1. A case of déjà vu for the Tigers?
The last time Richmond ventured to Spotless Stadium, a debutant named Shai Bolton very nearly won the match for the Tigers with a goal ruled touched by the video review. The GIANTS then raced the ball down the other end for a Jeremy Cameron goal and a 78 to 75 win. On Saturday night, Bolton had been brought back into the side for his first match since round two and had a set shot in the dying minutes to take the lead. The ball sprayed wide off his boot and out of bounds on the full. While the Tigers drew within a point a minute later courtesy of a Jack Riewoldt snap, the GIANTS once again got the ball forward, kicking a behind to finish the match winners. The final score? An eerily similar 79 to 77.

2. Toby's back with his bag of tricks
Star GIANTS forward Toby Greene has not played since round five, missing nearly three months with a foot injury. Greene kicked 45 goals last year and the GIANTS were desperately missing his scoring power while he was on the sidelines. It didn't take long for him to make his mark, ruffling feathers early with his abrasive manner and slotting an excellent goal on the run from a free kick outside 50. Despite a quiet patch in the third term, Greene ensured he finished with a bang, kicking a goal from long range to seal the game for the Giants. Also making a welcome return from a knee reconstruction was running defender Adam Kennedy, who played his first match since round seven 2017. 

3. No Cameron, no Patton, no worries
With Jeremy Cameron suspended for another two weeks, and Jon Patton now sidelined for an extended period of time with a torn ACL, there were questions around who would stand up in the forward line. But the future looks bright for the GIANTS, with unheralded first-year player Zac Langdon kicking three goals and second-year Tim Taranto kicking two in an entertaining third-quarter cameo. Langdon was drafted as a 22-year-old from Western Australia and has solidified a spot for himself in his first season, playing 13 out of 16 games.

4. The curious case of the Tiger tackles
Despite basing its game heavily on pressure, Richmond's tackle numbers this year have not been overly high, averaging 63.6 a match, which is 12th in the competition. The tally was once again low against the GIANTS, with the Tigers laying just 50. The injured duo of Jack Graham (shoulder) and Reece Conca (ankle) have generally been barometers for Richmond's pressure this season and it was noticeably down in periods on Saturday night, particularly in the opening half of the first quarter. While the manic pressure returned in a high-octane final term, it was a case of too little, too late.

5. Wanted: One Butler to deliver silver service
Small classy forward Dan Butler is still facing another two to three weeks on the sidelines with an ankle injury and was missed in the upset loss to the GIANTS. Butler draws a quality defender away from Daniel Rioli and Jason Castagna, and while Rioli was the team's leading goalkicker with three, Castagna struggled under the enormous GIANTS pressure, kicking five behinds. Butler's replacement, Shai Bolton, was lively in patches but struggled to have a real impact. Rookie Tyson Stengle kicked six goals in the VFL and could come into contention for a senior game.