A resurgent Richmond faces another big challenge at the MCG on Friday night against Essendon. The last time the sides met, in round 11 at the MCG, the game was essentially over in in the opening five minutes, with Essendon showing its intent and going on to win by 50 points. This time Richmond comes in on the back of a five-game winning streak. Essendon can go a long way to securing a finals place if it repeats that effort, and at the same time finally end Tigers' very slim top-eight chances. 

A contest that has provided plenty of spite in recent times, this match between the new rivals again carries plenty of significance. With the Cats likely having sewn up a top-four position, a top-two finish is still in their grasp if they can overcome Freo. Meanwhile, a win for the Dockers will see them draw level with the Cats on wins and jump ahead on the ladder, thanks to their superior percentage. 

Another game that is likely to shape the top four. If the Sydney Swans can beat the falling Power – and Fremantle also beats Geelong – then Port Adelaide will be all but out of the running for a top-four position. But if the Power can recover their form to beat the Swans at Adelaide Oval, and Geelong down the Dockers, Ken Hinkley's men would likely jump back into fourth position. 

On the surface this might look like a regulation win for the Bulldogs, given their improved form and the Saints' struggles. But as St Kilda's final home game of the season and an early farewell to retiring champion midfielder Lenny Hayes, you'd expect the Saints to lift for the contest. With the race for the wooden spoon down to three clubs, a win for the Saints here would lift them above Greater Western Sydney and Melbourne. 

Amazingly, after results fell West Coast's way last round and the Eagles did their bit to beat Adelaide, their finals hopes has a pulse. It's unlikely, though, and Collingwood could extinguish that glimmer on Sunday. The Magpies got their season back on track on Sunday with a win over Port Adelaide, but they will need to keep the wins coming to make the final eight. The Pies head to Perth with good form, having won two of their past three games there against the Eagles. 

This clash could have huge ramifications for the bottom half of the eight. Gold Coast has revived its finals hopes but probably needs to win at least three more games to make a historic September appearance. If the Suns lose to Carlton this weekend, their meeting with Port might be the last roll of the dice. It would take a stunning form reversal for the Power to overcome the Sydney Swans this Saturday night and Port's chances of a home elimination final might be on shaky ground when they head to Metricon.

GWS has never won at the MCG and the Giants might need to break their duck to avoid a third successive wooden spoon. St Kilda is in pole position to finish bottom if it doesn't beat the Dogs but the Saints showed against Fremantle that they are capable of upsetting an opponent or two on the run home. Melbourne is 17th, with a healthy advantage of 11.7 percentage points over the Saints. The Giants are just 0.5 percentage points higher in 16th spot.

 

The battle between the top-four heavyweights could go a long way to deciding a top-two position, and the chance of a home final. Hawthorn is likely to be at least one game ahead of the Dockers heading into the contest – and maybe two – so this has plenty weighing on it for Fremantle as it aims to get its hand on a top-two spot. It might have greater meaning for the Dockers, too, considering Hawthorn smashed Freo by 58 points when they last met in round three. 

Nothing is a given with North, but the Roos should be fighting to host an elimination final when they take on the Crows. However, if things go awry against Greater Western Sydney or the Western Bulldogs in rounds 20 and 21, North might be battling just to play finals - it's that close. Adelaide must negotiate tricky matches against the Brisbane Lions (away) and Richmond (home) first. If the Crows win both, this match shapes as an early final; if they produce anything less, it could almost be too late.

 

If 72,000 turned up to the recent Hawks-Swans clash, there could be nearly 90,000 at the MCG for the next instalment in this epic rivalry. If neither team drops a game in the next two weeks – although both face Fremantle – they're probably playing off for a top-two spot. There's a chance the Hawks and Cats will finish second and third on the ladder anyway, but there's always the psychological advantage over their arch-rival to play for.

If recent history is any guide, the Magpies need to lock away a finals berth before round 23. The Hawks have been Collingwood's bogy side, winning the past six encounters, and could still have a top-two spot to play for. The Pies have three very winnable games against West Coast (away), the Lions (home) and GWS (away) to cement a top eight spot before they meet Hawthorn. Win all three and the Pies should feature in September. Anything less and this contest probably takes on elimination-final proportions for Nathan Buckley's men.

 

A lot can happen between now and round 23 but, theoretically at least, Fremantle and Port could be playing off for fourth spot. The Dockers have a tricky run against Geelong (away), Hawthorn (home) and the Brisbane Lions (away) first. Just one win could be enough to hold onto a top-four spot before facing Port. The Power takes on the Swans (home), Gold Coast (away) and Carlton (home) before heading west. Whether Port is still in the mix for a double chance after that run remains to be seen. It's more likely the Power will be in a dogfight to earn a home elimination final.