It was a round in which the league's premier teams proved they were the real deal.

It started on Friday night, when Greater Western Sydney demolished the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium during an angst-filled contest which boosted their top-two hopes and put the Dogs' finals chances on thin ice.

The Swans then flexed their considerable muscle, crushing Fremantle by 103 points at the SCG, with Lance Franklin ominously returning to form with four goals and 24 touches.

Meanwhile, a Joel Selwood-less Geelong showed they weren't ready to kiss their season goodbye with a resounding win against Richmond, and Adelaide followed that up with a 43-point away win against Essendon.

On Sunday, a powerful start and steely finish helped Melbourne over the line in their virtual elimination final against St Kilda, while in his final game in Tasmania, Luke Hodge and the Hawks kept their slim finals hopes alive by taking down a spirited North outfit. In desperate need of a win, Port Adelaide got the job done at home to Collingwood.

HEROES

Adelaide's recruiting staff: The Crows have lost so many key players in recent years -- think Patrick Dangerfield, Jack Gunston, Kurt Tippett, Phil Davis and several others -- meaning their recruiting staff have had to scour the country for the best available talent. And two of those players have travelled unusual paths to the AFL - Hugh Greenwood and Alex Keath. The former was a basketball prodigy who represented Australia as a junior, while Keath was a member of the Australian under-19 cricket team who only turned to football once his cricket career stagnated. The Crows selected both as Category-B rookies, and the duo are blossoming into key members of the table-topping side. Their progress proves building a strong team isn't all about early draft picks.

Hugh Greenwood Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Harry Taylor and the Cats' coaches: Many scoffed when Geelong started playing star defender Harry Taylor as a key forward, especially during the early stages when he appeared all at sea. But the Cats had the last laugh on Saturday during their gritty win against fellow top-four aspirant Richmond, with Taylor leading star Tiger Alex Rance a merry dance. With Tom Hawkins suspended, Taylor had to step up and indeed he did, comprehensively outsmarting and overpowering the league's best key defender. He took a string of contested marks, booted three goals in the first half and four for the game.

Harry Taylor outmarks Alex Rance during the Geelong-Richmond clash. Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Angus Brayshaw: The issue of concussion is a hugely concerning one for anyone involved in contact sports and Melbourne's Brayshaw has had more to worry about than most. Brayshaw, the No.3 pick of the 2014 AFL draft, returned for his first senior match since Round 2 against the Saints on Sunday, with his past 18 months ruined by several worrying head knocks. Wearing a helmet, the 21-year-old was quick to showcase his immense talent and undeniable toughness, especially in a brutal clash with Saints midfielder Koby Stevens in the first quarter. Melbourne supporters, and footy fans in general, had their hearts in their mouths as Brayshaw initially lay dazed on the ground, but he got up and ran out the game as one of the Demons' best players. "My mum's here somewhere, so I'm sure she would've nearly had tears coming out after that," Brayshaw told Fox Footy after the win. "It was a pretty solid hit. I've had a few of those and I feel fine, so I've got full confidence. I've done all the work."

Angus Brayshaw powers away from a contest against the Saints. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

VILLAINS

Toby Greene, again: The combative Giant just can't stay out of trouble, and it will be fascinating to see how the league's Match Review Panel assesses his latest controversy. Against the Bulldogs on Friday night, Greene again found himself in hot water when he raised his foot and contacted Luke Dahlhaus to the face while waiting for a handball. He was reported for rough contact and the incident forced the bloodied Bulldog from the field, although he was able to return. Greene has already been suspended twice this year, but his coach Leon Cameron hoped his feisty forward would get a fair assessment by the MRP. "I understand there's going to be a lot of hysteria around Toby," he said after the match. "Clearly he has got his eyes on the ball so what he's done is protected himself. Obviously the powers to be will look at it but it is what it is, but they need to judge Toby Greene on his merits."

Toby Greene (R) was involved in an incident with the Bulldogs' Luke Dahlhaus during their Round 21 AFL clash. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Oh no Tom Lynch: A tradition in the NBA now is for past great Shaquille O'Neal to highlight hilarious plays that have gone pear-shaped, known as Shaqtin a Fool. On Saturday night, Tom Lynch not only put his name forward for a nomination he more likely than not won the entire award. Standing all alone inside the 50, Lynch received the ball from Taylor Walker and turned towards goal getting roughly 15 metres from home when he put boot to ball and missed to the right. He laughed the moment off because if you didn't laugh, you'd cry.

Tip the perfect finals bracket now! REGISTER

Fan interaction: Football is a passionate sport, fans ride every single bump as if they were wearing it themselves and that's what makes this game so great. We've all been known to get emotional and become unhappy after a loss with our team and with certain players from the opposition, unfortunately a fan took things a step too far on Friday night. While there was plenty of hatred directed towards Toby Greene, throwing a beer on a player while they're walking off the field is unacceptable and the Western Bulldogs should be doing all they can to locate the so-called fan.