Round 7 has come to an end and with it several winners and losers have emerged.
The Pies have climbed to the top of the ladder, while the bottom four have continued to struggle for a win.
In a league that sees plenty of storylines produced each and every week, we've decided to take a look beyond who claimed and lost the four points this weekend and name our winners and losers from the round.
There are many apparent reasons why AFL players are booed.
They may have dished out a cheap shot on a favourite son. They may have been the beneficiary of a dodgy decision at a crucial juncture. They may have even left their direct rivals in acrimony.
Still, seven weeks into the AFL season, and the booing of a player that never played for a particular club for choosing to play for another makes about as much sense as setting your sneakers in concrete the night before a marathon.
In short, the notion of third parties booing is not only pitiful, but it is completely played out. And yes, we know that the notion of giving it air is too, but as Jason Horne-Francis proved under Friday night lights, it just doesn't work.
Ahead of Port Adelaide and St Kilda's first Friday night meeting in Melbourne during Horne-Francis' lifetime, both clubs choose not to mention the travelling circus of boos, hoping that St Kilda fans would have more sense than the crowds that came before. And while their ploy of doing nothing predictably failed to pay dividends, the misdirected ire of many Saints fans only acted as fuel for the South Australian starlet, ending the night with 18 contested possessions, 11 clearances and seven tackles.
As Collingwood head coach Craig McRae said after his side's fans acted as moral arbiters in Round 2, starting the chorus line of chiding against the former No.1 pick, fans that pay at the gate can do as they please. But if you're an Essendon fan hoping Horne-Francis has a silent afternoon next Sunday, you're probably better off just buttoning it.
After news broke last week that Kysaiah Pickett's manager would only be negotiating with Melbourne on his client's behalf, Demon fans began quietly fist-pumping under the table.
And while Picket was yet to put pen to paper ahead of the Demons' Saturday night demolition job on the Roos, the prime-moving talent buffed himself up a treat and put himself in the shop window for one final showing.
Whether up forward or in the guts, Pickett ran amok, sending Tim Lamb and his list management team back to double-check the sums on the four-year deal. A deal that was signed by the 21-year-old on Monday.
Playing well is always a treat, and tallying 16 touches, nine inside 50s, four clearances and three goals is always going to be construed as going well. But playing well and securing the bag is the stuff dreams are made of. Especially if you can eke a few well-earned dollars out at the end, too.
The Pies claimed the four points in yet another thriller on Sunday afternoon, beating the Adelaide Crows by a single point to bring home the chocolates to Melbourne.
Collingwood's incredible 2022 run to the preliminary finals was defined by their ability to get over the line in close games, with 2023 seemingly proving no different thus far.
Round 7's win sees Collingwood now sit atop the AFL ladder with a 6-1 record and firming as premiership favourites, with the rest of the competition reminded not to never count out the Magpies.
Remarkably, Collingwood have now won ten of their last 13 games after trailing at three quarter time, sending a very strong message around the league that the game truly isn't over until the final siren sounds.
Before Sunday afternoon's game raised plenty of discussion about umpiring, Friday night saw Ross Lyon ask his own questions about the officiating.
A play on call against Saint Josh Battle in the fourth term which resulted in a Charlie Dixon smother and Sam Powell-Pepper goal led the Saints coach to seek clarification on the rule which he believed had changed, while Ken Hinkley was keen to get clarification on the 24-14 free kick count at the final siren.
“I had a discussion with the umpires during the week about that stepping off the line ... It didn't even look like (Battle) stepped off it,” Lyon said post-game.
Come Sunday, Collingwood fans, and their coach, were left puzzled after a series of calls. Nathan Murphy wasn't paid a free kick for what looked like high contact, while Jordan De Goey was then pinged for deliberate out-of-bounds. Craig Mcrae remained "staggered" by the officiating post-match, leading to plenty of conversation around the introduction of four field umpires this season.
It's still early days, but it looks like there's still work to do.
Nick Daicos has firmed as a Brownlow favourite in just his second season, dominating the early part of the season with electrifying performances.
On Sunday, Crow Ben Keays was given the job to try and quell the influence of the 20-year-old, following him for the majority of the one-point loss.
While the Pies walked away with the four points in the end, and Daicos had a respectable 27 disposals, there's no question Keays curtailed the Pies' plans for their young star, particularly proving a barrier to their kick in plans.
Daicos' 27 touches were his lowest for the season so far, and while the Crows couldn't stop the young gun getting his hands on the ball, they seemed to provide teams around the competition with a blueprint on how to deal with the Collingwood star.
There's no point in sugar coating it, Round 7 didn't produce football for the ages. Both Saturday night games, aired in prime time, quickly descended into uninteresting affairs due to their uncompetitiveness.
Melbourne won by 90 points against the Roos, while Carlton smashed the Eagles to the tune of 108 points. Earlier in the day, Brisbane ran out 47-point victors over Fremantle.
While there were two games settled in the round by just a single point, Round 7 did seem to point out the glaring differences between the best and the rest. North Melbourne and West Coast are dealing with their own injury issues and aren't expected to impress, but it looks like it's going to be a long season ahead for supporters, and those watching on.