ESSENDON and Port Adelaide play their final game of the season when they clash at Marvel Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Essendon (2-20) was on the path towards another horror defeat as Sydney piled on nine majors to the first change before it stopped the bleeding and limited the final margin to six goals.

BOMBERS v POWER Follow it LIVE

The Bombers might be holding out for the end of the season and changes to the coaching staff and playing list that can boost the club, but a win over the injury-hit Power could be enough to avoid the wooden spoon. 

Port Adelaide (6-16) has run out of steam as injuries to key players have mounted but disappointed as it followed a thumping from Sydney with another crushing defeat to Melbourne.

Essendon v Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, 12.20pm AEST
NO LATE CHANGES

The Power have lost their past six matches by an average of 48 points but will hope to build positivity for the off-season with a win over the Bombers while at the same time avoiding a humiliating loss.

Essendon takes an unchanged team into the final round while Port has been forced into three changes through injury, losing gun trio Aliir Aliir, Jason Horne-Francis and Willem Drew.

Coming in for the Power are Darcy Byrne-Jones on return from suspension, Christian Moraes and Will Brodie, the former Docker in for just his second game since crossing from Fremantle last off-season.

Sydney welcomes North Melbourne to the SCG on Sunday afternoon.

The Swans are unable to move up or down from second spot on the ladder, and the Roos out of the finals race.

SWANS v KANGAROOS Follow it LIVE

Sydney (17-5) was sailing into a finals campaign as it locked in second spot with a comfortable victory against Essendon before the club was thrown into turmoil over an alleged off-field incident.

While the Swans' ladder position can't change regardless of the result against the Roos, they could be playing with the added pressure of a cloud of uncertainty even before they look ahead to finals. 

The club has made five changes following its self-imposed season-ending suspensions to Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon.

Coming in are James Rowbottom, Angus Sheldrick, Tom Hanily, Harry Cunningham and Caiden Cleary.

North Melbourne (9-13) shone a light on its huge potential with a seven-goal blitz before the first change against Geelong before its problems were exposed in a game that ended with a frustrating defeat.

The Roos have another chance to show they are finally ready to consistently challenge the top sides at the same time as they aim to snap an 11-match losing streak against the embattled Swans. 

North will miss Harry Sheezel after the ball magnet suffered a broken cheekbone against the Cats, with Tom Blamires also going out of the side, the pair replaced by veteran Luke McDonald and Josh Goater.

The top four might only be decided in the final game of the home and away season as Hawthorn travels across the country to take on West Coast aiming to secure a double chance on Sunday night.

EAGLES v HAWKS Follow it LIVE

The Eagles (4-18) paid the price for again misfiring in front of goal as it booted 2.14 after the first change to gradually lose touch with GWS in a 10th straight defeat.

West Coast has seen its early-season promise slowly fade away as the losses have mounted up, and still needs one more win to match the five victories it had in 2024 that remains the benchmark of the club's past five years.

The Eagles have made just one change with Bo Allan coming in for Liam Duggan, the veteran defender 'managed' into an early off-season.

Hawthorn (14-2-6) was left to rue a last-gasp shot for goal falling agonisingly short as a draw with Collingwood means it is still to secure a double chance and a third-place finish is out of its own hands.

The Hawks only need a win against the Eagles to finish in the top four, with an emphatic victory boosting their hopes of climbing up to third. However, a defeat could see them drop as low as seventh.

Hawthorn has also made just the one change, with teenage small forward Jack Dalton handed a chance to impress on the eve of finals in the place of Jack Ginnivan, who misses with back soreness.