Just a bit on marking torps, it's a bit of a lost art, so players aren't really reading them anymore in a contested situation. But an elite reader of the flight can make a defender look a bit silly, and they can be really hard to spoil/defend against if the ball swings/drops late.
Also while I'm here, I have from time to time gone to the telstra tracker on the AFL app during games, and it is unbelievable how contested areas are, play is far more flooded than it ever was, it is just the elite ability of players to spread which makes play seem more open. Clearing an area with a long kick isn't that silly an option with the right players, problem is usually it is a dump kick and doesn't go far.
Something I did notice from the weekend was the longer handball forward of the play, like into a 30 degree attacking wedge, which was/is very effective at quickly opening up play, and traditionally too risky for most players and coaches, whom typically 100% move laterally before setting up overlap run.
