The 10 upcoming games that will shape September

The 2025 season has passed the three-quarter mark, and as the final stretch of the season approaches, AFL fans are being spoiled with a number of season-defining clashes. Whether it's a top-of-the-table clash in Round 21 or a potential "wildcard" game in Round 24, the AFL has truly saved some of its best fixtures for last. We've picked the ten games that will have a massive say on September's outlook. Round 19 Collingwood vs Fremantle [fixture_single match_id="160364"] This clash between the Magpies and Dockers appears to have repercussions extending beyond the full-time result on Sunday evening. Fremantle are building momentum toward a post-season berth, having won seven of their last eight matches - a streak which began following their loss to Collingwood in Round 9. Collingwood, on the other hand, enter this match as vulnerable as they've been all season, going goalless for a half against Gold Coast and kicking their lowest score since Round 4. A win for Fremantle would bolster their top-four chances significantly while diminishing Collingwood's ladder lead to potentially just two points. It's their last opportunity to play at the MCG until September, so this will be a massive litmus test that could prove their capability to win on the hallowed turf. What better way than to do so against the ladder leaders? Was the Gold Coast loss just a small misstep, or have the Pies peaked too early? If Collingwood convincingly wins this match, it will quash any doubts surrounding their status as premiership favourite and place one hand firmly on the minor premiership. Adelaide vs Gold Coast [fixture_single match_id="160368"] It's hard to forget the extra stakes in this contest. Last time they met, the Suns held on to win by a point in a thrilling contest on the Gold Coast, but there was controversy surrounding a missed free kick to Izak Rankine, which would have given the Adelaide forward a chance to win the game in the final minute. Not only that, but there were fireworks between Crows spearhead Riley Thilthorpe and Suns young gun Mac Andrew. With Thilthorpe coming off a six-goal haul, the matchup will be an enthralling watch once again. A Crows win would give fans plenty of confidence that they will secure the double chance, but another Suns stunner would see them improve to 12-5, meaning the two clubs would be only split by percentage with a month of football to go. If there's any game that poses as essentially an 'eight-pointer', it's this one. Round 20 GWS vs Sydney [fixture_single match_id="160370"] The Swans will likely enter this game on a three-game win streak, barring a shock upset loss at home to North Melbourne on Saturday. That would mean they'd enter this game with a 9-9 record and potentially just eight premiership points outside of the eight. This game gives the Swans a perfect opportunity to control their own destiny, to a certain extent anyway. A win here would give them ground on the Giants, who will either be 11-7 or 12-6 when the ball is bounced. GWS, on the other hand, has the opportunity to effectively end its archrival's season. Having lost their last five derbies, there would be no better time to snap that streak than here. Gold Coast vs Brisbane [fixture_single match_id="160376"] Round 20 looks to be unofficially earmarked as the AFL's "Rivalry Round" with all four interstate derbies taking place. However, none will matter more than the 29th edition of the Q-Clash. Both sides could firmly plant their flags in September soil with wins, but a loss could throw a home qualifying final - or even a top-four spot - in doubt. There's plenty of emotion in this rivalry, with tensions a certainty to rise at some point, but this looks to be one of the more enticing midfield battles of the season. Last time out, the Lions prevailed by 17 points in less-than-ideal conditions at the Gabba, a match dominated by their three-headed midfield monster of Will Ashcroft, Lachie Neale and Hugh McCluggage. Those three won nearly as many clearances as Gold Coast won as a team (27 vs GC's 28). How the Suns' midfield group respond to that beatdown this time out will be a season-defining moment. Round 21 Western Bulldogs vs GWS [fixture_single match_id="161415"] The Bulldogs are on the outside of the eight, looking in and could very well still be in that position when this fixture kicks off at Marvel Stadium on Thursday, July 31, playing Brisbane and Essendon in the next two weeks. That would make this clash a must-win for the Bulldogs, as a loss could see them needing to rely on other results to go their way if they wish to make a last-gasp entrance into September. As for the Giants, a win could set them up for a launch into the top four, or at the very least, nail their position inside the top eight with two bottom-four sides in the final three weeks of the season. The Giants and Dogs have become a modern-day rivalry, and this serves as another chapter to their growing book of classics. Adelaide vs Hawthorn [fixture_single match_id="161419"] The Hawks' season is on a knife's edge at the moment, with senior coach Sam Mitchell calling their fourth-quarter collapse to Fremantle a "punch in the stomach". This clash with Adelaide will be the first of three contests against the current top four teams in the final month of the season for Hawthorn. There's plenty at stake in this one in particular. The last time this pair met, the Hawks stole victory controversially from Adelaide in Tasmania, a thrilling second-half comeback win in terrible conditions. The Crows will be seeking vengeance for a game they feel they should have won. Unbelievably, Hawthorn have not won outside of Victoria or Tasmania since their Opening Round win against Sydney. You have to go back to Round 20 last year for their last win at Adelaide Oval, their only win at the ground since 2022. With the Crows flying high and the Hawks vulnerable, a loss could be the uppercut that ends Hawthorn's premiership hopes. A win, however, would likely give the Hawks a third consecutive win and set them up for a tilt at a top-four spot - and plenty of momentum for games to come against Collingwood and Brisbane. Collingwood vs Brisbane [fixture_single match_id="161416"] When August 2 arrives, the AFL may be looking at a top-of-the-table clash for the ages. A rematch of the 2023 Grand Final, two teams at full strength and potentially a 2025 Grand Final preview, this fixture will have everything on offer. Collingwood's hold on top spot could be in jeopardy with a loss, but a win would almost guarantee the minor premiership and every bit of confidence that they would be unstoppable in September. Having smashed Brisbane by 52 points earlier in the year at the Gabba, they'll be hopeful to see a repeat of that night. However, since breaking their MCG hoodoo in 2024, the Lions have been dominant at the venue and have beaten the likes of Hawthorn and Geelong there and, of course, won a premiership. A win here would, at the very least, put Brisbane on the same pedestal as Collingwood in the premiership conversation. Round 22 Hawthorn vs Collingwood [fixture_single match_id="161426"] This game seems destined to be a classic. The two clubs have already met this season, but the match fell well short of expectations, Collingwood thumping the Hawks by 51 points in Round 12. However, with the Pies looking somewhat beatable and Hawthorn requiring a big response to play finals footy, tensions are sure to rise between the rivals. There's the storyline of Jack Ginnivan, who will play against his former club for the fourth time. With finals potentially being at stake, his impact on the contest could make or break the Hawks' season. A loss here may be seriously costly for Hawthorn too, with this game sandwiched between clashes with Adelaide and Brisbane. The Magpies won't want to drop this one either, having lost at the MCG just once this season. In order for them to seem unstoppable in September, maintaining their unmatched aura on the hallowed turf will be vital. Round 23 Fremantle vs Brisbane [fixture_single match_id="160607"] Optus Stadium will be treated to one of the more underrated rivalries within the AFL landscape currently, as Lachie Neale takes on his former club in a match that could change the positioning inside the top eight significantly. Despite Brisbane being a top-four regular since the turn of the decade and Fremantle featuring in the post-season once in that time, the sides have traded wins since 2022 with an average margin of 22 points. Three of those contests have been played in WA, with Brisbane's most recent win there coming in Round 21, 2023. A win for Brisbane would legitimise their premiership status, with Optus becoming a cauldron for the Dockers, losing only two games there this season by an average margin of 8.5 points. If Fremantle win, that could be enough to hold a spot in the eight and potentially earn them a home final, something that could massively help extend their stay in September. Round 24 Western Bulldogs vs Fremantle [fixture_single match_id="160610"] Who needs a wildcard round? This clash in the final round of the season could potentially serve as its own elimination final. Fremantle and the Bulldogs currently sit in eighth and ninth on the ladder, respectively, and while there's still plenty of action to come before this one, there's a strong chance this will become a do-or-die battle for a spot in September. Before this meeting in Round 24, both the Bulldogs and Dockers will play two teams currently inside the eight: Brisbane and GWS for the Dogs, and Collingwood and Brisbane for Freo. A rematch of the 2022 Elimination Final seems imminent, except this time, it will come one week early.

The 10 upcoming games that will shape September

See the fixtures that could make or break the top eight as it stands.

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		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	ADEL	23	18	5	72	139.3
2	GEEL	23	17	6	68	141.5
3	BL	23	16	6	66	114.2
4	COLL	23	16	7	64	122.4
5	GWS	23	16	7	64	115.3
6	FRE	23	16	7	64	109
7	GC	23	15	8	60	124.9
8	HAW	23	15	8	60	120.9