The second week of finals footy threw up some huge results, with two sides waving goodbye to their premiership ambitions in 2021.
Chris Scott's side showed that they were by no means out of the race for the flag, whilst the Doggies came up clutch to set up a mouth-watering prelim final at Adelaide Oval.
With this, let's see where this leaves our Power Rankings charts this week.
1. Melbourne (-)
The Dees enjoyed a week off at Perth's Joondalup Resort and learned their opponent for Friday night's preliminary final in the form of old foes Geelong.
Simon Goodwin's side will take comfort in their Round 23 thrilling win over the Cats at Kardinia Park courtesy of a Max Gawn kick after the siren.
MAX GAWN GOAL AFTER THE SIREN TO WIN THE MINOR PREMIERSHIP. ๐ฑ๐คฏ๐ฑ pic.twitter.com/kNLyLwg42X
— 7AFL (@7AFL) August 21, 2021
However the side will be wary that they might not be so lucky this time around should they let Geelong run over them as they did in the first half of that game, with the Dees down by 44 points at one stage.
There is no question the Demons will be favourites heading into the showdown at Optus Stadium and will stop at nothing to secure a Grand Final berth.
2. Port Adelaide (-)
The Power too enjoyed a week off however were able to enjoy a relatively normal rest with the club still based at home in Adelaide.
However the side will have last year's preliminary final loss etched into their minds ahead of their do-or-die clash with the Doggies on Saturday night.
Ken Hinkley's side in 2020 beat the Cats in the first week of finals and faced Richmond, losing by a single goal to Damien Hardwick's men in a match the Power were favourites in.
Port Adelaide will be keen to not repeat history and instead get over the top of a formidable opponent in the form of the Bulldogs, taking confidence from their Round 23 win over Luke Beveridge's side in Melbourne.
3. Geelong (+2)
The Cats showed why they were still in the race for the flag, dispatching GWS in Perth convincingly on Friday night.
Leon Cameron's side look set for a comeback on several occasions throughout the match but the experience and guile of Geelong meant that they were able to stave off the resistance and progress to a third preliminary final in just as many seasons.
Midfield
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Chris Scott's men now face a showdown with the Dees who, as mentioned earlier, pipped them at the death in Round 23 and plucked the minor premiership out of Geelong's hands.
There is no question they'd be frothing at the mouth for a sweet dose of revenge against the Dees, especially considering the closeness of the recent encounters between the two clubs.
4. Western Bulldogs (+2)
The Doggies survived a foray in the Lion's den on Saturday night, coming away from the Gabba with a one-point win in one of the matches of the year.
It was the likes of Jack Macrae, Bailey Smith and the rest of the Doggies' Rolls-Royce of a midfield that got them over the line against a tenacious Brisbane side, with 'Bazlenka' booting a clutch goal in the dying stages to top off a huge night for the 20-year-old.
Midfield
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
This was a huge scalp for Luke Beveridge's side, with the Doggies now booked in for a match against the Power on Saturday night.
You'd hate to don the early crow but it's hard to shake the feeling that there areย huge 2016 vibes radiating off the Doggies at the minute.
5. Brisbane (-2)
Brisbane fans would have been tearing their hair out on Saturday night, with their side going down by the slimmest of margins to the Bulldogs.
Many fans pointed to the free-kick count, which was 28-19 against the Lions, but the fact of the matter is that they were beaten by a side that wanted it just that tiny bit more.
It seems like the Lions simply cannot get it right at the business end of the year and have now bowed out in straight sets from a top four position for the second time in three seasons.
Throw in the uncertainty surrounding superstar Lachie Neale's future in Queensland and things aren't looking particularly rosy for Chris Fagan's side.
6. GWS (-2)
The Giants, after being on the road for the best part of two months, saw the end of their premiership tilt on Friday night, bowing out of September action off the back of a gutsy performance against a superior Cats side.
Leon Cameron would be extremely proud of his side, especially considering the dire situation the team seemed to be in mid-way through the season.
There is no question that the Giants will likely be in and around September action next year, however there is still work needing to be done over the off-season in terms of maintaining a consistent level of performance considering their hot-and-cold form that plagued them for the bulk of the year.
