On the field Geelong grabbed another win, working home to beat the Kangaroos and stay a game clear at the top, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs grabbed upset wins over GWS and Brisbane, while Melbourne proved that where there is life there is hope after a stunning come-from-behind victory over Gold Coast.

Here are the big talking points from round eight of the AFL season.

THE RULES DON’T MATTER, FAN’S FEELINGS DON’T MATTER

If the laws of the game aren’t there to be enforced then why even have them?

On Friday night at the SCG, Sydney defender Dane Rampe sent the AFL world into meltdown by pulling a Spiderman impersonation and climbing the goalpost, causing it to shake as Essendon’s David Myers — a prodigious kick by anyone’s standards — launched an after the siren shot at goal from 60m out.

The kick didn’t make the trip but Essendon stars Jake Stringer and Cale Hooker remonstrated on the ground with umpire Andre Gianfagna demanding what under the laws of the game should have been a free kick from the goal line.

Unbelievably AFL boss Gillon McLachlan stood by the umpiring decision.

“I’ll wait and see what the footy department says, but for me it seems pretty practical umpiring,” McLachlan told SEN.

“Apparently there is lots of different camera angles. But he gave him the warning and the guy got down and it didn’t impact on the play.

“That seemed to be a very practical response. People are getting into the technicalities of what the rule says, but if he’d stayed there it would have been a free kick. He gave him the warning and it didn’t impact the play.

“It seemed a pretty pragmatic piece of umpiring.”

That response was at odds with most of the AFL world as plenty felt the Bombers should have been awarded what would have been a matchwinning free kick.

Australian comedian and passionate Carlton fan Dave Hughes led the chorus and suggested the AFL are setting a dangerous precdent. tweeting “ I’m hearing afl have ticked off goal post shaking cos ball didn’t make distance. So if anyone taking kick from outside fifty after siren it’s no rules from now on. King hits, whatever. Just go for it.”

He was joined by plenty of others in their derision of the decision from the umpire and the AFL.

And Essendon star Devon Smith lashed out in a column for The Herald Sun.

“I had no idea that the rules stated that it should have been a free kick to us because Dane had climbed the post,” he wrote.

“The AFL ticked it off on Saturday, saying Dane was warned and told to get off the post — which he did.

“Look, I don’t want to make a big issue about it, as we shouldn’t have put ourselves in a position to lose the game, but by the letter of the rules as I’ve since found out, we should have got a free kick.”

BROWNLOW FANCIES ABLETT AND FYFE IN STRIFE

One week after getting off on his first ever trip to the AFL Tribunal over a decorated, decade plus career Geelong superstar Gary Ablett has done it again.

Last week he was on report for striking Essendon star Dylan Shiel with a jumping motion off the ball, and this week he’s pulled the exact same move, this time on North Melbourne’s Sam Wright.

Several analysts seemed to think Ablett would not have a case to face due to the impact being low level and Wright getting up immediately, with John Ralph jumping to Ablett’s defence.

“Dylan Shiel stayed down for 15 seconds when Ablett got him last week. Wright jumped up and took his kick. Could be enough for Chrisso to label it misconduct or insufficient force. Chrisso not the bloke to alter his course through tribunal verdicts though,” The Herald Sun reporter tweeted.

Meanwhile Fremantle might be wondering where Fyfe is next week if he gets cited for a shot on Richmond forward Tom Lynch that did have plenty of impact, with a raised elbow of his own.

WHAT DOES THE AFL DO ABOUT CROWD VIOLENCE?

Another week another incident in the stands — this time between Carlton and Collingwood fans.

Jokes aside about the tribal hatred both teams have for each other that it comes not long after a Melbourne fan attacked a disabled Hawks fan at the MCG and it’s actually a problem.

Several calls to radio station 3AW painted an ugly picture of the scenes that unfolded in bays M11 and M12, the two bays are generally where Carlton members sit.

“There were four, full-on fights where people were knocked out,” one caller said on 3AW Football.

“Security didn’t react quick enough so members of the public had to get in to stop these fights.

“I haven’t seen it for many years.

“I missed the last five minutes of the game because I was breaking up fights.”

Carlton’s cheersquad tweeted following the ugly fights after reports Collingwood fans were sitting among the members.

TIGERLAND IS STILL A GREAT PLACE TO BE

So much was written about the expected doom and gloom to come at Punt Road after major injuries to key position stars Alex Rance and Jack Riewoldt, not to mention skipper Trent Cotchin suffering a nagging hamstring complaint.

but here we are seven rounds into the AFL season and the Tigers dare we say it are thriving.

They’re not top of the ladder by any means but they are in the eight, sixth in fact, two wins off the table-topping Geelong Cats and hold wins over Port Adelaide and Fremantle away.

They’re latest victory over the previously up and about Dockers was impressive in many ways as they dealt with an early injury blow to ruckman Toby Nankervis with aplomb and played some fast and quality football with gun recruit Lynch stepping up.

Even more exciting for them is with their established stars out new faces have stepped up with the likes of Sydney Stack, Luke Baker and Shai Bolton showing that the future is bright in Tigerland.

Even more amazing their next three matches against Hawthorn, Essendon and North Melbourne are all very winnable — and there are whispers that Rance could beat the odds from his ACL tear and make it back to the field this year.

The season — it is not over by a long shot.

ROUGHY IS PURE CLASS

Jarryd Roughead faced the axe from Hawthorn for this weekend’s clash, but the premiership hero showed just how much of a champion he is when he returned to the VFL.

Roughead was tearing the game apart as he piled on the goals and racked up the touches, but cameras caught the incredible moment he switched from player to coach.

Generally handing out advice to your direct opponent is the last thing on a players mind, but Roughead was sighted giving his defender, Reuben William, coaching advice mid game.

The Hawks legend finished with five goals and 17 touches, but it was his brilliant display that captured the attention.

“I can’t believe that. If that was me I’d be telling my direct opponent to run in all the wrong positions,” Channel 7’s Campbell Brown said.

“Roughy probably is just talking him through a couple of defensive aspects of the game. What a bloke.”