THE RACE for the finals is going down to the wire with just three rounds of the home and away season remaining.
Has Melbourne's shock loss to Sydney cost it a quick return to the finals after missing the eight last year?
Who will make the finals? Check out your club's run home below.
Fremantle, Hawthorn, Sydney, North Melbourne and Adelaide have not been considered
LADDER PREDICTOR Can your team make the eight?
1. Port Adelaide
44 points (11 wins, three losses), 128.4 per cent
Top spot is the Power's to lose now. In grinding out the win against Sydney last Saturday, it delivered Ken Hinkley's side some much-needed extra percentage that will become important later in the season and should only get a top-up against North Melbourne in round 16. However, one slip-up from the Power will have Brisbane or potentially Geelong, with its superior percentage, claim top spot. Important to have Essendon fixtured at home in round 17, while the Power should also enter round 18 as favourites against the Pies. - Mitch Cleary
The run home
R16: North Melbourne @ Metricon Stadium
R17: Essendon @ Adelaide Oval
R18: Collingwood @ TBC
2. Brisbane
44 points (11 wins, three losses), 117.7 per cent
The Lions are now in a fantastic position to lock in not only a top-four spot, but a crucial place in the top two. Following the narrow win over Collingwood they are wedged into second place and will start firm favourites in all three remaining matches against Gold Coast, Sydney and Carlton. Two wins and the top four is guaranteed, three wins and you can pencil in two finals (at least) at the Gabba. None of it will be easy, particularly without injured backline general Harris Andrews, starting with next Wednesday's QClash against the vastly-improved Suns. - Michael Whiting
The run home
R16: Gold Coast @ the Gabba
R17: Sydney @ Cazalys Stadium
R18: Carlton @ TBC
3. Richmond
42 points (10 wins, one draw, four losses), 123.6 per cent
The Tigers are on a roll and will be all but locked in to the top four if they can topple Geelong next Friday night in a massive pre-finals clash. They will have a good lead-in for the game, too, enjoying the bye this weekend after a flat performance against Fremantle mid-week. Richmond will beat Adelaide in the final round so their hopes for a comfy finals spot rests on next week's clash. - Callum Twomey
The run home
R16: BYE
R17: Geelong @ Metricon Stadium
R18: Adelaide @ TBC
4. Geelong
40 points (10 wins, four losses), 138.7 percent
It's all looking rosy for Geelong. Although it might not have been at quarter-time last Friday night. Given its terrific percentage, its top-four destiny appears in its own hands. However, a round 17 bout with Richmond might go some way to determining whether it also boasts a minor premiership at season's end. The Cats will likely starting favourites against Essendon and Sydney, so expect a double-chance come finals time. - Riley Beveridge
The run home
R16: Essendon @ the Gabba
R17: Richmond @ Metricon Stadium
R18: Sydney @ TBC
5. West Coast
40 points (10 wins, four losses), 116.3 per cent
It's a big couple of games for the Eagles in their bid for a top-four position. The Dogs on Sunday will be no easy task and then the Saints at the Gabba follows and will also be a challenge. West Coast will be without skipper Luke Shuey until the finals after his double hamstring blow, while Elliot Yeo also remains out. The only game you'd mark down as a certainty is round 18 against North. - Callum Twomey
The run home
R16: Western Bulldogs @ Metricon Stadium
R17: St Kilda @ the Gabba
R18: North Melbourne @ TBC
6. Collingwood
34 points (eight wins, one draw, six losses), 110.1 per cent
The Magpies still have their fate in their own hands, but it's getting quite precarious. Following the round 16 bye, wins over Gold Coast and Port Adelaide would lock up a top-eight position for Collingwood, no questions asked. However, with Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and even mathematically Essendon all hovering outside the eight with a game in hand, any slip-up would leave Nathan Buckley's men vulnerable to missing out. Tom Phillips' hamstring strain against the Lions thins an already weakened midfield, but with 10 days before their next match against the Suns, the Magpies will hope to get a couple of troops back. - Michael Whiting
The run home
R16: BYE
R17: Gold Coast @ the Gabba
R18: Port Adelaide @ TBC
7. St Kilda
32 points (eight wins, six losses), 113.3 per cent
The Saints are clinging onto their position in the top eight after two tight losses before they had the bye in round 15. Melbourne's loss to Sydney helped their cause and they should beat Hawthorn on Sunday, but their final two matches against top-eight sides West Coast and Greater Western Sydney will be tricky. The final-round clash against Giants could be a 'win and in' situation. - Ben Sutton
The run home
R16: Hawthorn @ Metricon Stadium
R17: West Coast @ the Gabba
R18: Greater Western Sydney @ TBC
8. Greater Western Sydney
32 points (eight wins, six losses), 102.8 per cent
The task at hand is now simple. Win its remaining three games, and Greater Western Sydney is bound for the finals. It will clearly start overwhelming favourites in its next match against Adelaide, but two defining fixtures loom after that. Melbourne is its direct competition for that eighth spot, while St Kilda's place in the finals picture is also looking questionable. That final fortnight of the season will be a test to see how good GWS truly is. Win those games, head into the post-season with a full head of steam, and who knows how far this side can go. Lose one, or both, and it might be curtains on its campaign. - Riley Beveridge
The run home
R16: Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval
R17: Melbourne @ the Gabba
R18: St Kilda @ TBC
9. Melbourne
28 points (seven wins, seven losses), 108.2 per cent
Greater Western Sydney's win over Carlton, one that pushed the Giants back into the top eight, means that Melbourne must win its final three games to ensure to control its own destiny. It will enter Monday's clash with Fremantle off a four-day break as the favourites. From there, the Demons' season will go on the line against the Giants. Given the Demons' superior percentage over the Giants, knocking them off in the round 17 clash at the Gabba will almost certainly guarantee a finals berth provided Simon Goodwin's side beats Essendon. - Mitch Cleary
The run home
R16: Fremantle @ Cazalys Stadium
R17: GWS @ the Gabba
R18: Essendon @ TBC
10. Western Bulldogs
28 points (seven wins, seven losses), 100.1 percent
The Dogs might still be regretting last week's loss to Geelong after throwing away a 36-point lead at quarter-time. If they can beat West Coast on Sunday then they will suddenly be right back in the mix. With the three sides directly above them playing each other over the final three weeks, the Dogs could sneak in. But they can't begin to dream of that unless they beat the Eagles. Lose that and it will be as good as season over. - Ben Sutton
The run home
R16: West Coast @ Metricon Stadium
R17: Hawthorn @ Adelaide Oval
R18: Fremantle @ TBC
11. Essendon
26 points (six wins, one draw, seven losses), 88 per cent
Essendon's wastefulness against West Coast cruelled its hopes of an upset win to keep its season alive. The Bombers will need to win all three remaining games to be any chance to make the finals, but it's hard to see that happening with clashes against premiership contenders Geelong and Port Adelaide in the next two weeks. The club's drought without a finals win looks set to extend another year. - Callum Twomey
The run home
R16: Geelong @ the Gabba
R17: Port Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval
R18: Melbourne @ TBC
12. Carlton
24 points (six wins, eight losses), 96.2 per cent
That's that for Carlton. Having put itself in commanding positions in both of its last two games against Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney, it has twice meekly given up big leads. Finals is now well and truly out of the picture. Although it will start favourites against Sydney and Adelaide, everything would need to go right – actually, everything would need to go perfectly – from here, should it pull off the unthinkable. That's a pipe dream, though. - Riley Beveridge
The run home
R16: Sydney @ Metricon Stadium
R17: Adelaide @ Metricon Stadium
R18: Brisbane @ TBC
13. Gold Coast
22 points (five wins, one draw, eight losses), 101.8 per cent
The Suns kept the slimmest of finals hopes alive with Sunday night's thumping of North Melbourne. Although they would be longer odds of making the eight than 2015 Melbourne Cup winner Prince of Penzance, they can start an unlikely charge with victory over Brisbane in the round 16 QClash. Not only does Gold Coast need to win all three remaining games, it must also rely on teams above them losing, which becomes more problematic with so many combatants playing one another. - Michael Whiting
The run home
R16: Brisbane @ the Gabba
R17: Collingwood @ the Gabba
R18: Hawthorn @ TBC
