They say football is a game of inches. It is also a game of seconds. It took Melbourne until 14 seconds from the end of their thriller against Carlton for Kysaiah Pickett to kick the goal that beat the Blues, but the implications are enormous. Carlton probably have to win against Collingwood next week to play finals for the first time since 2013 now after being 8-2 earlier this year.

The Bulldogs kept the pressure on by hanging on in a nail-biter against GWS. Meanwhile, Cam Rayner continues to emerge as a potential match-winner for Brisbane and Max King might do the same for St Kilda if he can overcome the goalkicking yips.

Western Derby 55 had its share of rain and its share of stars. Sean Darcy was monstrous in the ruck for Fremantle. Tom Barrass was equally big in defence for the Eagles. The Dockers are still hoping to make the top four. The Eagles are still hoping to avoid the wooden spoon.

Ben Cunnington gave us one of the feel-good stories of the year with his comeback from testicular cancer, while Tigers forward Tom Lynch made Hawk fans feel anything but good with an eight-goal haul at the MCG.

1. Cam v Max – Hits and misses

The Dozen is glass half-full on both but Cam Rayner’s superb last-quarter finishing (three clutch goals) and Max King’s misses (0.5) on the night were the difference in Friday night’s Brisbane/St Kilda clash. Rayner is emerging as a Lions weapon and is going to have to go big if Brisbane are to go deep. King got five shots off against an All-Australian defender in Harris Andrews but has about four things wrong with his set-shot kicking that are going to have to be fixed if he is to become the player he should be.

2. Ben Cunnington

Darcy Fogarty and Luke Davies-Uniacke continued their great form, but the story of the Adelaide-North Melbourne game was the return from testicular cancer of Cunnington. He made a tearful entry onto the field, then was solid with 17 disposals and three clearances. The North boys lifted for him and were in this game until well into the final term.

3. Bailey Dale and Caleb Daniel

The rebounders were the flavour of 2022 as their team stormed to a grand final but have had some foibles exposed this year. They were terrific in the final minutes of Saturday’s Bulldogs/GWS match at Marvel Stadium as the Dogs clung to their finals hopes and held off the Giants in a thriller. Dale took a couple of crucial intercept marks as well as using the ball well and Daniel was smart and calm. They had 55 disposals between them.

4. Tyson Stengle

Building an impressive case for an All-Australian berth and his first term against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium lit up the match and put Geelong well clear of the Suns as the Cats continue their march to a minor premiership. Two of Stengle’s first-term goals came from the creativity and selflessness of Tom Hawkins and the zippy forward has quickly learned the value of being around Tomahawk. Has 42 goals from 21 games after his three on Saturday night.

5. Jake Melksham

Most famous this year for donging an out-of-order Steven May at a Demons player dinner during the mid-season bye, but he did Melbourne’s top four aspirations no harm at all on Saturday night with his four goals against Carlton to put the Blues on the verge of finals heartbreak. Melksham has become a heart-and-soul forward for the Dees after crossing from Essendon and will be critical as they try to fix their scoring woes in a bid to defend their premiership.

6. Sean Darcy

Has been good but not great for much of this season after a break-out 2021, but he asserted himself in a Western Derby slog on Saturday night. Won the Glendinning-Allan Medal with 56 hit-outs, 16 disposals and a goal as he got over the top of Nic Naitanui and lifted the Dockers midfield over the top of a competitive but undermanned West Coast engine room. Took five marks including a couple of clunks in attack. The Dockers need him at his best if they are to threaten in September.

7. Tom Barrass

Adam Simpson says he should be All-Australian, and if the season were judged on the past six weeks alone, there wouldn’t even be an argument. Dominant again in the derby to the point where there was a case for him to win the medal despite Fremantle eventually taking 26 shots to 12 in their four-goal win. He took 12 marks, nine of his 20 possessions came in contests and he intercepted 14 Fremantle attacks. Playing outstanding football.

8. Caleb Serong

The feisty mid showed why he is veteran David Mundy’s first choice as the next Freo skipper. Overdid it once and coughed up multiple 50-metre penalties to gift Jack Redden a goal, but was alongside Darcy and Blake Acres as Fremantle’s best before half time and flew the flag as the Eagles set about disrupting the Dockers. His fierce approach sometimes disguises a very high skill level which was on display with the left-footed running goal in the opening term.

9. Shannon Hurn

The Eagles jumped the Dockers to get in front early, but the main reason they were able to hang in the match as long as they did was their defence. Barrass led it but Hurn and Liam Duggan were his wingmen and they repeatedly interrupted Fremantle forward thrusts. With Josh Kennedy gone, the 34-year-old is the old man at West Coast - but we suspect this may not be his last Western Derby. He finished with 28 disposals, including 11 in fighting off Fremantle’s third-quarter surge.

10. Tom Lynch

No prizes for guessing who the star was in Richmond’s ten goal romp over the Hawks. Lynch was on track to kick ten at one point after taking control of this game from very early on. He took a towering pack mark in the goal square in the opening minutes, nailed a long range set shot and he was on his way. Finished with eight goals straight and took 12 marks.

11. John Longmire

The veteran Swans coach did a number on Collingwood in front of 44,000 at the SCG and gave other teams a template on how to deal with them. A tag got slapped on Nick Daicos via Ryan Clarke. They stymied the Pies’ surge game with their own kick-mark game . They won the contested possession count by 30 which meant they got control of the ball and how it was played. The Swans will finish top four. The Pies’ top-four aspirations go on the line next weekend.

12: Dan Houston

The Port Adelaide ball user started the season with a bang in round one against Brisbane and is finishing it well now. He was a star for Port in the romp against a woeful Essendon, adding a goal to 31 disposals. He and Zak Butters led the way for the Power. It must be said the Bombers may as well have been in Bali.