Max Gawn's injury poses problems for Melbourne that Brodie Grundy alone can't solve, while the unique skills of Nick Daicos prove difficult to quantify.
Welcome to the AFL Round-Up, where we digest the week that was.
Gawn but not forgotten
Max Gawn said it best himself — a smiling emoji with a little forehead sweat drip, generally used to convey relief.
There were significant fears on Friday night that the Melbourne captain's season was over, with that thousand-yard stare in the change rooms absolutely screaming ACL.
But scans brought good news for Gawn, Melbourne and anyone who loves the game. A medial ligament strain, maybe six weeks at the most.
And yet on the evidence of Friday night, when Gawn's early exit created holes in the Demons' armoury they were simply unable to patch, it's still an absence that will be heavily felt.
The obvious reaction is to look at the off-season acquisition of Brodie Grundy as a prophetic masterstroke, allowing Melbourne to replace one champion ruck with another without missing a beat.
But the whole reason 'Gawndy' was a chance of working in the first place is because Gawn and Grundy are two very different players. There are things Gawn can do that Grundy simply can't, and vice versa.
Grundy has shone brightest when the ball has hit the deck and is released into open play, when he is able to play as a massive midfielder, like a modern day Dean Cox.
Gawn's greatest weapons have been his skill as a tap ruckman and his ability to read the play and become an impenetrable aerial presence behind the ball, kind of like a modern day Dean Cox.
The point here isn't just that Dean Cox is one of the 10 best footballers of this century, but that the Gawn void won't simply be filled by a plug-and-play Grundy. They'll need to make structural shifts, lest their midfield get belted and their defence overwhelmed as it was by Brisbane.
How the Demons adapt will be fascinating to watch.
How do you assess Nick Daicos?
I promise we won't spend every week in here fawning over Collingwood, but it's pretty damn hard not to right now.
And right at the heart of everything special about the Magpies is one very gifted youngster, who is quickly exceeding even the loftiest external expectations.
Nick Daicos is truly unique. It is exceptionally difficult to pinpoint another player, past or present, whose style and impact can be considered an accurate comparison.
After a while, the only name that makes any sense is Gary Ablett Jr. Then you swiftly admonish yourself for comparing a 20-year-old to arguably the greatest player of all time.
But it's not absurd. There was a contested element to peak-GAJ's game that Daicos obviously hasn't developed into yet, but few others have been able to control a game from any position on the ground like the young Pie.
His poise, vision and creativity set him apart. There are plenty who can accumulate the footy like Daicos, but only a tiny handful who are as committed to making every possession as damaging as possible.
He sees kicks others can't, and almost always pulls them off. He knows when to speed the play up and when to maintain control. You feel he could place all 36 players on the field at any given moment in a game, and in an instant can put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Most of those aren't attributes that immediately catch the eye in the same way as electric speed or bulldozing strength, and as a result doubters will always question just how impactful he is.
Don't be one of those people. Enjoy watching a truly unique talent, and hope he has a rare off day off when your team plays Collingwood.
Back to the coaching future
A Ross Lyon team grinding its opposition down to a blunt nub, while an Alastair Clarkson team goes on the road for a spirited and gutsy away win? Sounds like a standard Saturday night in 2013.
That nostalgic feeling was palpable on an evening that proved as much as footy changes year on year, some things will always remain true.
Lyon knows how to set up a team defensively. He always has and always will. St Kilda rendered the Western Bulldogs entirely impotent, the same way they had Fremantle last week.
From that reliable bedrock can a Lyon team grow, and that's where the real joy in these Saints can be found. A cobbled-together forward line built around Zaine Cordy, draftee Matteas Philliou and the unknown Anthony Caminiti is somehow working.
But it's all built on the Lyonist defensive principles that we know and love. With Essendon and Gold Coast up next, the Saints could soon find themselves with a significant platform to launch from, even without Jack Steele.
And then there's North Melbourne, in a state of subdued delirium after the club's best fortnight in years.
The Sirengate 2.0 controversy somewhat overshadowed the fact North were clearly the better team against the Dockers, and really ought to have won by more than the solitary point.
Clarkson is keeping things simple for now. The Roos are winning contests, applying pressure and trusting their own abilities. Of course it doesn't hurt that Luke Davies-Uniacke is in Brownlow form, or that Harry Sheezel is playing as if he has 200 AFL games under his belt instead of two.
North Melbourne's ceiling isn't as high as St Kilda's, but it's all relative. Both clubs can clearly see a future now, one that may not have been so clearly visible six months ago.
Around the grounds
Michael Voss conceded Carlton's win over Geelong could yet prove to be a landmark moment for the team. As much as they would have preferred a chill last quarter, letting it get close and then finding a way to hold on will do them some good in the long run.
You may not have noticed, but the Swans are absolutely obliterating teams right now. You might be content to write off the Suns and Hawks, but watch out when they do it to Melbourne next Sunday arvo.
Richmond will play Collingwood at the MCG next Friday night in front of a crowd of approximately one million people. The Tigers aren't quite running on all cylinders yet, but their best will give the Pies something to seriously think about. Cancel your plans.
Essendon-Gold Coast was a little Sunday arvo treat of surprisingly high quality. The fact both clubs look like making up those "not quite in finals contention, but technically in finals contention" places shows how strong the league is these days.
It shapes as a difficult year for West Coast, but its mission statement is clear — compete strongly, especially at home, and see some promise from the likes of Reuben Ginbey, Elijah Hewett and Noah Long. Mission accomplished in round two.
In the clubhouse
Here we take stock of who is leading the race for the season's individual awards.
It came as a surprise to nobody that Sheezel was the round one rising star, and another stand out display against Freo means he remains the frontrunner.
But Will Ashcroft should get his nom this week (ahead of Phillipou), and you get the feeling that will be a race that could come down to the latter stages of the season. The 2022 draft class is already making quite an impact on the AFL.
Tom Papley gets our nod for mark of the week.
Papley gets extra points for being visibly chuffed with his efforts, but Harry Himmelberg remains the MOTY leader.
And Corey Durdin takes goal of the week honours for this effort, although we still have Chad Wingard's round one wizardry in front overall.
