1. Collingwood has found its forward line answer
Ben Reid's shift into attack was the defining move of Friday night's win over Carlton, with the defender kicking four goals and opening up the forward 50 for Travis Cloke, who kicked five. Reid, who was recruited as a forward, was always going to be used as a swingman against Carlton, according to coach Nathan Buckley, but a knee injury to Blues forward Jarrad Waite allowed him to move there permanently for the last three quarters. With Lachlan Keeffe on the verge of returning, Buckley hopes to swing both him and Reid between attack and defence. With a less predictable forward mix, Cloke could be the major benefactor. - Nathan Schmook

2. What's old is new again in Brisbane
For the past few seasons the Brisbane Lions have tried and tried again to unearth a young power forward, without luck. Against the Suns on Saturday,the job was not only left to 31-year-old skipper Jonathan Brown, but acouple of his fellow veterans to carry the load. Brown kicked threegoals, as did swingman Brent Staker (29), while regular full-back DanielMerrett (28) played forward and kicked two. Until Jordan Lisle, StefanMartin, Aaron Cornelius or the even younger Marco Paparone and MichaelClose can nail down a forward spot, the job of flexing muscle up frontmight just be left to the Lions' elder statesmen a little longer. - Michael Whiting

3. Geelong keeps finding new heroes against Hawthorn
Paul Chapman, Joel Selwood and Harry Taylor have been constants in the Cats' streak, and Tom Hawkins and Jimmy Bartel have had their big moments, but it was three newer Cats who bobbed up to break Hawthorn hearts again on Saturday night. Mitch Duncan was outstanding from start to finish, Jordan Murdoch slammed home three final-quarter goals, and Josh Caddy's ice-cool set shot from the boundary stopped the Hawks' charge. None of that trio experienced the devastation of the 2008 Grand Final defeat, but they have clearly been taught the importance of the rivalry. Each did the Cats proud as they achieved an 11th straight win over the brown and gold. - Mark Macgugan

4. Kangaroos capable of shut-down jobs are like buses
Like the proverbial London bus, North Melbourne has waited for ages for a hard-nosed run-with player, and now two have come along at once. Since Brady Rawling's retirement and Levi Greenwood's fall from favour at the end of 2011, North Melbourne has lacked a player capable of shutting down star midfielders. But the Roos' win against Richmond suggests that problem is resolved. North recruited Taylor Hine from Gold Coast specifically for this role and he delivered against Richmond, keeping Brett Deledio to 16 touches, his lowest possession tally of the year and well down on his season average of 23.6. In his third game this season, Greenwood rediscovered the form that made him a mainstay of North's team from 2009-11, preventing Richmond captain Trent Cotchin from having anywhere near his usual influence while racking up 26 possessions himself and kicking a goal. - Nick Bowen

5. Hayden Ballantyne is worth his weight in gold
Michael Walters has received plenty of plaudits for his performances in 2013. Ross Lyon said that Walters was in All Australian form before he got injured in round eight. But when Walters was posed a question on Friday about who was the better small forward out of he and Hayden Ballantyne, Walters was unequivocal in nominating his teammate. Ballantyne lived up to it on Sunday. After three weeks without a goal, the longest drought of his career, Ballantyne kicked four in the opening half to prove how important he is to the Dockers' success. He kept Fremantle in the contest and then capped off the win with a fifth in the final term to seal the second-best haul of his career.  - Alex Malcolm

6. Lock down when the heat's on
Coach Brenton Sanderson says the Crows have lessons to learn from their crushing defeat at the hands of West Coast,and lesson number one will surely be how to lock down in the dyingmoments of a game. For the most part on Saturday night the Eagles weredenied free run. That changed in the chaotic final minutes, with Eagleplayers allowed a quick getaway out the back of contests to slingshottheir way into attack late. The build-up to Josh Kennedy left-footedmatch-winner was a painful case in point. - Harry Thring

7. It isn't a one-man Essendon midfield
A year or two ago, most at Windy Hill would have conceded that an injury to Jobe Watson would have dire consequences for the Bombers. Not so much any more. Watson is still the club's best and most important player, but the Dons have built midfield depth unlike before. David Zaharakis has stepped up, Brendon Goddard has added some extra muscle and skill around the midfield, and Jake Melksham is starting to hit form. If Watson misses matches with his injured collarbone – as is likely after being subbed out of the game against Port Adelaide – the Bombers at least have some depth now to cover him. - Callum Twomey

8. Bulldog Goodes shares some of his brother's powers
Dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes is renowned for his recuperative powers, often playing through injuries medical experts say should keep him sidelined and returning to action sooner than predicted. Now it seems his younger brother Brett may have inherited the same trait. The rookie Bulldog thought a wrist injury sustained against Richmond in round 13 would keep him out for two-to-three weeks. Instead, he only missed one game, returning to play a key role in the Dogs' four-point win over GWS, contributing 25 disposals and 10 marks. - James Dampney

9. Melbourne has a new cult hero
Hemight not have the dazzling qualities of much-loved former Demonsforwards like Allen Jakovich and Russell Robertson, but Jack Fitzpatrickis quickly become a favourite of the long-suffering Melbournesupporters. The 22-year-old, who members of the Twitterverse havesuggested is a dead-ringer for Postman Pat, came of age in the Dees' 31-point loss to the Sydney Swans at the MCG on Sunday.Playing mostly at centre half-forward, Fitzpatrick charged up and downthe ground, amassing 17 possessions, clunking eight marks and kickingthree goals. He also channeled his inner Steve Johnson when he snapped amajor around the corner during the second quarter.. - Adam McNicol