Crows ruckman Reilly O’Brien outmarks Callum Coleman-Jones on Saturday at Adelaide Oval. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

FULL BACKS

Shannon Hurn (West Coast)
The West Coast champion turned back the clock on Sunday with a commanding performance in the back half against St Kilda. One of a number of senior Eagles who lifted following the humiliation of last week’s 171-point loss to Sydney, Hurn gained 628 metres from his 30 disposals, also taking 13 marks in what was a big contribution.

Jacob Weitering (Carlton)
A couple of strong outings either side of the bye has Weitering in top form, and the Blues still hanging on in season 2023. Manned up on Hawthorn spearhead Mitch Lewis, Weitering displayed a good balance between defence and offence, with nine intercepts and a perfect record in one-on-one contests.

Nick Blakey (Sydney)
Blakey recovered strongly from a bruising bump early in the year’s second grand final rematch to finish as one of the best players afield against Geelong. Still required by Sydney to play tall at times, he nonetheless managed to influence the contest with trademark run. A big last quarter wasn’t quite enough to get Sydney over the line, but kept his team in the game.

HALF-BACKS

Dan Houston (Port Adelaide)
A performance that will be remembered for a long time. Houston was already among the best players on the ground with 32 touches and 13 intercepts prior to his matchwinner against Essendon. A tricky proposition at the best of times, the goal he nailed in torrid conditions and with the added pressure of an after-the-siren shot was one of the moments of the year.

Sam Taylor (GWS)
That GWS has managed two of its best performances in several years just as Sam Taylor returned to the side is surely no coincidence. The reigning All-Australian centre half-back was imperious against the Demons, clocking up 17 effective spoils, laying eight tackles and helping keep Ben Brown goalless.

John Noble (Collingwood)
An underrated piece of Collingwood’s defence, Noble manages to provide a consistent contribution without necessarily getting the plaudits of its big-name stars. On Saturday he was very much in the spotlight with a career-high 30 disposals, seven score involvements and a nice goal against a stifled Suns outfit.

CENTRES

Errol Gulden (Sydney)
There aren’t too many Swans who have clearly improved their output from last season to now, but the emergence of Gulden goes someway to bridging the gap. Again one of the most prolific players on the field, the star Swan stood out in a fairly stodgy game with his long kicking and willingness to break lines between the arcs.

Lachie Neale (Brisbane)
The old adage of “the game was won and lost in the midfield” has scarcely been more accurate than it was on Thursday night, as Neale led the Lions to a demolition of an in-form Richmond unit. The Brisbane co-captain dominated from the middle with 10 clearances, including five from the centre, and also hit the scoreboard with two terrific goals.

Josh Kelly (GWS)
A match-winning outing from the GWS lifer, whose long goal not only handed the Giants victory in the final minutes of a tough game against Melbourne, but capped off yet another brilliant individual performance. Again stationed almost exclusively on a wing, Kelly was a lively contributor over four quarters in what was a slog of a match.

HALF-FORWARDS

Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)
Splitting his time between half-forward and the midfield, Rozee had a big impact in both roles against the Bombers with 23 disposals, nine marks, nine tackles, seven inside 50s and three goals. His scoreboard impact was particularly telling, with each of his highly skilful goals coming at a time when the sides were basically neck-and-neck.

Joe Daniher (Brisbane)
This was one of the most “Joe Daniher games” imaginable, delivered in style by the man himself. After enjoying a competitive battle with Noah Balta in the first half, Daniher broke free in the final two quarters to finish with five goals, 19 disposals, 10 marks, two goal assists and a number of other attempted assists. His best game of the year.

Izak Rankine (Adelaide)
With a career-best outing in terms of goals, Rankine capitalised on the Crows’ inside-50 domination against North Melbourne and put through five majors (along with two goal assists). Always good for a few highlights, his standout moment came when he roved a Reilly O’Brien tap at half-forward, broke through a pack and slotted a goal from just inside the paint of 50.

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FORWARDS

Michael Walters (Fremantle)
The renaissance season of Michael Walters continued at Docklands on Saturday, with the veteran forward contributing four goals against the Western Bulldogs. Lively in a competitive opening term with back-to-back goals, he also kicked the first of the final quarter before the Bulldogs ran away with it.

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Western Bulldogs)
Ugle-Hagan has had bigger hauls, but maybe not better games than what he produced on Saturday. Exploiting the Dockers’ loose-checking in defence, the dangerous Bulldog booted four goals while the game was in dispute over the first three quarters, handed off a couple more and took a soaring mark-of-the-year contender that thrilled the Marvel Stadium crowd.

Jamie Elliott (Collingwood)
A good return to form for Elliott, who managed a haul of five goals in his second game back from a shoulder injury. Starting strongly with the opening two majors of the game against Gold Coast, including a piece of individual brilliance on the goal line, Elliott had four at half-time as the Magpies constantly looked for him inside 50.

FOLLOWERS

Reilly O’Brien (Adelaide)
Some brilliant ruckwork against a difficult opponent in Todd Goldstein sent Adelaide on its way to a comprehensive win over North Melbourne. O’Brien managed a decisive victory at stoppage with 52 hitouts, also clocking up six clearances, nine score involvements and slotting two goals.

Nick Daicos (Collingwood)
Daicos continues to meet every challenge demanded of him and make it look positively easy. Following on from his strong outing in the midfield last week, he continued in that role and starred once again, winning 36 touches, seven clearances, laying 10 tackles and hitting the scoreboard for the sixth-straight match.

Jack Viney (Melbourne)
Viney hasn’t had to play a lone hand in the Melbourne midfield for years, but that’s essentially what he did in the loss to GWS on Sunday. Well suited to the conditions, Viney was a battering ram throughout the match, finishing with 41 disposals (24 contested), 10 inside 50s, seven clearances and seven tackles.

INTERCHANGE

Mitch Owens (St KIlda)
One of this season’s breakout stars was again a bright and important contributor to the Saints’ victory on Sunday. Kicking the opening goal within 20 seconds, Owens added three more for the match, including the only major scored in a fraught final term. In a fairly scrappy display from the Saints, he was essentially the difference between defeat and victory.

Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
The Carlton captain looked like the best version of himself at the MCG on Sunday, as he constantly won the ball in tight, broke tackles, and fired off attacking handballs that opened up the play for the Blues. Ten of his 28 disposals resulted in scores, including three direct goal assists, and he also won the most clearances on the ground with eight.

Luke Shuey (West Coast)
This was a really strong statement game from Shuey, and a highly physical performance that included eight clearances and nine tackles. He will be gutted not to have taken the win, but to come out after last week and play as he did speaks to his leadership, and passion for the club.

Gryan Miers (Geelong)
A player who just continues to improve, the league’s goal assist king hit new heights on Friday night with a career-high 27 disposals. Playing an important role as a conduit between the midfield and half-forward, Miers picked off some brilliant kicks inside 50, and his three assists took him to 26 for the year – easily the most in the competition.

STIFF TO MISS
Caleb Serong (Fremantle), Jye Amiss (Fremantle), Harry McKay (Carlton), Adam Cerra (Carlton), Rowan Marshall (St Kilda), Josh Daicos (Collingwood), Zach Tuohy (Geelong), Zach Merrett (Essendon), Tom Barrass (West Coast), Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane).