Essendon is officially as good as it's been in years, Port Adelaide beat Geelong in the coach's box and the Western Bulldogs show their good side again. 

Here's the wrap of the action from this weekend's footy.

1. Viney moment shows the Dees' desperation

Two weeks in a row the Demons have played in thrillers against contenders, and while the brilliance of Carlton was a bridge — or a point — too far this time, two moments in both games highlighted Melbourne's willingness to go the extra mile.

Against Geelong, it was Bayley Fritsch refusing to give up on a ball that looked destined to trickle over the boundary line, as he took advantage of Jack Henry slowing down ever so slightly in anticipation of a stoppage to collect the pill and kick the sealer.

On Thursday night, it was Jack Viney providing his very own Wayne Harmes moment.

With four minutes on the clock and 19 points in it, Viney chased down a kick that had been punched towards the goals. As Patrick Cripps and Alex Cincotta pulled back into first gear waiting for the inevitable behind, Viney slapped the Sherrin back towards the goal square, where Caleb Windsor soccered it through for the major.

While it wasn't enough in the end, it showed a desperation the Demons have at time lacked in the past two seasons.

It was another thriller between these two exceptionally talented teams, and we can only hope they meet again in September.

ABC Sport player of the year votes:

3. Patrick Cripps (Carlton)

2. Christian Petracca (Melbourne)

1. Sam Walsh (Carlton)

(Votes are compiled by the ABC Sport radio commentary team after each match)

2. Port find a rare Geelong weakness

Kardinia Park sat in shocked silence as Port Adelaide got out to a 49-point lead on Friday night.

While the Cats looked a little off early, the Power's explosiveness with ball in hand was the shock and awe that had Geelong's fortress crumbling down around it.

Part of the Cats' success in recent years has been the ability to set up behind the ball via Tom Stewart and co and make their opponent hesitate, before bursting back the other way on turnovers.

Port's tactical decision to move the ball quickly and play on after marks meant the Cats had less time to set up, and it well and truly rattled them.

With credit to Geelong, the comeback was resilient and gritty and partly came off the back of the bold substitution of Rhys Stanley for Oisin Mullin.

But as they head into a Thursday night clash with the Gold Coast while severely undermanned, before hosting GWS — who have a good record in Geelong — the Cats will be wary rather than nervous of a mini form slump.

ABC Sport player of the year votes:

3. Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)

2. Zach Guthrie (Geelong)

1. Jason Horne-Francis (Port Adelaide)

3. Mental health of young footballers is paramount

Nat Fyfe gulping back tears on Friday night said it all.

As the applause slowly rolled around Perth Stadium in honour of 29-year-old Cam McCarthy, who was found dead on Thursday evening in his Perth home, the emotion simmered and spilled at the ground and in homes across Australia.

It was a tragic loss of a young man, and a reminder of the pressures of football and of life in general.

In the earliest pictures taken by Getty Images of McCarthy, he's seen running along the beach with fellow GWS draftee Tom Boyd. Both key forwards, both supremely talented, and both who would face their own mental health challenges through their careers.

The photo is a reminder that making it into the AFL doesn't mean that life becomes the armchair ride that many punters would have you believe it is.

But to simplify it down to a footy problem would also be erroneous, because mental health is a wider societal problem that leaves few corners untouched.

Life can be tough even when it isn't.

Talk to your mates. You never know when they're going to need you the most.

ABC Sport player of the year votes:

3. Isaac Heeney (Sydney)

2. Chad Warner (Sydney)

1. Will Hayward (Sydney)

4. Saints' spark is gone, unlike Hawks' heart

Last week against North Melbourne was the only time this season St Kilda has breached the 100 point mark in a game. The Saints are averaging about 74 points a game, which has them near enough to the bottom four in terms of scoring.

Against the Hawks, when St Kilda managed only seven goals for the day, the lack of attacking power was painful to watch. It was an obstacle that Ross Lyon largely overcame last year, but is completely crippling the Saints in 2024.

Finals seem a world away. The Saints are blunt and predictable, and can no longer rely on defensive structures alone to win games.

Not that the Hawks were much more prolific. Hawthorn kicked one goal for the whole second half, but through sheer grit and desperation were able to hold on for a second successive win.

This sort of victory means more than the free-wheeling goalfests of Sam Mitchell's first two years. There is a resolve to these Hawks now which means they can win games even if their missing their captain and short of their best. 

ABC Sport player of the year votes:

3. Rowan Marshall (St Kilda)

2. Karl Amon (Hawthorn)

1. Jai Newcombe (Hawthorn)

5. The Bombers have arrived

This is it. No more dampening expectations or delaying gratification, the Bombers are a threat in 2024 and need to be treated as such.

They flicked a switch against GWS and overwhelmed them, and it was driven by their stars and leaders. Brad Scott has found winners by moving Kyle Langford forward, Nic Martin back and Archie Perkins into the middle.

They have unleashed a whirlwind in Sam Durham, a one-man force of relentless energy. And they still have the metronomic Zach Merrett driving it all in the guts.

But perhaps the biggest difference in Essendon this year is you can see they believe. The loss to Port Adelaide earlier in the year would have broken previous Bombers sides, but it was dismissed as a blip by this one.

They're all in, riding the wave and trusting each other fully. It has shades of Collingwood in 2022 and Carlton in 2023 about it. It should have Bombers fans mighty excited.

ABC Sport player of the year votes:

3. Nic Martin (Essendon)

2. Kyle Langford (Essendon)

1. Matt Guelfi (Essendon)

6. The Suns have a chance to cause a season changing upset

The Suns not only did the job on Saturday night against the Kangaroos, they built much-needed momentum after a horrible effort against the Lions a week earlier.

While they were expected to beat North Melbourne, the 68-point margin was a nice boost to the confidence as they prepare for the second leg of their Darwin stint, against the Cats on Thursday night.

With no need to travel and facing a Geelong outfit that will be without Tom Hawkins, Jeremy Cameron and Patrick Dangerfield, the Suns have a brilliant chance to shake up both ends of the eight with victory.

And it's worth noting they like playing at Marrara Oval.

The victory against the Kangaroos makes it five wins in a row at the venue, having started the streak in 2022 after defeating the Hawks and the Kangaroos, before knocking off the Crows and the Bulldogs last year.

This could be one of the most important games in the Gold Coast's short history.

ABC Sport player of the year votes:

3. Touk Miller (Suns)

2. Mac Andrew (Suns)

1. Sam Clohesy (Suns)

7. That was the Bulldogs we expect to see each week

Forget the injury and form woes for the Tigers for a second and let's focus on what we saw from the Bulldogs on Saturday.

Brutally efficient, clean and exciting — when they're on, they play like a luxury car cruising in and out of traffic with apparent ease.

But when they're not ... well we've seen what happens when they're not. The pressure gauge builds to point of the club bursting.

For now, though, the pressure gauge has dipped ever so slightly thanks to Adam Treloar, Marcus Bontempelli, Bailey Dale, and Jack Macrae playing through the middle of the field like we expect them to, delivering the ball to a supremely talented forward line that just needs to click to become a premiership threat.

It was an awesome display against a weakened opponent. If they do it again on Saturday against the Giants, then we'll know they're the real deal.

ABC Sport player of the year votes:

3. Marcus Bontempelli (Bulldogs)

2. James Harmes (Bulldogs)

1. Ed Richards (Bulldogs)

8. The Pies are batting deep

Collingwood haven't lost a game now since late March, and for the first time all year will end the round inside the top eight.

It's an ominous sign for the rest of the league's flag-chasers, who would have been sleeping far more comfortably thinking the Pies were suffering some sort of season-long premiership hangover. Not so.

The Magpies are being asked to delve deep into their squad list this year as injury and suspension continues to wipe out crucial players. But the guys they are elevating are stepping up to the plate without missing a beat.

Last week it was Lachie Sullivan, and this week Joe Richards fitting seamlessly into the Magpies machine like they've been there for 100 games.

Eventually, the Pies stars will return. But in the meantime, if they can keep winning games while calling upon the second stringers then they will be in an incredible position going forward.

ABC Sport player of the year votes:

3. Nick Daicos (Collingwood)

2. Jack Crisp (Collingwood)

1. Darcy Cameron (Collingwood)

9. Did a Crows gamble prove costly?

A tactical sub at half-time is always a bold play. Most coaches prefer to sit on their sub in case of injury, but twice this week we saw the magnet moved early.

Rhys Stanley was pulled early by Geelong on Friday, in a move that probably worked okay for the Cats. But Adelaide's decision to remove Dan Curtin at half-time immediately backfired.

Josh Worrell went down with an injury three minutes into the third quarter, meaning the Crows played pretty much the whole second half a man down on the bench.

How costly did it prove? It's impossible to quantify, but in a game that finished dead level in a draw you have to imagine the Crows could have used that extra rotation in the clutch.

Draws are filled with "what ifs?", and for Matthew Nicks and Adelaide that might be one of the biggest ones.

ABC Sport player of the year votes:

3. Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane)

2. Matt Crouch (Adelaide)

1. Jack Payne (Brisbane)