OOPS, they did it again – times two!

The Northern Bullants impressed everybody with their win over Carlton last week, and they took it to a whole new level in a stunning 13-point boilover of reigning premier Richmond at Preston City Oval on Saturday.

And having been the only team to defeat Southport this season, GWS welcomed back AFL captain Stephen Coniglio and gun forward Jesse Hogan and shocked the unbeaten Casey Demons by one point at Casey Fields.

At Preston, the Bullants controlled the contest from the start, kicking three goals to one in the first term and three to none in the third with the wind.

They led by 30 points when Tynan Smith booted his second to open the final term and held firm as the Tigers finally woke up.

Richmond managed five consecutive behinds, although three were rushed by the desperate Ants who didn’t panic when Samson Ryan and Ryan Garthwaite kicked truly in time-on and had the last say when they charged up the field for Glenn Strachan to mark on the line.

The siren sounded as he played on and kicked the goal, but nobody cared that it was disallowed.

Richmond dominated the stats sheet, winning disposals 357-311 marks 83-75, tackles 77-60, hitouts 41-35 and inside-50s 51-44, but wasted it as the Bullants won the clearances 50-34 and never looked like losing.

Bullants captain Tom Wilson was outstanding again with 31 disposals and eight marks, while last week’s stars Will Mitchell (23, eight tackles) and lion-hearted ruckman Dan Hughes again stood tall to lift their team off the bottom of the ladder – that position, unbelievably, now belonging to Port Melbourne.

Mid-season draftee Matt Parker continues to close on an AFL call-up for Richmond with 29 touches and 10 tackles but kicked three behinds, Sydney Stack found some touch, and Will Martyn, Dan Rioli and Lachlan Street also got plenty of the ball, while Rhyan Mansell did well but finished the match with ice on his calf.

At Casey Fields, the brave Giants clung onto the coat tails of the Demons all night and looked gone when Jake Melksham landed a beauty from long range to give the home team a 22-point lead at the 15-minute mark of the third term.

But GWS slowly turned the match around and gave itself some hope at 15 points behind turning for home with a wind advantage.

When the impressive Xavier O’Halloran blasted the opening clearance deep forward and Zach Sproule snapped truly inside the first minute, it was game on, and it was the Giants who found the big moments, with James Peatling landing a long set-shot before Academy graduate Fraser Kelly started and finished an exciting chain to give his team the lead for the first time 18 minutes in.

Casey had its chances, but with Ben Brown watching from the bench for the entire last quarter, Toby Bedford and Ryan Sparkes missed opportunities to take the lead back and the Giants held on.

Coniglio spent most of the match at the coalface and showed himself to be a class above with 16 disposals and a match-high 11 tackles, but looked sore at half-time and ended up doing sprints on the oval after the final siren – it would only be fitness that stops him being rushed straight back into the AFL team next week.

Hogan had just seven touches and kicked two behinds in unsuitable conditions, while Matt de Boer was well above the level with 25 disposals, six tackles and a spectacular goal in the second term.

O’Halloran and Peatling were others to impress, as was Kieren Briggs, who had an enthralling battle with Majak Daw that ended with honours even.

Sam Weideman was used as the forward target much more often than Brown and kicked 3.2 from 21 touches and seven marks, while Jake Bowey was close to best-on-ground across half back with 27 touches and eight marks, supported by Neville Jetta, Jay Lockhart and Kye Declase.

Coburg made its return to Piranha Park a memorable one, swamping Carlton in the last quarter to win by 37 points.

The Lions got out to a 25-point lead at half-time before the Blues charged back with four unanswered goals to take the lead at the final change.

Sam Lowson pounced to regain the lead in the first minute of the last quarter and Coburg then piled on seven goals to one to move within four points of the top eight.

Lowson enjoyed a welcome return to form with four goals, Marcus Lentini racked up another 39, seven tackles and a goal and Charlie Thompson (33) and Luke Bunker (32) also starred, while Jack Maibaum had nine intercept marks while quelling Toby Wooller and Ryan Sturgess held Ben Crocker to just eight touches and two goals.

Jack Carroll and Sam Ramsay had 24 each and Brodie Kemp 22 for the Blues, while ruckmen Luke Goetz (47 hitouts) had a great battle with Nathan McMullenger-McHugh (42).

Fergus Greene booted six goals as the Box Hill Hawks put away Gold Coast by 72 points at Box Hill City Oval to move equal top of the ladder.

The Hawks dominated from the start and should have won by much more, having 36 scoring shots to 14, with Greene booting 6.4 from 19 disposals and eight marks, but Emerson Jeka missed his chance for a big day, finishing with 0.7.

Rory Atkins and Will Brodie had 32 disposals each for the Suns.

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

SATURDAY, JULY 3

Box Hill Hawks 15.21 (111) def Gold Coast 5.9 (39) (Match Centre)
Coburg 15.9 (99) def Carlton 9.8 (62) (Match Centre)
Northern Bullants 8.7 (55) def Richmond 5.12 (42) (Match Centre)
Casey Demons 7.12 (54) lost to GWS Giants 8.7 (55) (Match Centre)

FRIDAY, JULY 2

Geelong 16.6 (102) def Essendon 3.9 27 (Match Centre)

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