Cody Weightman’s star continued to rise against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

FULL BACKS

Charlie Ballard (Gold Coast)
Had a tough match-up on the much more experienced Jack Riewoldt, and beat him comfortably. Not only did Ballard keep the Tigers’ champ to just one goal and minimal impact, he also worked off his man as his confidence rose throughout the match, and ended up with a round-high seven intercept marks.

Jacob Weitering (Carlton)
A sensational performance from Weitering, who this season has emerged as one of the genuine star defenders in the competition. He was rarely beaten all night, but played an incredible last quarter as the Dockers banged in 14 inside 50s for just one behind. He is strong, skilful, and reads the play better than most.

Jack Lukosius (Gold Coast)
The highly skilled Lukosius played one of his best games against Richmond, slicing up their defensive structures with his disposal by foot, and giving the Suns opportunities forward of centre by breaking lines. Twenty-three kicks, 10 marks and 782 metres gained is Lukosius at his utmost, and he was too good for the Tigers on Thursday night.

HALF BACKS

Christian Salem (Melbourne)
In a frustrating day for the Demons, Salem was their only true four-quarter performer and one of the only factors keeping them in the game in the first half. He picked up nine marks across half back and a game-high 31 touches, and his goal late in the third quarter gave Melbourne a massive sniff after the Giants had got out to a four-goal lead.

Marcus Adams (Brisbane)
Another fantastic game for Adams, who has now appeared in back-to-back Teams Of The Week and is enjoying the best run of form of his career. He was firm, competitive and discerning in the back half against the Crows, winning one-on-ones and collecting more intercept possessions (14) than anyone else in round 16.

Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs)
There’s been a few successful positional switches this season, but the move of Dale to half back would be right up there with the best. His genuine power, and ability to meet the ball at pace and drive it forward, make him a fantastic asset in defence. He also got forward to slot two nice goals, and was among the best players on the ground.

CENTRES

Josh Kelly (GWS)
Kelly’s turn around in form has been so significant that he’s gone from not having a position in the Giants midfield, to being one of the best performed outside players in the league over the last two months. His game against Melbourne was as good as any he’s produced this year, with 29 touches, eight inside 50s, seven tackles and a great goal.

Darcy Parish (Essendon)
Parish’s move into the middle is not only working out for the Bombers, but has seen him become one of the elite ball-winners of the league. Against the might of the Cats’ midfield he had some unbelievable numbers – 43 disposals (28 contested), 15 inside 50s, 13 clearances, 908 metres gained, and a goal. He’s become one of the great stories of the year.

Bradley Hill (St Kilda)
Hill appears to have turned a corner since his highly-publicised outing against North Melbourne in round 11, and he capped off a great month with a fantastic performance and his first 30-disposal game in Saints colours. He worked hard into defence and back out again from his wing, and his ball use by foot was right back to its effective best.

HALF FORWARDS

Jake Stringer (Essendon)
We seem to be witnessing a genuine run of sustained form from Stringer, who is averaging 26 touches, eight inside 50s and more than 2.5 goals in his last three matches. He was instrumental in the Bombers’ strong start against the Cats, booting the first two goals of the game, and he continued to contribute around the footy by winning clearances and contested ball throughout the match.

Tom Lynch (Richmond)
A shining light for the Tigers on Thursday night, Lynch looked far more mobile and assertive in his return game from a knee injury. Matched up against his adept adversary in Sam Collins, Lynch marked strongly at important moments, and put in a big third quarter with three goals in a row after the Suns had taken a game-high lead.

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Zac Bailey (Brisbane)
Bailey has become one of the buzz players of the competition, and deservedly so. He was one of Brisbane’s best against the Crows, arriving with a goal or a clever handball out of traffic whenever the Lions needed something. The way he creates scoring opportunities where there are none is exhilarating to watch.

FORWARDS

Lincoln McCarthy (Brisbane)
Another outstanding performance from McCarthy, who has been a multiple goalscorer in five of his last six outings. His four against the Crows was an equal career-high, and he also managed 16 disposals at an impressive 88 per cent efficiency. He very rarely wastes an opportunity, and, like his teammate Bailey, knows how to make things happen with ball in hand.

Tom Hawkins (Geelong)
Responded powerfully to a few uncharacteristically quiet weeks with a big six-goal performance. With the red-hot Jeremy Cameron going off with a hamstring injury halfway through the second term, Hawkins took over, booting his first of the game and adding two more before half-time as the Cats took control of the match.

Cody Weightman (Western Bulldogs)
An exciting three-goal first quarter set up a brilliant night for the young Dogs livewire who is clearly a star in the making. Weightman worked hard at ground level, but also showed his capabilities in the air with some big marks and strong showings in deep aerial contests. Ended up with four goals, two assists and seven marks in an influential display.

FOLLOWERS

Sean Darcy (Fremantle)
Fremantle’s breakout star enjoyed yet another dominant outing on Saturday night, almost singlehandedly wrenching the momentum away from the Blues during the middle stages of the game. He racked up 20 disposals, eight marks and a goal, but his monstrous 23 hitouts to advantage was the telling stat as he largely controlled the ball from stoppages.

Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
This was a bit of a stern reminder to the rest of the competition that Dangerfield’s best is still as powerful and dynamic as anyone’s. His work in and around the contest was elite, winning 11 clearances and 18 contested possessions, and he used his disposal for maximum impact in driving the ball forward with tenacity. A vintage performance.

Touk Miller (Gold Coast)
Miller was unstoppable against the Tigers, racking up another 36 touches and nine clearances, and completely outworking some much more experienced and lionised opponents. He simply does not stop running, and is finally getting some league-wide recognition for his scantily-matched effort and intensity.

INTERCHANGE

Jack Steele (St Kilda)
Steele has absolutely done his bit for the Saints this year, and his game on Sunday was one of his best. Not only did he set the win up with a brilliant first half in which he amassed 12 tackles, but he was one of very few Saints who kept playing in the final term, and his 10 touches and three clearances in that quarter alone were just as important.

Jordan Dawson (Sydney)
A really impressive game from Dawson, who contributed strongly across half back and pushing up onto the wing as Sydney largely did as they pleased against the Eagles. Clearly the Swans like getting the ball into his hands, and he was rewarded for his tireless running with two goals, including one from a cracking contested mark just inside 50.

Callum Mills (Sydney)
Mills was absolutely everywhere against West Coast, winning clearances and also getting used on the outside where he clocked up 659 metres gained and seven inside 50s from his career-high 35 disposals. Like Parish, Mills’ transition to the midfield has been seamless, and he looked every bit like the Swans’ number one man on Sunday.

Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide)
Continued his form with another best-on-ground performance, this time bulldozing through the capable Hawthorn on-ball brigade on his way to 13 clearances, eight inside 50s and seven tackles. Whilst not all of his disposals were executed perfectly, he did have 43 of them, and the vast majority were highly valuable.

STIFF TO MISS
Jarryd Lyons (Brisbane), Tom Atkins (Geelong), Zach Merrett (Essendon), Jordan Ridley (Essendon), Sam Walsh (Carlton), Ben King (Gold Coast), Charlie Dixon (Port Adelaide), Cameron Zurhaar (North Melbourne), Ben Cunnington (North Melbourne), Robbie Tarrant (North Melbourne).