IN THIS week's Things We Learned, we discover the Crows must be brave with the ball, which Roo's move is paying off plus much, much more.

Check out what we learned from round three of the 2026 season.

1) You don't need to clamp down on Nas to beat the Saints

For the first half of Saturday afternoon's game, Chris Fagan decided, like most coaches have this season, to tag St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. The Lions went into the main break eight points down. In the second half, the two-time premiership coach ditched the tag and backed his midfielders in. Jarrod Berry had 17 second-half disposals and Will Ashcroft had 16 in the final quarter alone, helping guide their side to a 33-point win. "We just decided at half-time to free our mids up a little bit. Josh Dunkley went to Nasiah at stoppage but outside of that we didn't worry too much about him. I think we played better as a result of that to some degree," Fagan said post-match. The Lions proved that you don't necessarily need to tag Nas to get the four points. - Phoebe McWilliams

2) Carlton's mindset shift is telling

In first halves, Carlton is playing to win. In second halves? It is playing to not lose. The clear shift in confidence is emblematic in how the Blues take the game on, and on Sunday afternoon against Melbourne it showed once again. To start the game the Blues were aggressive, quick, and well organised, but after the main break there was a tentative feeling about their approach to the game, giving up a 43-point lead to fall to the Demons. It opens the door for opposing sides ready for a resurgence. For the better part of a year, the Blues have been trying to address their significant downturn in second halves, but could it be as simple as playing to win as opposed to trying not to lose? – Gemma Bastiani

3) The Pies have found a new weapon

Collingwood found something on Friday night it wasn't certain it had when it arrived at Marvel Stadium. Oscar Steene had to wait more than three years for his first chance at AFL level, but the ruckman showed there will be much more to come after a brilliant debut against Greater Western Sydney. Darcy Cameron had struggled to impact at centre bounce across the first fortnight, under the new ruck rules. But with Steene working in tandem, Collingwood looked more dangerous in the middle. Cameron has established himself as one of the best ruckmen in the AFL across the past few years, but the West Australian has rarely missed and is damaging behind the ball. In Steene, Craig McRae now has another option. That was the key lesson on Friday night. – Josh Gabelich

4) Adelaide will live and die by its ball movement

For the second week in a row, the Crows were exposed when locked in defensive 50 against Geelong on Thursday night. Against both the Western Bulldogs and Geelong, Adelaide has had long periods where it has been hemmed into a defensive pocket, unable to move the ball with any fluency and giving up the ball with kicks down the line, where the whole process repeats itself. By contrast, both games saw the Crows pile on the goals when they bit the bullet, switched lanes and moved it through the middle of the field – usually in the hands of Josh Rachele, Izak Rankine or Sam Berry. Biting the bullet from the start of the game, instead of still being "on the bus" in the words of coach Matthew Nicks, will be crucial in matching it with the best. - Sarah Black

5) The move of Luke Parker to half-back has been inspired

After more than 300 games as a tough midfielder and more recently a damaging forward-half player, Luke Parker being re-born as a defender wasn't on many bingo cards at the start of this season. But the veteran's move down back has benefitted more than just the man himself. Parker's poise, experience and kicking skills have been a welcome addition to a Roos defensive group that has been under constant fire in recent years and the move away from the bash and crash of the midfield might just extend his career for another year or two. And the Roos have barely missed him in middle, with the likes of Harry Sheezel and Finn O'Sullivan (who had probably his career-best game against Essendon on Saturday night) seeming to grow in confidence by the week as they gradually put their imprint on this side. North, and Parker as a defender, are still a work in progress, but Alastair Clarkson deserves credit for a positional move that almost no one saw coming. - Martin Smith

6) The other Freo forward is close to top form, too

Josh Treacy was a dominant force in Fremantle's 10-goal win against Richmond, but the improved form of sidekick Jye Amiss might have pleased the Dockers just as much. Amiss toiled through the first two weeks of the season for a combined tally of 14 disposals, four marks and 1.1. While he did cost himself with dropped marks, the 196cm forward also had strong leads overlooked and did unrewarded work off the ball to create opportunities for others. On Saturday, he finally got some reward for himself, kicking 2.3 and handing off another chance to Matthew Johnson in an impressive performance. The 22-year-old showed strong hands to mark on the lead early against Nick Vlastuin, and later snapped a terrific set shot goal from long range. His ability to compete and hang on to marks suggested he was back playing with more confidence just a month after an authoritative four-goal bag against West Coast in a pre-season game that suggested a step up was on the cards in 2026. – Nathan Schmook

7) Young talent a bright spot amid Port's rebuild

Josh Carr might be refusing to call it a rebuild, but after losses to North Melbourne and West Coast so far this season, it's pretty clear there's a long road ahead for Port Adelaide as it finds its feet under a new coach. Bright spots amid a down period are important, and Power fans should look no further than Jack Whitlock for a silver lining in an otherwise dour phase. Tall forwards often take time to develop, but in just his second year, Whitlock looks to be speed-running his progress. Against the Eagles on Sunday, Whitlock kicked three goals, combining nicely with Mitch Georgiades who kicked three of his own. Selected with pick No.33 in the 2024 draft, Whitlock is 200cm and steadily putting size on his lanky frame. If his performance against the Eagles is any indication of his talent, imagine what he'll be able to do when the Power improve. - Sophie Welsh