It's clean slate time, we're ready for the AFL finals series as each team tries to map their way to a possible flag.
But while each and every player is important, there are some more important than others to their sides' chances in September.
It's not just the star full-forwards - although there might be a couple of them in there! For some players it's what they're doing now - for others, it's their potential if they hit peak form next month.
So who are the keys to a successful finals series for the last eight teams in contention?
Geelong: Tom Stewart, Jeremy Cameron
There's no real surprise here in naming Tom Stewart for the Cats. His intercept work is supreme - he averages 1.2 more intercepts per game than his nearest rival in finals, Richmond's Nick Vlaustuin.
Geelong's defence is tight, the team's scores against are almost identical to the Demons and Dockers - conceding 67.6 points per game.
Stewart's defensive play is a key part of that, and if he can keep it up it will go a long way to helping the Cats keep oppositions to manageable scores in September.
Stewart is also top 10 in the AFL in rebound 50s, and averages 495 metres gained a game this season, as Chris Scott's men have abandoned the chip-it-around gamestyle in favour of going long and direct and taking chances.
The other clear key is one of the Cats' big forward duo, in Jeremy Cameron.
The big questions are: will he be hampered by his late-season hamstring strain, could it re-occur and ruin the finals, or will Cameron be good to go and up to his usual standard?
If it's the latter, then he could well be the player who takes the finals series apart for Geelong.
It's not just the goals, it's how Cameron gets them - via mark and set shot, getting on the end of a chain, a torp from outside 50, or using his surprising agility and evasive skills to turn a defender and snap one from a ridiculous angle.
Can he be stopped? We're not sure - and even if you can, there's still Tom Hawkins.
Melbourne: Max Gawn, Angus Brayshaw
It's not as if the Demons are exactly struggling in the middle of the ground, but a decision by coach Simon Goodwin to move the magnets may prove critical to Melbourne's chances to recreate the momentum they had in last year's finals.
Five matches ago, Angus Brayshaw was shifted from defence into the middle. The results have been impressive - Brayshaw has since averaged nearly 31 disposals, 4 tackles, 6 inside 50s, 5.4 clearances and 14 contested possessions a game.
More than the raw numbers, however, the big impact of the move is the flow-on as Christian Petracca has been freed up to go forward and be more of his old destructive best, and that is a vital result for Melbourne's chances of going back-to-back.
Then there's Max Gawn. The talk may have been about Luke Jackson all season, but right now it's the skipper who has the ability to produce in a number of key areas.
It's not just the tap-work, it's not just the contested possessions and the ability to kick the odd goal.
For all the talk about the intercept marks of Steven May and Jake Lever down back, Gawn's contested marking (average of 2.5 a game) on the wings is like kryptonite for opposition kick-ins and the like.
Without him, the Demons would find it much harder to shut down other teams' ball movements.
If the Demons want to recapture their September magic from last year, then Max Gawn is right at the heart of the answer.
Sydney: Nick Blakey, Chad Warner
The Sydney Swans are a dangerous proposition right now, and the real shift is coming from the younger brigade - Errol Gulden, Justin McInerney and James Rowbottom are important, but two in particular have been key.
Nick Blakey is somewhat of a cult figure at the Swans for his big mane of hair, his fearless marking at the back and his hard-charging approach which jump-starts many Swans attacks.
He leads the Swans in rebound 50s, averaging 5.5 a game (16th in the league) and is second in metres gained with 451.
When Blakey is making ground, the Swans' ball movement is on track, and they are hard to stop.
The other key is the 21-year-old Chad Warner, whose dynamic play in midfield has resulted in the Swans signing him to a three-year extension ahead of finals.
He is top 10 in the AFL for total goal assists and score involvements and average inside 50s and 16th in average metres gained (505).
Like Blakey, he takes the game on and averages nearly a goal a game out of the middle.
There are no guarantees, but you get the feeling that if Warner has a big finals series, he could take the Swans a long way.
Collingwood: Brayden Maynard, Jack Ginnivan
Brayden Maynard may not be the high-profile star of the Magpies, but he is the bellwether for Collingwood and their style of play.
When you are trying to eke out narrow victories week after week, and hold your nerve in the face of fierce attacking pressure, then Maynard is your man.
His pancake of Melbourne's Ed Langdon in the opening minute set the tone for the Pies' win over the Demons.
He may not be an intercept king like Darcy Cameron or Darcy Moore — although he is pretty good at it —but he is an all-round defender.
He has a physical presence and the ability to hit a 40-50 metre pass to Scott Pendlebury which began the move for THAT winning goal against Carlton.
Without that vision off half-back for that move, then there's no top four for the Pies.
The other key is a player in his first season in AFL - yes, it's Jack Ginnivan. The man with the shock of peroxide blond hair has made headlines, both positive and negative for his play this year.
At the heart of it, though, are three points: the fact he is one goal off being the Pies' leading goal kicker; his apparent liking for and ability to hold his nerve on the big occasion; and the shepherd of the season he put on Adam Saad to allow the ball through to Jamie Elliott for the Carlton game clincher.
He is one of the reasons why no one will want to play Collingwood in September - if he turns it on, who knows how far they can go?
Fremantle: Will Brodie, Andrew Brayshaw
When it comes to keys for Freo there are plenty of options - there's super-sub and team lucky charm, Bailey Banfield, the X-Factor in Michael Frederick and the rucking and forward marking skills of Sean Darcy.
But the first real key is Will Brodie, the man who came from the Suns, and is leading the Dockers in clearances and contested possessions in his first year in the west.
Without Nat Fyfe for much of the year, the Dockers have benefited from Brodie's bullish play.
Last year, no Fremantle player averaged five tackles a game - this year, there are two: Brodie and Andrew Brayshaw.
The combination of these two helped drive the Dockers in 2022 - their pressure and tackling at the coalface, with Brodie's mad ball-winning ability and Brayshaw's brilliant choices (he's just outside the top-10 in the AFL for effective disposals per game).
There is an even bigger premium on getting your own ball at finals time.
If Brodie can repeat his regular season and Andrew Brayshaw can stay healthy to keep directing traffic, they can be the foundation stones for a decent Freo run in September.
Brisbane: Lachie Neale, Joe Daniher
There's no secret about one of the keys to a successful finals series for Brisbane: it's Lachie Neale.
Second in the AFL for contested possessions (average 15.9 a game) behind Clayton Oliver, and second in the league in centre clearances (behind Dylan Shiel), there is no doubting Neale's quality.
It's just that the gap between him and the other Lions is so great - he is 145 contested possessions and 37 clearances ahead of his nearest teammate Jarryd Lyons.
It would be good if others were stepping up to take some of the heat off the 2020 Brownlow medallist.
But if the Lions are going to turn things around, then the number nine is going to have to put his team on his back to a certain extent.
On the basis of exposed form so far in 2022, Brisbane is not going to beat the Tigers with defence.
Which means that if they want their finals to go beyond week one, they will have to outscore a Richmond side which can put points on the board from anywhere.
The key to that, in terms of improvement, lies with Joe Daniher.
With Cam Rayner suspended and Daniel McStay not in match-winning form, the onus is on Daniher to deliver on his potential in a big game, so the Lions don't have to kick it 40 times to Charlie Cameron inside 50.
This year Daniher (36.23) is kicking for goal at 61 per cent accuracy - the only other time he kicked at more than 60 per cent was for Essendon in 2017.
If the Lions are going to fire in the finals, he needs to get some big bags in September.
Richmond: Shai Bolton, Jayden Short
Shai Bolton is the X-Factor, and could well be THE key for the Tigers if he has the kind of finals series he is capable of.
With questions over the fitness of Dustin Martin and Tom Lynch, the focus is set to be even more on the Tigers' number 29.
His 40-goal season has been very impressive, but it's the way he does it that puts doubt in opponent's minds and gives his team an advantage.
He has the capacity to turn ordinary games - and finals - on his own.
However there is a much lower-profile key player for Richmond across the ground - utility Jayden Short. Just call him the quiet achiever.
He is a vital outlet for the Tigers and has helped greatly since his move from half-back into the midfield earlier this season.
Short is third on the team in rebound 50s and top in inside 50s, while leading a Richmond side — known for its hell-for-leather style — in effective disposals with an average of 18.23.
He also ranks fourth in the entire AFL for metres gained with 585, and is fourth on the team in tackles.
Western Bulldogs: Tom Liberatore, Sam Darcy
Tom Liberatore sometimes goes unnoticed behind the likes of Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae and Josh Dunkley, but he already plays a vital role for the Bulldogs - and as we reach finals time, he is even more important.
Libba is top of the Bulldogs' list with 13 contested possessions a game, and he is third in tackles with 4.7 a game.
But he is not just a defensive weapon - he's fourth on the team with score involvements, averaging 6.64 a game, and he is top of the averages in overall (7.23) and stoppage clearances (4.55).
Given the state of the Bulldogs' defence, they were hoping to have him on hand for his ball-winning capabilities to keep a lid on opposition attacks.
Unfortunately for them, the news has come through that a low-grade hamstring strain will keep him out for the elimination final. The Bulldogs will have to find a way to get past Freo in the west, and then hope they can get Liberatore back for a cut-throat semi-final.
In terms of scoring, the likes of Aaron Naughton, Marcus Bontempelli, Cody Weightman are vital.
But if you are looking for a point of difference, then it could be someone who is going into game four of his career this weekend - Sam Darcy.
The son of a gun has already shown he has serious marking ability and the poise to take his chances up forward.
The Dogs do not want everything falling on Naughton's shoulders, and if his performances so far are not just a flash in the pan, then Darcy could give the Bulldogs something special.
