The Blues celebrate Matt Cottrell's matchwinner. Picture: Getty Images via AFL Photos

THE RACE for the finals is going down to the wire with just two rounds of the home and away season remaining.  

Will St Kilda, Collingwood and GWS hang onto their positions in the top eight or will the Western Bulldogs force their way in? 

Incredibly, Melbourne, Carlton and Essendon are mathematically still in the mix as well.

LADDER PREDICTOR Can your team make the eight?

Who will make the finals? Check out your club's run home below.

Gold Coast, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Sydney, North Melbourne and Adelaide have not been considered

1. Port Adelaide

48 points (12 wins, three losses), 131.4 per cent

The Power are one step closer to securing the minor premiership with Saturday night's six-goal victory over North Melbourne. Only Geelong has a superior percentage, and the situation is simple for Port: beat the Bombers and Pies and it will almost certainly finish on top of the ladder. In that scenario, Brisbane is the sole side that could stop the Power from doing that, but that's unlikely, given the gulf in percentage between the clubs. Ryan Burton suffered another quadriceps setback, but Ken Hinkley's men will welcome back Peter Ladhams from suspension next week and are as healthy as anyone. - Marc McGowan

The run home
R17: Essendon @ Adelaide Oval
R18: Collingwood @ the Gabba

2. Brisbane

48 points (12 wins, three losses), 122.1 per cent
On the back of five straight victories the Lions are in the perfect spot to guarantee at least two finals at the Gabba. Wins against Sydney and Carlton in the final two rounds – matches they will start favourite in - would lock up a top-two spot. It won't be easy though, with injuries to Harris Andrews, Brandon Starcevich and Jarrod Berry ensuring the trip to Cairns to play the Swans won't be an easy one. One win from the final two games would still sew up a top four, double chance.

The run home
R17: Sydney @ Cazalys Stadium
R18: Carlton @ the Gabba

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

3. Geelong

44 points (11 wins, four losses), 145.1 percent
The Cats boosted their League-best percentage with a demolition job of Essendon last Sunday. A top-two spot will be out of reach if Port Adelaide and Brisbane keep winning, but one loss and they'll be ready to pounce. With the Eagles losing to the Dogs last week, the Cats only need to win one of their remaining two matches to secure a top-four spot. - Ben Sutton

The run home
R17: Richmond @ Metricon Stadium
R18: Sydney @ Metricon Stadium

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

4. Richmond

42 points (10 wins, one draw, four losses), 123.6 per cent
The Tigers are on a roll and will be all but locked in to the top four if they can topple Geelong on Friday night in a massive pre-finals clash. If the Eagles lose to St Kilda on Thursday night the Tigers will only need to win one of its final two to secure the double chance. A top-two spot looks out of reach, but the Tigers look primed for their third flag in four years. - Callum Twomey

The run home
R17: Geelong @ Metricon Stadium
R18: Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

5. West Coast

40 points (10 wins, five losses) 115.1 per cent
A two-point loss to the Western Bulldogs puts West Coast's top-four ambitions in real danger. They will almost certainly have to win both their remaining matches to have any chance of securing the double chance. If they do win out and the Cats beat the Tigers then they'll finish fourth. But first things first, they must beat St Kilda on Thursday night and do so without first-choice midfielders Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo, Dom Sheed and Jack Redden. - Jourdan Canil

The run home
R17: St Kilda @ the Gabba
R18: North Melbourne @ Metricon Stadium

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

6. St Kilda

36 points (nine wins, six losses), 113.9 per cent
On paper, the last two games look daunting. A genuine premiership contender in West Coast, followed by perhaps the Saints' direct rival for a place in the top eight in Greater Western Sydney. However, St Kilda might not have to worry. Nine wins could be enough in itself, depending on what Collingwood, GWS, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs do over the next fortnight. Still, Brett Ratten's side would love to finish with a flourish – and would love to ensure they're not relying on anyone else to slip up to confirm their place in the finals picture. The task, then, is simple. Win one of the next two, and it's a formality. - Riley Beveridge

The run home
R17: West Coast @ the Gabba
R18: Greater Western Sydney @ the Gabba

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

7. Collingwood

34 points (eight wins, one draw, six losses), 110.1 per cent
The Magpies still have their fate in their own hands, but it's getting quite precarious. Wins over Gold Coast and Port Adelaide would lock up a top-eight position for Collingwood, no questions asked. However, with the Western Bulldogs and even mathematically Melbourne and Carlton hovering outside the eight any slip-up would leave Nathan Buckley's men vulnerable to missing out. Tom Phillips' hamstring strain against the Lions thins an already weakened midfield, but the Magpies will hope to get a couple of troops back in the final match of the season which could shape as an elimination final for the Pies. - Michael Whiting

The run home
R17: Gold Coast @ the Gabba
R18: Port Adelaide @ the Gabba

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

8. Greater Western Sydney

32 points (eight wins, seven losses), 101.2 per cent
Just when we thought the Giants had turned the corner, they go and lose to the Crows. Their finals destiny appears to still be in their hands, with match-ups against fellow contenders the Demons and Saints. Leon Cameron's men could end Melbourne's slim hopes with victory in that one, but might also need to beat St Kilda to ensure they don't miss out, given Collingwood's draw. There is a scenario where they could win both and miss out - if the Pies win out and the Dogs post big wins to overtake the Giants on percentage. GWS just hasn't been able to produce extended strong patches of form, but its narrow round 10 victory over Essendon could prove pivotal. - Marc McGowan

The run home
R17: Melbourne @ the Gabba
R18: St Kilda @ the Gabba 

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

9. Western Bulldogs

32 points (eight wins, seven losses) 100.3 per cent
The Bulldogs needed a huge scalp to finally prove they have what it takes to compete with the League's better sides, and they got it with the thrilling win against the Eagles. With Hawthorn and Fremantle to come, the Bulldogs should end up with 10 wins and a healthy percentage spike. That will be enough if Collingwood or GWS loses one of its final two matches. There is a slim chance they could miss out on percentage if the Giants and Pies win out and the Saints beat West Coast. - Jourdan Canil

The run home
R17: Hawthorn @ Adelaide Oval
R18: Fremantle @ Cazalys Stadium

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

10. Melbourne

28 points (seven wins, eight losses), 106.1 per cent
Simon Goodwin owes his old club. Adelaide's win over Greater Western Sydney on Tuesday night has given the Demons strong hope they can make the finals. The Demons will jump into eighth by winning both remaining games as long as the Western Bulldogs drop at least one. Given the Demons' superior percentage, it wouldn't matter what the Giants did in the final game. Remarkably, the Demons can still make it with a win over the Giants and then a loss to Essendon in round 18, provided the Giants also lose to St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs drop both of its games and Essendon and Carlton manage only one win or less. If Collingwood lose both games to Gold Coast and Port Adelaide there may be another spot up for grabs. - Mitch Cleary

The run home
R17: GWS @ the Gabba
R18: Essendon @ Metricon Stadium

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

11. Carlton

28 points (seven wins, eight losses) 97 per cent
First it was Melbourne, then the Giants. The results started falling Carlton's way, but a glimpse at a finals chance looked like long odds when Sydney piled on the first seven goals of the round 16 clash. Remarkably, Carlton's astounding five-point win over the Swans keeps the dream alive and just four points away from the eighth spot. The Blues need to win their remaining two matches and rely on the Bulldogs losing one, the Demons defeating the Giants and losing to Essendon, and also St Kilda defeating GWS. So you're saying there's a chance? - Jourdan Canil

The run home
R17: Adelaide @ Metricon Stadium
R18: Brisbane @ the Gabba 

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

12. Essendon

26 points (six wins, one draw, eight losses), 82.9 per cent
The Bombers are remarkably still a mathematical chance of finals football despite their insipid showing against Geelong last week. Not only would they need to win both their remaining matches, but they would also need the Bulldogs and Giants to lose both of theirs and also Carlton to lose one. Safe to say that won't happen. - Ben Sutton

The run home
R17: Port Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval
R18: Melbourne @ Metricon Stadium

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS

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