IN THIS week's Things We Learned, we discover the Dees are contested machines, the Swans have no road fears and much, much more.

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

1) Have the Hawks opened a crack in Roos' armour?

Leigh Matthews famously quoted Arnold Schwarzenegger to drive Brisbane to victory against the juggernaut that was Essendon in 2001, saying "If it bleeds, we can kill it", but Darren Crocker's North Melbourne side was looking very much like a beast that simply didn't bleed. That was until Friday night in Cairns. After losing skipper Emily Bates last round, the Hawks looked like the wounded prey, but they went to work from the first bounce to the last to stop the Roos' winning run at 32. The result will give every other club hope and a gameplan to take on the two-time premiers, and while North will stay flag favourites, they're no longer a sure thing. - Howard Kimber

2) The Cats are taking advantage of their momentum

In 2026 Geelong is averaging 70.2 points per game, further helped along by its 90 points against Collingwood on Saturday afternoon, and it proved once again that its capacity to score heavily in short patches effectively puts other teams away. In the third quarter the Cats kicked 6.1 (37) – their equal-second highest individual quarter score – with five of those goals coming via Aishling Moloney and Chloe Scheer. It’s not the first time this year that the Cats have done bulk damage in a short patch, with a 6.2 (38) second quarter v Essendon earlier this year another significant showing, helping to boost the side's percentage. It is a warning sign to the rest of the AFLW that to best Geelong you simply must be on top of your game for a full four quarters, otherwise they’ll get you. - Gemma Bastiani

3) Demons continue contested possession dominance

Coming into round six the top two teams for contested possession differential were Melbourne (+17.6) and Carlton (+14.2), but the Blues were given a lesson around the ball at Casey on Saturday afternoon. The Demons finished with 23 more contested possessions than Carlton, led by Tyla Hanks (19) and Olivia Purcell (15). Hanks overcame a slow first quarter (three disposals, three contested possessions) to finish with 33 and a goal. "The longer the game went, the stronger she got," said Demons coach Tom Wilson after the game. "I thought she was really strong on both sides of the footy. Her ability to get forward and win contests and her ability to use her strengths was really positive, and she was really well supported by Kate [Hore] and Purcell." - Lincoln Tracy

4) Resilient Swans have no road fears

The Swans have been troubled by injuries more than most this season, with the latest casualty midfield dynamo Sofia Hurley, but Colin O'Riordan's side keeps on keeping on. Despite the loss of Hurley, Sydney made it two wins from two visits to South Australia with a gritty win against Port Adelaide after coming from behind to beat the Crows in Round 1. Zippy Fish stepped into the midfield void left by Hurley against the Power and Chloe Molloy kept doing Chloe Molloy things as the Swans tightened their grip on a top-four spot. - Jason Phelan

5) The Bulldogs are starting to stamp themselves as a contender

Six rounds into the season and the Western Bulldogs are starting to make claims as a premiership contender after Saturday's win against Fremantle. Such thoughts from any side seemed foolish before Hawthorn beat North Melbourne on Friday, but all of a sudden the flag race has opened and the only two teams to down the Dogs to this point are the Hawks and Roos. The Whitten Oval medical room is empty, they have two strong wins interstate and don’t travel again, and the confidence within the group is visibly rising. The Bulldogs’ next three games are against Port Adelaide at the Kennel, St Kilda and Essendon, a stretch that could set up a serious run at a top-four finish. – Howard Kimber

6) Tall Tigers targets are going to be hard to cut down

Some may have questioned why Richmond took Olivia Wolmarans with the first selection in the most recent AFLW draft when it already had Katie Brennan and recently brought in Caitlyn Greiser, but the Tigers’ tall forward structure is proving a major point of difference as they try to find a place in the upper rungs of the ladder. Wolmarans was massive in her sixth AFLW outing against GWS on Sunday, taking a game-high nine marks and kicking three goals, while Greiser had her opportunities but was wayward with 1.5. With Gabby Seymour also presenting and slotting three against the Giants, it has given Jarrad Donders an arsenal of goalscoring threats capable of blowing away most defences. - Howard Kimber

7) Charlie Rowbottom does a bit of everything

Charlie Rowbottom's influence for Gold Coast goes well beyond how many times she gets her hands on the football. The 23-year-old was everywhere against Essendon on Sunday, finding plenty of the footy while also making her presence felt around the contest. Her 36 disposals consisted of 17 kicks and 19 handballs, and were complemented by seven tackles and a goal, highlighting her ability to make an impression on the game in different ways. Her influence across the contest continues to make her one of Gold Coast's most important players. - Jai Tiwari

8) Saints' key is struggling to score

St Kilda key forward Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw was held goalless again on Sunday afternoon against West Coast. It's the fourth time this season the star has finished the game without a goal next to her name. The former league-leading goalkicker has scored only two majors this season, well down on her usual output, and leading coach Nick Dal Santo to say post-match "I think she'd be the first to admit that she's not playing her best football but she's not alone." Tawhiao-Wardlaw is definitely not the only player down on their best, but if the Saints hope to turn their 0-6 start to the season around, they will need their forward gun to start firing, and soon! - Phoebe McWilliams

9) Brisbane isn’t quite the same force in 2026

Winning two premierships from seven Grand Finals in 10 seasons, we've become accustomed to seeing Brisbane as one of the competition pacesetters since the inception of AFLW. However, unless something changes quickly, that won't be the case in 2026. Playing without Courtney Hodder (personal reasons) and now missing Jade Ellenger, Charlotte Mullins and Lily Postlethwaite to injury, it was apparent against Adelaide just how short of quality ball-users the Lions are. They worked hard and they ran hard – they always do – but as the competition evolves, they've struggled to keep pace in the first half of the season. Now sporting a 2-4 record and facing high-flying Sydney, Gold Coast and Hawthorn in the next three weeks, the road to the top eight is a tough one. – Michael Whiting