Just when AFL fans thought they were getting a handle on the haves and have-nots of the 2019 season, along came a stunning Saturday of upsets that saw struggling teams fire and traditional finals contenders fall over.

Melbourne got the ball rolling in the game against Hawthorn at the MCG, playing a determined and tough brand of football to squeak home by five points for its second win of the season.

At the Gabba, the Brisbane Lions defeated Sydney for the first time in ten years, holding off the fading Swans by 22 points in wet conditions.

In Perth, West Coast Eagles defeatedGold Coast Suns 11.14 (80) to 8.9 (57), with Eagle Jack Darling kicking four goals.

While the Swans are clearly in a rebuilding phase and the young Lions are on the rise, the 14.19 (103) to 12.9 (81) result was remarkable – the Brisbane club’s first over Sydney since round 22 in 2009.

Lions’ ball magnet Lachie Neale had 29 disposals, while Dayne Zorko shared the same amount of possessions in a best on ground performance.

At Marvel Stadium, the Western Bulldogs stunned an injury-hit Richmond by 47 points with a return to the hard tackling and pinpoint passing that brought back memories of their premiership glory in 2016.

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After a tight opening, and led by Marcus Bontempelli’s heroics, the Dogs broke the shackles in the third quarter to lead by 31 points going into the final stanza. They finished off without faltering to win 15.9 (99) to 7.10 (52).

Aaron Naughton, 19, booted five goals and had nine contested marks for the Dogs, telling Channel Seven after the match that the Bulldogs believed they could improve further.

“We knew that we if we brought our best footy today we knew we would
come out on top … the belief is still there in the group and it shows tonight what we can do,” he said.

“It was good to have a couple come off tonight. I was a bit quiet the last couple of weeks. I knew it was going to come and tonight I got the fruit.”

Earlier, Melbourne went into its match against Hawthorn with a 1-5 record and facing yet another wasted season, one in which it had been tipped to make an impact in September.

Coach Simon Goodwin – who was the centre of joyous scenes on the boundary line when his defenders held out the Hawks in the frantic final minutes – said his players finally focused on what they can do, not what they can’t.

“It’s important because you get a bit of nourishment from a result,” Goodwin said after the match.

The challenge is to continue to do that – it’s a little win in a much bigger picture.”

Down by 14 points at quarter-time, Melbourne turned the game around to lead by 19 points in the third term, only to see the Hawks hit the lead with three goals in the final quarter.

Demon James Harmes shut down Hawthorn star Jaeger O’Meara and after the match told the club website that it was a relief to find some form.

“It’s probably been the toughest couple of weeks of my footy career so far in terms of the pressure and coming in day to day and just feeling a little bit down because of the form that everyone has been in,” he said.

Goodwin was also impressed. “Harmesy, his job was unbelievable, to shut a guy out of the game (after) the impact he had,” the coach said. “That was the James Harmes we know and we’ve been looking for.”

Mebourne’s James Harmes celebrates a goal at the MCG on Saturday. Photo: Getty 

Not that Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson was giving too much credit to the Demons after the game, saying: “Neither side showed anything today to suggest that they’re going be any threat come the end of the year – both sides have some work to do.

“Perhaps I’m discrediting Melbourne a little bit by putting them in the same bracket as us, but … our ladder positions are pretty reflective of what we’re seeing on the park at the minute.”

In Canberra, Jeremy Cameron continued his strong form to blast six goals in Greater Western Sydney’s 44 point win over St Kilda.

GWS notched 18.6 (114) to 10.10 (70), with Cameron taking his goal tally for the year to 30.

His strong form comes amid reports that Geelong could offer the Giant up to $1 million per season when he became eligible next year for free agency.

-with AAP