THREE rounds remain in the seventh AFLW home and away season and while the top seven teams look certain to make finals - albeit with the order still up in the air - the race for eighth is on.
Melbourne is closing the percentage gap on top pair Brisbane and Adelaide, meanwhile Geelong and Richmond are threatening for Collingwood's place in the top four.
1. Brisbane
24 points (six wins, one loss), 259.3 per cent
After winning a crunch match against North Melbourne, the Lions look to be in the box seat for a top-two finish, but only if they can beat second-placed Adelaide next week. Should they knock off the Crows, it's pretty smooth sailing after that, taking on expansion side Hawthorn in Frankston, then hosting Collingwood on the quick deck of Metricon Stadium. The Lions have beaten the Magpies in each of their last four meetings, including two finals, so will head into round 10 feeling confident.
The run home
RD8: Adelaide at Metricon Stadium
RD9: Hawthorn at Skybus Stadium
RD10: Collingwood at Metricon Stadium
2. Adelaide
24 points (six wins, one loss), 233.3 per cent
A scare from Fremantle may have been exactly what the Crows needed coming into the final three rounds of the season. Battling the pressure brought by the Dockers will set them up well for a top-two clash against the Lions, with the winner likely set to snatch the top spot. They will then need to back it up against a tough Geelong backline in round nine, with the Cats’ defensive unit having a say in Adelaide's eventual percentage, before rounding out the season against a struggling St Kilda.
The run home
RD8: Brisbane at Metricon Stadium
RD9: Geelong at Norwood Oval
RD10: St Kilda at RSEA Park
3. Melbourne
24 points (six wins, one loss), 201.2 per cent
A 64-point win over the Western Bulldogs last weekend has added more than 30 per cent to Melbourne's standing, closing the gap on Adelaide and Brisbane. The key advantage for the Demons is that the top two must face off against each other, while Melbourne has games against the eighth, 12th and 14th-placed sides, and is well poised to come home with a wet sail and snag a top-two spot.
The run home
RD8: Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium
RD9: Essendon at Casey Fields
RD10: West Coast at Casey Fields
4. Collingwood
24 points (six wins, one loss), 172.1 per cent
Collingwood will leave Victoria for the first time in round eight, heading to Western Australia to face an ever-improving Fremantle side. It doesn't get any easier after that either, with North Melbourne and Brisbane in the last fortnight. Because of this tough home stretch, it's looking ever more likely that the Pies will drop out of the top four and lose the double chance.
The run home
RD8: Fremantle at Fremantle Oval
RD9: North Melbourne at Victoria Park
RD10: Brisbane at Metricon Stadium
5. Geelong
20 points (five wins, two losses), 157.1 per cent
The Cats just continue to bag wins, with or without all their best players available, which has set them up well to make just their second ever finals series. Two likely wins in Victoria against West Coast and Sydney sandwich one of the toughest trips in AFLW - to South Australia to face Adelaide. If they can notch two wins from their last three and, most importantly, not get blown away by the Crows then they will be well set up to snatch Collingwood's place in the top four.
The run home
RD8: West Coast at Ikon Park
RD9: Adelaide at Unley Oval
RD10: Sydney at GMHBA Stadium
6. Richmond
20 points (five wins, two losses), 136.2 per cent
Similarly to Geelong, the Tigers have a final three games that open the door for a top four push. They should bag wins against Carlton and GWS, but the real challenge comes against North Melbourne in round 10. Still more than 20 per cent behind Geelong, they not only need to win at least as many as the Cats but also make up percentage if they are to leapfrog into fourth.
The run home
RD8: Carlton at Ikon Park
RD9: GWS at Mildura Sporting Precinct
RD10: North Melbourne at Arden Street
7. North Melbourne
16 points (four wins, three losses), 164.9 per cent
Last weekend's loss to Brisbane really hurt the Kangaroos, who have now slipped down to seventh and sit two games outside the top four. What still sits in their favour, however, is a healthy percentage of 164.9 thanks to close losses against the top three sides. They now have three winnable games to close out the season, but they won't come easily, particularly against Collingwood and Richmond who are both jostling for position in the top eight.
The run home
RD8: Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval
RD9: Collingwood at Victoria Park
RD10: Richmond at Arden Street
8. Gold Coast
16 points (four wins, three losses), 96.6 per cent
A strong win against the Swans, and a significant loss for the Dogs, has put the Suns in the top eight once again. Holding onto that finals spot, however, will likely hinge on two things: how well they can contain Melbourne's attack to avoid dropping even more percentage, and beating Carlton which is also pushing for that last finals place. In the Suns' favour is back-to-back games at Metricon Stadium, where they have lost just once.
The run home
RD8: Melbourne at Metricon Stadium
RD9: Carlton at Metricon Stadium
RD10: GWS at Henson Park
9. Western Bulldogs
16 points (four wins, three losses), 90.6 per cent
An historically heavy defeat at the hands of Melbourne last weekend has put the Western Bulldogs in a precarious position, out of the top eight but with the potential to move back up should they come home strongly. Their final three games all come against sides sitting lower on the ladder, and are all matches they should win, ultimately handing them a second ever finals berth.
The run home
RD8: St Kilda at Mars Stadium
RD9: West Coast at Mineral Resources Park
RD10: Carlton at Ikon Park
10. Carlton
12 points (two wins, three losses, two draws), 77.9 per cent
Despite only having two wins, its back-to-back draws still has Carlton in with a sniff of finals. Vitally, the Blues’ fate lies in their own hands, facing off against both Gold Coast and the Western Bulldogs who are also vying for eighth place. Should it claim victory in both games, Carlton will likely jump above the pair, although gaining some vital percentage in those wins will also be important.
The run home
RD8: Richmond at Ikon Park
RD9: Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium
RD10: Western Bulldogs at Ikon Park
11. Hawthorn
12 points (three wins, four losses), 56.5 per cent
Unexpectedly sitting in 11th place with three consecutive wins, Hawthorn is still a mathematical chance to make finals, although a low percentage of 56.5 makes life tough for the Hawks. A homeward run against ladder leaders Brisbane and Fremantle over in Western Australia suggests they will unfortunately fall away late in the season.
The run home
RD8: GWS at Henson Park
RD9: Brisbane at Skybus Stadium
RD10: Fremantle at Fremantle Oval
12. Essendon
8 points (two wins, five losses), 102.0 per cent
After starting the season with a bang, the Bombers have struggled in recent weeks as they have taken on tough teams with strong forward lines. In their final three weeks they will take on two fellow expansion sides in Sydney and Port Adelaide, of which they should win at least one, but the real challenge comes against Melbourne at its fortress of Casey Fields. Similar to Hawthorn, Essendon's finals chances are alive, but unlikely.
The run home
RD8: Sydney at Ikon Park
RD9: Melbourne at Casey Fields
RD10: Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval
13. St Kilda
8 points (two wins, five losses), 86.6 per cent
Two big wins to open the season suggested the Saints might be on track to make their first finals series, but after five losses on the trot those hopes are all but dashed. They now must face a Western Bulldogs side that is fighting for its place in eighth and a rampaging Adelaide outfit in what is a pretty tough run home.
The run home
RD8: Western Bulldogs at Mars Stadium
RD9: Port Adelaide at RSEA Park
RD10: Adelaide at RSEA Park
14. West Coast
8 points (two wins, five losses), 67.6 per cent
The Eagles have dropped a couple of games they feasibly should have won, and now face three sides challenging for finals in their last three weeks. With just two wins, they need to win all of their remaining games if they are a chance to leap into the top eight, which is all but impossible given their run of Geelong, the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne.
The run home
RD8: Geelong at Ikon Park
RD9: Western Bulldogs at Mineral Resources Park
RD10: Melbourne at Casey Fields
15. GWS Giants
8 points (two wins, five losses), 57.9 per cent
The AFLW's biggest-ever loss of 96 points, handed to GWS two weeks ago, has resulted in a percentage of just 57.9, which means that even three wins from the last three rounds may not be enough to reach a second finals series. Not to mention, those last three rounds include games against finals contenders Richmond and Gold Coast.
The run home
RD8: Hawthorn at Henson Park
RD9: Richmond at Mildura Sporting Precinct
RD10: Gold Coast at Henson Park
