Dan Houston is challenged by Will Hayward during the match between Carlton and Collingwood at the MCG in round six, 2026. Picture: Getty Images

CARLTON will have to well and truly earn a top-10 place as a difficult run home awaits, while North Melbourne's final six games of the season are brutal.

The Blues slipped to 12th on the ladder after their unbeaten run under interim coach Josh Fraser was ended by Hawthorn on Saturday night.

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Beginning with a crucial clash against rival Collingwood on Saturday night, Carlton's final six games are ranked the equal third hardest in the competition.

Five of the Blues' opponents on the run home are currently in the top 10, including top-four sides Fremantle and Brisbane.

The Kangaroos are 13th after a narrow loss to the Magpies, and they also face a monumental challenge to claim a wildcard spot.

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All six of North's opponents from here to the end of the home and away season are currently in the top 10, meaning they face the hardest run home of any team in the competition.

After meetings with Melbourne and St Kilda, the Roos – who have had the easiest fixture so far – take on Hawthorn, the Western Bulldogs, Geelong and Sydney.

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The Hawks face the easiest fixture to finish as they eye a top-four place, with matches against Richmond, Essendon and West Coast still to come.

Sydney, Geelong and Brisbane also face friendly runs to finish the home and away season, as does Greater Western Sydney, with four of the Giants' remaining six games against teams in the bottom five.

Each club's degree of difficulty is the average ladder position of its opponents. The lower the score, the harder the fixture is expected to be.

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R19: v Sydney, SCG 
R20: v Collingwood, Adelaide Oval
R21: v Essendon, Marvel Stadium
R22: v Richmond, Adelaide Oval
R23: v Fremantle, Optus Stadium
R24: v Greater Western Sydney, Adelaide Oval

Current ladder position: 5th (11-6)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.8 (equal 13th hardest) 
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 9.5 (ninth hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 3
Upcoming interstate trips: 3

Jordan Dawson is tackled by Pat Lipinski during Adelaide's clash against Collingwood in round one, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v West Coast, Optus Stadium 
R20: v Port Adelaide, Gabba
R21: v Carlton, Marvel Stadium
R22: v Hawthorn, Gabba
R23: v Gold Coast, Gabba
R24: v Collingwood, MCG

Current ladder position: 4th (11-6)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.5 (equal eighth hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 11.3 (14th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 3

Cam Rayner and Joel Jeffrey compete for the ball during Brisbane's clash with Gold Coast in round 13, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Collingwood, MCG 
R20: v Gold Coast, Marvel Stadium
R21: v Brisbane, Marvel Stadium
R22: v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium
R23: v Western Bulldogs, Marvel Stadium
R24: v Fremantle, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 12th (8-9)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.5 (equal eighth hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 7.3 (equal third hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 5
Upcoming interstate trips: 0

Patrick Cripps and Scott Pendlebury compete for the ball during the match between Carlton and Collingwood at the MCG in round six, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Carlton, MCG 
R20: v Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
R21: v Geelong, MCG
R22: v West Coast, Optus Stadium
R23: v Hawthorn, MCG
R24: v Brisbane, MCG

Current ladder position: 8th (9-1-7)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.6 (equal 10th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 8.2 (sixth hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 4
Upcoming interstate trips: 2

Nick Watson and Brayden Maynard after Collingwood's draw with Hawthorn in R8, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Greater Western Sydney, Marvel Stadium 
R20: v Hawthorn, MCG
R21: v Adelaide, Marvel Stadium
R22: v Geelong, GMHBA Stadium
R23: v Sydney, MCG
R24: v Port Adelaide, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 18th (1-16)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.4 (seventh hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 7.5 (fifth hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 4
Upcoming interstate trips: 0

Sam Durham kicks the ball during Essendon's clash against Hawthorn in round one, 2026. Picture: Getty Images

R19: v Port Adelaide, Adelaide Oval 
R20: v West Coast, Optus Stadium
R21: v Western Bulldogs, Optus Stadium
R22: v Melbourne, MCG
R23: v Adelaide, Optus Stadium
R24: v Carlton, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 1st (15-2)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.6 (equal 10th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 10.2 (11th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 3
Upcoming interstate trips: 3

Caleb Serong and Ryley Sanders compete for the ball during Fremantle's clash against the Western Bulldogs in round eight, 2026. Picture: Getty Images

R19: v St Kilda, GMHBA Stadium 
R20: v Melbourne, MCG
R21: v Collingwood, MCG
R22: v Essendon, GMHBA Stadium
R23: v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium
R24: v Richmond, GMHBA Stadium

Current ladder position: 9th (9-8)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 7.9 (second hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 12 (equal 16th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 3
Upcoming interstate trips: 0

Zach Guthrie in action during Geelong's clash against North Melbourne in round eight, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Western Bulldogs, People First Stadium 
R20: v Carlton, Marvel Stadium
R21: v Melbourne, People First Stadium
R22: v Greater Western Sydney, Corroboree Group Oval Manuka
R23: v Brisbane, Gabba
R24: v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 14th (7-10)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 8.8 (third hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 8.3 (equal seventh hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 4
Upcoming interstate trips: 3

Noah Anderson is tackled by Matt Kennedy during Gold Coast's clash against the Western Bulldogs in round nine, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Essendon, Marvel Stadium 
R20: v Sydney, Engie Stadium
R21: v Port Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
R22: v Gold Coast, Corroboree Group Oval Manuka
R23: v West Coast, Engie Stadium
R24: v Adelaide, Adelaide Oval

Current ladder position: 11th (8-9)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9 (fourth hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 11.7 (15th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 4

Lachie Ash is tackled by Willem Duursma during Greater Western Sydney's clash against Waalitj Marawar in round 10, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Richmond, MCG 
R20: v Essendon, MCG
R21: v North Melbourne, UTAS Stadium
R22: v Brisbane, Gabba
R23: v Collingwood, MCG
R24: v West Coast, Optus Stadium

Current ladder position: 3rd (11-1-5)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.2 (equal fifth hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 12.7 (18th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 3

Tim Taranto tackles Jai Newcombe during Richmond's clash against Hawthorn in round eight, 2025. Picture: Getty Images

R19: v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium 
R20: v Geelong, MCG
R21: v Gold Coast, People First Stadium
R22: v Fremantle, MCG
R23: v Port Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
R24: v Western Bulldogs, MCG

Current ladder position: 6th (11-6)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.8 (equal 13th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 9.8 (10th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 3
Upcoming interstate trips: 2

Kysaiah Pickett kicks a goal during Melbourne's clash against Fremantle in round two, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Melbourne, Marvel Stadium 
R20: v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium
R21: v Hawthorn, UTAS Stadium
R22: v Western Bulldogs, Marvel Stadium
R23: v Geelong, Marvel Stadium
R24: v Sydney, SCG

Current ladder position: 13th (8-9)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 11.6 (18th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 6.2 (hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 6 
Upcoming interstate trips: 2

Nick Blakey tackles Nick Larkey during the match between North Melbourne and Sydney at Marvel Stadium in round 10, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Fremantle, Adelaide Oval 
R20: v Brisbane, Gabba
R21: v Greater Western Sydney, Adelaide Oval
R22: v Sydney, SCG
R23: v Melbourne, Adelaide Oval
R24: v Essendon, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 15th (6-11)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 10.5 (17th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 7 (second hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 4
Upcoming interstate trips: 3

Joe Richards in action during Port Adelaide's clash against Essendon in round two, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Hawthorn, MCG 
R20: v Western Bulldogs, Marvel Stadium
R21: v West Coast, MCG
R22: v Adelaide, Adelaide Oval
R23: v St Kilda, MCG
R24: v Geelong, GMHBA Stadium

Current ladder position: 17th (2-15)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.8 (equal 13th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 8.3 (equal seventh hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 5
Upcoming interstate trips: 1

Tim Taranto is tackled during Richmond's clash against Euro-Yroke in round 10, 2026. Picture: Getty Images

R19: v Geelong, GMHBA Stadium 
R20: v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium
R21: v Sydney, Marvel Stadium
R22: v Carlton, Marvel Stadium
R23: v Richmond, MCG
R24: v Gold Coast, Marvel Stadium

Current ladder position: 10th (8-9)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.7 (12th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 11.2 (13th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 0

Tom De Koning is tackled by Bailey Humphrey during St Kilda's clash against Gold Coast in round nine, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Adelaide, SCG 
R20: v Greater Western Sydney, Engie Stadium
R21: v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium
R22: v Port Adelaide, SCG
R23: v Essendon, MCG
R24: v North Melbourne, SCG

Current ladder position: 2nd (13-4)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 9.2 (equal fifth hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 12 (equal 16th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 2

Brodie Grundy in action during Sydney's clash against Greater Western Sydney in round six, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Brisbane, Optus Stadium 
R20: v Fremantle, Optus Stadium
R21: v Richmond, MCG
R22: v Collingwood, Optus Stadium
R23: v Greater Western Sydney, Engie Stadium
R24: v Hawthorn, Optus Stadium

Current ladder position: 16th (4-13)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 10.4 (16th hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 7.3 (equal third hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 4
Upcoming interstate trips: 2

Harley Reid kicks the ball during West Coast's clash against Fremantle in round six, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

R19: v Gold Coast, People First Stadium 
R20: v Richmond, Marvel Stadium
R21: v Fremantle, Optus Stadium
R22: v North Melbourne, Marvel Stadium
R23: v Carlton, Marvel Stadium
R24: v Melbourne, MCG

Current ladder position: 7th (10-7)
Degree of difficulty OR-R18: 7.6 (hardest)
Degree of difficulty R19-24: 10.5 (12th hardest)
Upcoming games against current top 10: 2
Upcoming interstate trips: 2

Marcus Bontempelli during the round eight match between Western Bulldogs and Fremantle at Marvel Stadium, May 1, 2026. Picture: Getty Images