The big winners of Round 4 were...
St Kilda stumbled badly out of the blocks with a 63-point loss to Adelaide, which the next few weeks proved to be more of a statement about Adelaide's attacking prowess rather than the Saints' defending.
They responded by being one of five clubs to win in each of Rounds 2, 3 and 4; and perhaps most impressively of all, they started as the underdogs against both Geelong and Port Adelaide only to come out on top in two close encounters thanks to their superior kicking accuracy.
The latter came in spite of not only having lost five consecutive games at the Adelaide Oval but also 14 of their last 15 against Port Adelaide across all venues, and they had to withstand the pressure of a Power surge before kicking away late in the game.
It means that the Saints have won eight of their last ten matches spanning across two seasons, and whilst the scalps picked up during that period haven't been groundshaking, Ross Lyon would have been in significant trouble if his side went into key home games against Brisbane and GWS this month with a 1-3 record.
The big losers of Round 4 were...
Melbourne have dropped below Essendon and Port Adelaide to be fourth in the wooden spoon market for 2025 after falling well short of the line in three consecutive humiliating blowouts.
They have been forced to rue awful kicking in front of goal in each of those three matches, particularly early in the piece where a 1.4 first quarter against Gold Coast Suns and 1.2 first quarter against Geelong left them failing to play catchup all the way through.
Geelong registered a club-high 148 uncontested marks against Melbourne, despite playing at the smaller GMHBA Stadium, and were allowed to do practically whatever they wanted on home soil for lengthy periods.
Their coach Simon Goodwin now appears a dead man walking after his candid comments after the match, assessing his side as "not in the business of just getting better" despite what he believed was an improvement in intent around the ball.
The images of an inconsolable Christian Petracca could haunt and even define the club for weeks to come as they continue to grapple with the uncertainty of their star player's long-term future.
Coleman Medal race
Jesse Hogan turned back the clock not in a personal aspect but his nine-goal haul against West Coast reminded us of the mighty 1990s, when such efforts from the likes of Ablett, Dunstall and Lockett were expected on a weekly basis!
Other 'bags' this week included five goals each to Adelaide's Riley Thilthorpe and young Bulldogs Sam Darcy, whilst there were four each for Adelaide's Taylor Walker as well as Sydney pair Joel Amartey and Will Hayward.
Goal of the Year: Round 4 nominees
A couple of extraordinary shots from the boundary from Brisbane Lions' youngster Will Ashcroft and Fremantle's James Harmes would be neck and neck for the best goal of Round 4, whilst Sydney's Braeden Campbell drilled one from inside the centre square with enough control to ensure there wouldn't be an unfavourable bounce.
Mark of the Year: Round 4 nominees
Western Bulldogs youngster Sam Davidson had a career breakout with 31 disposals and ten marks, one of which was a courageous effort running with his back into a pack of bodies. A similarly brave effort from Christian Salem on the back 50 and a high-flying grab from Carlton's Tom de Koning were also to be applauded, though none of the three are likely to be challenging for the gong at the end of the year.
See the three marks on the AFL website here.