Just six matches were held over the weekend to see the VFL ladder shift slightly as we look toward the business end of the season.
The Suns have broken away at the top of the competition after Brisbane managed a shock draw with Sandringham - a game where senior figures from both sides stood tall.
The Bombers suffered their ninth loss in a row on Sunday to see their season slip further, while Southport find themselves back in the finals frame after a strong last quarter over Coburg.
Read up on all of the latest from the VFL's action over the weekend.
Geelong vs Casey (40 - 80)
Casey held the Cats to just five goals on their home deck on Friday night, with the Demons notching up their eighth win of the season in the process.
Senior swingman Adam Tomlinson was demoted to the VFL despite a strong run of form under Simon Goodwin, with the former Giant putting himself right back in the mix for selection after collecting 27 disposals and taking nine marks in the win.
James Harmes and Jake Bowey matched Tomlinson's ball-winning exploits, with the former commanding the midfield alongside Luke Dunstan to get the upper hand over a young Cats outfit.
Jake Melksham led the way for the Demons in attack, booting four goals from 14 touches as Ben Brown, Josh Schache and Mitch White kicked two goals each on the night.
Geelong forward Ollie Dempsey continued his impressive vein of form to collect a game-high 32 touches to go along with eight clearances, five tackles and a goal from midfield to be the standout for Geelong.
Defender Bailey Van De Heuvel was another one to impress in the hoops, recording 10 marks for a return of 15 possessions.
Collingwood vs Sydney (94 - 71)
Collingwood welcomed the battling Swans to Olympic Park on Saturday morning and managed to hold off a surging Sydney side to notch up their third win on the trot.
Flank players Jakob Ryan and Trent Bianco were among the Magpies' leading ball winners in the contest with 29 possessions each, while Campbell Hustwaite was again impressive with 24 disposals, nine clearances and a goal.
Aiden Begg showed signs of promise through his role as Collingwood's ruckman, collecting seven clearances, 16 hitouts and 18 disposals in sharing the workload with Oscar Steene, who booted two goals in attack.
The Swans welcomed the return of defender Tom McCartin back from his battle with concussion, with the Sydney star among the Swans' best on his way to amassing 25 disposals and seven marks, working alongside Will Gould and Harry Arnold in defence.
Midfielder Dylan Stephens responded well to being dropped, collecting 28 touches, while Jack Buller looked to do the same with his three-goal haul.
Sandringham vs Brisbane (79 - 79)
VFL fans were treated to their second draw of the season on Saturday as the Zebras caused an upset result against Lions at Trevor Barker Beach Oval.
While the two premiership points might've come as a surprise for Sandringham, the home side will be disappointed that tally wasn't doubled given their 23-point lead at the last break.
Brisbane kept Sandringham goalless in the fourth quarter as they piled on nine scoring shots of their own to snatch a draw, with wayward kicking a concern for the Queensland club.
Callum Ah Chee would kick the match-tying goal in the 30th minute of the last quarter to add to his prior major of the evening and 24 touches for the day.
Jarryd Lyons was again Brisbane's best ball winner with 33 disposals and seven clearances, while Noah Answerth was pivotal with his run and impact in attack.
Back Bytel managed a successful game as he looks to make a return to the AFL level after injury, recording 26 disposals and two goals, with Jack Billings matching his efforts with 24 disposals and three goals.
Jack Peris chipped in with two goals for the day, while Wylie Buzza was the only Lion to join Ah Chee with multiple majors.
Southport vs Coburg (102 - 62)
The inconsistent Sharks moved back into the top 10 after holding off the last-placed Lions at home on Saturday, erasing a four-point three-quarter time deficit to claim a 40-point win.
The VFL's best ball winner in Jacob Dawson set a career-high of 48 touches in the victory, collecting another 12 clearances and seven tackles to extend his stellar 2023 campaign.
His partner in crime Boyd Woodcock managed 27 disposals and a goal, while Jackson Edwards impressed with 29 touches.
Brayden Crossley led the way among Southport scorers with three goals, while Jesse Joyce, Fraser Thurlow and Jack Sexton kicked two goals each.
Coburg's Tom McKenzie booted a third of the Lions' nine goals, while Ben Jepson was again his side's best ball winner with 29 possessions.
Gold Coast vs Box Hill (149 - 85)
The Suns now hold a two-point buffer over rivals Brisbane at the top of the ladder thanks to a resounding win over Box Hill on Sunday.
Gold Coast would win the second half by 63 points to blow away the Hawks after half-time, with recruit Brodie McLaughlin popping up with five goals to take the lead among the league's leading goalkickers.
Alex Sexton, Sam Day and Mabior Chol each booted four goals to steer the Suns to their 11th win of the season.
Gold Coast ruckman Ned Moyle was impressive with 20 disposals, 51 hitouts and seven clearances to help feed his circling pack of teammates.
Young Hawk Josh Ward was everywhere on his way to collecting 38 disposals - 12 more than any other player on the field. The second-year onballer would work in tandem with young pair Cooper Stephens and Henry Hustwaite against a senior Suns side.
Port Melbourne vs Essendon (91 - 38)
The Bombers remain among the bottom four after suffering their ninth straight defeat on the weekend, with the Borough recording a much-needed victory for their finals hopes.
While the contest was tight to half-time, Port Melbourne kicked nine goals to Essendon's two after the main break to record their fifth win of the year and snap a run of three losses.
Harvey Hooper amassed 33 possessions for the day in a one-two punch with ex-Bomber Dylan Clarke, who had 29 possessions of his own as the pair combined for 14 clearances, spit evenly.
Archi Manton saw his 2023 goals tally reach 17 for the year after booting a team-high three goals, while Matt Signorello's promising run of form continued as he amassed 20 disposals, eight marks and two goals.
Veteran Bomber Nick Hind and young flanker Massimo D'Ambrosio found plenty of the ball with 27 and 25 disposals respectively, while first-year midfielder Elijah Tsatas collected 21 touches to continue his impressive start after overcoming an early season setback.
