AFL takeaways: Danger's final act 'something to behold'

Round eight of the AFL season is in the books, and it was certainly both narrative heavy and continued to play havoc with everybody's tips.

It's getting harder to trust form lines, with Sydney and Geelong quickly turning their struggles around to beat quality opponents, while Carlton and Port Adelaide let winning streaks evaporate.

Here are five takeaways from the weekend's results:

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Patrick Dangerfield cementing legendary status with final career arc

Patrick Dangerfield didn't have to play a game in 2025 to secure his legacy as a Hall of Famer, but what he is doing as a mostly-permanent forward is something to behold.

The 35-year-old has kicked 16 goals across eight games, to go with 17.4 disposals per game, but it's his power and burst that is reminiscent of the Brownlow Medallist at his peak. 

He turned back the clock against Collingwood, finding 29 disposals to go with two goal assists and was arguably best on ground. Last week against Carlton he smashed a pack open in the fourth quarter with ferocity few others could replicate at any age.

It's still early in the season and the Cats will certainly manage their captain's workload, but Dangerfield being able to impact the game like this in the final phase of his career is quite the premiership wildcard.

Champion midfielders finishing their careers as forwards is not a new trope, and while it has famous successes like Gary Ablett Jr, Dustin Martin and Leigh Matthews, often it tends to just be a way of phasing out a star.

Not for Dangerfield, who is once again reminding people why he deserves to be on the podium when discussing the best players in the competition since 2015.

Bulldogs now in awkward Bevo limbo

The Bulldogs sit fifth on the ladder after eight games, boast a percentage of 127 and continue to overcome key injuries to produce results like their 90-point win over Port Adelaide in Ballarat.

So ... what do they do with Luke Beveridge? They clearly wanted to wait until during the season to make a call on the premiership coach, given the inconsistent finishes the club has had since the 2021 grand final, but they now find themselves in an awkward spot.

The Power in 2023 were in this exact same situation and opted to extend coach Ken Hinkley by two years in August ... before the club fell apart in the finals, going out in straight sets. Now, they are set to move on from Hinkley at the end of 2025 when they likely would have back then, had they waited a few extra weeks.

Would it be making the same mistake for the Dogs to move now given not only their form, but Beveridge's ability to cover the absence of star players consistently and the energy the group is clearly playing with? Or is it the right call to lock him in long term and get it out of the way?

Beveridge has stated he won't be coaching anywhere in 2026 if it's not at the Bulldogs, so the ball is well and truly in their court, but they may feel a little damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Freo's list is far too good to be this dour on the road

The side Fremantle put on the park on Friday night against St Kilda wanted for nothing. Two rising star key forwards, numerous small forward threats, a trio of dominant midfielders, two of the game's highest paid ruckmen and a rock solid backline of proven veterans.

While they have a few players on their injury list, you could argue they had all of their key personnel out there against the Saints, and still somehow managed only 33 points.

The Dockers love coach Justin Longmuir, so much so they gave him a rolling contract to take even more pressure off his shoulders.

But serious questions must be asked if he can't produce results with this list outside of Western Australia, particularly on the offensive end, where he has consistently struggled in recent years.

Away from home this season they were smashed by Geelong, lost to a struggling Melbourne and were belted by St Kilda. Yes, they've looked decent at home, but they are a middle of the pack team at best if they can't perform on the road.

Carlton is officially Adelaide's bunny

Say what you want about Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks, but one thing that is without question is that he has completely solved Carlton and coach Michael Voss' style of footy.

The Blues have played the Crows four times in Voss' tenure, dropping all four. Three of those games have been in Adelaide, with an average losing margin of 48 points in those games.

Nicks and his men have thrashed Carlton in uncontested possessions, hit-outs and marks inside 50 across this winning streak, denying Carlton the contest and pressure game they thrive off and hurting them the other way with short kicking and speed.

The question for the Crows is whether they can start applying this kind of tactical dominance against other teams, especially considering their inconsistent season overall.

As for the Blues, they remain one of the great mysteries of the season so far.

Sydney creativity proves Dean Cox belongs

Sydney coach Dean Cox has been in the spotlight given his team's poor start to the season and he finds himself in a tough spot overall, replacing premiership coach John Longmire.

The Swans found themselves at 2-5 and dealing with significant injuries across the board heading into their crosstown clash with GWS.

Cox clearly opted to get creative with their forward mix given the presence of GWS' star intercept defenders in Sam Taylor and Jack Buckley, their lack of healthy options and their lack of desire to throw Tom McCartin forward again after trying multiple times this year already.

He threw stalwart Joel Hamling forward, something the 32-year-old has not done in his decade-long career - he hadn't ever even kicked a goal. But Cox gave him the task of playing a defensive role on Buckley, while fellow journeyman Aaron Francis did what he could on Taylor.

Not only were the roles effective, but Hamling even kicked his first career goal as the Swans picked up what may be a season-sparking win.

A credit to Cox, who will need time to find his feet in the top job.