Duff’s Dozen: Mark Duffield takes a look at all the talking points from the AFL’s Round 19

1. Hayden Young

His 31 disposals on Friday night against Richmond included a number of critical intercept possessions and generally smart and clear thinking with the ball in his hands. Came up big a number of times in the last minute with hard won possessions when Richmond threatened to take the game with the last couple of attacks. Was probably the best player on the ground and the main reason Fremantle salvaged a draw. Clark, Brennan Cox and Heath Chapman were all big in a Fremantle backline under pressure in the second and third terms.

2. Noah Balta

It qualifies as a brain fade that he didn’t realise the clock was running out on him when the scoreboard is right behind the goals at Marvel Stadium and he had a kick to put the Tigers in front, but kudos to him for fronting up for an interview post-match. The other Noah’s (Cumberland) play-on situation when the siren went was more understandable given he would have kicked from just outside 50 and may have felt he could play on into certain range. Extraordinary finish to a tight tussle.

3. No issue with the draw

We have to play extra time in finals and grand finals because of the travel burden for any team that has to cross the borders to play, but there should be no issue with a draw in a home-and-away game. It might feel strange for players and no-one gets to sing the team song, but both teams get two points, and if the scores are level at the final siren that is OK.

4. Nick Blakey

Developing a big reputation with his run and dare off half-back but it was a couple of desperate tackle and smother efforts against Adelaide that made sure the Swans didn’t trip up at home against a bottom-eight team. His lunging effort to deny what appeared to be a certain Ned McHenry goal in the third term stopped Adelaide’s momentum when they were about to close to within three goals with the play running their way. Blakey finished with 26 disposals.

5. Jack Gunston

A lot of class and character in his five-goal haul against North Melbourne, which came in the wake of the death of his father Ray. Jack has been a very good player for the Hawks. He lived in the shadow of Buddy Franklin and Jarryd Roughead in early years but it should be remembered his four goals in the 2013 grand final were as much a key to the first of Hawthorn’s three-peat flags as Norm Smith Medallist Brian Lake’s intercept marking in the final term.

6. The name’s Tom… Atkins, not Hawkins

They were both pretty good in Geelong’s win over Port Adelaide in an absolute clinker of a game at Adelaide Oval. Hawkins kicked four goals, but with Port coming hard at Geelong in the third term, Atkins’ 12-disposal final quarter was the effort that swung the game back in Geelong’s favour. His shift to the midfield has coincided with the shift in Geelong’s form to be flag favourites. Is the new rock-hard midfield presence that Joel Selwood has been for so long.

7. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan

The return of Josh Bruce was expected to help Aaron Naughton, but it has probably helped Ugle-Hagan. It has taken the No.1 draft pick time to find his feet, but his five goals in the come-from-behind Bulldogs win over Melbourne were laced with class. The sealer came under heat across his body from a long way out. Hard to match up on three talls when two move as well as Naughton and Ugle-Hagan, and Bruce’s threat as a marking target means Ugle-Hagan gets the third.

8. Hugh McCluggage

Lachie Neale had more of the ball, but McCluggage’s ability to win the footy in traffic and get to the outside of the contest with it was pivotal to his team’s win over Gold Coast in a very good Q-Clash at the Gabba. He is the point of difference in Brisbane’s flint-hard contested ball midfield. Gives them run and class. Kicked a critical goal to go with 25 disposals and three inside-50s.

9. Brandon Starcevich

There were times when the Suns threatened the Lions’ dominance of the Q-Clash, and they would have loved a spark from Izak Rankine, but Starcevich simply refused to let them have it. Rankine was held to 10 disposals and a goal and had to go up the ground to find the ball. He has become a highly valued lock-down defender that the Lions usually send to the opposition’s best small forward. Looks capable of going to the midfield.

10. Adam Saad

One thing you don’t want when you play Carlton is Adam Saad running with ball in hand off half-back 25 times. If that happens, then you can expect Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay to be in the game and you can expect the powerful Carlton midfield to be involved in even more possession chains and more scores. So it was for GWS at Marvel Stadium as Saad brought his own ball and handed it around to teammates.

11. Collingwood: Kings of the close ones

Craig McRae’s Magpies have now won nine games in a row by a total of 102 points at an average of less than two goals per game. They have won seven of the nine by less than two goals and six of the nine by less than 10 points. So there was a sense of inevitability about things when Bomber Harrison Jones missed his shot at goal with less than a minute left and the Pies swept the ball to Jamie Elliott, who marked seconds before the siren. Elliott kicked straight and the most remarkable winning streak in recent memory goes on.

12. Jack Steele

This was a nervous few hours for Saints fans watching their team slip and slide just in front of the Eagles on the damp Optus Stadium surface. But they had their skipper and man of Steele - Jack Steele - to get them through it. He had 40 disposals, laid eight tackles and had 11 clearances. It was tight at times but Steele’s effort and five Dan Butler goals were enough for a 28-point win that lifted the Saints to ninth place on the ladder.