An outstanding captain's game from Darcy Moore and a pivotal cameo from Jack Ginnivan have highlighted Collingwood's grinding 29-point AFL win over Sydney.
Brody Mihocek kicked his fourth goal with a spectacular mid-air soccer effort late in the last term and added a fifth as the Magpies won 11.11 (77) to 6.12 (48) in front of a bumper 71,463 Sunday crowd at a chilly MCG.
Meanwhile St Kilda held on to their top four spot with a win over North Melbourne, while Port Adelaide snuck home over Essendon for a five point win.
The Magpies' win keeps them at the top of the ladder, while the Swans have lost three in a row and are struggling with a 3-5 record.
Mihocek was the only multiple goal kicker in the tough conditions and the Magpies sealed the win with five to one in the last term.
Moore was a brick wall in defence and continually thwarted the Swans.
Ginnivan, dropped for this game after lacklustre form, came on in the third term and immediately gave Collingwood much-needed spark.
He also kicked a last-term goal as the Magpies surged clear.
Sydney suffered a blow at the opening bounce when ruckman Peter Ladhams suffered a neck injury which forced him from the field.
He was able to return in the second term and played out the game.
The Magpies had control early but were the first to butcher their chances, and only managed 3.5 by the first change.
Ryan Clarke kicked Sydney's only goal of the opening quarter and let his opponent Nick Daicos know all about it, sparking a series of scuffles.
When Jordan De Goey kicked a goal early in the second term, Collingwood led by 20 points and the Swans were in trouble.
But Sydney roared back with the last four goals of the half and took an improbable eight-point lead into the long break.
Collingwood kicked the only two goals of the third quarter to regain the lead as the Magpies and Swans' goalkicking radars continued to be badly awry.
After Mihoceck torched a golden inside-50 opportunity, he made amends with a great snapped goal moments later and they led by five points at three-quarter time.
Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury had a team-high 31 possessions, while Swans young gun Errol Gulden racked up 37 possessions.
Saints shut North down for 30-point win
North Melbourne have produced a goalless first half for the first time in almost 44 years as St Kilda prevailed by 30 points in the ugliest game of the AFL season to date.
There were few highlights in an error-riddled contest on Sunday despite perfect conditions under the roof at Marvel Stadium.
Captain Jack Steele (20 disposals, nine clearances) and physical ruckman Rowan Marshall (21, five) steered the Saints to a 8.16 (64) to 4.10 (34) triumph, with Dan Butler and Jack Higgins kicking two goals apiece.
But Marshall finished the match on the bench with ice on his left ankle after Jade Gresham had already been substituted out with a sore knee and hand.
The result reaffirmed the Ross Lyon-coached Saints' (6-2) spot in the top four after losses in two of their previous three matches.
The Kangaroos, now on a six-match losing streak, set records for the wrong reasons as they kicked 0.7 from 22 forward entries in the first half.
It was the first time they had been goalless at the main break since round 12, 1979.
Nick Larkey eventually broke the drought at the three-minute mark of the third quarter and booted his second four minutes later, cutting the margin to 10 points.
But the Saints steadied with three of the next four goals and fought out a scrappy win.
Mattaes Phillipou provided a rare highlight when he soared over teammate Brad Crouch and Darcy Tucker for a huge final-quarter mark.
Tucker was also on the receiving end of a huge bump from Jack Sinclair.
North Melbourne spearhead Larkey finished with three goals, all in the third quarter, and young star Harry Sheezel gathered 30 disposals in another strong display.
The worst half of football this year was best characterised by a comedy of errors during the second term, which started when Saints teammates Brad Crouch and Ben Paton collided in the centre of the ground.
What should have been an uncontested mark to one of them instead gifted North Melbourne an open shot at goal, but Cameron Zurhaar missed on the run from 20 metres.
Larkey's two goals at the start of the second half gave the Kangaroos genuine hope but a 50-metre penalty against Jy Simpkin allowed Mitch Owens to steady for the Saints, who held their opponents at bay.
Kangaroos veteran Ben Cunnington was substituted out for the second time this season, having managed just seven disposals in three quarters.
Power hang on to beat Bombers at Adelaide Oval
Dynamic duo Connor Rozee and Zak Butters have propelled Port Adelaide to a comeback five-point victory against a Essendon and into the AFL's top four.
The Power trailed by 21 points in the second quarter but prevailed 12.20 (92) to 13.9 (87) at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
Port have now won five consecutive games — four of them by 14 points or less — to hold fourth spot.
Rozee collected 30 disposals and kicked a crucial last-quarter goal while Butters' 28 touches featured 13 contested possessions and nine score involvements.
Power veteran Travis Boak (21 disposals, one goal), Willem Drew (22) and Dan Houston (25) were significant while forwards Charlie Dixon, Junior Rioli and Darcy Byrne-Jones kicked two goals each.
Essendon on-baller Darcy Parish was a standout with a game-high 37 disposals, his captain Zach Merrett had 28 touches and a goal while defender Mason Redman gathered 21 disposals.
Bomber forward Sam Weideman slotted two goals in his duel with star Port backman Aliir Aliir while Jake Stringer (18 disposals, six clearances), Archie Perkins and Kyle Langford also kicked two.
The Bombers crafted a 15-point quarter-time lead, 6.1 to 3.4, and increased their margin to a match-high 21 points early in a second quarter when they lost Jordan Ridley to concussion.
Ridley was felled behind play by Junior Rioli when the Power forward, attempting a block when not looking at his opponent, caught the Bomber high with a back-hander.
The incident came as the Power rallied in general play but failed to capitalise, kicking 2.7 for the quarter, with the Bombers leading 9.1 to 5.11 at half-time.
Port captain Tom Jonas was substituted early in the third quarter when crunched in a marking contest and suffering a chest injury.
Jonas' absence coincided with a Dixon-inspired comeback as the Power spearhead snared two goals in a two-minute span .
Dixon's first strike put the home side in front for the first time in the game, his second gave them a nine-point break.
But a late goal from Essendon's substitute Jye Menzie helped reduced the margin to one point at three quarter-time — Port 9.16 to 11.3.
Essendon's Perkins kicked the first goal in the last quarter before the Power slotted three consecutive majors to skip 13 points up.
But a late Stringer goal gave the visitors hope and ruckman Andrew Phillips had a 50m set-shot with less than a minute remaining to level scores, but his effort fell short and was rushed for a behind.
Ladder
ABC/AAP
