St Kilda's golden start to Ross Lyon's second stint as coach continued with a hard fought 22-point triumph over Carlton to consolidate their spot on top of the ladder.
Elsewhere, Gold Coast comfortably took care of North Melbourne while Adelaide snuck home by three points against Hawthorn.
After 11 lead changes in a see-sawing opening two-and-a-half quarters, the Saints broke clear with three-straight goals to end the third term.
Carlton kicking the first major of the last quarter gave the pro-Blues crowd at Docklands Stadium some hope of hauling in the 21-point deficit, but young utility Mitch Owens' long bomb soon after steadied St Kilda.
The Saints moved to 5-1 with the 12.10 (82) to 8.12 (60) triumph, returning to the winners' list after last week's six-point defeat to Collingwood.
After going undefeated in the opening month of the season, the Blues have dropped two straight matches, starting with their 56-point thumping against Adelaide last week.
Despite dominating possession, Carlton were made to pay for their inaccuracy in front of goal in a performance that will have frustrated coach Michael Voss.
Harry McKay, who won the Coleman Medal in 2021, was wayward all day and missed two shots in a minute during a crucial period in the third quarter.
Around the same time, fellow Blues forward Jack Silvangi missed a sitter, after a fortunate 50-metre penalty, to drain the life out of any Carlton surge.
Carlton had the six leading possession-winners on the ground, headlined by Adam Cerra (39) and Sam Walsh (38), but St Kilda's defensive system and pressure again held up.
Defence has been a hallmark of Lyon's coaching career and this Saints team is no exception, conceding an average of just 59.5 points per game this season.
In a major plus for the Saints, they should only get better the longer the season goes as they regain more players from the injury list.
Versatile forward Tim Membrey was lively early in his first game of the season, but captain Jack Steele looked well below his brilliant best after returning from a broken collarbone suffered against the Western Bulldogs in round two.
Star full-forward Max King should be able to play a role in the second-half of the season as he recovers from a shoulder reconstruction.
St Kilda have a five-day turnaround before hosting Port Adelaide next Friday night, while the Blues fly to Perth to face struggling West Coast on Saturday night.
Miller injured as Suns make light work of North
Ben King burst into goal-kicking form but a Touk Miller leg injury has soured a crucial Gold Coast AFL win over North Melbourne.
The Suns snapped a two-game losing streak, restricting the Kangaroos to just two points in the third quarter during their 14.13 (97) to 7.12 (54) home victory.
But just as the lead swelled beyond 40 points the celebrations were muted by the sight of All-Australian midfielder Miller pulling up and clutching his left leg, in an injury which appeared to have been caused by two separate incidents.
The Suns co-captain was unable to put any weight on his leg as he was helped from the ground and immediately fitted with a leg brace.
Miller was third in Brownlow Medal votes last season and his absence would be a blow for the 2-4 side that has designs on a maiden finals campaign.
That quest was helped by their dominance on Sunday that offset a frustrating three weeks since their stunning upset of Geelong.
The loss for North Melbourne followed a 75-point thumping from Brisbane last week and is a fourth-straight since their plucky 2-0 start.
It was Kangaroos ruckman Todd Goldstein's 300th AFL game but it was the Suns who started fast.
Ben McKay struggled to contain King (five goals), who shed the last flecks of rust that remained after missing all of last season with a knee injury to drill four first-half goals.
That ensured the Suns kept a healthy lead, despite more of the wayward kicking from King's teammates that has contributed to their slow start this season.
Nick Holman kept key North man Harry Sheezel to just six touches in the first half, and the Suns' stifling third quarter was enough to seal the result.
Lachie Weller (28 disposals, eight inside 50s) and Matt Rowell (12 tackles) were integral early while Jaidyn Stephenson (two goals, three score assists) did his best to keep the Kangaroos in it.
Goldstein set up one of those Stephenson goals but it was his opposite number Jarrod Witts, back from a two-week injury, who was smiling after he chipped through a rare goal of his own during a pivotal performance.
Ben Cunnington had eight clearances in his team-high 28 disposals for the Kangaroos.
Suns substitute Bailey Humphries was a bright spark, kicking a goal within seconds of his entry into the game and finishing with two in a spritely cameo.
Crows pip Hawks in Canberra
An ice-cool Darcy Fogarty has nailed a boundary-line goal in the dying stages to secure Adelaide a fourth AFL win in a row and leave a plucky Hawthorn agonisingly short.
The Crows trailed by nine points with mere minutes remaining at Launceston's University of Tasmania Stadium, before Izak Rankine gave them some life with a snap goal on the run.
With his side behind by three, Fogarty snaffled a mark with less than two minutes remaining and nailed the kick from a tight angle.
The Crows held their nerve to triumph 11.13 (79) to 11.10 (76).
It is the first time they have won four in a row under coach Matthew Nicks, who took the reins in 2020.
The result leaves Hawthorn at the foot of the ladder with one win from its opening six matches.
It was the Hawks' second tight loss in as many rounds after a heartbreaking two-point defeat at the hands of the Giants.
Adelaide's Taylor Walker kicked a game-high four goals, while Hawk Fergus Greene picked up three, including a crucial major in the final term that put his team ahead by 13 points.
Hawthorn was without Max Lynch for the majority of the contest, with the ruckman substituted out in the second quarter after failing a concussion test.
It was Lynch's latest such setback, after he missed multiple matches at different stages last season due to ongoing effects of head knocks.
The match was tit-for-tat throughout, with no side leading by more than three points at the breaks.
Adelaide's Rory Sloane topped the overall possession count with 30, alongside his seven tackles and one goal assist.
Conor Nash was among Hawthorn's best with a team-high 28 disposals and seven clearances, as well as a bone-rattling tackle on Jake Soligo in the third term.
It was Adelaide's first win in Launceston since 2005.
Ladder
AAP/ABC
