Although financial disparity between clubs exists, a fantastic Easter weekend of footy has proven, at least for now, that the unexpected is still very much possible.

Sydney, we were led to believe, was being torn apart from the inside, amid stories of alleged disharmony within the ranks. New-boy Buddy Franklin was also subject to the ire of Swans fans and fantasy coaches alike after his less than impressive start to the year. Fremantle, on the other hand, was marching towards the finals after a stunning win at home over the fancied Bombers, and was tipped to hand Sydney an unexpected 1-4 start.

Come Saturday, Sydney's high-pressure, hard-working game didn't look like that of a team at odds with itself. The Swans harried and hassled the admittedly more polished Dockers, and won with a fine team effort. Franklin returned to his best, kicking 4 for a fantasy score of 110, while Ben McGlynn had his greatest-ever fantasy game with a huge 153, consisting of 24 possessions and 12 tackles.

Back in Melbourne, until this week Carlton was a team devoid of any cohesion or fight. Staring down the barrel of a 0-5 start to the year, it was difficult to see where a win was going to come from after an insipid display against the Demons the week before. The Bulldogs' young guns, however, were going from strength to strength. Led by the impressive Jack Macrae and Tom Liberatore and the revitalised Matthew Boyd, they were set to pile more pressure on Mick Malthouse and the Blues.

But in Easter Sunday's game between these two sides an almost unrecognisable Carlton refused to follow the script. The Blues played with determination and spirit, laying everything on the line to earn their first victory of the year. Marc Murphy (141 fantasy points) defied his critics with a fine captain's performance, and he was ably assisted by the under-fire Bryce Gibbs (111). The Dogs fought, but the Blues’ pressure was relentless.

Barely 10 days ago, Essendon was considered by many a top-two side. It had come close to beating the reigning premier and was off to Fremantle to terrorise the then seemingly vulnerable Dockers. Meanwhile, St Kilda's veterans were past their prime, while its youngsters were considered too inexperienced to compete against the competition's best. The Saints were at the start of a rebuilding process and the 2-2 start they had made was flattering them.

Fast-forward to Saturday night and St Kilda was responsible for perhaps the biggest shock of the season so far. Off the back of its 86-point thumping by Adelaide, the Saints rallied  against  the Bombers, who would have been desperate to respond quickly to the thrashing they received in Fremantle the week before. While most of the plaudits went to the old guard of Leigh Montagna (135), Lenny Hayes (114) and Nick Riewoldt (111), the performances from their young players, so out of their depth last week, were just as impressive. Jack Billings (88), in his first full senior game, impressed no end with 19 touches and 2 goals, and young Tom Curren locked down Dyson Heppell, restricting the Essendon star to only 17 possessions and a season-low 43 fantasy points

It was all change in the world of Ultimate Footy, too. Fantasy coaches everywhere were beginning to mourn the loss of their favourite star, Dane Swan, as he appeared to be a shadow of his usual self. Many more were left scratching their heads as to why they took Patrick Dangerfield with their first draft pick. The young Crow had been tipped to dominate in the midfield, but instead had been underwhelming from a fantasy perspective in his role in Adelaide's forward line.

Both players repaid their coaches in spades this week. Swan (145) returned with a bang to lead a dominant Collingwood midfield to an impressive win over the strongly fancied North Melbourne, and Dangerfield (149) was sensational in the Crows' destruction of the Giants.

With a weekend full of shocks, at least one game went to plan. Easter Monday's headline clash between Geelong and Hawthorn was everything you would expect between two of the game’s biggest rivals of the last decade.  After being locked together for three-and-a-half quarters, the again superb Steve Johnson (139) led Geelong to victory. It was a fitting end to a superb weekend of footy.

Although, as fans and fantasy coaches, unpredictability can be frustrating, the competitiveness of the league is not only vital, it's what makes it one of the most exciting in sport. Whether your team won or lost this weekend, there is no doubt that the game itself was the overall winner.

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