HIGH LOWS AND LOW HIGHS

Round five was not blessed (or cursed, depending on your viewpoint on draws) with a tied match but the result of all seven games was in doubt well into each last quarter.

The round threw up a number of records, all pointing towards the competition's current even nature:

■The lowest score of the round was 76 points (by Brisbane Lions against St Kilda). This was the highest minimum score for a single round since round 20, 2000.

■The highest score of the round was 117 (by Geelong against Hawthorn), making it the lowest maximum score for a completed round since round 18, 2006.

■The long weekend's largest margin was just 30 points (by Collingwood against Essendon), which was the lowest maximum margin for a round since round 17, 2005.

TEAMS DOWN, CENTURIES UP

The final scores of both North Melbourne and Port Adelaide were significant in that they were the first losing three-figure scores of the 2011 season. Recent years have contrasted dramatically with the days of the late '70s and early '80s when three-figure losing scores occurred almost every week. In fact in round 10, 1982, all 12 teams over six games registered three-figure totals. North's score against Richmond, 14.19 (103), has been a losing score on each of the past four occasions it's been registered.

AFL ROYALTY

In honour of last night's wedding (and with thanks to James Gigacz for the idea), here's a football team of past players with a somewhat royal flavour.

B: Ross Abbey (Foots), Craig Stewart (Coll), Bob Rush (Coll)

HB: David King (NM), David Rhys-Jones (SM and Carl), Mark McQueen (Rich)

C: Joe Prince (SM), Steve Wallis (Foots), Alfred George (Melb)

HF: George William Andrew (St K), Wayne 'King' Carey (NM), Adam Simpson (NM)

F: William Harry (Carl), Jock Spencer (NM), Leigh Tudor (NM and Geel)

R: Justin Charles (Foots and Rich), Brian Royal (Foots), Dick 'King Richard' Reynolds (Ess)