The Australian Football League season may only be one month old but already Melbourne's tilt at Premiership glory is effectively over. The Demons are winless and entrenched at the bottom of the AFL ladder, devoid of confidence and battling a crippling and mounting injury toll.

Already without a number of key players coming into the match against Fremantle, the downtrodden Demons were not only on the receiving end of 45-point loss against the Dockers, but a high injury tally became a disastrous one with Matthew Whelan (hamstring), Nathan Jones (ankle), Daniel Bell (concussion), Nathan Brown (calf) and Paul Wheatley (shoulder) keeping the club medical staff rushed off their feet.

Add that to the late withdrawals of Travis Johnstone and Brent Moloney and the Demons are looking like the Australian Rules equivalent of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Melbourne's problems,, though should not detract from the Dockers' fine win. The previously-winless Fremantle midfield clicked, and Paul Hasleby racked up 37 possessions while veteran Shaun McManus won the football 31 times. Dockers captain Matthew Pavlich made a welcome return to form with six goals but the big story for the Dockers was Des Headland.

Headland, who made headlines in Australia after escaping suspension despite being found guilty of striking after the AFL tribunal accepted accepted his defence of provocation, had the last laugh. The former number one draft pick played one of his best games in the AFL, collecting 29 possessions and kicking three goals.

The most thrilling match of the weekend was played out at Launceston, Tasmania with Hawthorn holding on for a four-point win over Geelong. Little separated the two sides in the last three quarters after the Cats had made a great start, kicking the only three goals in the first quarter. But after that, the Hawks adapted to the windy conditions in their second home better, especially when kicking with the wind advantage in the second quarter.

The Hawks grabbed the lead in the last quarter and held on desperately as the Cats attacked their goal again and again. Hawthorn's defence played brilliantly, keeping the Cats tall forwards of Cameron Mooney, Nathan Ablett and Tom Hawkins goalless, while the always dangerous Paul Chapman suffered the same fate, well held and well beaten by underrated Hawk Brad Sewell.

Richmond sit with Melbourne as the only sides in the competition yet to record a win in season 2007; like the Demons the Tigers' campaign is already in tatters after Friday night's 32-point MCG loss against the Western Bulldogs. The Doggies made a positive return to form after a poor fortnight, leading at every change and rarely really challenged.

Robert Murphy and Luke Darcy both played their best matches since their return from knee reconstruction surgery, both kicking four goals. The pair's successful comeback will be a key if the Bulldogs are to make a genuine push for the Premiership. Once again, Richmond were their own worst enemy, overusing the ball, actually having 58 possessions more than the Bulldogs and were indirect in the path to goal, while the Tigers have been competitive in the first four rounds, concentration lapses and over handling off the ball proving costly.

The Kangaroos notched up their first win for the year, handing the Brisbane Lions a 24-point defeat - their second straight loss. In wet conditions the Kangaroos intensity was too much for the Lions to handle. The conditions affected the standard of the match, both sides making over 40 unforced errors, while the normally reliable Jonathon Brown had a shocker with his goalkicking. After critical attention in the local media in recent weeks, Kangaroos' Daniel Wells silence his critics with a brilliant second half, picking up 18 quality possessions  that even had Lions coach Leigh Matthews impressed.