IN THIS week's Things We Learned, we discover Billy Frampton has never been more important to his side, Zak Butters keeps delivering plus much, much more.

Check out what we learned from round 16 of the 2026 season.

*This article will be updated after the Fremantle v Gold Coast match on Sunday evening

1) Hawthorn's midfield is doing just fine

For all the talk last year about Zach Merrett and Hawthorn's midfield group, Sam Mitchell's side has evolved into a clearance juggernaut. In the words of GWS coach Adam Kingsley, the Hawks "obliterated" the Giants at stoppages on Friday night, winning the clearance count by a staggering 54-30 (with a 15-8 edge in centre clearances) and scoring 56 more points - their seventh-best return on record. This sheer dominance through the centre fuelled a seven-goal lead early in the second half and provided the match-winning cushion against a brave late surge from the Giants. While star players like Jai Newcombe (15 clearances) and Will Day (eight) led the charge, unsung hero Cam McKenzie (seven) shone by maintaining elite defensive pressure despite difficult conditions. Hawthorn's rucks also dominated the hitouts 65-27, allowing the Hawks to trap the ball in their forward half. The raw numbers put the Hawks third in the AFL for clearances, indicating concerns about their midfield group may be misplaced. - Emily Patterson

2) Zak Butters keeps adding zeros to his next deal

Zak Butters' future has been a hot topic throughout the year, but the two-time All-Australian continues to show that the contract talk is not affecting him at all. If anything, he is using it as fuel. Coming up against an Adelaide side that had won three in a row, Butters produced a midfield masterclass that is sure to feature prominently in his Hall of Fame showreel - 37 disposals, 13 clearances and seven tackles to drag the 15th-ranked Power over a Crows outfit vying for a spot in the top four. "Definitely one of the best wins ever in my career,” Butters told Fox Footy after the game. "I thought Kenny's last game last year was pretty good, but I think that goes close to topping it." With the Western Bulldogs, Geelong, Richmond, Collingwood and Hawthorn among the clubs circling, one thing is for certain: his price is only going up. - Bede Briscomb

3) This Magpie has never been more important

Billy Frampton is a premiership player, but he has never been more important to Collingwood than in 2026. With Darcy Moore barely playing at all this year - and Brayden Maynard out at the moment - Frampton has been getting the job done week-in, week-out, leading an undermanned and undersized defence. The 29-year-old produced another reliable performance in the win over Richmond on Saturday and would surprise few if he finishes top five in the Copeland Trophy. After 16 rounds, no one in the AFL has recorded more spoils than Frampton this season. – Josh Gabelich

4) Josh Dunkley is Brisbane's tone-setter

There might be more talented and more polished players on Brisbane's list, but Josh Dunkley reminded us on Thursday night why he sets the tone for his Lions teammates. After coach Chris Fagan highlighted earlier in the week it was Brisbane's defensive efforts that would dictate its fortunes following the mid-season bye, it was Dunkley who encapsulated that in the statement win over the Swans. Breathing down Isaac Heeney's neck at the early stoppages, Dunkley scrapped and fought for everything and pressured like crazy. His numbers were good (26 touches and nine tackles), but you didn't need a stats sheet to tell you of his impact, so central was he to forcing turnovers and hurried Sydney possessions. When last year's best and fairest winner plays like that, his teammates follow. – Michael Whiting

5) The Blues showed how to minimise Harley's influence

We only got a five-minute glimpse of Patrick Cripps v Harley Reid, and it was the much more unheralded work of George Hewett that helped Carlton to the comfortable 53-point win against West Coast, and provided a guide for future sides. The hard-working Hewett kicked two goals going the other way in the first quarter, taking advantage of Reid's want to move on the attacking side of the contest. The Blue - who found himself out of the 23 earlier this year, but was a key contributor on Saturday - also recorded 26 disposals and four clearances. The young Eagles star finished with an impressive 12 clearances and 23 disposals, and again had much of the midfield weight on his young shoulders compared to the more even spread of the Blues mids. But his ability to impact the contest on the outside was much more muted, thanks to Hewett getting busy - Sarah Black

6) Essendon must continue to empower its youth

In what has been a bleak few years for Essendon, fans have been able to latch on to members of the past three draft classes. Nate Caddy, Isaac Kako, Sullivan Robey, Dyson Sharp and Jacob Farrow have been immediate fan favourites, and for good reason. Playing strong footy – largely in the front half – empowering these young Bombers is an equally important task for the remainder of the year as the hunt for a new head coach, because it is players like this quartet that will help carry the club into a new era. - Gemma Bastiani