The AFL has warned the worrying trend of one-sided matches could increase next year as a result of the competition's expansion.

Collingwood and Geelong destroyed Port Adelaide and Gold Coast by 138 and 150 points respectively in round 20 annihilations at the weekend.

It followed Geelong's 186-point slaying of Melbourne the previous week - the second biggest margin in VFL/AFL history.

There have been nine 100-point-plus blowouts so far this season and, statistically, the chasm between top and bottom teams has never been more yawning.

And Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse warned yawning, then switching off, is exactly what fans might do if faced with near-unwatchable games like the Pies' thrashing of Port.

The bottom-placed Power were appalling against the ladder leaders, booting just 3.3 for the entire match at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.

But AFL football operations boss Adrian Anderson said such one-sided results were likely to continue next year with the introduction of Greater Western Sydney (GWS) to join this season's newcomers Gold Coast.

"We may well have more lopsided scorelines next year and that's part and parcel of getting two new teams into the competition," Anderson told Fox Sports News.

"We decided we would get these clubs to build principally by draft picks and, no doubt, there'll be the period of adjustment while they find their feet - particularly when you've got dominant teams like Geelong and Collingwood."

Critics point to the new clubs further diluting football's talent pool, with GWS's introduction to bring the total number of professional AFL players to more than 750.

But Anderson defended expansion as vital to the competition's future, even though Malthouse believed lopsided results could turn fans away from the game.

"The scorelines at the moment in AFL football, I think, has to be a worrying trend for the AFL. It has to be," Malthouse said.

"This is not going to bring people to the football. This (margin) is not isolated ... we are seeing far too much of this.

"Do you get any delight out of it? No ... we're entertainers not masochists."

Continuing the blowouts were Melbourne, hammered for a second successive week in a 76-point loss to Carlton.

Yet amid the blowouts, was a thrilling classic, with Essendon beating Sydney at Etihad Stadium by one point on Saturday night to keep their finals hopes alive.

Hawthorn moved back to third place with some Lance Franklin magic in Launceston on Sunday.

Kept goalless for three quarters, superstar forward Franklin booted three in the final term to steer the Hawks past North Melbourne 15.13 (103) to 13.8 (86) after a last-quarter Kangaroos charge.

Adelaide also won a close match, with a late Graham Johncock goal securing the Crows a five-point win at the Gabba on Sunday to keep interim coach Mark Bickley unbeaten in his two matches in charge.

Brisbane's defeat by the Crows came at a high price, the Lions losing key defender Joel Patfull with a suspected broken hand.

West Coast maintained their top four push with a 57-point win over Richmond in Perth on Sunday.

Mark Nicoski booted six goals for the Eagles in the 22.15 (147) to 14.6 (90) victory.

On Friday night, St Kilda maintained their spot inside the top eight with a 41-point win over Fremantle.

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