Former journalist Mike Sheahan believes the fate of the top eight is almost sealed, with just one other side a chance to play finals football at the end of the season.
Sheahan said St Kilda will be knocking on the door of the eight come the end of the season, but has conceded that the season's of big clubs such as Essendon and Collingwood and perennial September sides Sydney and Hawthorn are over.
“I’ve got some chilling news for supporters of 10 clubs. I’m going to state the fact that at this time last year, at the end of round six, the eight was settled,” Sheahan said on SEN Breakfast on Monday.
“Not necessarily in the positions that they occupied at finals time, but no team outside the eight was able to force their way in during the next 16 rounds.
“There’s only one team that can come in and that’s St. Kilda… the eight has settled now except for St Kilda being the wildcard.”
Co-host of SEN Breakfast Tim Watson believes the only two sides that can make way for the Saints are Richmond and Melbourne, with Watson unsure of the Demons' consistency.
“I’m still unconvinced about Richmond and I’m still unconvinced about Melbourne as well as being a genuine top eight side,” he said.
“St Kilda’s performance against Hawthorn was fantastic, but you just wonder whether there was enough pressure coming the other way. We saw Melbourne dismantle them earlier in the season.
“Overall I think (the Saints) have the capacity to be a better balanced side, attack and defence, than what Melbourne is over the course of the season.”
Get set for the footy with the FREE Zero Hanger 2026 AFL Season Guide! Packed with 150+ pages of player profiles, team previews, insights and analysis, the 2026 AFL Season Guide is built for fans who want the full picture. Download your free Season Guide HERE.
