ADELAIDE will beat Collingwood to top spot at the end of the home and away season, while Fremantle will make the eight but miss out on a home final, according to our reporters.

AFL.com.au's team of journalists have used our ladder predictor to tip the final make-up of the top eight, and they're again predicting Hawthorn will slide out of the finals spots during a tough run home.

LADDER PREDICTOR Who will make the eight, who will miss out?

After back-to-back losses, Collingwood's lead at the top of the ladder has been cut to just two points with five rounds remaining and our eight reporters are tipping the Crows to take advantage of an easier run home to finish on top.

Our team is tipping them to face Geelong in the first week of the finals and the Magpies to still get a home qualifying final, against Brisbane at the MCG.

In the bottom half of the eight, our team is tipping Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney to host home elimination finals against the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle respectively and the Hawks to finish ninth.

The Hawks are expected to beat Carlton this Thursday night but face a tough last four weeks against Adelaide and Brisbane away as well as Collingwood and Melbourne at the MCG.

AFL.com.au's predicted ladder

1. Adelaide
2. Collingwood
3. Brisbane
4. Geelong
5. Gold Coast
6. Greater Western Sydney
7. Fremantle
8. Western Bulldogs

9. Hawthorn
10. Sydney
11. Carlton
12. Port Adelaide
13. Melbourne
14. St Kilda
15. Essendon
16. Richmond
17. North Melbourne
18. West Coast