Round 12, so big that it had to be held over two weekends, has confirmed so many truths about this season.
For instance, Hawthorn were last year the biggest over-achievers since Port Adelaide took the flag in 2004.
The way Brisbane ran over the hapless Hawks in the second half of their meeting in Tasmania - when the premier went from 14-point leaders to 42-point losers - pointed to a team who were not quite ready to stake their claim to an era of supremacy.
One goal and four points in a half of football from one of the most feared sets of goal-kickers in the league must be a little disappointing.
Richmond have a new coach. Must have.
How else could you explain their win over West Coast as anything other than an attempt to impress him?
And would not the legendary Captain Blood, Jack Dyer, be turning in his grave at the thought of his beloved Tigers being led by a man named Jade?
There is still a little spirit left in the Dockers.
Fremantle gave Geelong the scare of the round when they drew level at the last break for a final-quarter showdown. In the end class told and the Cats ran out to win by 19 points.
Port Adelaide cannot handle the heat.
Their 93-point loss to the Western Bulldogs in Darwin showed they also cannot handle pressure.
From here it will be interesting to see if the coach of the inconsistent Power, Mark "Choco" Williams, can stand the pressure to join Terry Wallace and Dean Laidley on the dole queue.
pstafford@thenational.ae
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
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Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
