THE MAKE-UP of the top eight will go down to the final match of the season after a thrilling Saturday.
Melbourne's finals hopes now will likely hinge on the West Coast-Adelaide match after they lost to the Pies by 16 points. The Eagles trail the Dees by 0.9 per cent and would need to defeat the Crows by around 20-25 points to make up the difference.
Melbourne could also hold onto its spot in the top eight if the Bombers lose to Fremantle.
Port Adelaide's massive win over Gold Coast trumped Sydney's over Carlton earlier in the day to give the Power a temporary hold on fourth spot. They will only remain there if Richmond loses to St Kilda on Sunday.
The Swans will finish either fifth or sixth and host an elimination final.
The Bulldogs' faint finals chances were dashed with a loss to Hawthorn on Friday night.
Meanwhile, the Brisbane Lions will finish the season with the wooden spoon after they lost to North Melbourne, with the Roos moving up to 15th place with the win.
Gold Coast's heavy loss saw them drop to 17th, while Carlton finished 16th.
Friday, August 25
Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium, 7.50pm AEST
HAWTHORN 15.9 (99)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 13.12 (90)
The Hawks can't move from 12th and the Bulldogs will stay in 11th spot unless St Kilda suffers a huge defeat against Richmond and sustain a large percentage drop, in which case the Dogs will climb to 10th.
Saturday, August 26
Collingwood v Melbourne at the MCG, 1.45pm AEST
COLLINGWOOD 14.15 (99)
MELBOURNE 12.11 (83)
Melbourne's finals spot hinges on other results. The Demons could fall out of the eight if Essendon beat Fremantle and West Coast defeat Adelaide by around 20-25 points. However, they will finish seventh if both those sides lose. Meanwhile, Collingwood will stay in 13th spot.
Brisbane Lions v North Melbourne at the Gabba, 2.10pm AEST
BRISBANE LIONS 11.13 (79)
NORTH MELBOURNE 19.16 (130)
The Lions wrapped up the wooden spoon while North Melbourne jumps up to 15th spot after Carlton and Gold Coast both lost.
Sydney v Carlton at the SCG, 4.35pm AEST
SYDNEY 21.12 (138)
CARLTON 8.9 (57)
A convincing win briefly put the Swans in fourth place, but the Power trumped Sydney with a thumping win over Gold Coast. Sydney now sits in fifth spot and will only stay there if Richmond fails to beat St Kilda. Either way, the Swans will host an elimination final. The Suns' heavy loss means Carlton finishes the season in 16th spot.
Geelong v Greater Western Sydney at Simonds Stadium, 7.25pm AEST
GEELONG 15.13 (103)
GWS 8.11 (59)
A massively important win by the Cats sees them finish the season in second spot and seal a qualifying final in Victoria. They will either play the Giants or Richmond in the first week of the finals. The Giants' loss means they drop to third and are staring at an away qualifying final against Adelaide (if Richmond beats St Kilda) or Geelong (if the Tigers lose to St Kilda).
Port Adelaide v Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval, 7.10pm ACST
PORT ADELAIDE 20.15 (135)
GOLD COAST 3.2 (20)
The Power's monstrous win was enough to take temporary hold of fourth spot. They will only stay there if Richmond fails to beat St Kilda. If that happens then there will be a Showdown qualifying final. If the Tigers win then Port will finish fifth and host an elimination final. The Suns' disastrous loss sees them drop down to 17th spot.
Sunday, August 27
Essendon v Fremantle at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm AEST
ESSENDON
If the Bombers win
- Will play finals and move above Melbourne into seventh position.
If they lose
- Will need to rely on West Coast and St Kilda losing to make the finals.
FREMANTLE
If the Dockers win
- They will finish 14th.
If they lose
- They will finish 14th.
Richmond v St Kilda at the MCG, 3.20pm AEST
RICHMOND
If the Tigers win
- They will finish third and set up a blockbuster qualifying final against Geelong.
If they lose
- No double chance. They will finish sixth and host an elimination final.
ST KILDA
If the Saints win
- Can only make finals if Essendon and West Coast lose.
If they lose
- Will finish 10th or 11th depending on percentage.
West Coast v Adelaide at Domain Stadium, 2.20pm AWST
WEST COAST
If the Eagles win
- They need to win by around 20-25 points to leapfrog Melbourne and seal a finals spot. They will also make it if Fremantle beats Essendon.
If they lose
- They could only make the finals in the unlikely scenario where the Bombers get smashed and drop below the Eagles on percentage. They would also need the Dogs and Saints to lose in that scenario.
ADELAIDE
If the Crows win:
- They will finish top and play either Port Adelaide or Richmond in a qualifying final.
If they lose:
- They will finish top and play either Port Adelaide or Richmond in a qualifying final.
