal, seven-clearance and four-goal performance would have rightly been hailed as one of the best individual games of the year. The former Giant has come in for criticism for his disposal efficiency in some matches this season, but as it stands, he has been Richmond's best player across the vast majority of the year. He is averaging a career-high 30.8 disposals, and has already topped last year's goal tally of seven with nine majors. The Tigers' next best is Jayden Short with 23.6 from eight matches, while Taranto sits fifth in the club's goalkicking behind Jack Riewoldt (16), Shai Bolton (14), Dustin Martin (13) and Samson Ryan (11). – Sarah Black

7) Footy can be a cruel, cruel game

All eyes were supposed to be on Steele Sidebottom on Sunday afternoon as the skilful winger became just the fourth Collingwood player to play 300 games for the club. But instead, an MCL injury derailed his milestone match. With plenty of family and friends watching on in the stands, Sidebottom was subbed out in the first quarter against North Melbourne after injuring his knee in an awkward tackle, with the club revealing the diagnosis a short while later. The durable veteran has barely missed a game across his 15-season career but is now set for a stint on the sidelines. Despite the seriousness of the injury, Sidebottom had a smile on his face as he celebrated the win with his teammates, which is the mark of a true champion. – Sophie Welsh

8) The Cattery can be breached

A trip down the highway to play the Cats normally sends a shiver down the spine of the entire competition, but not for the Giants. Their win on Saturday was their third on the trot at GMHBA Stadium, the most formidable of all away grounds in the game. No other side has won more than one of their past three down there, and 10 clubs haven't had a win in Geelong in more than 15 years. As amazing a statistic as that is, it must be somewhat frustrating for Adam Kingsley, and Leon Cameron before him, to know his side can rise to the challenge in the hottest of cauldrons yet sometimes fall short at traditionally friendlier locales. Still, the fourth win of the Kingsley era was one of this club's best for some time. - Howard Kimber

9) Jayden Hunt is part of the solution for West Coast 

Amid questionable list decisions and doubt over the future viability of their veterans, the Eagles can at least point to Jayden Hunt's arrival as a win. In a game in which Essendon did the job it needed to and moved on, there was more to learn about the Eagles and how they would turn their torrid form around. Hunt proved he has a key role to play in that with a career-high 34 disposals and game-high 684m gained. The former Melbourne rebounder stood out with his attacking intent and confident play, using the ball at an excellent 82.4 per cent efficiency. At 28, Hunt can be an important senior player through these next rebuilding years and guide what will become a very young team as veterans retire. He's proven a terrific acquisition as a free agent, particularly if he can reproduce the form of Saturday night. – Nathan Schmook