The Bulldogs are back in town, Patrick Dangerfield and Dustin Martin each earned another three Brownlow votes and the Crows are on top of Australia.  

Big brother Sydney knocked off little brother GWS in a tightly contested game after the latter had seemingly overtaken the former this season. 

The Swans dug in harder and exposed the Giants, who failed to get their running game going and were caught out defensively. 

Sydney’s dream run continues and they’re now knocking on the door of the top four, sitting just a game out in sixth position. 

Hawthorn and Geelong revived their notorious rivalry in the match of the round. In a seesaw affair, the Cats overran the Hawks by three points in the end. 

It was déjà vu for Isaac Smith, who missed another match winning goal against Geelong on the final siren.

Here is the best and the worst from Round 17 as we approach the final stretch of the season. 

THE GOOD

Malcom Blight, eat your heart out 

Everyone’s remembers Malcom Blights famous ‘bomb’ in 1976, an 80-metre punt after the siren to the win the game. 

Jayden Hunt produced something similar on the weekend, nailing a barrel kick from 70-metres out that sailed through the goal posts. 

It was one of the greatest long range goals in recent memory and proof that the torpedo kick is still alive in the modern era.  

Joe over Jake  

Don’t hand Jeremy Howe the mark of the year just yet. Joe Daniher took a towering grab over the near 200cm giant Jake Carlisle.  

Daniher’s knee was amazingly on top of Carlisle’s head in a sensational act of athleticism. The mark, which occurred in the opening minutes of the game, set Essendon to life in what turned into a belting on Friday night.  

Long sleeve sensation  

First gamer Lewis Young sparkled against Carlton on Sunday afternoon at the MCG, recording 21 disposals and 9 marks. 

In the absence of Easton Wood, Young played his part to perfection off half back. It was like Young had clones, reading the play impeccably and appearing everywhere. He even took one of the marks of the round over Matthew Kreuzer. 

Sporting long sleeves, the youngest player in the competition delivered one of the greatest debuts we’ve ever seen.

THE BAD

Bernie’s burden 

Bernie Vince could be the latest casualty for Melbourne through suspension after he was involved in two fiery incidents on the weekend 

The first came against Eddie Bets, where he unnecessarily elbowed Betts’s head behind play. The second came against Richard Douglas, where Vince elected to elbow Douglas high instead of pulling out of the contest. 

Already missing important personnel in midfield and Simon Goodwin publicly defending the players’ culture, the timing isn’t ideal for Vince’s actions. 

Dusty’s Brownlow blow

Dustin Martin was involved in a physical exchange with Nick Robertson on the weekend that will be looked at by the Match Review Panel and potentially threaten Martin’s Brownlow Medal eligibility. 

Martin hooked Roberton’s face off the ball, and while there wasn’t much in it, Martin will be sweating until the sanction is decided. 

Corey McKernan and Chris Grant polled the most votes in 1996 and 1997 but were disqualified from wining the Brownlow through suspension. 

Dockers’ shanks prove costly

There’s an old saying that goes ‘good kicking is good football’ and Fremantle’s goal kicking accuracy proved how relevant this saying is. 

At three-quarter timer, they’d registered 3 goals, 12 behinds and 2 misses from their 17 shots. 

The Dockers scored 5.14 for the game for a score of just 44, misfiring kick after kick in an appalling display of attack. 

THE UGLY

A tale of two weeks

A week after terrorising Richmond at Etihad Stadium, the Saints were knocked off their own perch by a similar margin. Essendon rocked St Kilda early and the Saints failed to respond, eventually falling by 61 points at the siren.

St Kildas’s lack of star power was evident as Nick Riewoldt, Leigh Monagna, Seb Ross and Jack Billings were all well held and their crop of youth failed to carry the mantle. 

Ultimately, it is this young group of players that will dictate how far the Saints go in 2017 and beyond, the must rise to the occasion if they’re to make the top eight.