Former number-one draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has come of age to propel the Western Bulldogs to a thrilling 10-point upset over Melbourne in a thrilling grand final rematch.
In Saturday's other matches, the Brisbane Lions got home by 17 points in a tense QClash against the Gold Coast Suns, Geelong defeated Port Adelaide by two goals, while Hawthorn and Sydney also posted victories.
Trailing for most of Saturday night's match at Docklands, the Bulldogs stormed home to grab the lead through Riley Garcia with four minutes remaining.
The Bulldogs defended for their life in the dying stages, before Ugle-Hagan roosted his fifth goal from the boundary line with seconds to go to seal the club's 10th win of 2022.
Luke Beveridge's team was humiliated by Melbourne in last year's grand final, and then in round one this season, but saluted 17.8 (110) to 15.10 (100) in a classic encounter this time around.
Most importantly for the Bulldogs, it puts them inside the top eight with four rounds to go, overtaking struggling Richmond, who drew with Fremantle on Friday night.
The Demons led at every change, and by as many as 27 points, but the Bulldogs had more run in the final term with five goals to one.
Defender Steven May had an outstanding match but made a critical mistake in the last quarter that led to an important Bulldogs goal.
Ugle-Hagan, in just his 17th AFL match, delivered on his promise with a career-high return after booting three majors last week.
His match-sealing goal could long be looked back on as the moment a star's career finally took off.
The Bulldogs were able to penetrate the much-vaunted Melbourne defence, with the Demons conceding 100 points or more for the first time since round 19, 2019.
After starting their premiership defence with 10 straight victories, Melbourne has lost five of its last eight matches to be in danger of finishing outside of the top two.
Champion Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver was typically magnificent after missing last week with a fractured thumb, collecting 28 touches and 13 clearances.
Bayley Fritsch (four goals) and Sam Weideman (three), who was a late inclusion for Ben Brown, were the Demons' most damaging players up forward.
Star defender Jake Lever was also a late out for Melbourne.
Lions claim derby win
Brisbane dashed the AFL finals hopes of Gold Coast and remain in the box seat for a top-four spot, winning a see-sawing QClash at the Gabba.
Trailing at the end of the second and third quarters, the Lions kicked five goals in the fourth term to claim a hard-fought 16.14 (110) to 14.9 (93) win.
It's the first time since round nine the Lions have won back-to-back matches and they return to third spot on the ladder, two points clear of Fremantle after the Dockers' draw with Richmond on Friday night.
Joe Daniher and Charlie Cameron kicked three goals each for the Lions, with Rhys Mathieson and Lincoln McCarthy managing two majors apiece.
For the Suns, Levi Casboult finished with four goals, while debutant Elijah Hollands kicked two as did Mabior Chol and Brandon Ellis.
Touk Miller was a standout with a match-high 34 disposals, seven tackles and four clearances to win the Marcus Ashcroft Medal as best-on-ground for a third time.
Brisbane star Lachie Neale had 32 touches and 10 clearances in a typically all-action display for the Lions. Defender Brandon Starcevich and midfielder Hugh McCluggage were also impressive.
The hosts made a fast start when Daniher and Cameron both scored early goals but Hollands's goal with his first touch in AFL football sparked the Suns.
Cameron's second meant the Lions held an eight-point lead at the first turn before the Suns took control in the second quarter on the back of inspirational work by Miller.
Hollands mixed the good with the bad, taking a defensive mark before his kick near the goal square was smothered by Daniher, who slotted his second.
It was all Suns after that, with the visitors kicking three unanswered including one to David Swallow in his record-breaking 193rd appearance for the club to hit the front for the first time in the match.
When Hollands kicked the second of his debut match, the Suns were seven points clear and held onto a goal lead at the main break.
A thrilling third quarter featured a number of lead changes as both teams kicked five goals each, with Chol's second of the night putting the Suns seven points clear at the final turn.
The Suns had to make a medical substitution before the fourth quarter with Oleg Markov coming into the match after Charlie Ballard suffered a knee injury.
Daniher's third early in the final quarter levelled the scores again six minutes into set up a grandstand finish.
When Ellis was caught in possession close to the goal with 12 minutes to play, the Lions hit the front with ex-Sun Jarryd Lyons converting the free kick.
Daniel Rich came from the field dazed after copping a Casboult knee to his head but moments later the Lions were two goals clear when Mathieson kicked his second.
Oscar McInerney's fine finish made it four in a row for the quarter as the Lions took a stranglehold on the contest before Cameron added the gloss with his third of the night to ice the win.
Cats prevail against Power
Geelong's Tom Hawkins booted two last-gasp goals to sink Port Adelaide by 12 points and keep the Cats top of the ladder.
The Cats trailed by seven points at three quarter-time but triumphed 16.10 (106) to 14.10 (94) in a wildly swinging affair.
The defeat leaves the Power in 11th place on the ladder, six premiership points behind eighth-placed Richmond with four matches remaining before the finals.
The Cats retain top spot after Hawkins scored two clutch goals — with four and three minutes remaining respectively – as the final two scores of a thrilling match.
Geelong defender Zac Tuohy collected a match-high 27 disposals, his teammates Tom Atkins and Cam Guthrie both had 24 touches and Jeremy Cameron kicked three goals.
The visitors led by 34 points at half-time but the Power's Charlie Dixon triggered an astonishing third-term comeback as the hosts booted eight goals to one.
Dixon scored two goals and took five marks in the quarter to revive the Power, who were well-served by Mitch Georgiades (three goals), Sam Powell-Pepper (19 disposals, two goals) and Karl Amon (25 disposals, one goal).
But the Cats rallied with four goals to one in a tense last term. Scores were tied in the 16th minute when the Power's Amon goaled, before Hawkins's late heroics.
Earlier, Geelong edged to a four-point lead after a fast-paced opening quarter and then accelerated in a second-term blitz, booting six goals to one.
The Cats lost ruckman Rhys Stanley to a knee injury but led 11.3 to 5.5 at half-time.
Dixon inspired a Power comeback as the home side scored eight goals to one in a stunning third quarter.
The Power led by seven points at three quarter-time after Dixon's brilliant quarter. He booted two goals from 11 disposals, took five marks, had two score assists and two inside 50s in the term.
But Geelong spearhead Cameron slotted his third goal just 13 seconds into the last quarter and the Cats finished with a Hawkins flourish to bank their 14th win of the season.
Swans keep touch with top four
Fast-starting Sydney held off a gallant Adelaide to continue their push for a top-four finish with a 33-point triumph at the SCG.
The Swans stormed to an eight-goal lead early in the second term but had to withstand a brave Crows comeback until steadying late to finish with a 17.16 (118) to 12.13 (85) victory on Saturday.
The Crows seemed to be stuck on Central Australia time as they allowed the Swans to kick 10 of the opening 12 goals before waking up to give the premiership fancies a second-half scare.
Small forward Ned McHenry had an opportunity to cut the margin to 15 points when the Crows had all the momentum in the third term as he sprinted toward an open goal with ball in hand, but Nick Blakey dived to smother the kick and rush it through for a behind.
Blakey's desperate effort helped turn the contest back in his team's favour although the Crows continued to fight hard through a final term that included a 70m goal to Taylor Walker (three goals) and a brilliant banana kick from Jake Soligo until the Swans settled it with the last two goals.
The in-form Swans (12-6) have now won three consecutive matches for just the second time this season and with a favourable run home are well-placed to claim a double chance in the finals.
Co-captains Luke Parker (29 disposals) and Callum Mills (27, one goal) joined young gun Chad Warner (25, one goal) to ensure the Swans had too much midfield firepower, while Dylan Stephens (25, one goal) had arguably his best game at senior level.
Lance Franklin booted three majors to reach 1033 career goals and pass Gary Ablett Snr as fifth on the list of all-time leading goalkickers in VFL/AFL history, while Will Hayward also finished with three.
Rory Laird (game-high 38 disposals, one goal) and the emerging Sam Berry (24 touches, 14 tackles, two goals) battled hard around the stoppages but the Crows were often found wanting once the ball got on the outside.
Adelaide's ball movement was partly restricted by Swans stopper Ryan Clarke limiting the influence of Jordan Dawson who was playing against his former club for the first time.
The Crows lost Shane McAdam in the first term after the high-flying forward bravely attacked the ball in the air but received a heavy knock on the thigh that forced him to be subbed out of the match.
Despite the better performance after quarter-time, the struggling Crows (5-13) have lost four in a row and are all but set for a third consecutive bottom-four finish.
They face another tough test against a top-four contender when they meet Carlton at home on Saturday night.
Sydney have won their past five matches on home turf by an average of 35 points and will look to extend that streak when they clash with crosstown rivals GWS at the SCG on Saturday.
Hawks dominate North
A blistering start and five goals from an inspired Jack Gunston has propelled Hawthorn to a 46-point AFL victory over battlers North Melbourne.
The Hawks slotted eight unanswered goals in the first quarter at Hobart's Bellerive Oval on Saturday, with the Kangaroos failing to back up last round's upset over Richmond under caretaker coach Leigh Adams.
Playing his first match following two weeks off after the sudden death of his father, three-time premiership winner Gunston was a shining light in the 19.7 (121) to 11.9 (75) result.
The 30-year-old fittingly opened the scoring and pointed to the heavens to pay tribute to his father Ray, who was a former executive at the AFL.
Gunston's best came in the fourth quarter from a set shot from the boundary line, as the Hawks registered their third win on the trot.
Busy Hawthorn midfielder Jai Newcombe picked up two goals, 30 disposals and nine clearances.
North Melbourne, who parted ways with coach David Noble less than a fortnight ago, were dealt a late blow when key forward Nick Larkey was ruled out with a heel problem.
Larkey had been under an injury cloud after being subbed out in their drought-breaking win over Richmond but made the trip south to Hobart.
His replacement Aaron Hall picked up an equal team-high 30 disposals.
Tempers flared in the fourth quarter when several Hawthorn players objected to North Melbourne's Jy Simpkin flinging one of their teammates to the ground.
Hawthorn racked up a 49-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Kangaroos clawed back some momentum by winning the second term with two goals to the Hawks' single major.
However the Hawks got rolling again in the third, with Gunston contributing two goals.
North Melbourne fans had something to cheer about when 20-year-old Phoenix Spicer kicked his maiden goal in the third quarter.
Skipper Jack Ziebell booted three in front of a crowd of 9,713.
The Kangaroos remain anchored to the foot of the ladder with two wins for the season and next meet Essendon, while Hawthorn play top-eight hopefuls St Kilda.
Ladder
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