Another week, more score review drama. Round 15 saw the Roos continue their remarkable resurgence under Rhyce Shaw and the Dons keep their season alive, but some former Blues and Hawthorn's leaders had weekends to forget.
Here are this week's Heroes & Villains.
HEROES
Key Roos leading the way: Leadership comes in many shapes and forms and the efforts of Jack Ziebell and Ben Cunnington were inspirational for the Kangaroos in their stunning demolition of the suddenly faltering Magpies.
During Saturday night's statement victory, Ziebell notched 25 disposals, seven clearances, three goals and five tackles, while Cunnington collected 37 touches, seven clearances and four tackles. Not only did they win the footy and distribute it brilliantly, they also set the tone from the opening bounce with their physicality and pressure.
Ziebell, of course, is in his third year as Kangaroos captain, while Cunnington is not in the club's four-man leadership group. But both led from the front as North Melbourne out-pressured and out-worked the Magpies, restricting them to their lowest score in more than 24 years.
It continued an outstanding run of form for both men, with Cunnington making an argument for a maiden All-Australian berth and Ziebell proving he's one of the game's elite dual threats after a failed experiment as a permanent forward early in the season.
As for North, they've now won four out of their past five, including big scalps in Collingwood and Richmond. They're just one game outside the top eight after Fremantle's shock loss to the Blues, but with significant momentum on their side and a reasonable draw ahead, September isn't out of the question. And if they continue to play like they did on Saturday night, then who knows how deep they can go.
Backs-against-the-wall Dons: Lose and your season is probably over, win and you're still alive in 2019. That was basically the scenario for Essendon on Thursday night when they hosted the red-hot Giants at Marvel Stadium.
A fast start had the local fans excited but when GWS settled into the game and hit the lead in the second term it looked like the Bombers were in serious trouble. However, to their credit they hung around and gave themselves a chance heading into the last quarter, despite losing ruckman Tom Bellchambers to a calf strain.
Down by 18 points and desperate for goals, coach John Worsfold sent Cale Hooker into the forward line and it turned out to be a masterstroke. The defender clunked two contested marks and kicked two goals, including the final major of the game with 19 seconds on the clock to drag his side over the line by six points in what was an absolute thriller.
Along with Hooker, Zach Merrett stood up with 28 disposals while Kyle Langford played his best game of the season, finishing with 21 disposals, seven tackles and a crucial final-quarter goal.
Yes, they may have been a tad fortunate with yet another dubious score review - replays showed the game-tying goal from Shaun McKernan was probably touched off the boot by Adam Kennedy. No action was taken as the six-pointer stood.
Nevertheless, the Bombers deserved the confidence-boosting win which evens up their season ledger at 7-7. Finals is now a real possibility, particularly given they are set to welcome back some key personnel.
Hipwood no longer just 'potential': Since the start of his career, Lions key forward Hipwood has always been filed under the 'exciting but erratic' tab but he's always been capable of turning a match on its head, and that's exactly what he did against Melbourne at the Gabba on Sunday afternoon.
The 21-year-old had endured a difficult time of it in the first two-and-a-half quarters before producing a match-winning burst that all but secured Brisbane's ninth win of the year which puts them just percentage outside the top four.
Hipwood kicked four majors between the 19-minute mark of the third quarter and the final break as the Lions took a stranglehold on the game, before then putting the result beyond doubt with his fifth early in the last.
The Demons couldn't counter Hipwood's athleticism, height and class during his match-winning blitz, with the 203cm Lion proving the difference as the home team drew away late.
Kudos also to Brisbane skipper Dayne Zorko (31 touches, three goals) and recruit Lachie Neale (38 disposals, 23 contested possessions and 12 clearances) who both shone despite close attention from their Melbourne counterparts.
With the Lions a September absentee since 2009, they look a lock to feature in this year's finals.
VILLAINS
Fairweather Hawks and their precious leaders: On Saturday, just over 30,000 fans filtered into the MCG to witness one of the best games of the season between Hawthorn and West Coast.
It was admittedly cold and soggy -- pretty standard for a Melbourne winter, no? -- but surely, with the Hawks' finals hopes on the line and the return of one of the league's biggest drawcards in star Eagle Nic Naitnui, the occasion demanded a much bigger crowd as West Coast won a thriller.
The dismal turnout leaves the Hawks in danger of a 13-year attendance low, leading some to label Hawthorn fans 'fairweather' considering the club boasted a membership of 80,000-plus in 2018 - a figure which CEO Justin Reeves said "would be broken" again this season.
Reeves on Saturday said Hawks fans were "voting with their feet not to turn up to timeslots that don't suit", following on a similar line from club president Jeff Kennett, who has twice claimed the AFL had a "deliberate" schedule bias against his club which will cost it between $500,000 and $1 million in 2019.
Schedule bias? Try being one of the smaller Melbourne clubs or GWS or Gold Coast, fellas, and then come back to us.
And the ironic icing on the cake was of course from Kennett, who tweeted during Saturday's game: "We do not complain! Just suffer in silence! And financially."
Suffer in silence?! Surely you jest, Jeff. You don't know the meaning of the word.
Adelaide's former Blues: Recalled to the Crows' senior side for the first time in a month, Bryce Gibbs had a bit of pressure on him heading into Friday night's game against Geelong, but it's fair to say he threw up a stinker that could even have his career at Adelaide in the crossroads.
Dropped three times in the first half of the year, Gibbs was reportedly not doing enough to satisfy coach Don Pyke enough to warrant selection, but his 13-touch effort in the Crows' loss to the Cats won't do his case to stay in the side any good.
Gibbs was unsighted in the last quarter during which didn't register a disposal, as the Cats turned a 14-point three-quarter-time lead into an eventual 27-point win. Gibbs' final stat line of 13 touches (six contested) two inside 50s and a free kick against ins't good reading for the out-of-favour 30-year-old, who may surprisingly see himself on the trade table come the end of the year.
In fairness, Gibbs wasn't the only former Blue to have a poor night out against the Cats; goalsneak Eddie Betts was held goalless - for the second time against the Cats this year, and for just the third time in his last 28 games.
Second half Saints: They'd kicked seven goals straight to start their afternoon and looked a red-hot chance to square their season at 7-7, but the Saints' second half against the Tigers was nearly as bad as their third term against the Lions last week.
In fact, St Kilda led the Tigers by 23 points entering time on in the second term, but from that point onwards, it was all Richmond. Through first-year revelation Sydney Stack (four goal, 15 disposals) and Dustin Martin (36 disposals), the Tigers outscored their opponents by 56 points - piling on 13 goals and six behinds to the Saints' three goals and 10 behinds.
St Kilda's miserable second half was summed up midway through the last quarter when Mabiol Chol was gifted one of the easiest goal's he'll ever kick; he went up unopposed in the ruck, grabbed the ball and strolled into an open goal from 10 metres out.
The easiest goal Mabior Chol will ever kick! #AFLSaintsTigers pic.twitter.com/jdpJseCKRZ
— AFL (@AFL) June 30, 2019
The critics will once again come for Saints coach Alan Richardson, but ultimately he isn't on the field kicking at goal. In perfect conditions under the roof, the Saints were terribly inaccurate and kicked themselves out of a very winnable match.