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IMAGINE if this week's ladder remained this way through to the first week of the finals.

We'd have Sydney Swans-Fremantle and Hawthorn-Geelong as the qualifying finals, sworn enemies North Melbourne-Essendon in one elimination final and a bonus Showdown between Port Adelaide and the Crows in the other.

But there would be no Collingwood.

Hard to believe the Pies, good things for the top four earlier in the season (and expecting to be there according to chief executive Gary Pert), are now on the outside looking in.

Whereas the performance against Essendon a fortnight ago bordered on shameful, there was no faulting Collingwood's endeavour on Sunday. But the execution was another story and the defensive turnovers, particularly in the first half, just killed them. The third-term comeback was meritorious on the back of Travis Cloke, but they might have spent their petrol tickets in the process.

But more to the point, how did Adelaide get here? Having Taylor Walker back and fit gives the Crows a powerful forward set up when you throw in James Podsiadly and Josh Jenkins.

The same for the silky Brad Crouch in the midfield, and he was great on Sunday, particularly with chief extractor Scott Thompson missing through injury.

A look at Adelaide's season suggests that it is establishing a formidable home ground advantage at Adelaide Oval. But away wins have been more difficult and in the case of the MCG, the Crows had lost five straight stretching back to late 2012.

They know they're in a battle royale to stay in the eight with the Pies and the fast-fading Gold Coast. Two of their remaining games – West Coast next week and St Kilda in round 23, both at home appear straightforward. But Brisbane (away), Richmond (home) and North Melbourne (Hobart) would appear even money.

If the Crows can keep this structure intact for the rest of the season, they should feature in the finals. They've beaten Collingwood twice this year, so in that respect, they're more deserving September participants.

And as mentioned, that would make the first weekend of the finals extra special. But even then, all roads would lead to Adelaide.

Hawks v Swans: best of three?

The first takeaway after Saturday night's epic Hawthorn-Sydney Swans clash is that the two clubs are playing a best-of-three series and that their next meeting, hopefully on the last Saturday in September, will be the rubber match.

The Hawks turned the tables on the Swans and played some spectacular football in the third term after the Swans broke out to a 23-point lead and appeared on the brink of dominating.

WATCH: Match highlights - Hawthorn v Sydney Swans
There's still some life in the defending champs, but the Swans clearly have the weapons to win this premiership. Had Lance Franklin kicked 5.2 instead of 2.5, would the result have been reversed?

A few other takeaways from a game that thankfully lived up to the hype and that was truly one of the matches of the season:

1. Adam Goodes. Battled in the first half, was almost the match-winner in the second. That deft, last-minute sleight of foot goal in the third term was a genius at work. Stiff also not to be paid that mark in the goal square late in the final term, but there were a few questionable marking decisions throughout the match.

2. Jordan Lewis. Having easily the most consistent of his 10 years with the Hawks. He had 35 touches against the Swans in a complete four-quarter performance and his third-man up work was sublime. Media Street (he is a regular panelist on AFL 360) has done him no harm whatsoever.

3. The constant jeering of Franklin by the Hawthorn fans was more theatrical than hateful. Given how his former teammates still warmly embraced him after the game, there is still plenty of love in the room for the former No. 23. Alastair Clarkson's "faceless man" remarks on Friday only added to the theatre.

4. Dan Hannebery. He averages 23 possessions and regularly plays well against the Hawks, and remains a massive out for the Swans, and in a game like this would have made a big difference, particularly in the third term when the Hawthorn midfield got on top. By the same token, Cyril Rioli will be a handy addition for the Hawks next time these teams meet.

5. The AFL botched aspects of this year's fixture and has rightfully been canned for doing so. But the 72,760 attendance on Saturday night suggests that this was a game the League got right. All the elements came together – form, storylines and timing. It had the build-up of a title fight and lived up to the bright lights and the prime-time billing.

6. Not sure what they're thinking over at Betfair. While every other betting agency brought the Hawks into joint premiership favouritism with the Swans after the game ($2.75 each with Tabcorp), Betfair was tweeting that the Swans had firmed for the flag in the aftermath.
"Publicity stunt, that's all," said one sports betting industry type on Sunday morning.

7. Mike Pyke. Can he carry the Swans ruck division all the way to the flag? Schooled by Ben McEvoy the longer the game went on Saturday night.

"Leave the rules alone"


We hear it from players and coaches on an annual basis, and save for the price of a bucket of chips, it is probably the most common complaint of supporters as well.

But what do the umpires think? This column recently spent a week with the AFL umpires and the resultant stories will start appearing on AFL.com.au from Monday as well as in next weekend's AFL Record.

The series focuses in part on Sam Hay, Matt Stevic and Jason Armstrong, who together umpired the Melbourne-Geelong game at the MCG in round 17.

Over the course of the week, they were each asked whether there were too many rule changes in the game. Their thoughts are particularly relevant because they're the ones charged with implementing such changes in games.

Hay was the most introverted of the trio, yet the most interesting when it came to rule changes. "I think it would be good to leave it alone to settle it down for a couple of years," he said. "There have been some adjustments in the last few years so it would be good to have a couple of years where we let it settle down and it would make our job far easier as well rather than having to adapt all the time."

Stevic was the senior member of the trio in terms of games and finals, but sees both sides of the argument. While some sort of rule-change moratorium would naturally make it easier for the umpires, there are times when the game's evolution demands that there be some tinkering. And the players, for all their hyperbole, can be supportive.

"You talk to Scott Pendlebury, Chris Judd or Joel Selwood about, say, contact beneath the knees and that it's a player safety thing, and they'll recognise that it's a good rule," he said.

Armstrong said rule changes end up as only a minor inconvenience. "Changes and tweaks to the rules are challenging, but only for a short period of time. Once they're set in stone you learn to adapt and deal with them."

QUESTION TIME

Has Greg Swann picked the right time to join the Brisbane Lions?
The news was sobering on Saturday morning, when he told radio station SEN that the Lions would likely take a $12 million debt into next season. Servicing that alone will take $1 million out of the club's coffers each year. But then came that afternoon's 54-point hammering of Gold Coast. The Lions seem a keen and united group on the field and Swann's track record at Collingwood and Carlton would suggest he is the man to fix things off it. Certainly, they have reclaimed their title as the best AFL team in Queensland, something that will help the sponsorship department when they get out on the hustings. A nice stat for the Lions is keeping their opponents to fewer than 80 points in their last four matches. That's a foundation to build a team around.

WATCH: Match highlights - Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast
Adam Simpson read the memo, but did Damien Hardwick?
The Eagles coach in words, if not necessarily body language, heeded the AFL edict not to comment on incidents that are likely to face the Match Review Panel after Tyrone Vickery's round-arm to the face of Dean Cox. But Hardwick's lavish praise of Vickery as "a hard, tough" player suggested he either didn't know or didn't care about the edict. There was no harm in Hardwick's remarks; he is hardly likely to sway the Match Review Panel one way or the other, and they were more about the Tigers feeling pretty good about themselves after another win.



Ashley Browne: Alastair Clarkson is right when he points out just how successful his Hawks have been in the last few seasons with this "undersized" backline and so it proved again on Saturday night. That said, I can't imagine the Hawks would want to play the Swans again without one or both of Brian Lake and Matt Spangher in the side. Hawthorn is 23-3 with Lake at full-back.



AB: They can train all they like, trying different kicks and different angles and with coaches tracking all their biomechanics, but so few teams train at the venues they play, so the conditions at training never quite replicate those on match day. And then there's the fatigue factor. It was interesting to note that Hawthorn's Luke Breust said during the week that one reason for his improved accuracy is that he practices kicking for goal when he's out on his feet.



AB: It's all about next year for West Coast. Hard to see how the Eagles can emerge from AFL purgatory – too good to finish on or near the bottom, not good enough for the top six. Teams can be mired there for years unless they make some daring moves around trade time to shake up their list. They seem to be OK for key forwards, perhaps even have too many, so would they be so bold as to trade Jack Darling out of the club in order to find a speedy midfielder or perhaps another high draft selection? The Eagles need to be cunning and innovative this October, which was a trademark of the club back in the day.



AB: The draw for final round of the season will be announced on Tuesday. Given the logjam for the top three, and the match-ups for round 23, there is every chance that one of the top two teams will play its opening final on a Friday night coming off a six-day break.

Anyway, here goes (all times local):

Friday 7.50pm: Collingwood v Hawthorn (MCG): Strong possibility that the Hawks might need a win for top two, the Pies a win to play finals.

Saturday

1.45pm: Geelong v Brisbane Lions (Simonds Stadium): Same as last year for the Cats.

2.10pm: Sydney Swans v Richmond (ANZ Stadium): If the Swans finish top, this gives them enough preparation for a six-day break if required.

4.40pm: North Melbourne v Melbourne (Etihad): North likely to play finals, will get at least a six-day break.

5.40pm: Fremantle v Port Adelaide (Patersons Stadium): Port could get home on the red-eye to prepare for a Saturday final if needed. 

7.40pm: Carlton v Essendon (MCG): Might be win and get in for Bombers. Always rates well.

Sunday

1.10pm: Western Bulldogs v GWS (Etihad): Fox Footy game. Bring on the summer.

2:50pm: Adelaide v St Kilda (Adelaide Oval): Huge ratings for Channel 7 if Crows need to win to get in. Lenny Hayes plays his last match.

4:40pm: Gold Coast v West Coast (Metricon): Will have no bearing on finals, AFL doesn't need to sweat on the result.