1. Daniel Rioli will be a star 
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick was an assistant coach at Hawthorn when Cyril Rioli won a premiership as a 19-year-old and he can see something similar in the superstar's relative, Daniel. When Saturday night's thriller was on the line in the fourth quarter, the first-year Tiger kicked two goals in a five-minute burst that lit up the MCG. Rioli, whose father is a cousin to Cyril, went on a three-bounce run down the wing to kick his first and then used his clean hands in tight to snap his second. They were his first goals at the home of football, and a quick glimpse into what the youngster will be capable of over a long career. In a season that has seen the Tigers' recruiting criticised, they should be praised for the way they used pick No.15 in last year's NAB AFL Draft. - Nathan Schmook 

2. Travis Cloke will be waiting a while longer to make his return
He made headlines after being dropped ahead of the Anzac Day match against Essendon in round five, but now it looks like Travis Cloke will be spending a bit more time in the Magpies' VFL team. Collingwood's forward line functioned superbly against the Lions – albeit with a glut of supply – making it hard to find a place to squeeze the powerhouse back in. American Mason Cox kicked four goals and looks more and more like a good player every week. Jesse White (three goals) was a good target in the air and on the ground, and while Darcy Moore had a quiet night, he's clearly the future of the club and needs as many games as possible. Big Trav is going to need a few bags in the twos at this rate to force Nathan Buckley's hand. - Michael Whiting

• Around the state leagues: Who fired for your club?

3. Role reversals in to stay at Freo
Ross Lyon has been known for his love of a trusty "role player" over the journey, but with this Freo side destined to be just the second Lyon-coached team to miss out on finals footy, it appears the Dockers boss is set to re-cast a number of key players as he searches for better on-field outcomes. All Australian midfielder David Mundy is now seen as a potential All Australian defender according to Lyon, and will spend the bulk of his time down back, while small forward Michael Walters and speedy wingman Stephen Hill can both expect to see plenty of time in the middle, doing their fair share of grunt work on the ball. With a host of stars still out of the picture, the Dockers must also rely on new talent coming to grips with the spotlight, which all adds up to mean Freo fans better get used to seeing a very different ensemble for the foreseeable future. - Stu Warren

4. Redpath a better fit than Boyd
Bulldogs forward Jack Redpath has travelled a different route to most of his teammates, but against Melbourne his perseverance paid off. Redpath was a destructive force up forward against the Demons, taking seven marks inside 50. He took a total of 11 marks for the game, including five contested marks. The 25-year-old, originally pick No.62 in the 2012 rookie draft, kicked three goals and grew in confidence as the match wore on. When Tom Boyd is fit again, the Bulldogs now have a decision to make: can they fit both key forwards into the team? Coach Luke Beveridge said it was possible, but with Tom Campbell and Jordan Roughead the preferred ruck duo, it would make the Dogs top heavy in attack. At this point in time, Redpath, given his ability to compete on a consistent basis, offers more than what Boyd can. - Ben Guthrie

WATCH: Redpath the way forward for Dogs

5. North's attack of the giants a stretch
One of North Melbourne's strengths in recent years has been its wealth of key-forward options. With Drew Petrie, Jarrad Waite and Ben Brown entrenched inside the Roos' forward 50 this season, Mason Wood, Majak Daw and Aaron Black have struggled for senior opportunities. Wood's outstanding VFL form has seen him added to North's forward line mix in recent rounds, while Daw joined him in the team that took on Essendon. At times, the Roos played Petrie, 197cm, Waite, 194cm, Brown, 200cm, and Daw, 195cm, in the same forward line against the Bombers – with Wood, 192cm, pushed up to the wing – and they stretched the Dons' undermanned backline. Brown and Daw also snapped goals in the second quarter that would have made Lindsay Thomas proud. But despite Daw's encouraging two-goal performance and the additional support he offers Todd Goldstein in the ruck, Saturday's experiment is unlikely to be repeated. North coach Brad Scott conceded as much after the game when he said his attack had been "under-represented" in ground-level players, with the Roos' tall line-up probably also a factor in their second-half fadeout. - Nick Bowen

6. Geelong is anything but a one-man band
You could be forgiven for thinking it was Patrick Dangerfield against Adelaide such was the incredible hype around the champion's first time facing his old side. But while Danger found plenty of the footy with 33 touches and 11 tackles, it was the impressive Cam Guthrie and Steven Motlop who stole the show. Guthrie's ability to win the ball in tight spaces was magnificent, while Motlop's outside run and finishing in front of goal gives the Cats another dimension going forward. Sitting nicely at 7-1, the Cats should easily dispatch Collingwood and Carlton in the next fortnight ahead of a massive three weeks – they take on Greater Western Sydney, North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs. Schedule that trio of huge games into your calendar. - Lee Gaskin

• After the siren: Where's the pride in Queensland footy?

7. The Giants are primed for their upcoming 'mini-finals' test
On the back of a club record five-game winning streak, Greater Western Sydney is 6-2 and sitting pretty inside the top four, but we'll find out if the Giants are the real deal over the next month. GWS faces the Western Bulldogs at home off an eight-day break next week, then hits the road to take on Adelaide and Geelong, before it finishes with the second Sydney Derby of the year against the Swans back at Spotless Stadium. If Leon Cameron's men get through that tough stretch and still find themselves in the top four or close to it, they're legitimate premiership contenders. The Giants have a mighty challenge in front of them, especially with their two best key defenders on the injured list, but judging by what they’ve shown so far this season, it's one they're sure to attack head on. - Adam Curley

8. Two steps forward, one step back for the Saints
The Saints have won many admirers this season. Their performances against Hawthorn in Launceston in round four and North Melbourne in round seven, along with their win over Melbourne suggested they were progressing ahead of schedule, but they really let themselves down against West Coast. They allowed the Eagles to walk the ball away from the centre square in the opening term and failed to really pressure the Eagles in any way. Blake Acres was an example of their inconsistency at present. Just three weeks after a 28 possession, two-goal game to earn a NAB AFL Rising star nomination he was barely sighted against the Eagles. - Alex Malcolm    

9. What the Blues lack in class, they make up for in courage
Patrick Cripps had limited movement in the last quarter after sustaining a knee injury but was pivotal to Carlton getting the win, racking up 15 contested possessions. Matthew Kreuzer's ankle was heavily strapped but he dominated the ruck contests and kicked the match-winning goal. Lachie Plowman continuously ran back with the flight of the ball, even after copping a big hit to the ribs from Charlie Dixon. Bryce Gibbs laid two massive tackles in the first quarter and played another excellent game. These Blues don't quit, and that's all fans can ask for from a team that is very publicly going through a "reset". - Dinny Navaratnam