1. Have emergency, will travel
It was the change that had the AFL world scratching its collective head on Thursday – Western Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy out of the side, not with injury, but as a "travelling emergency". Coach Luke Beveridge had said the much-loved skipper needed a rest due to consecutive quick turnarounds between last round and the next, as well as some knee soreness, but would fly to Brisbane with the team. And just minutes before the opening bounce, Murphy was in, Jason Johannisen withdrawn with a lower-back injury. It was a case of replacing one captain with another, with acting skipper Easton Wood injuring his hamstring in the first quarter and sitting out the match on the bench.

Full match coverage and stats

2. Bont straightens up, sending the Bulldogs into the top eight
In an odd occurrence, Marcus Bontempelli had the first shot of the first, third and fourth quarters, and missed all three. The talented Bulldog started each quarter out of the goal-square, and while he outmuscled his opponents with ease, he struggled to kick accurately. Crucially for the Dogs, Bontempelli found his range halfway through the final quarter, kicking two goals to help wrest back the lead. It's an understatement to say it was an important win – the reigning premiers have now hit the top eight for the first time since round 12. They have a tough run home, facing GWS, Port Adelaide (in Ballarat) and Hawthorn. 

3. Cubs' fighting spirit
The Brisbane Lions looked resigned to their fate in the first quarter, struggling to get the ball forward of centre and being dominated in the clearances. It was a different story after quarter-time. The young Lions slowly chipped away at the Bulldogs' lead, kicking nine of the next eleven goals in the middle two terms. They were led by the likes of assured second-gamer Jacob Allison, Jarrod Berry fresh from a week's rest, and Alex Witherden who has been impressively reliable across his first seven games. While they didn't rack up big numbers, their adventurous disposal opened the ground up and spread the Bulldogs' defence.

4. Remember Josh Walker?
After 34 games at Geelong across four years, the big forward has been quietly plugging away at the Brisbane Lions, providing support for the young Lions line-up. While he's been in and out of the senior team over the past year and a half, Walker had a break-out game against the Bulldogs. He moved around the ground with ease, marking well and bringing teammates into the game. While Walker didn't get on the scoreboard, he finished with 15 disposals, four contested marks and three inside-50s, and was a valuable linking player.

5. Lachie Hunter, the flying Bulldog
It was an effort even Jeremy Howe, the aerial expert, would have been proud of. Lachie Hunter leaped on the shoulders of the much taller Josh Walker, and then launched even higher again. He managed to get both hands to the ball, attempting to mark it on his chest, before spilling it in his descent back to earth. At the time, it was a rare highlight for the Dogs, who later kicked away and took the lead.