1. Gary's late chance
Geelong trailed by 23 points midway through the last quarter on Friday night when Richmond forward Sam Lloyd converted his shot for goal. But that didn't stop the Cats from throwing everything at the Tigers one last time. Quick goals to Tom Hawkins, Cameron Guthrie and Sam Menegola within five minutes got the Cats to within four points with less than two minutes to play. The game was set up for an exciting finish, and Geelong champion Gary Ablett had the chance to kick the match-winner when he gathered the ball 40 metres from goal. He took a couple of quick steps and had plenty of time to settle, but his shot sprayed to the right. It was the type of kick the brilliant midfielder would have banged home time after time but, fortunately for the Tigers on this occasion, it skewed and they held on to a three-point win.

2. 'Tomahawk' cut downTom Hawkins entered the game as the in-form forward of the competition, having booted seven goals in each of his previous two games. That run meant he started the round just five goals shy of Coleman Medal leader Ben Brown. It also meant he attracted the attention of Richmond's champion defender Alex Rance on Friday night. The pair started the game matched up on each other and Rance nullified Hawkins early. Hawkins roamed up the field on occasions, where he was met by Richmond backmen Dylan Grimes and David Astbury, but the Hawkins-Rance contest still had its moments throughout the night. Rance will take the honours, though, with Hawkins kept to just one late goal. That itself was a big part of Richmond's win.  

3. A superstar battle
The game's past two Brownlow medallists came up against each other on Friday night in a heavyweight battle that was worth watching. Patrick Dangerfield and Dusitn Martin might not have had quite as good respective seasons in 2018 as their Brownlow Medal-winning years (Dangerfield in 2016, Martin in 2017), but they remain widely seen as the competition's best two players. Friday night's clash didn't take away from that view. Dangerfield was excellent, gathering a game-high 39 disposals plus eight clearances in a dominant midfield display, but Martin was also prolific. The Tigers matchwinner collected 26 disposals, set up a couple of goals and pumped the ball inside-50 on 10 occasions. 

4. Do they need Lynch?
Tom Lynch's manager Paul Connors was on SEN pre-game on Friday night and confirmed three clubs – Richmond, Collingwood and Hawthorn – are vying for the now ex-Gold Coast co-captain's services. The Tigers are viewed in the industry as the clear front-runners, but do they need him? The past 18 months of footy would suggest Lynch is far from the missing piece at Tigerland, and his arrival would mean a restructure of their forward half. Their attacking set up that had a bevy of small forwards at the feet of Jack Riewoldt (who kicked four goals on Friday night) originated last year mostly out of necessity. There weren't many other key forwards on their list to consider. Adding Lynch as a support might take a little bit of time to gel, but the Tigers would be better for it. And that's a scary thought for rivals.

5. Higgins' star keeps rising
Is Jack Higgins getting enough credit as a NAB AFL Rising Star contender? The Richmond forward seems unlikely to win the award, with Collingwood forward Jaidyn Stephenson, Adelaide defender Tom Doedee and Brisbane half-back Alex Witherden considered the favourites. But Higgins' form as a first-year player in Richmond's formidable line-up should not be overlooked. His brilliantly quick-minded goal last week against Collingwood caught attention, but Higgins is much more than that: he's a powerful runner who has added plenty of drive and class to the Tigers this season. His goal against Geelong – a clean shot from 45 metres off two steps – showed his skill and he finished with 18 disposals (pushing his average to 19 disposals a game the past six weeks).