With one round remaining in the 2026 AFL season, there is still plenty left to be decided.
Fremantle and Sydney have locked away first and second, but the race for the top four — and the battle to avoid the Wildcard Round — is still wide open.
Clubs sitting third through seventh are all fighting for a double chance, while the final ladder positions could prove crucial when it comes to the location of their finals fixtures, particularly for teams hoping to play in Melbourne.
And then there is the added scheduling wrinkle of the NFL clash between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at the MCG on Friday, September 11, which could further complicate the AFL's finals fixture puzzle.
Fremantle
vs Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Saturday
Win
- Finish top of the ladder
Lose
- Finish top of the ladder
Sydney
vs North Melbourne at the SCG on Sunday
Win
- Finish 2nd on the ladder
Lose
- Finish 2nd on the ladder
Brisbane
vs Collingwood at the MCG on Friday
Win
- Should guarantee a top-four spot
- Can finish in 3rd and face Sydney at the SCG
- If a small win, and Hawthorn beat West Coast big, Lions can finish 4th and face Fremantle
Lose
- The Lions could fall to 7th if Hawthorn, Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide win, and the Crows win big
- Brisbane could still finish top four if three of the Demons, Cats, Hawks and Crows lose
Hawthorn
vs West Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday
Win
- Should guarantee a top-four spot
- Can finish as high as 3rd if Lions lose or if Brisbane win by a small margin, and Hawthorn beat West Coast big
Lose
- The Hawks could fall to 7th if Brisbane, Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide win, and the Crows win big
- Hawthorn could still finish top four if three of the Demons, Cats, Lions and Crows lose
Melbourne
vs Western Bulldogs on Saturday at the MCG
Win
- A win would guarantee a top-six finish
- They would finish top four if either Hawthorn or Brisbane lose
Lose
- The Demons could fall to 7th if Geelong and Adelaide win; if one of the Crows or Cats lose, Melbourne remain inside the top six
- In that case, Melbourne will play Carlton
Geelong
vs Richmond at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday
Win
- All but confirm a top-six finish
- To finish top four, Geelong will need two of Brisbane, Hawthorn and Melbourne to lose
Lose
- The Cats could drop to 7th if Adelaide beat the Giants
Adelaide
vs GWS at Adelaide Oval on Saturday
Win
- Can finish top six if Geelong and Melbourne lose
- Can finish top four if the Cats, Demons, Hawks and Lions lose, pending a percentage boost (2.2% behind the Hawks)
Lose
- Will remain in 7th position
Collingwood
vs Brisbane at the MCG on Friday
Win
- Lock in 8th spot, unless they bridge a 9% gap with Adelaide
Lose
- Could remain in 8th spot if the Western Bulldogs lose
- Could slip to 9th if the Bulldogs beat Melbourne
Western Bulldogs
vs Melbourne on Saturday at the MCG
Win
- Would remain in 9th position if Collingwood beat the Lions
- Could jump to 8th if Collingwood lose to the Lions
Lose
- Could remain in 9th spot unless Carlton beat Fremantle
- Could slide to 10th if the Blues beat the Dockers
Carlton
vs Fremantle at Marvel Stadium on Saturday
Win
- Could jump to 9th if the Bulldogs lose to Melbourne
- Can stay in 10th if the Bulldogs beat the Demons
Lose
- Remain in 10th spot
