- Howe puns will never end
One thing is for sure; Jeremy Howe can take a mark.
Every time he does, however, we are forced to read or listen to cringe-worthy puns involving his surname.
We get it, we also don't know 'howe' he did that.
Please, stop.
PS: No one is topping Monday's screamer.
2. The Queens' Birthday will forever be frozen
How good did the MCG look with 70,000 donning the now-iconic blue beanies for #FreezeMND?
Always a popular fixture, the annual clash between Melbourne and Collingwood now has an added dimensionย for more than worthy cause.
Not only do fans get behind the foundation that former Melbourne coach Neale Daniher has had a big hand in, but so do coaches, media personalities and fellow sporting stars, with players like Tim Cahill, Lleyton Hewitt, Adam Gilchrist and Sharelle McMahon supporting the cause this year.
3. Brendon Bolton is the real deal
There have been hints of this in the past - like Carlton winning six out of seven in the early-mid part of last season - but Sunday confirmed this.
Bolton's defensive masterpiece blanketed the Giants' usually highly-potent, free-flowing offense despite GWS dominating the clearance battle 41-23.
Putting the returningย Liam Jones in defence was just one of the many tactics that proved crucial in the Blues' upset win over the premiership favourites, instilling more confidence in Carlton fans each week.
4. Why aren't the Dogs barking?
The Dogs currently sit eighth on the table and while cause for concern isn't there just yet, there are a few worrying trends that Luke Beveridge will no doubt have on his mind.
Defensively, the Dogs were presented with a couple of issues from their loss against the Swans however it's their offense which has been troubling for large parts of the season.
Jake Stringer is the only Dog with more than 12 goals to his name in 2017, with Travis Cloke and Tom Boyd both failing to find the big sticks regularly. Their midfielders, too, are also finding it hard to kick goals as the side is averaging over eight points less than this time last season.
Beveridge hasn't been afraid to chop and change his 22 from week to week in 2017 with several high profile players spending time in the VFL this season and that trend could remain until he finds a happy medium as finals football fast approaches.
5. Jersey retirements set to Boom?
North Melbourne announced that Brent 'Boomer' Harvey will have his jersey number retired (albeit indefinitely) prior to the side's Round 13 clash with St Kilda in a tribute to the AFL games record holder.
Retiring jersey numbers is something that is done worldwide, although moreso in the United States, as a sign of respect to the player as it is a way of thanking them for their contributions to the club over their career.
It's something that should be done more in the AFL as special, once in a generation players aren't often recognised as well as they (maybe) should be by their clubs, and should be recognised at a higher level than life time/club hall of fame members.
