IN THIS week's Things We Learned, we discover Carlton's season is on the brink, a Docker is firmly in Brownlow contention plus much, much more.

Check out what we learned from round 15 of the 2025 season.

1) The theatre of the tag is good for the game

All week, the focus was on the competition's premier tagger Marcus Windhager taking on Collingwood star Nick Daicos on Saturday night, and the battle lived up to the hype. St Kilda coach Ross Lyon agreed, noting that "there's a lot of noise, a bit of theatre, both teams supporting their players, I think that's great for the game, isn't it?". There was an early tête-à-tête between the pair, with Windhager giving up some free kicks – later questioned by Lyon – before Daicos fired back, but the Magpies' direction was clear and they were ws determined to support their star. Daicos ultimately won out, with 30 disposals and a team-lifting final quarter goal, but Windhager still stands as the League's best run-with player. No matter the winner, it was another enthralling subplot to a tight game of footy, much like Ed Langdon's run-with role on Daicos on King's Birthday. - Gemma Bastiani

2) Brisbane's Joe Daniher replacement was right under its nose the whole time

There's no doubting the retirement of Joe Daniher after last year's premiership triumph left a serious hole in Brisbane's forward line, and it's arguably taken the Lions half a season to adjust to life without the big man. But at just 20 years old, Logan Morris may have already sewn up the mantle of Brisbane's No.1 man up forward. Morris played 19 games in his debut season last year, primarily as a third tall, and kicked 24 goals. But after back-to-back hauls of five against Greater Western Sydney and Geelong, he has already recorded 30 majors from 14 games this year. Most promising for Brisbane is the fact Morris is playing with a quiet, assured confidence, calmly slotting goals from tough angles and making it clear he belongs on the big stage. The mystery of how he snuck through to pick 31 in the 2023 draft may never be solved. - Sarah Black

3) There is a Brownlow within reach for this Freo star 

Thursday night's near faultless performance was a timely reminder that there is another level for Caleb Serong to reach, despite the outstanding form that has already delivered back-to-back All-Australian selections and club champion awards. Serong had a career-high 783m gained and 24 kicks among his 35 disposals against Essendon, going well above his season average to use the ball at 83 per cent efficiency and kicking two goals in the 41-point win. It was a more damaging game from the 24-year-old, whose form has been central to a five-game winning run. Luke Jackson may well secure the three votes against Essendon, but the ruckman's form is also helping Serong become a bigger offensive threat. If that continues, the Dockers will have a serious contender on Brownlow Medal night. The main threat might actually come from within, with teammate Andrew Brayshaw (14 votes) just behind Serong (15) in AFL.com.au's Brownlow Predictor after round 15. - Nathan Schmook

4) Dogs have the midfield depth to do September damage

It's never nice losing a player to injury, as the Western Bulldogs did on Sunday when Adam Treloar went down with yet another calf problem. But few sides are as well equipped to deal with the absence of a reigning All-Australian like Luke Beveridge's. Marcus Bontempelli was just brilliant on Sunday, Ed Richards was classy again, Tom Liberatore was as tough as ever, Joel Freijah looks like an A-grader in the making, while Matthew Kennedy has impressed this year in a variety of roles but looks at home in the middle. Then there's youngster Ryley Sanders, who was withdrawn on the eve of the side's big victory over Richmond due to illness. When all of those players click, the Dogs are hard to stop and the Tigers can now attest to that. A few more might find out when September rolls around as well. - Riley Beveridge

5) The Suns need to start ticking off their hoodoos

Gold Coast has been the slowest of burns across its first 14 seasons and missed a gilt-edge opportunity to push closer to a breakthrough finals appearance when overrun by Greater Western Sydney on Sunday afternoon. The seven-point defeat was the Suns' eighth at Engie Stadium from as many visits and leaves the finals hopefuls likely needing at least five more wins to lock in a top-eight finish. The Suns did a lot right with a seven-goal opening term and 68-44 inside 50s for the game, but failed to make the most of their early advantage and had few answers late as the Giants stormed home. Gold Coast has already snapped horror records against Melbourne and St Kilda this year, but it needs to start ticking off its hoodoos on the road – starting with two matches to come at Adelaide Oval – to prove it is finally a genuine finals contender rather than just a team for the future. - Martin Pegan

6) Boring Blues' season is teetering on the brink

An 0-4 start to the year, including a shock loss to Richmond in round one, left Carlton with little room for error, and whatever that slim margin was became even smaller with Saturday's surprise defeat to North Melbourne. The Blues were comprehensively beaten before kicking five unanswered goals in the final quarter to add respectability to the scoreline. Perhaps surprisingly, Carlton was unable to match North's physicality, and a run of eight unanswered goals from the Roos proved to be crucial. As the Roos played with dare and excitement, Carlton - as it has often this season - found itself in a safe, dull mode, chipping kicks and marking but doing little to unsettle their opponents. The Blues are 6-8 ahead of Thursday night's clash against Port Adelaide, with five of those wins coming against West Coast (twice), the Roos, St Kilda and Essendon. If it isn't already over, a loss in Adelaide this week would end their season. - Dejan Kalinic

7) The full-strength Swans are a different beast

Sydney's season has barely got out of first gear this year, but it limped to its round 14 bye with finals still a faint hope. Now, a rested list has been rejuvenated by the return of Errol Gulden and Tom Papley, with skipper Callum Mills working back to his best. Three games and percentage out of the eight sounds a long way back, but last year we saw what this club is capable of at its best. If Dean Cox can keep his best players on the field – and straighten up the goalkicking, unlike their showing against Port Adelaide on Saturday – the Swans might not only make September, but shape it. – Howard Kimber