1. Vickery goes missing
This was not a case of Tyrone Vickery going missing in a form sense. He actually disappeared from the ground when he looked like one of the most dangerous players on the ground. Vickery kicked back-to-back goals halfway through the second quarter and ran from the ground for a spell after the second. In the new world of the interchange cap, he spent the best part of 10 minutes off the ground as the Hawks kicked three unanswered goals to round out the half. Goalkickers coming straight from the ground is a long-running trend in the game, but it was the length of time Vickery spent off that was confusing. Whether it was by design or a mistake, only the Tigers know. 

Tigers v Hawks: Full match coverage and statistics

2. Mitchell out, who steps up?
Friday night's match was the first in Alastair Clarkson's 266 games as coach that all of Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge and Jarryd Roughead were sidelined. Mitchell's omission came 90 minutes before the match with soreness in a corked calf and the centre bounce is where the Hawks felt his absence most. They lost the first four centre clearances and trailed 6-1 at quarter-time in a pattern that threatened their chances. From there, Will Langford and Shaun Burgoyne helped stem the bleeding and Jordan Lewis, despite long quiet patches, was the team's leading clearance player by the final siren with eight. Liam Shiels also stood up in the fourth term with some important early clearances to get the ball going his team's way. The early clearance differential didn't prove fatal and by the final siren they had the edge 41-40.      

3. Vlastuin to the guts 
No.9 draft pick Nick Vlastuin has morphed from an underage midfielder into a small defender in his 65 games with Richmond, and critics have questioned the way he has been developed. On Friday night he was used almost exclusively as a midfielder in a move that earned a tick for three quarters. No stranger to the bustle of the centre square, Vlastuin was a dual All Australian at under-18 level and was drafted partly because of his fearless attack on the ball. He showed those traits from the first bounce and had 14 possessions and five clearances at the last change. He only won two more touches in a disappointing fourth quarter, but it was a game to build on that shows where the Tigers see him long-term.       

4. Red-time Hawks
The Hawks' dominance once the clock ticked into red time would have added a few grey hairs to those in the Richmond coach's box. Every time the Tigers looked like they were back in the game, the clock would tick over 20 minutes and the Hawks would get to work. By the final siren, those red time goals added up to 11, with the Tigers kicking two goals in total in those end-of-quarter periods. Maybe it is the Hawks' experience that allows them to keep cool heads and play the quarter out. On the flipside, maybe the Tigers have an issue late in terms. With all aspects of the football department being scrutinised, the fitness staff will be wondering if something has gone wrong.    

5. Don't expect casualties at Tigerland any time soon
The Tigers might be 1-6 and staring at a wasted year, but president Peggy O'Neal is remaining calm and sending a strong public message of support for coach Damien Hardwick. "Let there be no doubt, we will continue to support and be positive with our coaches, players, football department and club as a whole," O'Neal said in her pre-match address. "Do we give the media the head on a plate they are looking for? The answer to that is no." All at Punt Road Oval look like they'll be given time to dig the club out of its current mess, and any decisions on coaching staff will be made "in the cool light of day". Speaking shortly after on ABC, O'Neal guaranteed Hardwick would coach the Tigers next year. "No doubt. He already knows that, but it doesn't hurt to re-state it," she said.