1. Blue moon rising
THE SUN rose yesterday on Princes Park, revealing the usual mix of shining grass and dog poo, but perhaps also an unmistakeable tinge of smug.
The Blues, in case you missed Sunday's five-goal win against Collingwood, or the replays of Brendan Fevola's eight goals, or any of yesterday's front pages, or back pages, or the articles plastered all over this here website, are back in the eight.
And with developing draftees of the quality of Kade Simpson, Andrew Walker, Jordan Russell, Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs and Matthew Kreuzer, they could be there for many years to come.
It's been a long time since your office Carlton fan has been able to sport anything more than a wry smile, so we will begrudgingly permit them their happiness. For a week, at least.
2. I get up, but I go down again
FEW THINGS in football are more heartbreaking than seeing a player who has fought off a long-term injury get re-injured. It happened yesterday to two players: Essendon's Scott Gumbleton, who broke his collarbone after years of hamstring and knee injuries; and Hawthorn's Max Bailey.
Bailey, 21, had a knee reconstruction early in 2007 and was just 20 minutes into his comeback VFL game with the Box Hill Hawks on Sunday when he did the same knee.
Bailey's surgeon is a fine feller named, erm, Feller who has promised to look at all options. Which, if we understand these modern times, means Bailey could return in a month with a bit of Nick Malceski's knee grafted onto his own, or in a week or two following an intimate session with Max Rooke, German surgeon Hans Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfarth and a co-operative rooster.
3. Not quite right
BEING either too soft, or too hard, but very rarely just right, Port Adelaide is perhaps football's equivalent of a flapjack.
Coach Mark Williams would rather Port was the one rather than the other, after his side was criticised for trying to rough up Geelong in Sunday's rather one-sided affair at Skilled Stadium.
At 4-8, Williams is talking down the side's finals chances, although unlike last week he hasn't gone as far as dismissing them completely. Next Saturday's game against Richmond is a must win, Choco says, although if teal is one of your colours, apparently you can forget about a premiership.
4. Bu-ddy
AT SIX-FOOT-FIVE, 101kg and with an average of five goals per game in the biggest league in the land, Lance 'the nickname's Buddy, but not like Pauly Shore says it' Franklin reminds us a little of ourselves. So in a fatherly sort of way we're delighted by the news that he has been offered only a reprimand for Saturday's rough conduct against Adelaide's Michael Doughty.
Franklin's penalty, which he has yet to accept, totals 93.75 demerit points with an early guilty plea. However, because the original penalty exceeded 100 points, accepting the charge will make him ineligible for the Brownlow. On the plus side, this leaves plenty of room around his neck for this year's Coleman Medal.
WHAT'S COMING UP
What to look out for on afl.com.au this Tuesday
Tuesdays, Tex
Richmond's Terry Wallace is a tactical genius, when the Tigers win. So we look forward to his elaborate explanation this afternoon of how his side fought back, then steamrolled, then fought back again against Melbourne on Sunday.
NAB AFL Rising Star
An exclusive interview this morning with this week's winner, plus video highlights of the match that won him the nomination.
Sons of the west
The Western Australian clubs are propping up the ladder this year, and both front the press today ahead of difficult round 13 games. Freo travels to play St Kilda on Friday night, while West Coast hosts Geelong.
Pick-me-up
In his exclusive column for afl.com.au, Swans star Adam Goodes talks us through the science of post-game recovery
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
