1. Brendon Bolton will extract some value from Dale Thomas

The man known as 'Daisy' may have been lured to Carlton by Mick Malthouse but it’s Bolton who may get the best out of Thomas. The former Magpie was largely used behind the ball, often as a sweeper at stoppages. He started quietly but worked his way into the game and finished with 25 disposals. A great one-on-one mark in the forward line against Buddy Franklin was the highlight. His kicking was also much improved from the pre-season.

2. It was a good game to bring back underdone defender Ted Richard

Richards came into the game after missing the entire NAB Challenge, and only playing around 70 minutes in the NEAFL last week. The 33-year-old may have been lacking match fitness but it made sense for the Swans to bring him back against a team likely to finish in the bottom four. He spent a lot of time on first-gamer Charlie Curnow in a relatively comfortable return. With GWS, Adelaide and West Coast coming up in their next three matches, the Swans will need Richards at his best.

3. Charlie Curnow could use his brother's work rate

While Ed Curnow is known as a player who makes the most of his talent, his brother needs to run harder to become a best-22 player. After being drafted at No.12 last year, there is plenty of time for him to improve and he has the physical attributes to become a gun midfielder. At times, his defensive efforts were lacklustre. Playing forward, he didn't have it easy against premiership defender Ted Richards and he will learn from the experience.

4. Callum Sinclair will do fine replacing Mike Pyke

The Swans traded Lewis Jetta for Sinclair in a straight swap and the early signs show they will do just fine. In the first quarter, Sinclair did the job at both ends of the ground, kicking a couple of goals and helping out deep in defence. With Buddy Franklin and Kurt Tippett taking most of the opposition's attention, Sinclair can contribute on the scoreboard if left unchecked, and he hurt the Blues by finishing with three goals.

5. Carlton's impressive round one effort was no fluke

The Blues were lauded for playing well above expectations against Richmond in their season opener and despite the 60-point loss on Sunday, the Blues showed signs against the Sydney Swans. The biggest difference was the Swans were in much better form than the Tigers. In the first and third quarters in particular, Carlton won its fair share of ball. Blues fans should take positives out of their team's ball movement, which looked slick at times against a team that is likely to be in premiership contention.