AFTER months of prediction, patience and survival, AFL Tipping's Gauntlet and Streak competitions will be decided this weekend.

Gauntlet began in round seven with 210,821 entrants. Heading into the final round of the home and away season, only 236 remain.

And remarkably, almost all of them are riding on the same result.

Of the surviving players, 229 are banking on Essendon defeating Port Adelaide this weekend.

The Bombers may have won only two games this year, but every surviving Gauntlet player knew they would need to use Essendon at some point. For 229 of the 236 remaining entrants, this weekend's clash looked like the best opportunity they were going to get, with Essendon hosting a Port Adelaide side battling injuries and inconsistent form.

The venue may also give Bombers backers some confidence. It was at Marvel Stadium in round 19 that Essendon stunned Greater Western Sydney in what was a huge upset. The small group of Gauntlet entrants who backed the Bombers that day successfully ticked them off their board. The rest have been waiting for their chance ever since.

Just seven bold entrants have gone elsewhere, with one player backing Geelong (v Richmond), one Melbourne (v Western Bulldogs), one North Melbourne (v Sydney), one Port Adelaide (v Essendon), one St Kilda (v Gold Coast) and two West Coast (v Hawthorn).

Of those, the Geelong tipster could be in the box seat, with the Cats expected to win comfortably against Richmond at GMHBA Stadium.

If Essendon gets the job done, a large group of players will survive through to the completion of the competition, with the winner then determined by the Gauntlet tiebreaker.

Under the competition rules, if multiple entrants remain alive at the end of round 24, the winner is decided by their ranking in the main AFL Tipping competition. If those entrants remain tied, the deciding factor becomes who submitted their round seven Gauntlet tip first.

While Gauntlet is focused on survival, Streak presents a completely different challenge.

Current leader 'Why Dad' holds both the longest streak of the season and the current active streak, sitting on 56 consecutive correct tips.

Several contenders remain within striking distance, sitting on streaks in the high 40s and low 50s. For those players, the equation is simple: they cannot afford to sit back. To have any chance of catching the leader, they will need to keep tipping and keep winning.

That leaves 'Why Dad' with an intriguing decision of his own.

Does he play conservatively and protect his lead? Or keep tipping and try to extend it further?

One wrong selection would bring an active streak to an immediate end. One perfect round could be worth $2,000.

By Sunday evening, both races will have their answer.

Trent Balthazaar is the AFL Tipping Product Management Specialist.