Young gun Nick Daicos has hit fresh heights as Collingwood pipped St Kilda by six points in a frantic finale to the AFL's Gather Round.
Daicos dominated on Sunday evening with a career-high 42 disposals as the Magpies triumphed 10.10 (70) to 9.10 (64).
Earlier, GWS got the better of Hawthorn in a thriller at Norwood Oval while Geelong made light work of West Coast with a 47 point win.
Collingwood led by six points at three quarter-time before 43,796 spectators at Adelaide Oval.
The Pies then went 24 points up after kicking three quick goals in what seemed a match-winning burst.
But the Saints finished with a flourish, scoring three goals in the last eight minutes, only to fall one short.
Both clubs now have a four-one win-loss record as Saints coach Ross Lyon tastes defeat for the first time in his second coming at the club.
Brownlow medal favourite Daicos put in another dazzling display, his ball-winning feats including eight inside 50s and eight rebound 50s.
His brother Josh (30 disposals), veterans Scott Pendlebury (23) and Steele Sidebottom (25), Tom Mitchell (28) and John Noble (24) were all prominent.
Bobby Hill kicked three goals and fellow forward Brodie Mihocek kicked two.
St Kilda youngster Anthony Caminiti scored two majors, as did Brad Crouch (33 disposals) and Jack Higgins, while Jack Sinclair (27), Hunter Clark (26) and Seb Ross (26) were significant performers.
The first half was a rugged duel - both teams logged 2.2 in the opening term, and Collingwood held a one-point lead at half-time, 4.4 to 4.3.
The Magpies increased their lead to seven points early in the third term when Mihocek threaded a goal from a set shot from the boundary line.
But the Saints responded soon after amid some controversy when five-gamer Caminiti converted. He was paid a mark by one umpire, but another umpire some distance away signalled the ball was touched.
Collingwood, after a Bobby Hill major, stretched to a 10-point advantage some 20 minutes into the quarter.
But Caminiti again replied to reduce the Magpies' advantage to six points at three quarter-time, 6.10 to 6.4.
The Pies then accelerated with Jack Ginnivan, playing his first AFL game of the year after being banned pre-season for illicit drug use, triggering a three-goal burst in less than seven minutes.
Ginnivan snapped accurately from 30 metres, teammate Ash Johnson added another and when the lively Hill landed his third, the Pies were 24 points up.
The Saints appeared to blow any chance of recovering by kicking four consecutive behinds but finished with the last three goals of the game.
Himmelberg the hero as Giants edge Hawks
GWS key forward Harry Himmelberg has produced two massive moments to secure the Giants a two-point AFL win over Hawthorn.
Himmelberg took a soaring mark and kicked what turned out to be the match-winning goal in Sunday afternoon's 10.17 (77) to 11.9 (75) thriller.
He then went to the other end of the ground and with about a minute left, Hawthorn's Jarman Impey launched a booming shot from more than 50m out.
Himmelberg was on the goal line and after a score review, it was ruled he touched the ball before it went over the line.
Norwood Oval was again a Gather Round success, with a full house of 9057 for the pulsating clash.
As the scores suggest, the Giants went close to ruing their appalling inaccuracy.
Himmelberg's fellow key forward Jess Hogan also took a big mark 25 minutes into the last term, but missed from 20m, directly in front.
Giants midfielder Tom Green was best afield with 31 disposals and nine clearances, but he is in match review trouble after his tackle in the second term that slung Josh Ward to the ground.
Hawthorn's Will Day is serving a two-game ban and Geelong forward Gary Rohan missed this weekend because of falling foul of match review with similar tackles.
Essendon captain Zach Merrett was also banned for one match on Sunday for his tackle in Saturday's win over Melbourne.
Given Hawthorn's barren third quarters so far this season, the signs were bad for them at the main break.
In their previous four games, the Hawks had only managed one goal in the third quarter.
The Hawks had kicked the first two goals in the opening four minutes of the game, but GWS stifled their quick start and slowly took control.
Despite having double the inside 50s early, Hawthorn did not add to their goals for the rest of the term and only led by a point at quarter-time.
Number one draft pick Aaron Cadman was mobbed by Giants teammates when he kicked his first AFL goal on debut late in the quarter.
Inevitably, GWS took the lead in the second term and broke that out to 15 points early in the second half.
But as the Giants struggled to convert, Hawthorn kicked the next four goals to lead by eight points at three-quarter time.
Hawks captain James Sicily was awarded a 50m penalty that put him at point-blank range at the Roger Woodcock end and he celebrated by booting the ball out of the ground.
Giants captain Toby Greene kicked three goals, while Fergus Greene put through three for the Hawks.
Midfielder Jai Newcomber relished the tight dimensions of Norwood Oval and starred for the Hawks.
Second-quarter surge enough for Cats to thump Eagles
Reigning premier Geelong's 47-point hammering of West Coast has been soured by a suspected broken wrist to goalsneak Tyson Stengle.
Jeremy Cameron, Tom Hawkins and Brad Close kicked four goals each in Geelong's 21.10 (136) to 13.11 (89) victory.
Stengle faces a stint on the sidelines after his left wrist was pinned in a Josh Rotham tackle just before half-time in Sunday's Gather Round fixture at Adelaide Oval.
Stengle's injury put a dampener on the Cats' second win of the season, which featured a devastating burst of a dozen consecutive goals.
West Coast began brightly, kicking the initial two majors and recording eight inside 50s to one inside 10 minutes.
But the tide sharply turned and the Cats kicked the next 12 goals.
Attacking aces Cameron, Hawkins and Close feasted and Mark Blicavs and Ollie Henry scored two majors each.
Defender Esava Ratugolea grabbed nine marks and stalwarts Tom Stewart (24 disposals), Patrick Dangerfield (23), Isaac Smith (23, one goal) and Cam Guthrie (22) were chief ball-winners.
West Coast's Jake Waterman and Oscar Allen both slotted four goals, Jack Darling kicked two, Jamaine Jones gathered a match-high 25 touches and Tim Kelly had 22 disposals against his former club.
But the Eagles were blown away after their promising start as Geelong ruthlessly flexed their collective muscle.
Hawkins took the spotlight in the first term, scoring two goals and setting up another, to help create a 5.3 to 2.3 quarter-time lead.
After Hawkins increased the margin with his third goal just 25 seconds into the second term, Cameron slotted three in four minutes.
Cameron's purple patch came in a lopsided stretch when the Cats added 70 points to West Coast's one, with first-season Eagle Reuben Ginbey finally breaking his side's goal-less spell to end Geelong's run of 12.
But Cameron instantly replied with his fourth of the second quarter, as the Cats finished with nine for the term for a 64-point half-time lead, 14.5 to 3.7.
The damage was done, though West Coast outscored the Cats with 10 goals to seven in the last half.
Remarkably, the Eagles' heavy defeat wasn't the worst for the club this weekend — their WAFL side suffered a 169-point hammering from West Perth on Saturday.
