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The wildcard round will see 7th play 10th and 8th face 9th across the weekend of August 28-30, while the top six teams have a bye, before the eight-team finals format we\u2019re used to begins on the weekend of September 4-6.<\/p>\n
More teams in contention for the finals means more important games, and Rounds 17 and 18 have eight crucial match-ups that\u2019ll shape September, as highlighted by Fox Footy\u2019s On the Couch.<\/p>\n
Those include this weekend\u2019s Grand Final rematch at GMHBA Stadium between Geelong and Brisbane, and next week\u2019s top-of-the-table clash at Optus Stadium between Fremantle and Sydney.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile the wildcard race will be determined by games like Gold Coast vs Collingwood this week, and Collingwood vs North Melbourne next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a couple of teams there recognised in both of the next two rounds – Hawthorn, Sydney, Gold Coast, Collingwood,\u201d Collingwood great Nathan Buckley said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re really playing for your season, even this far out.\u201d<\/p>\n
THE SEPTEMBER-SHAPING FORTNIGHT<\/p>\n
Round 17<\/p>\n
Geelong (4th) vs Brisbane Lions (5th) at GMHBA Stadium, 7:30pm Thursday July 2<\/p>\n
Sydney Swans (2nd) vs Western Bulldogs (8th) at the SCG, 7:40pm Friday July 3<\/p>\n
Hawthorn (3rd) vs Melbourne (7th) at UTAS Stadium, 1:15pm Saturday July 4 [Fox Footy exclusive]<\/p>\n
Gold Coast Suns (11th) vs Collingwood (10th) at People First Stadium, 4:15pm Saturday July 4 [Fox Footy exclusive in Victoria]<\/p>\n
Round 18<\/p>\n
Fremantle (1st) vs Sydney Swans (2nd) at Optus Stadium, 8:10pm Thursday July 9<\/p>\n
Collingwood (10th) vs North Melbourne (9th) at Marvel Stadium, 7:40pm Friday July 10<\/p>\n
Carlton (12th) vs Hawthorn (3rd) at the MCG, 7:35pm Saturday July 11 [Fox Footy exclusive]<\/p>\n
Adelaide Crows (6th) vs Gold Coast Suns (11th) at Adelaide Oval, 8:10pm Saturday July 11<\/p>\n
Collingwood-Gold Coast this week, and Hawthorn-Carlton next week, will define the top 10 race.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said last week \u201cif you want to be in a chance to win it, you\u2019ve got to finish top six\u201d, based on the wildcard teams needing to win five finals in a row to win the premiership.<\/p>\n
That seems extremely unlikely but, as Lions great Jonathan Brown warned, realistically the defining line between the contenders and the non-contenders remains the top four.<\/p>\n
The Lions won the flag after finishing fifth in 2024, but they and the 2016 Bulldogs (who finished seventh) are still the exception and not the rule.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve forgotten about it a little bit, the importance of top four – with the wildcard now people are talking about top six,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve still got to get the double chance, which is top four, so it feels like it\u2019s a race there where it\u2019s so tight between fourth and ninth.\u201d <\/p>\n
Freo charge to top of Premiership Window | 02:30<\/p>\n
AFL ladder after Round 16<\/p>\n
1. Fremantle (56 pts)<\/p>\n
2. Sydney Swans (48)<\/p>\n
3. Hawthorn (42)<\/p>\n
4. Geelong (36)<\/p>\n
5. Brisbane Lions (36)<\/p>\n
6. Adelaide Crows (36)<\/p>\n
7. Melbourne (36)<\/p>\n
8. Western Bulldogs (36)<\/p>\n
9. North Melbourne (32)<\/p>\n
10. Collingwood (30)<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
11. Gold Coast Suns (28)<\/p>\n
12. Carlton (28)<\/p>\n
13. St Kilda (24)<\/p>\n
14. GWS Giants (24)<\/p>\n
15. Port Adelaide (20)<\/p>\n
16. West Coast Eagles (16)<\/p>\n
17. Richmond (8)<\/p>\n
18. Essendon (4)<\/p>\n
While only percentage separates the 4th-placed Cats and 8th-placed Bulldogs, Hawthorn champion Jordan Lewis believes the current order is very reflective of the premiership race.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know it\u2019s tight, but you can\u2019t really see at the end of the season much change between that ladder and what we\u2019ll see come finals,\u201d Lewis said.<\/p>\n