Round 19 in the VFL saw the finals race further take shape, with several clubs still in the chasing pack for a top-10 finish.
The Swans notched up a surprise hammering over Essendon, while Werribee have now collected 13 wins on the win to remain in reaching distance of top spot.
A Geelong forward had a day out against the Bullants, while the Suns held off their state rivals to hold onto their place atop the competition.
Read up on all the results and standouts from the VFL action over the weekend.
Port Melbourne vs Coburg (80 - 70)
The Lions came close to securing their first win of the season and will now spend over a year exactly without a victory to their name.
The Borough held off Coburg in a tight contest to record their sixth win of 2023 and keep their finals chances intact, with Archi Manton's five majors having a large say on the result.
Teammates Bryce Milford and Jake Gasper would contribute two goals each in the win thanks to plenty of supply from Nash Holmes and Harvey Hooper on Friday night.
Holmes would amass 25 disposals and 10 clearances, while Hooper would record 11 inside 50s from his 24 disposals.
The duo came up against a formidable Coburg midfield group led by Luke Bailey and Flynn Gentile, who would combine for 50 disposals and 16 clearances in the defeat.
Mitch Podhajski would kick four goals in the loss and Kyle Weightman would add three majors of his own, with the Lions closing in on their maiden victory for the year.
Gold Coast vs Brisbane (92 - 74)
The mutch-anticipated VFL QClash saw the Suns claim a three-goal win after trailing by 23 points at the first break. A five-goal third term had the Carrara club well ahead of their state rivals to see them retain their place atop the ladder.
Banking on a team full of AFL-listed players and two Academy kids, the Suns notched up their 14th win of 2023 and remain level with Werribee at the summit.
Onballers Brayden Fiorini and Alex Davies were key contributors in the win, while Charlie Constable found plenty of the ball to collect a team-high 34 disposals and 11 marks.
Veteran forward Sam Day would kick three goals, while Mabior Chol and VFL leading goalkicker Chris Burgess would add two each.
Lions pair Deven Robertson and Jaxon Prior would continue their strong seasons at the state league level, while an unlikely goal source came in the form of Jack Manly, who kicked three majors from 14 touches.
The loss sees Brisbane slide to third on the ladder and now six points off the Suns.
Collingwood vs Carlton (100 - 72)
The Magpies have moved back into the top 10 thanks to a 28-point win over their close rivals in Carlton, with sharpshooter Ash Johnson leading the charge with four goals from eight scoring shots.
Johnson would combine with Nathan Kreuger and Will Kelly to amass 10 goals between them, while small forward Jack Ginnivan and Tom Wilson booted two each to make up the rest of Collingwood's goals.
Wingman Trent Bianco would amass an equal game-high 32 touches as Josh Carmichael, Campbell Hustwaite and Reef McInnes got the job done on the inside at the feet of Aiden Begg.
Carlton ruckman Hudson O'Keeffe got the better of Begg and Oscar Steen on the day to record 33 hitouts and five clearances, but it wasn't enough to get his side over the line.
Fellow first-year Blue Jaxon Binns added to a prolific season at VFL level with another 32 possessions, 11 marks and seven tackles in the loss. Zac Fisher, Lachie Cowan and Jack Carroll would also feature among Carlton's best ball winners.
Percentage is all that separated the Blues and Magpies on the ladder, with both sides sitting in the finals picture with three rounds remaining.
Box Hill vs Sandringham (121 - 74)
The Hawks have moved into third on the ladder within the final month of the season thanks to their strong outing against the Zebras on Saturday.
Demoted to the VFL for the weekend, defender Jack Scrimshaw stood tall in the result and would have a significant impact in the front half of the field, booting a goal from three scoring shots and collecting 13 marks for a return of 31 possessions.
Recruit Callum Brown was again among Box Hill's best ball winners with 27 touches while Ned Long collected nine clearances from his 25 disposals.
Defender-turned-forward Denver Grainger-Barras managed to boot five goals in his VFL return, adding to his haul of four from earlier in the month against Port Melbourne. Jake Arundell would kick three majors of his own in the win, while Ed Phillips booted two from his 25 possessions.
Darby Hipwell would be a standout for Sandringham with 25 possessions, six clearances and a goal, while first-year tall Isaac Keeler would pop up with two goals for the Zebras.
Fellow draftee Olli Hotton would manage 18 disposals, four marks and four clearances as he too begins to find consistency at the state league level.
Frankston vs Southport (57 - 71)
The Sharks would hold off the Dolphins after both sides were tied at the last break, with two final-term goals from Jack Sexton playing a part in the 14-point win.
It was the same old story from Southport's midfield, with Jacob Dawson amassing another 38 possessions and nine clearances, while Boyd Woodcock would find the pill on 34 occasions to manage eight clearances and two goals.
Sexton would end the evening with three goals, rivalled only by Frankston star Kai Owens who kicked three of his own to keep the home side in the contest.
Owens would also collect 17 disposals to be among Frankston's best, while Will Fordham continued his strong season with 30 possessions, six tackles and six clearances.
The result keeps the Sharks in reaching distance of a finals finish, currently sitting eight points off the top 10.
Casey vs Williamstown (74 - 75)
All eyes were again fixated on Melbourne ruckman Brodie Grundy, who would feature in his second successive game for Casey as the Demons look to trial the former Collingwood star as a forward.
Grundy struggled to have an impact in the front third to register no score for the game, while also passing off his best chance to boot a goal under windy and testing conditions.
The Demons would move Grundy into the leading ruck role for most of the final quarter with the game on the line, going head-to-head with Tom Downie in the middle.
The Seagulls would snatch an unlikely victory at Casey Fields given they were kicking against the breeze in the final term, with Joel Ottavi and Liam Conway both booting goals in the last quarter to help steer Williamstown to a win.
Both Downie and Ottavi would be among the Seagulls' best for the afternoon, while Jack Toner and Nick Ebinger would also be key contributors.
Senior Demons Luke Dunstan and Michael Hibberd held their own in the loss, while Andy Moniz-Wakefield would pop up with three goals.
Geelong vs Northern Bullants (132 - 42)
The Cats were dominant from the start against a struggling Bullants outfit and would finish off the job with a seven-goal final quarter at Kardinia Park.
In his second game back from a hand injury, Geelong's Brandan Parfitt would record 40 disposals and a goal, only to be upstaged by second-year forward Ollie Dempsey, who kicked 5.3 from 29 touches.
The career-high haul for Dempsey at VFL level would be supported by ruck-forward Shannon Neale, who booted three goals from seven scoring shots in what could've been a more accurate afternoon for the Cats. Tom Freely added three goals from seven scoring shots as well, while Jye Chalcraft was more clinical with three goals straight.
Mitch Knevitt also featured among Geelong's best with 28 touches, 11 marks and two goals, while veteran Sam Menegola is returning to form after a long injury layoff, managing 28 disposals and six tackles.
Bullant Jean-Luc Velossaris was again among the leading disposal winners on the day with 28 touches, nine marks, five tackles and four clearances in what was another difficult day for the stand-alone club.
The win sees the Cats sit six points away from the top 10, with Geelong needing a perfect finish to the year to book themselves a spot in the finals action.
Essendon vs Sydney (44 - 126)
After managing just two wins prior to Round 19, the Swans would stun the Bombers through a dominant display at Windy Hill to record an 82-point victory.
Mid-season recruit Jack Buller added another four goals to his season tally, while defender Will Gould and forward Hugo Hall-Kahan would contribute to the win with three goals each.
Fringe onballer Dylan Stephens stepped up with 33 touches and seven clearances, working under ruck duo Tom Hickey and Lachie McAndrew, who proved to be too good for Bomber Josh Hotchkin.
Hickey would add 25 disposals, 11 clearances and five tackles to his game-high 27 hitouts to stake his claim for a recall to the AFL side, while Matt Roberts and Corey Warner did the same, with the latter flexing his pressure on the Dons with 10 tackles.
Swans Academy player and 2023 draft prospect Caiden Cleary would manage 18 disposals, three clearances and seven tackles in his third game at VFL level.
Essendon forward Sam Weideman would continue his strong start to life as a defender in the VFL, recording another 25 touches and seven marks, while draftee Elijah Tsatas would amass 22 disposals as he too builds a case for a chance at AFL level.
North Melbourne vs Werribee (53 - 110)
Werribee have continued their push for the minor premiership, recording their 13th consecutive win to sit in second and only separated from the summit on percentage.
The Tigers breezed past a fellow finals contender in North Melbourne to round out Round 19, piling on seven goals in the second term after going goalless in the opening quarter.
Werribee would then boot a further eight goals in the last quarter when kicking to the favoured end, with Hudson Garoni and Nick Hayes booting four goals each on the day.
The Tigers' midfield trio of Dom Brew, Tom Gribble and Shaun Mannagh was again unstoppable for their rivals, while Matt Henderson would also step up to the occasion with 26 disposals, one goal and seven clearances.
Led by double digits from both Mannagh and Brew, Werribee would win the clearance count 51-32 for the afternoon, with Roos veteran Ben Cunnington fighting back with nine clearances of his own.
Cunnington would record a team-high 24 possessions to help keep his side in the contest before the Tigers clicked into gear with a strong run home. Tyler Sellers would kick three goals for North Melbourne, while Kallan Dawson was strong in defence despite the onslaught.
