1. The days of a 100-goal season might not be dead and buried
We haven't seen a player reach the magical three figures since 2008, and with traditional full-forwards being replaced by athletic hybrids – coupled with the introduction of the 'team defence' – many thought the chances of anyone kicking 100 goals in a season were gone. But the man who last achieved the feat looks capable of doing it again. Lance Franklin has been in sparkling form in 2016 with 29 goals from seven games at just over four per match, including 11 in the past fortnight. In ominous news for the Tigers, who the Sydney Swans face next Saturday night, he has had at least five scoring shots in all of those matches. With the Swans expected to push for a top-four spot you'd think he'd play a minimum of 24 games this year, so if Buddy stays fit and hungry, and his team are around the mark deep into September, the elusive ton is there for the taking. - Adam Curley

2. Don't knock Mason Wood for showing composure
The North Melbourne youngster did what every player in the competition should do when lining up for goal, with his team holding a one-point lead against the Saints with just seconds remaining on the clock – he held the ball. "The runner came out and told me there was only 20 seconds left in the match," Wood told AFL.com.au afterwards. "So no matter how hard the Saints fans booed I was never going to let the footy go." Milking the clock until the siren sounded, he eventually kicked a fine goal to seal a hard-fought seven-point win and preserve the Roos' unbeaten start to the season. The merits of displaying the 30-second shot clock on the stadium scoreboard will fuel discussion during the week. But for Wood's part, he had every right to run the clock down, and his teammates will appreciate the composure he demonstrated to do so. - Ben Guthrie

3. Jimmy Bartel isn't limping to the finish line
The Brownlow medallist was one of the veteran Cats who the club chose to hang onto at the end of 2015 and Geelong's decision looks like the right one. Bartel, like so many experienced campaigners across the League, was in vintage touch in the impressive win over West Coast, collecting 28 touches and booting a goal, after racking up 30 possessions the previous week against the Suns. The 32-year-old offers invaluable experience, calmness under pressure, fierce competitiveness and he still has that touch of quality that suggests he will be a vital asset for this generation of Cats heading towards a September campaign where they could do significant damage. - Travis King

• After the siren: Is Hawthorn-Geelong no longer footy's spiciest rivalry?

4. The Bont has a big-game temperament
When the time came for one player to put Saturday night's shootout between the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide to bed, Marcus Bontempelli wanted the ball in his hands. After a brilliant game in the midfield he put himself in a dangerous position in the dying minutes and demanded the ball just inside the 50m line. The 20-year-old decided to take the responsibility on himself to kick the goal and his cool head was on display, taking a full 30 seconds off the clock with a long run-up when others might have rushed. It capped a standout game from the young leader, who finished with a career-high 30 possessions. - Nathan Schmook

5. Greater Western Sydney can win on the road
Following the huge win over Hawthorn in round six, the Giants needed to a win on the road to confirm their finals credentials and they did just that against Fremantle. Granted, a win over the Dockers in Perth this season is not that tough an assignment given Gold Coast and Carlton have both achieved the feat. But the Giants had never won at Domain Stadium in six attempts and they won without playing their best football against a Dockers side that fought ferociously. If the Giants are to play finals and do damage in September they will need more wins on the road. It was an important hoodoo to break. - Alex Malcolm

6. This season's Hawks are harder to read than ever before
Some commentators were prepared to write Hawthorn off as a 2016 premiership contender after it suffered its biggest loss in seven years against Greater Western Sydney last round. We at AFL.com.au are reserving judgment for now, but the Hawks' 46-point win over Richmond at the MCG on Friday night came with some worrying signs. At times, the Tigers dominated Hawthorn in general play – especially around the stoppages – and when they kicked the opening four goals of the third term to go 12 points up, the Hawks looked strangely vulnerable. Hawthorn showed it could still find another gear under pressure when it kicked 12 of the game's final 15 goals, but it was hard to know what to make of this – was it a case of a proud team rediscovering its mojo, or of an ageing prize fighter finding one final knockout blow? We'll know more when the Hawks regain stars Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and Jarryd Roughead, and when they're tested by stronger outfits than the 1-6 Tigers. - Nick Bowen

7. Port Adelaide’s season is alive and well ... ish
They've been lambasted by footy commentators far and wide, labelled "a disgrace" by their chairman and subjected to hours of soul searching within their four walls. The Power have also been hammered on the three occasions they've faced 'group one' opposition this season. But the simple fact is this: Port Adelaide has banked 16 valuable premiership points from seven rounds of football and sits on the edge of the top eight. For all its trials and tribulations in 2016, Port has won the games it should have won, the latest a 77-point shellacking of a struggling Lions outfit on Sunday night. And that means the numbers are very much on their side, even if their credentials remain questionable. As few as eight wins from their remaining 15 matches could see Port play finals. If their form continues on its upward curb that is a very realistic possibility, especially with Robbie Gray still to be injected back into the fold. What a difference a couple of wins can make. - Kym Morgan

8. Melbourne can kick a big score without relying on Jesse Hogan
Just a week after he kicked a bag of seven goals against St Kilda, star young forward Jesse Hogan was kept quiet with just one against the Suns, but it made little difference in the landslide win. With its clearance dominance and swift transition, Melbourne found 13 goalkickers to prove it had the ability to get around any Hogan double-teaming. Jack Watts was goalless, but Cam Pedersen and Jeff Garlett bobbed up for three each, while young midfielders James Harmes (three), Christian Petracca (two), Jack Viney (two) and Ben Kennedy (two) showed there were plenty of avenues to goal. - Michael Whiting

9. Kade Simpson is one of the competition's most underrated players
Next week the hard-running and courageous Blues defender will line up for his 250th game for the club, but don't expect too much fanfare around the milestone. Simpson has gone under the radar for most of his career at Carlton, but continues to perform consistently and reliably for a rebuilding Blues unit. On Saturday, just days after turning 32, Simpson was close to best afield in the Blues' 15-point win over Collingwood at the MCG. He gathered 31 disposals (at an efficiency level of 90 per cent), took seven marks and sent the ball inside Carlton’s forward 50 on four occasions. Simpson has been a constant in Carlton’s defence over the past decade – he has played at least 19 games in the past 10 years – and just as things look like taking shape at the Blues under coach Brendon Bolton, Simpson remains a vital member and contributor. - Callum Twomey

• Who fired for your club in your club's state leagues?