IN THIS week's Things We Learned, we discover a Crow is firmly in the All-Australian race, the Bont might need a break plus much, much more.

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

*This article will be updated after the Gold Coast v Greater Western Sydney clash on Sunday night

1) Carlton's fade outs are creating long-term scars

For both fans and players, Carlton's ongoing trend of second-half fade outs is creating long-term damage to an already struggling program. With the predictable, and dramatic, momentum swings away from the Blues becoming essentially a footy meme, if change isn't established quick smart, some of the young talent that has been brought into the club to help turn the tide is going to be scarred before they can show their true value. Whether that change is the head coach, the off-field staff, veteran players, or a combination of all three remains to be seen, but the bleeding simply must be stemmed for the future of the club. - Gemma Bastiani

2) This Crow is in All-Australian form

After two months of career-best footy, Wayne Milera has thrust himself firmly into All-Australian contention. Injuries have deprived Milera of some of his prime years, but the silky-skilled defender is back playing with confidence. As cool under pressure as they come and arguably the Crows' best kick, he impressed once more against the Power on Friday night. He was unlucky to have his 50-metre bomb ruled out late in the final term, but two minutes later he won a crucial loose ball at half-back to help set up Brayden Cook's eventual match-winner. - Tom Wyman

3) Not even injuries can stop Brisbane's scoring power

Brisbane has been forced to chop and change its attack given the continued absence of Eric Hipwood this season, the move of Ty Gallop into the backline and the recent injury to Oscar Allen, with first-year tall Cody Curtin given his chance to impress on Saturday. But no bother, this remains one of the most lethal attacks in football. The starting forward six of Logan Morris, Zac Bailey, Kai Lohmann, Cam Rayner, Charlie Cameron and Conor McKenna all kicked multiple goals against Essendon, combining for 18 between them, to provide the type of cut and thrust that Chris Fagan has been searching for. When these guys get on a roll, there's no stopping them. - Riley Beveridge

4) Collingwood is verging on a serious clearance issue

The Pies have managed to scrounge four wins and a draw so far this season, despite sitting stone cold last for average clearances. The wins have come against Carlton, Essendon and the inconsistent St Kilda and Greater Western Sydney, but there are much tougher games to come in the remaining two thirds of the season. They were fortunate Hawthorn didn't punish them nearly enough in the astonishing 19-5 smacking in centre clearances on Thursday night, and came away with two points and a draw. While the Pies might point to their position on the ladder as a sign they're travelling OK, it's not a sustainable way of playing football, particularly if they want to make an impact at the end of the season. - Sarah Black

5) The Bont needs a break

Marcus Bontempelli might have dominated against Fremantle on Friday night, but the Western Bulldogs' captain is looking increasingly hampered by the week. With heavy strapping on his right knee – covering all available skin between his shorts and his socks and requiring a re-do in the first quarter - Bontempelli battled bravely through the match to push his team along. But there is a real question about how much longer he can continue to carry both the injury and his team in the face of a dearth of player availability. Coach Luke Beveridge admitted it may be a consideration in Bontempelli's best interests, and with Port Adelaide and Carlton to come in the next fortnight, and the Bulldogs' bye not fixtured until round 16, it might be time to give Bontempelli a rest. - Gemma Bastiani

6) This new Swan can be a match-winner

In a scintillating display, Malcolm Rosas Jnr amassed a career-best seven goals in a stunning outcome on Sunday. He dismantled Melbourne's defensive structures by repeatedly finding space as a spare forward, booting five goals in the first half alone — the first Swan to achieve the feat since Ben Ronke in 2018 — before adding two more in the second half to secure the win. This performance marks just the fifth time a Sydney player has recorded seven or more goals in the past decade, far eclipsing Rosas Jnr's previous personal best of four. The former Sun has grabbed very few headlines since his move last off-season, but he'll surely get some attention now. - Emily Patterson

7) Don't forget this Roo in the AA ruck race

Max Gawn has rightly got one hand on another blazer eight rounds into the season, with Luke Jackson and Brodie Grundy also mounting strong cases, but Tristan Xerri is quietly building a compelling argument of his own for All-Australian selection. The North Melbourne big man produced his best performance of the season in Saturday's loss to Geelong and etched his name into the record books in the process. Xerri broke the all-time record for contested possessions by a ruck, amassing a remarkable 26 from his 30 disposals, but he didn't stop there. He also added 14 clearances, eight score involvements, seven tackles and 23 hitouts to keep his side in the contest. If he continues at this level, Xerri will be hard to ignore in AA talks. - Alison O’Connor

8) There is an upside to the Tigers' injury curse

Winless, travelling to the other side of the country and with 13 team members under 50 games, not many pundits expected Richmond to beat West Coast on Saturday. But with their backs to the wall, the young cubs pulled out an inspirational victory under immense pressure. Getting the right balance of experience and youth can be tricky, but with no choice but to throw their kids in at the deep end, the Tigers may have done themselves a favour. Saturday's win in front of a packed hostile crowd will be the equivalent of half a dozen victories in normal conditions, fast-tracking the young squad's development, something that may not have been achieved if the full list was available. – Howard Kimber