Weve officially started the run to the finals and its clear some top eight sides are struggling.The Hawks inflicted back-to-back SCG losses on Sydney after prevailing in a thrilling Thursday night contest. The Swans could have snatched top spot with a win, but now after dropping out of the top four, they sit fifth on percentage.On the other side of the country Geelong had to fight until the very end to hold off a Fremantle side desperate for a win. Patrick Dangerfield continued his march towards a maiden Brownlow Medal after racking up 31 disposals and booting four goals.North Melbournes mid-season dip in form has gone from bad to worse after being stunned by the Power?The Kangaroos have now lost six of their last seven matches after starting the season 9-0. If their shaky form continues, a top eight finish is no certainty.Speaking of shaky, the West Coast Eagles were far from convincing against a wasteful Carlton side on Sunday. If the contest had run five minutes longer, the Blues may well have run over the top of them, but as it was they crucially secured the four points.However, in Scott Thompsons big milestone, Adelaide swept their way to eight straight wins with their victory over Collingwood and now occupy second spot on the ladder behind Hawthorn.HEROESShaun Burgoynes final term:?What can you say about Burgoyne that hasnt already been said? The 300-plus gamer inspired his team to victory after being thrust into the midfield in the final quarter against the Swans. Burgoyne was dominant in the last, racking up 11 disposals and kicking two crucial goals to steer the Hawks to a terrific top-of-the table clash win. For so much of his career he has been able to play the Mr-fix-it role at the most desperate of times and Thursday night was no exception. Cyril Riolis long bomb from outside 50 on his birthday also deserves a mention, and capped off a memorable night for Hawthorn. The reigning premiers now have a four-point cushion at the top of the table; could a fourth straight flag be on the cards?Koby Stevens: Influential in the middle and dangerous when forward, Stevens is emerging as yet another valuable member of the Western Bulldogs squad after arguably his career-best match against the Suns on Saturday. The former Eagle had 34 disposals, eight clearances and kicked back-to-back goals for the Dogs in the opening quarter of the 48-point win. In a game that was overshadowed by the return of prized forward Tom Boyd, it was the smaller forwards and midfielders that got the job done with Clay Smith, Marcus Bontempelli and Mitch Wallis also prominent in front of goals. After a wretched run with injuries lets hope Stevens can string more than a handful of games together as the Dogs look to do some damage in September.Jackson Trengove: Since Matthew Lobbe went down with a knee injury, Trengove has stepped up enormously in whats been a mid-season revival for the Power. Up against the games most dominant ruckman Todd Goldstein on Saturday, many would have excused Trengove for being unable to contain him, but the defender-turned-ruckman was outstanding, particularly in the first term when Port Adelaide motored to a five-goal lead. Trengove finished the day with 22 disposals (10 more than Goldstein) and six tackles. Is the shorter, more versatile ruckman the way of the future?VILLAINSMelbournes record at Etihad Stadium: Theres only one word that springs to mind when describing Melbournes recent record at Etihad Stadium: dreadful. The Demons have lost 24 of their past 25 games at Docklands and again on Sunday were well beaten by the Saints. If that wasnt humiliating enough, Sundays loss stretched the Dees losing streak against St Kilda to 14 straight matches. It was a day to forget for Melbourne -- who had been playing good football heading into the clash -- after Jesse Hogan was reported for striking Jarryn Geary in a marking contest.Tom Hawkins: Hes such an important player for the Cats and at his best could prove the difference between a mediocre Geelong and one thats a serious premiership threat. However, just one disposal in the first half against Freo is simply inexcusable. Full credit to Zac Dawson who played a terrific game on the Geelong star forward, but Hawkins was guilty of a plethora of forgettable moments, most notably spilled marks and poor positioning. Despite improving in the second half, Hawkins still failed to have any impact on the contest. He looked relieved to finish up with one goal, but against a bottom four side thats simply not good enough. If Geelongs indifferent form is to be eradicated, they need the big man firing -- especially with two tough challenges against Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs in the next fortnight.50m penalties:?To the letter of the law, I believe both 50m penalties against Swans duo Kieren Jack and Ben McGlynn against Hawthorn were there. However, in a tight, low-scoring contest, decisions like that have the ability to drastically change momentum, as we all witnessed at the SCG on Thursday night and against Kade Simpson versus the Eagles on Sunday. The Jack decision was of particular concern as he was clearly in the protected zone and should be afforded the opportunity to exit the area without being pinged and costing his side a goal. It is worth noting that Jack was also on the boundary side of the Hawk in possession, Jono ORourke, in these types of instances we need to take a more lenient approach as it is not stopping the ball from moving quickly through the corridor. 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Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Austin Ruder and Jarrid Rhodes combined to hit 10 3-pointers and score 34 points and Missouri State beat Alabama A&M 96-62 in the season opener for both teams on Friday night.Ruder hit six 3-pointers and finished with 18 points while Rhodes made 6 of 7 field-goal attempts, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range, and scored 16. Alize Johnson added 16 more, on 8-of-8 s